community

one thing i have always loved about the northwest is the sense of community that you feel. when i was little it was very apparent that the activities i got into were very much structured around a great support group with people who had the same likeness to wanting to be a part of that support group. skateboards, climbing, snowboards, it wasnt just the activity, it was the community and the people involved in the sport. the shops that supported your sport and in climbings case, the gyms that supported the sport and most importantly the community. the shops and gyms were the places where the community was built. i know, i for one can call on many of my best friends from all of these times in my life. there is an unreal connection with those who share the same passion as you.
take the climbing community for example. you can go pretty much anywhere in the world and find people who climb, and will climb with you, and will share many stories about climbing and the community. our gyms are a place to build that community. they are a place to give back to the community. we build climbers, and the strong sense of what it means to be climbers in our gyms in the northwest. i know many of the employees of these gyms and outdoor retail shops feel this way too.

i am disappointed when people forget what the word community means. especially in our climbing world. i am disappointed when folks forget what this is all about, forget what we all do this for in the first place. its about giving back, and building the future of our community while maintaining a good balance between us all.

try to remember what the community does for you, and how much support you get from the community. and try to remember how much support you get from a community that you have forgotten. and you will know how much support you get from a community that you ignore.