Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic |
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 10:08am PT
|
yes, I read this in the Independent yesterday... truly the end of an era.
But not entirely unexpected as Kim had been talking about moving on for quite some time.
Still a loss to the climbing community (such as it is).
|
|
Vlad Pricker
Mountain climber
The cliffs of insanitty
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 10:19am PT
|
Never climbed with Kim, but spoke with him a lot. Rob Grandfield and I climbed Orizaba and Popo.
Best wishes to Kim, Rob and all.
You know, I still have that blue Helly Hansen fleece but the yellow pants are history.
|
|
Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 10:41am PT
|
Sad Times!! Went to some Great Slide Shows when EC Joe worked there. Met Warren Harding, John Bachar and many more climbers that were inspirations! I guess its the big box for the masses stores now or online. Glad I got to go when I did.
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 11:01am PT
|
Brick and mortar retail stores, especially the small, independent ones, will continue to fall by the wayside like telephone booths and film cameras. How many times do we mourn the end of an era? But that also implies the start of an era...and so it goes. The only thing that will never change is the fact that their will be change.
|
|
jeff_scott
Trad climber
Lodi
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 11:22am PT
|
Bummer.......Ben shopping there for 30+ years......
|
|
BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 01:33pm PT
|
I met Kim through Steve Howard when Livermore Cyclery shared a building with, then, Sunrise Moutaineering. Kim, Rob and I had a memorable trip to Valdez to go ice climbing way back during the first Gulf War. Those two were motivated to climb!
So sorry to hear of the closing, but be assured that both Kim and Rob will be moving on to other fun and interesting endeavors!
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 01:52pm PT
|
But Western Mountaineering in San Jose was the first of that small indy breed to go down. They really did sell a lot of climbing gear too. Another one of the small mountain shops to go was that shop on Hamilton in downtown Palo Alto, about the same time as the Wheelsmith. Used to be a heck of a lot more climbing shops in the South Bay and the Peninsula to be sure.
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 18, 2017 - 03:19pm PT
|
Gary Schaezlein successfully continued on with Western Mountaineering with down goods.
Eh, DMT, your welcome! Looking back, that was a great gig during my 16 years there (class of '85 thru 2001).
 ec
|
|
kenny morrell
Trad climber
danville,ca
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2017 - 05:01pm PT
|
I helped rob run the walnut creek store for a couple years back in the early 80"s. I had a blast working there made a lot of good friends that have held true to this day.I am really sad to here that kim and rob are closing shop. I wish those two all the best. kenny morrell
|
|
Vlad Pricker
Mountain climber
The cliffs of insanitty, inconceivable
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2017 - 09:44am PT
|
Hey Kenny, how is going? Or should that be, how's it hanging'?
cheers
Patrick
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 19, 2017 - 04:57pm PT
|
|
|
msiddens
Trad climber
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2017 - 05:56pm PT
|
So sad man!
|
|
Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2017 - 07:05pm PT
|
Did Sunrise make chalk bags, my first bag (early 80s) had a Sunrise label, I bought it at Nomad when they had the Oceanside store.
|
|
BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2017 - 07:37pm PT
|
^^^Sweet shot!
Yeah it's a bummer loosing business's devoted and passionate to bring a product and hospitality to the young "in-to-it" crowd. I lost alotta good buds back in the 70-80's when skateboard shops started closing. But I'll never forget what they taught me..
I'll continue to think positive what this store gave to its patrons, besides the gear.
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 19, 2017 - 09:21pm PT
|
Nomad's side gig is/was Sunrise Mountaineering soft goods; only related by name...
ec
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2017 - 10:05pm PT
|
Dr. Sharpe?!
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 9, 2017 - 12:42pm PT
|
How/Where is Dr Sharpe?
BTW, Kudos to the many Sunrise Alumni who moved-on to greater places in the outdoor industry! That fact alone speaks volumes of the great staff we had there over the years.
ec
|
|
Gowen Geter
Mountain climber
Chamonix, FRANCE
|
|
This thread exemplafies a more beautiful definition of commerce: the noise and warmth of human commerce. A shop that someone has put effort into for many years is closing, and is being felt as a loss to those it was intended to serve.
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
is that a young Dr. Sharpe in the photo of the "first dollar" up above, on the left of the counter?
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 9, 2017 - 09:23pm PT
|
That's Kim's partner in crime (original co-owner), Markus Libkind.
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
I worked with Marcus when he was an engineer at LLNL...
