Sole Searchers Newsletters

Early morning, setting up.

Saturday August 30. 9:00 AM.

Picnic Beach offers something for everyone. Easy sandy beach entry, reefs to the East, reefs straight out, and the reefs over to the west at divers cove. This area is perfect for a family outing. The picnic area has many permanent picnic tables and B.B.Q. grill for us to use. And recently just renovated in June, with new toilets and picnic benches. There’s plenty of lawn area to lay down and relax, and several toilet facilities are available. Meet at the picnic area around 9 am. We will do a dive in the morning, followed by burgers and hot dogs, and then just relax. You can do a second dive if you and your dive buddy feel up to it, or you can drive a few blocks over to downtown Laguna Beach and check out the local shopping. The club will provide the burgers, hot dogs, buns, and condiments. Please bring your own beverages and a side dish to share.

Please e-mail me kaizawa@earthlink.net with the type of side dish you will be bringing, and I’ll create a list. This way we can avoid having ten potato salad dishes.

Direction: I usually take I-5 South, then take the 133 South. Don’t take the 133 North, which comes up first, it’s a toll road. 133 South is the one you want, and it will turn into Broadway eventually, and ends up on PCH. Take a right on PCH heading North, then take a left at Cliff Drive. (You’ll see the Laguna Art Museum on your left, and Aster St.
will be to your right). Dive few blocks until you get to the area where Myrtle and Cliff meet. Park in this area. If you’re coming south on PCH, take a right on Myrtle Street & take your first left which will put you on Cliff Drive. You’ll see a sign for “Heisler Park.” Park anywhere near this area. Oh yes, bring quarters for the meters! 25 cents/ 15 minutes.

Dive access and Entry: There is a paved path to the protected cove with sandy beach.
Skill level: Beginner when calm; intermediate around the point with navigation skills.
Depth: average 30 ft.
Visibility: Good, averaging 20-25 feet.
Photography: Very good wide angle with good light, interesting rock features, gorgonians, Garibaldi, and more. Fair for macro with some small fish and invertebrates. Plenty of Christmas tree worms.
Hunting: Too close to border of Vedder Ecological Reserve.
Parking & Facilities: all metered parking, .25 cents/15minutes, so bring lot’s of quarters.

This is a popular picnic site especially during the summer, so show up early to find good parking. I recommend dropping off your dive gear first at the picnic site, and then go park your car. There is a change machine nearby.

“If you are willing to get there a little earlier and stake out the picnic table on the upper grassy hill for us, we’d really appreciate it. Let me know if you can” - Kaz

A fresh water shower is located at the bottom of the paved path leading to the beach.
Benches and picnic tables with B.B.Q. pits. No portable B.B.Q. grill is permitted. No canopy type shade is allowed, but individual beach umbrella with stand is ok in the picnic area.

Contact person: Kaz Aizawa (323) 256-2863 kaizawa@earthlink.net

Below is a photo of the area before the renovation, but the general area is still the same.

Finally, after all these years of waiting, we’ll be able to check out the brand new space the dive shop will occupy in the big new Sport Chalet complex in La Canada. The small space the scuba shop used to occupy in La Canada will be left behind for a more spacious modern layout just across the street. No more “getting your shopping cart loaded with scuba tank stuck on the shirt rack while trying to make your way to the dive shop”… yes I used to do that all the time.  Also, I heard Brad Hall is back at the shop, heading the scuba department, so it’ll be good to see him again.

And… read below, AC Green is going to be there on Sunday!!!

SPORT CHALET OPENS NEW STORE IN LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA

LOS ANGELES, California - (August 13, 2008) - Sport Chalet, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPCHA, SPCHB) is proud to celebrate the grand opening of its new 45,000 sq. ft. store located at Two Sport Chalet Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011. This store will replace the original Sport Chalet store locations on Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge.

On April 1,1959, a young man named Norbert Olberz heard about a little ski shop for sale. It was located in a town called La Cañada, just north of Los Angeles, California. Norbert and his new wife, Irene, plunked down all of their savings and set up shop. During the first year, Norbert and Irene slept in the back of the ski shop, taking showers at night with a garden hose through their back screen door. They’ve come a long way.

Sport Chalet’s La Canada, CA storefront in 1964.

Commenting on the opening, Craig Levra, Chairman and CEO, said, “This is the culmination of thirty-three years of work by our Company’s founder, Norbert Olberz and his family, and we are all proud and excited this day has arrived. This new store, located next to our corporate offices, will become a retail lab, in which we will try new in-store concepts, displays, products, specialty services, and computer systems, all designed to ‘enhance the customer’s shopping experience.’ We hope our loyal customers in La Cañada Flintridge and the surrounding communities, who at one time were asked to shop in four different buildings along Foothill Boulevard, will enjoy our new store.”

“Sport Chalet is preparing to celebrate its 50th year in business, and we are hosting a special ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, August 21st at 9:00 a.m., one day earlier than our normal grand opening schedule. This will give us an opportunity to publicly thank the Olberz family for all they have given to both our community and our Company these past 50 years.” Five percent of all sales on this day will be donated to Junior Achievement of Southern California.

A grand opening celebration and sale is scheduled for Friday, August 22nd through Sunday, August 24th. Activities will include celebrity appearances, sports demonstrations, daily prize drawings and giveaways. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, the first 200 customers, who are in line before the store opens and who sign up for Action Pass™ (our free customer rewards program) will receive a Sport Chalet gift card valued anywhere from $10 to $200.

On Friday at 6:00 p.m., celebrated author, radio and television host Ronnie Kovach will conduct a fishing seminar. On Saturday at 10 a.m., meet YouTube sensation Zach “Speed Bag Skunk” Ruffo and watch him demonstrate his amazing and unique speed bag skills courtesy of Everlast. On Sunday at 2 p.m. meet former Lakers’ player “Ironman” AC Green.

Free introductory SCUBA lessons will be held at our on-site SCUBA training pool on Saturday and Sunday. Also, on Saturday and Sunday, Sport Chalet will have several free parking lot activities, including the Gale Webb Extreme Sports & Air Show, a Rock Climbing Wall and Bungee Trampoline, and vendor booths showcasing new products. Customers may also enter to win $20,000 worth of prizes and gift cards from Diamondback, Coleman, Garmin, Electra, New Balance, Wilson, Nike, and more, all weekend long.

About Sport Chalet, Inc.
Sport Chalet, founded in 1959 by Norbert Olberz, is a leading operator of full service specialty sporting goods stores in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. The Company offers over 50 services for the serious sports enthusiast, including backpacking, canyoneering, and kayaking instruction, custom golf club fitting and repair, snowboard and ski rental and repair, SCUBA training and certification, SCUBA boat charters, team sales, racquet stringing, and bicycle tune-up and repair throughout its 52 locations. The addresses for Sport Chalet’s web sites are www.actionpass.com and www.sportchalet.com.

Here is the list of the August winners. Congrats to you all, and a big thank you to Sport Chalet for the donation of raffle prizes!

Adjustable mast strap: Gary Tollack
Travel snorkle: Bromley
Tec light: Andrea Casanova
Scissors: John Marin
First aid kit: Rosa Gaiarsa
Mesh bag: John Marin
Spring Fin Straps: Kaz Aizawa
$25 Gift card: Gary Tollack
$25 Gift card: Sheree Lahey