Ask Doug Roberts, co-owner of Ski and Tennis Station, what he enjoys most about the sport, and you’ll probably get a long answer.

“I’ve been skiing for 40 years and love everything about it,” he says. “There’s such a freedom with it that you don’t get from most other sports. When the air is crisp and it’s clear up on the mountain, there’s just really nothing quite like it.”

It’s that love for skiing that led Roberts and his wife, Gail, to open Ski and Tennis Station in 1977. Located at Stratford Place Shopping Center, the store prides itself on being a winter-sports sanctuary, providing customers with top-flight equipment and top-notch advice.

Q. What’s the benefit of renting equipment here rather than at the ski lodge?
A. We’ll make sure you get the right fit so you’re not rushed up there. You want to make sure your boots fit properly; that’s the most important thing to get right and the easiest thing to mess up. Our equipment is generally in better shape, too. The boots aren’t wet and haven’t been skied in recently. But the biggest advantage of renting here is that you can start skiing as soon as you get to the mountain instead of waiting in a line. You can just get there, get your lift ticket, and go.

Q. What are your typical rental rates?
A. It’s $20 for skis on the weekends. We do a $5 ski rental on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the non-holiday period. One of the big reservations people have about skiing is that it’s a little pricy. But with lift tickets being cheaper midweek, and with our $5 rental rate, you and your family can go skiing without spending much.

Q. What’s the biggest advice you can give to beginners?
A. Take a lesson. You might be going with a friend who says they’ll teach you, but you’ve got to remember that your friend wants to have fun, too. If they’re constantly helping you, they’ll eventually get frustrated. With lessons, you’ll get a great base of knowledge. You won’t learn any bad habits that you’ll have to unlearn later. You’ll really be surprised by how quickly it all sinks in, whether you take a group or a private lesson.

Q. Locally, where’s a good place to start skiing?
A. All of [the local ski slopes] do a great job of taking beginners under their wing. The key thing to remember is that you don’t have to be at a huge mountain to learn how to ski. Winterplace (West Virginia) guarantees you’ll learn how to ski, so if you don’t learn in your first class, you can hop in another class after that. Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain have a very reputable ski schools, too. If there’s one that stands out, though, it’s Appalachian Ski Mountain. They have the Swiss French Ski College. It’s one of the oldest and best-known ski schools in the area. They seem to put more emphasis on their ski school than they do anything else.

Q. What about intermediate-to-expert skiers?
A. Snow Shoe (West Virginia) is a great place to experience big-mountain skiing within driving distance. It’s about five hours away, so it’s a little bit further, but you can go for two to three days and really get that big-time skiing experience without having to hop on a plane.

Q. What’s a good age for kids to start skiing?
A. We started our kids when they were 3, and I’ve seen some start younger. It really just depends on your child’s attention span and how well they can follow directions. It’s important not to push them too hard though; you don’t want to make the experience miserable for them. You want them to want to go back and try it again, even if they didn’t have much luck the first time.

Q. On the other end, are you ever too old to try skiing?
A. I don’t think so. I know people who ski well into their 80s. As long as you’re in pretty good shape, there’s really no set age. Just remember to take your time. Don’t be afraid to take a break; go back in the lodge, get recharged, and remember that it’s a process. Once you get where you can control your speed, you can ski anywhere in America.

For information, call 336-722-6111 or go to skiandtennisstation.com