As the April snow-showers fall confoundedly around us, you may have noticed the streets perforated with folk in snowboard jackets? These are most probably Westbeach and been purchased from The Store on Park Street, for a complete bargain before it’s doors closed after three years of trade, in their massive closing down sale!

Westbeach emerged 29 years ago, to the sound of the stampede and amongst the buzzing streets of Calgary, out of a love for the surf that lay over 1000 miles away, beyond the high mountain peaks and wide open lakes of Western Canada. So far from the source of its inspiration Westbeach soon focused on providing for those mimicking the feeling of wave riding on the snowy hillsides of the nearby Rocky Mountains and thus became better known as a snowboard brand, constantly responding to the demands of the industry.

Westbeach was born when snowboarding was in early development and in 1987 opened a store in Vancouver becoming one of the first companies to provide snowboard specific outerwear, and whether you’re a fan of the snowboarder-skater baggy pant look or not (rampant throughout the cool streets of Bristol!), Westbeach claim to have started this unwavering trend with ‘Gunz Jeans’ in 1993; a defining look for snowboarders everywhere.

In 1989 the ‘Westbeach Classic’ (distinguished snowboarding event) started and four years later, its team riders were formulated (sponsored athletes including British rider, Danny Wheeler).

Westbeach went continental in 1995 when a HQ was opened in Innsbruck, Austria, where they were now able to keep a closer eye on the European snowboard scene, and with continued successful distribution in various, prominent outdoor stores around our snow-starved country, 2005 saw Westbeach opening stores in Innsbruck and here in Bristol: The Store has specialised in Westbeach snowboard specific outerwear but has sold other innovative, surf-skate-snow brands including, Ambiguous, Split, Coal, Adio and Nomis.

A month after opening, the small team of snowboard enthusiasts (and Chamonix seasonaires), gained a new member, a friendly and knowledgeable Canadian who’d just spent 12 years as a Snowboard Coach in the village of Whistler; Westbeach’s homeland. Not long after, another Canadian joined the small team and imparted her enthusiasm for the mountains with Bristol’s residents!

In a country least known for its snowfall but with the Alps only an hour and a half away, with thousands of snow loving folk flying out of Bristol International every year and with a sizable bunch of excitable riders living in the city itself, it is perhaps nothing more than a shame that the Store has closed its doors just before the spring snow has fallen.

So, in case you’re wearing your Westbeach jacket/Hoody/T-shirt, purely because you came by it super cheap on one of the South West’s most trendy streets, be safe in the knowledge that you are wearing authentic snowboard apparel and representing one of snowboarding’s most original mountain brands!

If you’ve missed out on the Store’s sale action, Westbeach’s success continues, distributing in several major outdoor stores around Bristol (and the UK) and you can also learn more about them out online at:
www.westbeach.com

Special mention to the Store’s employees who have been working their arses off during this manic sale and good luck with the looming job search!

Fran Hardy