R.I.P., Sport Chalet

Another one bites the dust. This one is extra sad for Southern California, as Sport Chalet is (was) a local success story, born in 1959 in La Canada Flintridge. The chain, which was sold in 2014 to Vestis Retail Group, announced today that it is shutting down:

Today Sport Chalet will begin the process of closing all of our stores and will stop selling merchandise online. Store closing sales will begin at the open of business today and continue over the next several weeks, offering customers the opportunity to take advantage of great sales. Our online store will stop selling merchandise on April 16th, but you may visit our website, www.SportChalet.com to find the location closest to you.

Sport Chalet gift cards, rewards certificates and store credits will be honored in Sport Chalet stores through April 29th, 2016. Customers who are unable to visit us before this date are invited to transfer gift card balances to a gift card from one of our sister stores, Eastern Mountain Sports or Bob's Stores through July 29th, 2016. To transfer your balance, please contact customer service at (888) 801-9162 and an agent will assist you.

We also ask that you pick up any equipment that had been left in one of our stores for repair no later than April 29th, 2016 and ask you to return Sport Chalet rental equipment before this date.

Thank you for your loyalty over the years. We hope to see you at our store closing sales.

Norbert Olberz, who founded Sport Chalet with his wife Irene, died in 2011. The shut down is a huge blow to the La Canada Flintridge business community. Sport Chalet had also just opened a major flagship story in downtown Los Angeles three years ago. Sport Chalet was 57.