Checking in with California’s Wave Rave Snowboard Shop

A good shop’s impact on its local community goes way beyond providing quality gear and personal service. We’re putting a spotlight on shops across North America to find out how they do it, which brings us to Wave Rave Snowboard Shop in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Established in 1989 by pro snowboarder Steve Klassen, Wave Rave has been a benchmark for what a good shop can be for almost thirty years. Klassen started the shop as a way to be closer to both the mountains and the snowboard community. His years as a pro rider on the Freeride World Tour and as a diehard shop owner have guided Wave Rave’s evolution and growth. Today, the shop is renowned for both world class service and dedication to the global snowboard community.

What started as a tiny core shop has evolved into one of the world’s largest snowboard-only retailers. Located in the heart of Northern California, the folks at Wave Rave enjoy a ten-minute commute to nearby Mammoth Mountain, and are deeply embedded in the local scene’s past and present. The shop is as much a retail space as a shrine to all things snowboarding. You could spend hours poking through the art and artifacts, and shooting the breeze with the crew.

It starts with the staff. Just as Klassen opened the shop to be close to the mountain and ride as often as possible, the staff is comprised of like-minded riders who have an equal devotion to quality service and getting on snow. They’re involved in local events, from contests to women’s ride days, and are simply all about the lifestyle. Just take a look at the Wave Rave blog – it’s a week-by-week report on what the snow’s like up at Mammoth, and it’s clearly written by someone who knows.   

Tune in on the social-sphere @wave_rave to stay up on all the latest, or just get sweet shots of the Wave Rave crew doing what they do best. Demos, directions, shop talk, snow reports, events – you name it, Wave Rave has it. And it doesn’t stop in Nor-cal. Due to their success, Wave Rave has expanded way beyond the borders of Mammoth Lakes, opening up locations in both Bishop, California and Verbier, Switzerland, making it an international enterprise. if you’re ever nearby any of their shops, we highly recommend stepping inside.