Owner ‘Mountain’ Michael Miscavage stands in front of just a small piece of his vast selection of skis and gear at Top of the Slope on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.
                                 Ryan Evans | Times Leader

Owner ‘Mountain’ Michael Miscavage stands in front of just a small piece of his vast selection of skis and gear at Top of the Slope on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.

Ryan Evans | Times Leader

Downtown ski shop, with 50 years of service, offers a wide range of products and expert service

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<p>Miscavage is also a purveyor of all sorts of outdoor winter and cold-season gear, such as this funky North Face jacket.</p>
                                 <p>Ryan Evans | Times Leader</p>

Miscavage is also a purveyor of all sorts of outdoor winter and cold-season gear, such as this funky North Face jacket.

Ryan Evans | Times Leader

<p>Top of the Slope Ski Shop Inc., at 100 S. Main St. in downtown Wilkes-Barre, has been serving the community for 50 years.</p>
                                 <p>Ryan Evans | Times Leader</p>

Top of the Slope Ski Shop Inc., at 100 S. Main St. in downtown Wilkes-Barre, has been serving the community for 50 years.

Ryan Evans | Times Leader

<p>A selection of snowboards on the second floor of Top of the Slope. A Lib-Tech Travis Rice signature model can be seen fourth from left.</p>
                                 <p>Ryan Evans | Times Leader</p>

A selection of snowboards on the second floor of Top of the Slope. A Lib-Tech Travis Rice signature model can be seen fourth from left.

Ryan Evans | Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE — Ski and snowboard season is just around the corner, as much as some may not want to hear it as the final days of summer trickle away. For those who do enjoy outdoor winter sports, Top of the Slope on South Main Street. will be there to provide all the necessities and then some, just as they have for the past half century.

Opened in 1972, the store has had a few different owners, however, all of them have been Miscavages. Current and long-running owner, ‘Mountain’ Michael Miscavage, has been at the helm since around 1984.

“I grew up in it (the store),” Miscavage said, noting he’s been a “skier forever,” though he also snowboards and was part of the hype-train when ‘snurfers’ — early snowboards that resembled surfboards more than the familiar shapes we see now — first hit the slopes. “Got my butt kicked,” he said, “but I got pretty good at it … used to race snowboards through slalom gates.”

Does he have a preference for skiing or snowboarding?

“I like both,” Miscavage said, “depending on who you’re going with.”

All of that said, Miscavage’s experience on the slopes, and the combined experience of his staff is ever-evident given the vast selection of gear, from base layers to bindings and everything in between, as well as the services offered to customers.

“I don’t really hire anybody that doesn’t know anything about skiing or snowboarding,” Miscavage said, noting shop mainstay Howard ‘Howie’ Balbach, who has been on board — no pun intended — for around “30 years or so.” Miscavage and his staff are technicians who understand the intricacies and procedures of setting up gear for safe riding.

The shop does all sorts of setup needs, such as waxing, edge tuning, binding setup and placement, and whatever else may be needed. They also custom fit boots, ensuring the perfect pair to keep you carving all day long with no complaints. For those who have never had the experience of riding the Beast of the East — or any other slopes for that matter — with ill-fitting boots, consider yourselves lucky. It’s a miserable experience but at Top of the Slope, those potential day-ruiners and bummers never come to fruition.

As far as snowboarding is concerned, Top of the Slope was not only one of the first shops to carry industry-standard Burton snowboards, they’re also the area’s largest purveyor of Burton, including the new ‘step-on’ bindings and boots, allowing for ultimate convenience. Just step in and go, as opposed to messing with strap-in bindings.

Of course, they also carry several other brands, such as GNU and Lib-Tech — the latter of which being the preferred make of none other than Travis Rice, the globetrotting daredevil. Miscavage even has a few Travis Rice signature models available, among other brands and models.

And for those who prefer to ski, there’s household names like Armada. Miscavage noted the brand’s Twin Tip models are a huge seller, among a wide selection of other brands like Salomon and K2. There’s also clothing and casual wear from names such as Patagonia and The North Face as well as gloves from companies like Hester, and goggles from trusted names such as Oakley and Anon, and helmets.

There’s even a selection of hiking and climbing gear such as boots and socks for those who don’t ride but still enjoy the great outdoors. Miscavage and his staff are even happy to special order, within reason, if say your size or preferred color isn’t in stock among their store-wide selection.

And even if none of these are current hobbies, Miscavage encourages anyone to come in and check out the shop. “Some people come in and go, ‘Well, I was never in here because I’m not a skier or a snowboarder.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, you wear a jacket, don’t you?’ Everyone needs a hoodie or something, right?” Miscavage said.

While Miscavage admitted “time will tell,” if Top of the Slope will be in downtown Wilkes-Barre for another 50 years, he said one of the coolest parts of his business is seeing the generational customers he’s established.

“It’s funny, you know. Obviously we’ve been here that long. I’ve been here that long. I’ve seen kids come in and their parents come in, then those kids become parents, and those kids go to school and they graduate or come home for the holidays, and they always stop here. They always come in, whether they buy something or say ‘hi’,” Miscavage reflected.

As the season draws nearer, Top of the Slope will be running its weekday bus trips to Hunter Mountain in Hunter, N.Y. For more details follow Top of the Slope Ski Shop Inc. on Facebook @ topoftheslope, stop in the shop at 100 S. Main St., call at 570-822-6627, or visit the website at www.topoftheslope.com.

Hours listed currently have Top of the Slope open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Miscavage noted that as the season picks up, the shop will be open seven days a week. The shop is currently running a pre-season sale.