The Shakes Sport Shack Story................

This story does not begin with Shakes grand opening on February 27, 2009.

Owned and operated by S. Scott Shake the Sport Shack story begins years ago in Boise Idaho.

As a kid growing up in Boise I was lucky enough (along with my brother and sister) to grow up enjoying the great outdoors any chance we got. With our father working at Bogus Basin Ski Resort we quickly learned our way around the mountain literally growing up on skis and there wasn't any way our mother would let us not learn how to ski on the water as well. With winters full of skiing and summers spent on the lake we had our chances to do it right.

My love affair with the smells of melting wax and p-tex began with McU Sports back in 1987 with the opening of their Highland Store in the north end of Boise. The back shop at that point in time was little more than a counter and not much room to even turn around, for some reason it was just mysterious enough to entice my inner ski shop monkey. The Mountain Bike Monkey came out a few years later when McUs opened a shop close enough to my house that I could ride my bike to and from. Still not old enough to get a job but I rode my bike to the Shopko plaza daily and hung out in that shop saving every penny I had in order to buy my first "real" Mountain Bike. I eventually was handed a broom or a mop bucket at one point and began my illustrious career as a shop monkey before I was old enough to receive any actual paychecks.

I officially landed on the payroll in 1993 when Bogus Basin took over management of McU's Mountain shop and I spent the summer riding up and down the hill clearing out the shop with Gus Urresti and a gang of other guys, every 20 minutes or so we would hear "F*@# Man, Take Five!".........thanks Gus.

The following 16 years seem like an eternity when looking back but I will try to sum it up for ya. I was lucky enough to learn that a clean shop is a happy shop and if you have extra parts you should start the bike tune over (thanks Mike). I learned the value of cussing at your Winterstieger tuning machines (thanks to Fritz and Doug). I made my mistakes and made my breakthroughs. I ended up running the tune shop for the Highland store for a few years before spending a year in limbo (Montana State University). I came back and ran the ski shop and water sports department for Sunset Sports for while before running off to the forest service to fight fire. The forest service is where I met my wife Jennifer and she has been gently dragging me along ever since. While I was fighting fire I spent my winters as a ski instructor and resumed my shop monkey status at Greenwoods Ski Haus.

I moved into my own little zen world of ski tuning when I started with Greenwoods. At that point in my career I had two things to do in the winter ski and tune skis. I worked the night shift at Greenwoods along with a number of other guys that took tuning skis and snowboards religiously. I was able to tweak the tune on my skis and try it out the next day while teaching at the hill it was a perfect situation. I remember floating around on cloud nine the day someone I didn't know requested that I tune their skis, that was great.

In 2003 I left Greenwoods and followed Jennifer to Missoula for her job. We landed in Philipsburg and she still drives into Missoula for her daily commute. I did a brief stint at Bob Wards running the ski shop for them before I was hired as the rental shop manager for Discovery Ski Area. A year after that I also took on the duty of Ski School Director. Discovery brought a number of new challenges to my working career. Juggling eight to twelve shop employees and a gaggle of ski and snowboard instructors was like herding cats. The bright side is that Peter and Beatrice made sure that I remained organized well enough to keep up the good fight.

It was during my annual spring ski trip in 2008 I finally received the nudge I needed to do this thing for myself. Thanks Mom.

It started out as a quiet conversation discussing winters to come when the question was asked one last time...Why don't you open your own shop? Unlike all the other times I have been asked and the numerous times I have asked it of myself, I didn't have an answer this time so, WHY NOT? Thus ensued a whirlwind of construction and a minor bit of destruction. The original opening date was scheduled for November 9th 2008 but we just couldn't get there. We had a few more minor setbacks and reschedules and a small heart attack when it started to rain while pouring concrete for the 1000 sq. ft. floor, but we made it.

I have so many people to thank for getting me to this point. Greenwoods Ski Haus for that final polish on my ski tune and ALL the additional support in this adventure. Black Diamond Sports and Bob Dinwiddie for the help and advice, McU Sports for planting that seed and feeding that inner shop monkey, "You have to learn how to take one and give two" sage advice from Rich Urresti. Troy Wallin, Bill Ballew, Steve Gilbertson, Bill Duckham, Jim Williams, Jim Waldbillig, Rick Umland and a host of others that helped in the construction of the shop. Some of the suppliers like MoonSaddle that have extended me some credit on faith rather than numbers. Bill Dirkes for his help and advice in getting that first supplier account started. My fellow bartenders who have helped me get up out of my beer when I was to befuddled to understand that even if its hard and scary this is a good thing, you know who you are.

Most of all thanks to my family and friends who have provided unconditional support in this adventure although this is not the beginning it is far from the end.

If you made it this far congrats and thanks for reading my ramble.

Thanks and keep believing,

Steven Scott Shake