Hoodoo’s Hillside Ski and Sport ready for summer

The first thing one notices when entering the 1,420-square-foot Hoodoo’s Hillside Ski and Sport on the corner of Larch Street and Cascade Avenue is that it is a fun place. Not just because it sells or rents fun things, but from the atmosphere created by the décor (like wooden Sasquatch figures) and the infectious good cheer of Manager Tracy Streeter.

The store is well furnished with carpeting and high-quality fixtures for merchandise display. There is a generous amount of glass for daytime lighting, adding to the spacious feel. The amount of inventory is impressive yet not crammed. All of the winter ski gear has been tightly consolidated and moved to the far reaches of the shop.

Up front are the summer toys — most notably the floaties, inflatables sturdy enough for lake and river use. Streeter was skeptical at first that floaties would be much of a seller. The store has been “blowing them out,” she said, with the hot weather being her best advertisement.

There are skateboards, longboards, and land paddles, with industry-leading brand Hamboards prominently on display. Skate brands include Zero, Thrasher, and Girl. Customers are not just kids and teens. Sales to 40- and 50-somethings are fairly common, the store reports.

The pleasant odor in the store is from the 20 feet of display space given to Sun Bum, cachet makers of skin, lip, and hair-care products “whose products fit the essence, aesthetic, and socially conscious personality of Sisters,” said Streeter.

A large selection of apparel is for sale in the shop ranging from tops and bottoms to outerwear in sizes and styles for women, men, and kids. Popular brands Dakine, Roxy, and Quicksilver are among the offerings.

The shop will be an official stop on the Quilt Show Walk. Two quilts will be on display including one 60 by 80 inches with 30 fronts of vintage Hoodoo Ski Resort T-shirts sewn in. Streeter and her staff are all in on the event and will have tents and tables on Larch with free hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn, and cotton candy.

Streeter said it will pay to stop by Saturday as there will be two-for-one coupons on lift tickets with no black-out or reserve dates.