User:Jakehauswirth

EXIT real world snowboard and skateboard shop EXIT real world was opened on October 8, 1993 in Salem, Oregon by proprietress, Missy Samiee, who still owns and operates the small chain of shred shops with husband, Jake Hauswirth.

Missy's thesis, as an Atkinson Graduate School Of Management student at Willamette University, was the conceptual business model of the snowboard and skateboard shop that has earned national notoriety over many years of sincere devotion. The plan was to provide a specialty snowboard and skateboard storefront backed by friendly, knowledgeable service for anyone and everyone--at the time of it's inception, this was a new business model for the fledgling industry of snowboarding. Samiee's plan went straight into action when she graduated and went straight to work on realizing the business. While the small chain has expanded over the years, the same mission remains intact and EXIT is a pillar in it's community of skateboarders and snowboarders unlike other big box stores that have saturated the marketplace with more of the same product, but none of the same devotion.

As a teenager, Missy had visited her share of dirty, insider-only skateboard shops and knew that there was a different customer that these shops weren’t adequately serving. Having grown up working for her successful father’s chain of Oregon based camera stores (The Shutterbug), Missy had imbibed the nature of retail practice, mastered it by education and was ready to take on her own business challenge that would serve her interest in snowboarding, skateboarding, fashion & retail service.

Growing up amongst early boardsports enthusiasts in the 70s and 80s, snowboarding was an exciting new subcultural developing in a few pockets around the USA. Missy's older brother, Chris Samiee was one of the first snowboarders in Oregon and was one of the first local sponsored skateboarders (team Pepsi, 1978) as well.

There was quite a pack of snowboarders in Salem, Oregon, from where the shop hailed, several of whom went on to professional careers in the sport. Among them were Michelle Taggart (first US Olympic snowboarding team), Shannon Melhuse (world class racer), Rob Morrow (professional snowboarder and snowboard brand / manufacturer) and many early shredders who were before their time such as, Buzzy Morales, Darren Ferder, Greg Lafky and countless other early adopters of the sport were from this valley town.

When successful snowboarder, entrepreneur and engineer Rob Morrow started Morrow Snowboards with his uncle Ray Morrow and cousin Neil Morrow in 1990, Morrow Snowboards was largely responsible for bringing a healthy share of snowboard industry to Salem, Oregon. As a major influence on the snowboarding industry at that time, Morrow Snowboards regularly brought industry types such as photographers, writers, marketers and professionals riders to Salem while fostering a boom in local snowboarding enthusiasts, employees and supporters of the growing sport.

Bonfire Snowboarding also had it's beginning in Salem. It's founder, Brad Steward, was an early consultant to Missy Samiee. Trevor Graves, renowned Snowboard and action sports photographer turned advertising agency mogul (Nemo Design founder) was amidst this influx of professionals. Stick Magazine was published by Ray Gun magazine sprouted from the collaboration of designer, Scott Clum and photographer Trevor Graves. It was in this fertile, booming snowboarding industry climate that EXIT took hold and has enjoyed many years of success.

Sitting on the sunny side of Mt. Hood's 11,249 foot tall frame and only 2 hours away from Salem, Timberline ski area has played host to droves of professional snowboarders making their way to Oregon in the summer to enjoy an endless winter. Many of these passers by, coming up from California, naturally visit EXIT in Portland, Salem and Government Camp (snowboard training mecca). EXIT has had seasonal snowboard shops situated in Government Camp since 1995 in conjunction with High Cascade Snowboard Camp as well as apart from the camp. Windell's Snowboard Camp even played host to an EXIT location for four years until they opened their own shop, naturally. Other EXIT shop locations include Portland's Pearl District (later moved to NW 23rd Avenue shopping district) as well as Tigard, (Bridgeport Village mall).

Much has changed in the industry of snowboarding to the point that it is an equal opportunist of the ski areas. When EXIT first opened in 1993, not all resorts allowed snowboarding and there were far fewer snowboarders at any ski area than the amount of skiers. Snowboarding has even tipped the scales in many areas to become more popular than skiing.

EXIT continues to serve the Oregon boardsports community with it's two locations in Salem and Portland and seasonally in Government Camp.