A group of Piche’s Ski & Sports Shop employees gather for a photo at the store’s Gilford location. Far right: Co-owner Patrick Bolduc (Photo by Scott Merrill)
For three generations, the Bolduc family has been at the heart of Piche’s Ski & Sports Shop in Gilford. It’s a place where hard work, family, and community come together, and where an origin story involving a petty theft helped launch one of New England’s most enduring ski shops.
The story begins with Francis Piché, a young Gilford mailman who spent summers working at the Northland Ski Manufacturing Company in the 1930s. According to family lore, Francis’s mother once told him and his brother, “We’ve got too many skis in the basement,” and suggested putting an ad in the local paper, according to Patrick Bolduc, who took over the shop from his father several years ago with his brother Rob.
Those first sales came with a mischievous twist. Francis and his brother had taken a few defective skis from the Northland factory, repaired them by hand, and sold them to neighbors. When extra money appeared, their mother asked where it came from and after hearing the truth, urged them to do it the right way. Soon, Francis began buying factory seconds legitimately, refurbishing them, and selling them to local skiers.
Francis founded the company in 1938, one year after Gunstock Mountain opened for skiing. Catering to some of the first alpine skiers in America, he ran a successful business for decades before selling it to Bob “Pops” Bolduc, who had moved to NH’s Lakes Region from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, as a young boy. Bolduc first worked for Piché as a child and eventually purchased the company in 1977.
“We’ve been here about 70 years,” says Patrick. “Over one summer, my brothers and I even slept here while we built an addition.” Today, members of the third generation, including Rob and Patrick’s children, also work at the shop.
Piche’s now operates two locations: a main retail store in Gilford and an outlet store and print shop in Belmont, offering everything from skis, bikes, kayaks, and camping gear to team apparel and custom printing. The business employs 36 people year-round.
“Service is everything,” Patrick says. “My dad always told me, ‘If you want a successful business, you’ve got to be there. Customers need to see you.’” For more information, visit piches.com.
