Okemo Ski Rentals 2026-27: Your Guide to Leases and Swap Dates

For the 2026–27 winter, Okemo's own rental operation has dropped two features that regulars relied on. The My Epic Gear membership is gone, and so is slopeside pickup and drop-off. In Ludlow, meanwhile, the season-lease racks stopped waiting for snow back on Labor Day weekend, and the Okemo Mountain School swap falls on the same weekend as the resort's tentative first day. Put those dates on one calendar and the deadlines for this winter's gear decisions fall between mid-November and the first week of December, which is roughly the stretch when the lifts start turning.

If you live in the valley, ski often and host family over the holidays, this is the order things happen in.

The Dates, in Order

• Since Labor Day weekend: Tygart Mountain Sports at Okemo Marketplace has been fitting season leases, first come, first served.
• October 7: Okemo's pass page says prices go up on this date.
• Saturday, November 14; Sunday, November 15; Wednesday, November 18: Gear drop-off for the swap at the Round House at Jackson Gore, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Friday, November 20, through Sunday, November 22: The 2026 Okemo Ski and Snowboard Swap.
• Saturday, November 21: Okemo's lift-ticket booking calendar lists this as the "first day on the slopes." Vail Resorts' August release on opening dates didn't include Okemo. It said more resort dates would come later and that all dates can change, so treat November 21 as tentative.
• First week of December: Tygart stops fitting season leases.

Swap shopping, opening weekend and the end of lease season all fall within about two weeks. Two of the three can't be pushed back.

What Changed at the Clock Tower and Jackson Gore Counters

Okemo still runs two rental centers this season. The Clock Tower Rental Center is at 312 Mountain Rd., and Jackson Gore Rentals is at 111 Jackson Gore Road. The service behind those counters has changed, though.

Okemo's FAQ for the season lists the changes:

1. No more membership. Former My Epic Gear members can no longer pick a "Favorite Gear" setup for the whole season.
2. Pick Your Own Demo has arrived. Okemo is one of twelve resorts where renters can choose the exact brand and model of demo ski, from more than 60 options from brands such as Salomon, Stöckli, Burton, Atomic, Lib Tech and Jones. What you get depends on inventory.
3. New boots. Every demo package now includes BOA ski boots or step-on snowboard bindings.
4. No slopeside handoff. Slopeside pickup and drop-off are gone. Some locations still offer overnight slopeside storage, first come, first served.
5. No member service desks. All support now happens at the rental shops.

The resort is now set up around reserving ahead. Booking online can save up to 20%, and Epic Pass holders get 20% off rentals through Epic Mountain Rewards. Free delivery to lodging is available at Okemo. If you book less than two calendar days before arrival, though, you can only pick up in the shop. Okemo recommends booking at least 48 hours ahead.

That arrangement works well for a guest who arrives Friday with a reservation. It works less well for a local who wants the same skis all season. Without the membership, keeping one setup all winter now mostly means leasing or buying in town.

Pond Street and Main Street Fill the Gap

Ludlow has four independent shops within a short drive of the mountain, and each is strong at something different. The day rates below are the ones posted on each shop's website. The pages carry no dates, so call ahead to confirm prices for this season.

Seasonal skiers should look hardest at Tygart's lease program, because it runs on a fixed schedule. The shop buys new lease equipment every year and retires older sets, so nothing in the lease fleet is more than three seasons old. The newest gear goes out first. Leases start at $199. Tygart pitches the program to families with children who outgrow equipment and to adults who are still learning and don't want to spend thousands on gear. Fitting ends the first week of December, roughly two weeks after the tentative opening day, so anyone who waits to see how early snow looks has very little time left. The shop takes reservations by phone at 802-228-5440. Tygart also runs a spring pre-registration deal. A deposit for next season earns 10% off each setup and a free tune for the season. For this winter that offer has passed, but it applies again in spring.

Boots are what the resort's changes affect least, and they're where the Pond Street shops differ most. Totem Pole's fitters trained at Masterfit University or SIDAS Academy and work under the supervision of a board-certified pedorthist. The Boot Pro takes walk-ins with no appointment. Tygart books appointments for custom fitting, foot scanning, and shell and liner work. Northern Ski Works has been on Main Street since 1988, about 1.5 miles east of Okemo Mountain Road.

Tuning is the other ongoing cost of owning or leasing gear. Tygart sells a season package of 20 tunes for $389 and guarantees overnight turnaround on equipment that arrives at least an hour before closing. It doesn't do tunes while you wait. Totem Pole lists tunes from $45 to $125 and will build custom season packages. The Boot Pro lists recreational tunes from $69 to $119 and overnight race tunes for an extra $25.

The Swap Falls on Opening Weekend

The swap overlaps opening day this year. The Okemo Ski and Snowboard Swap is back at the Round House at Jackson Gore. It opens Friday, November 20, from 3 to 7 p.m. The first hour costs $5 and is free for Okemo employees, and admission is free from 4 to 7 p.m. The swap continues Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If the booking calendar is right, Saturday is also the first day of skiing.

That leaves Friday afternoon as the easiest time to shop without giving up a ski day. It's also the only session with an early-entry fee.

The swap has also grown. Mountain Times reported in December 2025 that the 2025 swap, held November 21–23, raised more than $40,000 for Okemo Mountain School. That broke the previous record by more than $2,500. Head of School Mariel Meringolo credited community support and volunteers and said the fundraiser helps keep tuition affordable for students.

If you're selling gear, the rules are specific:

• Drop-off is November 14, 15 or 18 only. The swap won't accept gear during sale hours.
• The swap won't take skis, boots or bindings more than seven years old.
• Okemo Mountain School keeps 25% of the sale price. Sellers get a check for the rest about three weeks after the swap.
• Donated gear is tax-deductible.

The seven-year limit matters if you have older gear in the garage. Skis that sat out last season may still qualify, but skis from the late 2010s probably won't.

When the Skier Is a Guest

Hosting is the other half of the winter. Epic Friend Tickets replace the old Buddy and Ski With A Friend tickets. They give 50% off lift tickets for guests 13 and older and 25% off child tickets. They also work on peak-restricted dates, which covers the holiday weeks when relatives tend to visit. If your own pass is blacked out that day, you can use one Friend Ticket for yourself and give another to your guest.

How many you get depends on when you bought your pass. Eligible 2026–27 passes bought by April 12 came with 10 Friend Tickets. Passes bought April 13 through May 25 came with six, and passes bought from May 26 on come with five. A pass bought this month comes with five. On Okemo's Epic Local Pass page, the adult price is $849, and the new Young Adult price for ages 18 to 30 is $675.

For a guest's gear, Okemo's delivery service is the simplest option if they book at least 48 hours ahead. Families with children in Ski & Ride School will also see something new. Okemo is one of 14 resorts where lessons connect to the My Epic app, with digital check-in, lesson updates and photos during the day, and progress tracking. For a visiting grandchild staying a full week, a Pond Street rental at a consecutive-day rate is worth pricing too.

Gear is part of life at Okemo, and so is the property it's stored in. If ski-season logistics like these are part of how you're thinking about a slopeside condo or a home in the valley, the agents at Mary W Davis Realtor & Associates have worked in the Okemo Valley for many years and can talk through how a property fits the way you ski. Talk to an Okemo Real Estate Expert.