It is with great disappointment we announce the permanent closure of BNS Midwest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Boulder Nordic Sport’s other two locations in Boulder, Colorado (BNS HQ) and Portland, Maine (BNS East) remain open. The Midwest store is closing due to our inability to ensure a safe environment for employees and customers under the constraints of COVID-19. BNS has no immediate plans to open a new location in the Midwest.

BNS founder Nathan Schultz summarized the unfortunate situation, “we have been working closely with the Loppet Foundation to try to find a solution for months. Unfortunately, the reality is we were challenged by limited space before COVID, but the extra distancing requirements under COVID make it impossible to operate rentals and retail safely. We are exasperated, as we just invested heavily in launching the new location inside the Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Park in October 2019. We were excited to continue our work in this vibrant and active community center.”

With the shuttering of BNS Midwest, all BNS stone grinding operations have been moved to Boulder and will be run by a team led by Schultz. BNS will continue to focus on its core business of providing top-level service and high-quality products to serve cross-country skiers of all abilities and interests. Worldwide shipping continues to be available for orders placed by phone and on bouldernordic.com.

General Manager, Hennie Kashiwa, said, “while it’s incredibly tough to unexpectedly close a store, especially in such a great skiing community, we look forward to simplifying our operations. We are determined to make the most of the situation and are focused on delivering what we do best.”

Skis for stone grinding services can be dropped off or shipped to BNS headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. Customers who had skis at BNS Midwest for stone grinding will have them delivered to their homes after the service work is complete. BNS is targeting the completion of the next grind batch in early- to mid-October. Hand-selected ski orders will be slightly behind schedule—in homes in by November, as they come available from suppliers.