About
Alpine Haus Marina
Learn About Our History
Established in 1976 by Vince Zimmer, Spokane Alpine Haus began its journey on the South Hill of Spokane as a snow and water ski store. That store still proudly stands in its location today. In 1977, Vince broadened his horizons by sponsoring local water ski tournaments, a move that sparked rapid growth for the water ski business while Vince's active participation in the sport increased as well.
This steady growth propelled Spokane Alpine Haus to become Spokane's largest water ski store. By 1985, Vince expanded the business by selling Mastercraft Ski boats at the South Hill location. Between 1987 and 1990, Spokane Alpine Haus hosted the highly anticipated Spokane Water Ski Festival on the river in downtown Spokane, right in front of the C.I. Shenanigans Restaurant. Vince staged a 2-hour Friday night “Cypress Gardens” type water ski show, which included barefoot skiing, trick skiing, skiers flipping off jumps, clown acts, and more - all accompanied by music and an announcer on a PA system.
The inaugural year attracted a crowd of approximately 10,000 spectators who lined the downtown riverbanks. Spokane Alpine Haus continued to organize water ski tournaments and remained actively involved in the sport over the years. In 1986, Vince introduced the novel sport of "Skurfing" (later renamed "Wakeboarding") to the area. The sport initially drew a handful of competitors, but it quickly flourished into a massive phenomenon under Vince's guidance.
The success of the Spokane Water Ski Festivals, coupled with the rising popularity of water ski and wakeboard tournaments, led to a boom in the boat business. Consequently, the South Hill store's parking lots were teeming with ski boats for sale. Vince's wife, Melody, made the decision in 1990 to relocate the boat business to a new location off Interstate 90, in the Spokane Valley. This enabled her to reclaim her parking spot at the South Hill store! The boat business, renamed Alpine Haus Marina, continued to thrive in its new location while the snow ski and water ski store remained on South Hill.
In line with the business' expansion, Vince added the Four Winns line of boats to the roster in 1996, followed by the Supra and Moomba lines in 2004 as demand surged. The company's growth over the years has been exponential, with the success largely attributed to a 6,000-square-foot service and parts center that caters to hundreds of customers annually. Vince states that “We treat our customers as we would want to be treated, and even though we are not perfect, we strive to be that way.”
When the economy took a downturn in 2008, Vince decided in 2010 to stop selling new boats and focus instead on offering pre-owned boats and servicing existing loyal customers. The watersports showroom now showcases an extensive range of products, including HO Syndicate Waterskis, Hyperlite Wakeboards, Hyperlite (H/L) Surfboards, HO Paddleboards, Inflatables, and all related watersport accessories. It also houses a waterski museum and a fully restored 1984 MasterCraft ski boat, with 1984 being our first year of being a MasterCraft boat dealer.
About
Year Established
Services
- Boat Repair
- Boat Maintenance
Specialties
- Boat Service
- Used Boat Sales
Business Hours
- Mon - Fri
- -
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
Products
- Used Boats
- Boat Parts
- Boat and Marine Accessories
Holiday Hours
Associations
Brands
Payment Options
- Cash
- Check
- Discover
- MasterCard
- Visa
Languages
- English
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