DemoSport

Wow what a great experience I had at Demo Sport this week! I took my daughter in to rent ski equipment as we were going skiing for one day. We were welcomed right from the moment we walked in. Excellent care and customer service from Steve. He rented us some fantastic ski equipment and toped it off with waxing our skis for the specific snow we were going to encounter. I called on the way down from the mountain to be sure they would be open until the 5 PM time and he said to take our time as he would be there even if we were a little late. The return process was quick and courteous as well. We will definitely use them again. I greatly appreciate the service we received and want to highly recommend this business to others.

This review is for the Groupon SUP Tour. Steve is an awesome instructor and just an all-​around good guy. He picked a great place to paddle as the shoreline there is beautiful. We paddled to China Beach along the shore stopping at an old Chinese fishing village. It was so peaceful and serene. It’s a great activity to do to de-​stress and get away from it all. I definitely am interested in doing another tour with him. I highly recommend it!

You will receive the best customer service here. Very professional and knowledgeable. We came in to look for a pair of skis for my niece and left very satisfied. They offer great prices and we will be back again.

I have been a customer at DemoSport consistently for the past 5. I have purchased well over 6 thousand dollars worth of ski equipment from them. While the gear they sell is top of the line, there is one tremendously important thing that the business lacks: an owner who understands what customer service is. Multiple times I have been in the midst of a transaction with Steve and he has lost patience with another employee or customer and stormed out of the store, leaving me there waiting to pay. On the phone he is even worse. I have called him to ask a question about an item I am interested in and been met with either a hostile response or him advising me to look elsewhere because he is «very busy» and «not interested». I find it outrageous that the owner of a sporting goods store can’t put aside less than a minute to answer a question that will in the end lead to a satisfied customer walking away with a $ 1200 pari of skis. On top of the lack of proper customer service, Steve has consistently shocked me by being almost entirely incompetent in regards to the gear he sells. Last year I came in to demo a new Nordica boot and Steve not only tried to send me off with a boot that was a full size too big (I wear a 26.5 and he tried to give me a 27.5), but he also tried to explain to me why he was correct about the sizing and how I «didn’t know what I was talking about». I must, however, be fair and mention that Greg is truly what is keeping this business alive. It is obvious that he too is surprised by the way Steve treats customers, yet he is always incredibly helpful. Greg, that second star is for you. Keep doing what you do. Unfortunately I will have to take my business elsewhere from now on.

Steve and staff present a wealth of knowledge on how to properly use, adjust, wear apparel & equipment. I could not be happier with this store inventory & service. I have been using them for years and what they have taught me has made my outdoor experiences so much more enjoyable.

I haven’t been to the store in person, but I have spoke over the phone a couple of times and they have been very friendly and helpful. I order a older snowboard I couldn’t find anywhere else for a great price! Thanks again!

Had a BLAST last Sunday! I was a bit apprehensive/​nervous about trying Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), but I forgot all about it as our instructor Steve walked the group of us step-​by-​step from where to place our feet to how to paddle… on dry land. Once we got into the water, we all just stood up on the paddleboard… all four of us! …and off we went! Steve only teaches four people at a time so he can provide help and additional instructions depending on each person’s level. Also Steve gave us positive and helpful feedback throughout our lesson and during our «long» tour of San Rafael coastline. Oh yes… when I called to sign up for the lesson, Steve was flexible on start time, taking into consideration of high tide and wind conditions. It was a WONDERFUL experience!

Steve is a terrific Paddleboard instructor and I learned a lot in my lesson. Small group and very patient. McNears Beach and cove is a great location to learn in. Calm with great views and history. Easy to learn and can be as challenging as you want to make it.

Awesome company and Steve is a great instructor.

My first time to paddleboard and was a bit nervous. Thankfully Steve was a very thorough instructor and was patient with all of our questions. I feel like I learned enough (with the paddle time in the water) to be able to paddleboard on my own now. Fun time!

I bought a groupon a year or so ago and went in last week to see if I could use the paid portion for something… anything. Looks like I can only use the $ 50 for SUP but the guy to talk to wasn’t in so I left a message for him to call me. He still hasn’t. The store seamed well stocked and the clerk there was nice enough.

My boyfriend swears by this place, but every time I go here, they are so rude and unhelpful. Seems like you have to know them well to get decent service. I give up. Not planning to go back if I can help it.

