Westbound Boarder

When Bud Valian moved from British Columbia to Oregon in 1954, things were a little different on the mountain. Timberline, where he taught skiing, had only one lift – the Magic Mile. In those days, “The Mile” was in a different location. It was actually east of the lodge and went all the way up to Silcox Hut. Bud said the lift tickets were only $4.00/each back then…ahh those were the days!

From all accounts, Bud was a bit of a wild man in his younger days and would often climb up to the top of Mt.Hood and ski down. When asked what his scariest moment was, Bud scratched his head for a moment and said that one morning he had just made it to the top of the mountain as was looking around when suddenly, KABOOM! Two fighter jets came screaming right at him, circled the mountain and then waved goodbye. This is of course just one of the many stories the man offered up. I have it on good authority from others that Bud is credited with straight lining the upper bowl at Ski Bowl more than once. For any of you who have ridden the upper bowl, you can only imagine just how fast you’d get rippin’ going straight down!

Bud and his wife Betsy have been together now for 26 years. They are the perfect mix of yin and yang to run their business. Betsy is the stylish one. She has that magic touch when it comes to decorating the shop and merchandising everything in the most effective way. Bud is the mad scientist behind the curtain. He has developed his own equipment which is nothing short of brilliant ingenuity. Going into Valian’s is almost like stepping into a time warp when ski shops were the only place to find goggles, hats gloves and get your skis tuned. “Betz” on the other hand really has an extraordinary flair for combining the old and the new. As you shuffle around the shop, you will see clippings from old Life magazines, newspaper articles, and the products that were popular back in the day. It takes you back to the days of yore and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that all is right with the world. However, all of it too is mixed with the very latest gear to help you get your shred on.

I asked Bud how the culture of the mountain has changed and he gave me a reply that I had long suspected. He basically said that these days, everybody is in such a hurry to get up there and then get back down to their everyday lives. He went on to say that it used to be that everyone was much more laid back and personal but the sport itself was in many ways much more difficult. (think lace up boots and bear trap bindings!)

Responding to the question of whether or not he still skis, he said absolutely! However, at 76 he picks his days usually in the spring where he can “wear his sunglasses”. He went on to say that he had enough days teaching in crappy weather.

So, there you have it. Valian’s ski shop in good old Government Camp. One of the classics that I hope will endure in this world of Dick’s, Sport’s Authority and Big 5. A place where you can get real advice from a real pro who’s been there/done that and knows what’s best without the BS.

As the grand state of Oregon has four great seasons, clearly we can’t cater to snowboarders all year round. Well, Westbound Boarder is finally unveiling the one-stop-shop that can definitely outfit you each and every season, without exception!  With expertise in all snow, surf, skate, windsurf, kite board and now SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Boarding), Gorge Performance really caters to what the location externalities of Oregon has given to her board sport enthusiast’s.

Est. back in 1983, Gorge Performance has earned their hardcore reputation, through their humble attitudes, by offering the right service and guaranteeing the lowest prices. So we’re going to break ‘em down real nicely for ya. Gorge offers you expertise in the following areas:

• Snow
  
• Surf
• Skate
• SUP
• Kite
• Windsurf

Along with their variety of expertise, Gorge Performance offers what no one else in town does:

• Killer Classifieds: Have a board to sell? Want to try a new sport, but don’t want to pay all that cash for brand new gear? Gorge offers the best consignment, trade-in and resale opportunities in town.
• Equipment Rentals: Snowboards, surfboards, body boards and wetsuits are all available for rental. Check out their website for rates.
• Shape Shop: Gorge offers a shaping shed and board repair center on site. Whether it’s your surfboard, kite board, NoBoard, or any board, Gorge can likely fix it for you.
• Video Rentals: Gorge Performance will even rent you the latest board video (snow, surf, kite and windsurf etc…), a reason all in its self to stop by this board shack.
• Online Store: As if Gorge does not already have it all, check out their online store too!
• For the Ladies: Gorge has all the gear, for the women and the men. From wetsuits to boards, Gorge is ready for you board driven ladies!

This place stands out in a crowd as they are in no way a ‘big box’ store. Gorge throws epic events for their customers. Be sure to check them out:

• 2nd SUP Wednesdays: Want to learn the latest about Stand-Up Paddle Boarding? Join Gorge Performance at Willamette Park boat ramp the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5pm. This is an opportunity for you to improve your technique, skill’s, or just explore! Eventually Gorge Performance hopes to turn this event into a race. So bring your board if you have one, otherwise Gorge has plenty of demos available. Don’t forget your wetsuit, which you can always rent at the shop.
• Kite Nights: Look out for Kite-Nights later on in the season when the winds are just right. Gorge gets everyone together to kite board out at Sauvie Island. Demos available!
• Rail Jam: Each snowboard season Gorge brings in the snow and throws a rail jam contest right at their shop. With prizes, music and downtown Portland snow, this rail jam is a must attend. Rad events like this take place throughout each season so keep checkin’ in with us for the details.

On top of all these elements which have made Gorge performance the Portland area’s favorite local board shop, they have deals, sales and steals to offer you too:

• Snowboard sale: Right now 2009 Snowboard gear is on sale from 40-50% off.
• Surfboards on sale! For a limited time, you can pick up one of dozens of boards, short and long, marked at $101 off!

As Gorge put’s it themselves, ‘I like to think we’re just right…the right size, the right service and always a guaranteed low price. Stop in. We’ll do ya right.’ With all of this said, it is no surprise that Portland area’s favorite local board shop successfully transforms their focus with the changing seasons- all the way from snow to surf to skate to wind, skim and SUP – so stop by and get your board on at Gorge Performance.