SITKA is pleased to announce that the doors to their Vancouver Flagship Store opened on Tuesday December 1. The 1864 West 4th location greeted anxious supporters of the brand and curious passerby’s alike.
The 2000 square foot store is made partially from the Rainforest Alliance’s Certified Smart Wood and partially from salvaged or used wood, and is garnished with a living wall outside that was designed by Paradise Cityscapes Landscapes and Greenroof Construction. Owners, Rene Gauthier and Andrew Paine, were excited to see their latest endeavour begin operations, but not near as excited as supporters were for the grand opening party.
Thursday December 3rd was the store’s hard opening, and the grand opening party was a success as friends, industry folk and members of the media arrived to share in the celebrations.
In true SITKA fashion, members of the local community were invited to contribute. Music was provided by DJ Jon Marshall and up-and-coming musical act, Topless Gay Love Tekkno Party. SITKA contributing artist, Ben Frey, also opened his art exhibit, Unnecessary Mountain, in the location’s aptly named Spruce Art Gallery. The party was catered by the Noodle Box, which is located right across the street, while beverages were provided by Barefoot Wines of Vancouver, Brew Works of Victoria and Pilsner.
The SITKA Vancouver location will continue to support local Vancouverites as the store grows to be a part of the community. SITKA will continue to host art openings for local artists, donate product to school groups and charities and do what they can to support the Vancouver chapter of the Surfrider foundation, whose president accepted the Store Manager position at the new Vancouver Store. Starting this week, SITKA will begin their annual food drive for the Mustard Seed in Victoria and for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
About SITKA Surfboard Corp.
SITKA was born from the west coast of Canada where the mighty Sitka Spruce calls home. Like the Sitka Spruce gravitates to the ocean and flourishes, so too does the SITKA Brand. We are a brand of like-minded individuals that are inspired by the ocean and its surrounding environment. SITKA collaborates with artists, surfers, skaters and all those that share the same passions to produce an active lifestyle brand that is true to our “roots”. The majority of our garments use organic cottons and a selection are produced using bamboo as sustainability and fair-practice are two of the cornerstones of our business beliefs.