BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — It was an unseasonably warm winter this year, with Coloradans all across our state feeling the impact. Denver’s winter season was one of the driest on record, and farmers struggled with irrigation for their crops and for their animals, while many mountain communities were left praying for snow.

This record-low snow year is leaving A Racer’s Edge wondering if this year could be their last run. The Breckenridge business has been around since 1972 selling gear needed to shred the slopes.

▶️ Denver7’s Maggy Wolanske headed to the High Country to follow up on the impact the low-snow year had on businesses

Drought has created existential threat for Breckenridge ski shop

Over the years, owner Chuck Ginsburg has developed life-long relationships with both locals and visitors helping them pick out the equipment for the best possible run.

“We're kind of an institution, legend, whatnot and here we have people, of course, from all over the county coming in, but I have people coming in from all over the globe for the special boot fitting and stuff that we do,” Ginsburg said.

He knows people go to Breckenridge to enjoy the terrain and fresh powder. However, Mother Nature made this year one of the hardest seasons he has ever faced. Ginsburg said the lack of snow and warm temperatures made sales drop 50% compared to their best year.

“They didn't ski as much as they did and even then, as far as my business goes, ‘Why does somebody want to buy a new pair of skis and go up and ruin them the first day up in the rocks?’ So business was harsh,” Ginsburg said.

While Ginsburg is praying for a snowier ski season, he is facing the current reality of keeping up with expenses and facing bankruptcy. It is why he has made an online fundraiser hoping the community that he has supported for so many years will now support him.

“Well, now we're facing bankruptcy. We're... partway through the process, so we've just submitted our five-year plan and now all my creditors and the court and myself get to, I'll say discuss, to put it nicely, how that plan is going to work and what needs to be tweaked to make it work for everybody,” Ginsburg said.

Kerry O’Connor with the Breckenridge tourism office shared the recent warm winter also had an impact on lodging and overnight stays. Her office works with a company called Key Data that provides data by measuring hotel reservations and bookings.

“We were down about 7% in pure occupancy from this winter compared to the last winter. So we saw that the effect of the snow really drove travel and helped people make their decision on where to travel,” O’Connor said.

The town of Breckenridge shared data with Denver7 that shows the latest sales tax numbers in May dropped by 9% year to date.

While snow may help bring in visitors for skiing, O’Connor emphasized there are other attractions and activities for people to enjoy.

“We're super hopeful for this super El Nino that everyone is saying is coming. We really hope that it happens. We all want a good winner this upcoming winter. We want to see that snow return,” O’Connor said.