HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. – There's been a huge uptick in outdoor recreation since the pandemic began.

In North Carolina, the winter sport industry is already busy, even with the snow season just starting.  

Flipside Boardshop owners Krista and Jason Hill have been seeing an influx of people stopping by on their way to the Catalooche Ski Area. The shop sits just at the bottom of the resort's hill.

"We do board rentals, board sales, we do repairs," says Krista Hill. "And we have everything else to keep you nice and warm."

They didn't know what to expect their first snow season during a pandemic, but they didn't expect what they're seeing now– business is booming.

“At the beginning of the season, we didn’t even know if the mountain would be able to open, so we were a little nervous and we’ve had one of the strongest sell-throughs we’ve had ever," says Hill.

Sales are up compared to last year. Hill says she's been too busy to count it all up to put a number on it.

Though the increase in demand is great for business, it does bring some downsides. There's been some supply issues.

"We’re scrambling to reorder," Hill says.

People are taking up the sport now since it's one of the only socially distant outdoor winter sports.

Hill says she's seeing first-time boarders, as well as people coming back to the sport who took a few years off.

"We've definitely seen an increase in the tourists that would've normally flown out west that have chosen to drive up here," Hill says.

She's glad this is putting Maggie Valley on the radar for many snow sport enthusiasts.

The shop has extended hours to meet the demand. You can find out more on Flipside Boardshop's website.