I went out this morning with Steve for a SUP lesson. It was nothing short of awesome! He made sure I felt safe and had fun, but also challenged me. He is a great teacher. Very easy going and patient. I can’t wait til my next paddle. I’ve never skied or spent much time on the snow and now I’d definitely go knowing I have someone as knowledgeable and caring as Steve to show me the ropes.

The people that Demo has around are always super helpful and knowledgeable. On any given day you are likely to find the owner around and he’ll take the time to help out and always has a super attitude. A couple years back I was looking for a particular year and size of a Burton Vapor and they were able to dig one up for me and give me a good deal on it. I highly recommend this shop and love taking my business there.

Demosport is awesome! Everyone there is super knowledgable and helpful. I always go here for snowboard stuff – esp. boots/​boards/​bindings/​tune-​ups – and they always do a great job!

Owner/​Manager is rude, horrible customer service and he should not own his own business. He was unhappy with a choice he made to do a groupon and he swore at me and berated me when I tried to use the groupon. This is not how you treat a customer. I would go anywhere but here.
Seriously: I recommend going to any other location than here.

I got a paddleboard groupon deal and from start to finish, they were excellent! When I first called a month before to make the appointment, the woman took down my information and told me the usual guy who teaches, Steve, was on a trip and would call me back to confirm preferred dates. Sure enough, Steve called and told me recommended dates due to the tide and weather conditions. Steve was thorough, helpful, and thoughtful the entire call. He called again the day before to confirm/​remind us about the paddleboard clinic.
The weather was gorgeous today and Steve was very patient in explaining the history, techniques, and ways to paddle. He read the wind and weather, proving to be an excellent guide as he maneuvered us around obstacles.
On paddleboarding– I couldn’t help but think this would be an excellent group, even date, activity! Think about it– the macho man is showing off his balancing skills and then falls in because he’s trying to impress/​help the girl too much. Just a thought. Wink.
I highly recommend paddleboarding if you like a relaxing activity that will work out your core and firm your abs at the same time. Go with Steve who’s like the father you’ve never had!

I was fortunate enough to have blindly found their website while googling for what I wanted. I’m glad I called them on the phone since they confirmed exactly what I was looking for in regards to size and colorway.
The entire staff is remarkable and came thru for me. My package wasn’t were it was supposed to be when UPS claimed to have delivered the goods (2 Jones Hovies!)
They all were very helpful and understanding of my situation. The boards turned up and everything ended excellent. My girlfriend and I can’t wait to get ‘em on the mountain.
Thank’s guys

Great service, excellent selection of inventory. The place is stuffed with the best gear. Look no further, get yourself to Demo Sport. They have a bettter selection of snowboard gear than the big sporting goods stores.
For ski rentals as my kids were growning we would get them from DS and not be stuck in the insane rush at the resort. We were, in most cases, on the slopes taking runs a couple of hours ahead of the resort renters.

Tired of the impersonality of those big sporting goods chains? Want to support small businesses in Marin County? DemoSport is an example of why smaller is better.
I’ve known DemoSport was in San Rafael for years because we used to rent my kids’ skis from them. I just hadn’t been back for a while. At the end of this last summer, I stopped by to look at their stand up paddleboard inventory and they happened to have exactly the board I wanted. They had me at «Hello, here are our SUP boards».
Long story short — I bought the paddleboard, paddle, and rack for my car, but it doesn’t end there. Steve, the owner, spent a lot of time with me and described the different paddleboard technologies, trends, brands and paddling techniques. He personally found the right car rack in the catalog, and discounted the board, paddle, rack and labor. He invited me to his paddleboard clinic (with my new board) the following Wednesday, and he hosted a fantastic paddle on a beautiful warm sunny morning. He showed me how to attach the fins to the board, lift the paddleboard onto the car and how to tie a paddleboard down to the rack. He delivered the paddleboard to my house (since I didn’t have the rack yet) and showed me how the wash it down. When my car rack came in, he and Greg (his assistant) installed it on one of the busiest days of their year.
Does REI do this? I think not.
I went back a few weeks later, and bought a new pair of downhill skis and poles, at a great price, discounted from retail.
DemoSport’s inventory is first rate, and the personal service by the owner and staff is even better. This is exactly the kind of business that is perfect for San Rafael.