"My first impression was the laid-back attitude. There was very little distance between business and pleasure," says JANS General Manager Jack Walzer of encountering Park City more than 40 years ago. For Jack, who showed up here after hearing about us from friends at a Who concert in Boulder ("Those guys sold me on a place I never heard of," he laughs), the tiny, relaxed mountain town fit like custom ski boots. His "just for a winter" plan turned into a lifetime.
Jack started selling skis at JANS in the mid-80s when the store was where Starbucks is now (the iconic JANS at Deer Valley Drive and Park Avenue opened a few years later). He says the colorful, adept, and committed JANS team is still inspired by "Jan Peterson's vision of what a ski shop should be. We all loved what he did and the opportunity to be part of the movement."
Jack became GM 25 years ago. "I try to keep it simple," he explains. "We hire people who are passionate about the sports we sell. Our knowledge and enthusiasm help people stay involved throughout their lives." Jack lives that spirit himself, getting out there "nearly daily," skiing, biking, fly fishing, and nurturing his young granddaughter's love for the outdoors. "My wife and I love travel and family,” he adds.
Music, too. Turns out that Who concert in '82 was just another reflection of Jack's skills; he has been on rhythm guitar and vocals for local band Lash LaRue for 14 years. "It's what we call Americana music,” Jack says, music born, like JANS, with the spirit of the West. That includes giving back. JANS' support ranges from the National Ability Center and Youth Sports Alliance to the Summit Land Conservancy, the Mountain Trails Foundation, and Mountain Town Music. "Jan exemplified the culture of skiing," Jack says fondly. "It is still what we are all about."