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 9, 2018 - 06:26pm PT
|
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 10, 2018 - 07:48am PT
|
bump for old brick and mortar!
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 10, 2018 - 10:56am PT
|
Not my gig, the image had been fwd to me. The phone # is the same, but location is south of the fountain.
ec
|
|
Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
|
|
|
Oct 11, 2018 - 11:22pm PT
|
You guys had heart and it always showed!
You turned on so many.
Good on you!
|
|
Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
|
|
|
Oct 12, 2018 - 08:12am PT
|
Yeah! A big Thank You to the folks at Sunrise Mountaineering. You guys took me under your wing when I was a newbie back in the 1980s. You were always glad to give me the "bro-deal" when I came in to buy a load of carabiners, webbing and hexes. Eddie (ec) was all excited when he found out I'd been climbing at the Needles, and he stoked me with all this unpublished information. Plus you were always stoked to hear about my own modest cragging achievements. I even made use of the old glue-on climbing wall in the back of the original location.
Thanks for the memories . . .
Wonder if TrustyRusty has seen this thread . . . ?
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2018 - 08:32am PT
|
Ah, so...the ‘Spit Wad Wall’ in Back of the old original 2290 1st Street. Totally pre-plastic, PC7 and stones from around the Sierra on cinder block. Good times! Many thx!
ec
|
|
Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
|
|
|
Oct 12, 2018 - 09:17am PT
|
Yes, but will the EC Joe Big Wall School ever return? I never gained admission but was trained by those who had matriculated.
"Paging Dr. Sharpe"...
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2018 - 03:32pm PT
|
Nah, I’m too busy running a commercial driving DMV gig where I work; better benefits...
ec
|
|
ppierpont
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2018 - 01:38pm PT
|
We actually re-opened in June, but we still had work to finish on the new space, so we kept things quiet. With many people on summer vacations we figured we'd wait to have an opening celebration event in the fall. The new shop is located in the center of downtown - about a block away from the original shop that opened in 1975. We're at 2184 instead of 2290 1st Street.
The logo is new but keeps much of our heritage. Many of you know me from running the shop for years (I think longer than EC, actually), but I own Sunrise now. Kim and Rob have moved on to other things! We're re-focusing on walking, running, hiking, backpacking and (yes) climbing. No more snow sports, no more paddle sports. We're going to support the climbing category as much as possible, but that's become more difficult over the past few years. Although we still have the dealerships, we won't really have the inventory until next spring. And then we'll see what the market will support. Stay tuned!
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2018 - 01:51pm PT
|
I will stop by and buy. :)
|
|
Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2018 - 03:42pm PT
|
So, it's alive . . .
Thanks, man. Livermore ain't what it used to be. I cruised through in summer '17, and I was blown away. It's where I grew up. It's depressing, appalling, unbelievable what has happened to my hometown.
Maintaining that connection to the past is much appreciated, even though I don't even live in CA anymore.
I'm sure many others who grew up in the 6os, 70s, & 80s can relate.
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 18, 2018 - 04:17pm PT
|
Good Luck! Stay true to your roots!
Say, my tenure was 16 years.
We had some good times there; many dreams made true thru Sunrise.
ec
|
|
ppierpont
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Oct 20, 2018 - 10:12am PT
|
EC, Somewhere I still have your resignation letter, written on a yellow pad! I found it while cleaning the office one day. I think that was 1999, right?
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 20, 2018 - 02:20pm PT
|
July, 2001
I’d actually like to see that. (Not on ST, of course)
It was a horrible time internally there; an ongoing dilemma after moving to the new digs, the brothers disagreeing all too often, Kim, who I am on good terms nowadays was then, at that time, pretty oppressive. After 16 years, I literally made the decision myself, packed-up my sh!t, wrote that letter and never looked back; I really loved that gig too...
Like when I got home and told the wife, of course, she thought I was BS-ing. I heard thru my former staff that it was a stunner...
ec
|
|
ppierpont
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Oct 21, 2018 - 10:04am PT
|
I knew it happened before I arrived, but I couldn't remember the year. Wasn't that during the OR show or something? I remember Kim remarking about that years later (and also mentioning that he had no idea why you just left one day). If I still have that letter, I'll save it for you! I understand those moments well, especially after we closed the Pleasant Hill store. Kim and Rob in the same store daily was pretty combustible! Lots of memories from the original Sunrise!
|
|
ec
climber
ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 21, 2018 - 10:10am PT
|
OR usually was in August. I think Kim was on a trip or something. Oh, Kim knows...all good now tho.
ec
|
|
| Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!