Top athletes turn talent to business
Hidden among Ashland's outdoor recreation industry are a few of the nation's top athletes, and slowly but surely, they are attracting even more.
Hal Koerner, ranked in the top 10 of ultramarathon runners in the country, moved to Ashland and opened Rogue Valley Runners shoe store two years ago, and this spring Bill Roussel, with several mountain biking national titles under his belt, opened Ashland Mountain Adventure to shuttle bikers up to the top of the Valley's trails.
Since his store opened in August 2006, Koerner has attracted at least three more ultramarathoners, two of whom work at his store, and more are considering moving to town, he said. And one of Roussel's former rivals, now a friend, is considering moving down to Ashland from Bend for the trails, he said.
Both said Ashland's location and trail network attracted them to a still largely untapped market.
"There's really nowhere else I've been where you can be in a running store and walk across the street and be on the Pacific Crest Trail or run to the coast," Koerner said.
And unlike the flooded markets in cities like Seattle and Denver where he previously lived, Ashland still lacked a specialty running store. He saw the perfect opportunity to make a living while he trained.
Roussel said he was impressed with the 12-mile downhills and the Valley's "incredible" mountain biking community that devotes plenty of manpower to trail maintenance. He first came to Ashland three years ago to participate in the Spring Thaw Downhill race then returned for a vacation shortly after.
"After riding the trails here in Ashland, I was literally convinced that I could make this fly," he said.
In two years of business, Koerner has already expanded his store by 1,800 square feet to a total of 3,200 square feet of retail space, and the store hosted its first official race in March. In November, they will put on a trail marathon, and Koerner plans to host a U.S.A. Track and Field trail marathon in 2009.
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Hal Koerner crosses the finish line of the Zane Grey 50 ultramarathon race in Payson, Ariz. in April 2007. Courtesy of Hal Koerner |
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Bill Roussel has won several national mountain biking titles. Courtesy of Bill Roussel |
"I was really happy just to see people coming through the door the first year," he said. "It's a testament to how active people are in the Valley."
Roussel plans to offer bike rentals beginning in June and eventually work with the Forest Service to develop trails, a process that could take years, he said.
Local economy
Business owners such as Koerner and Roussel are a great addition to Ashland's economy, said Katharine Flanagan, marketing director of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.
"Having athletes that are in the industry leading the industry can't be better," she said. "It's just like a vintner who grows his own grapes and then opens his own wine store. They're the experts in the industry."
They join an already thriving outdoor adventure market, including Bear Creek Bicycle, which until recently offered a similar mountain bike shuttle, and kayak and rafting guides, sporting goods shops and Mount Ashland, among others.
Amy Warner, a member of Southern Oregon Mountain Bike Association who directs the Spring Thaw Mountain Bike Festival, said Roussel's presence in town has inspired more people to ride.
"It's helpful that he really knows what he's talking about and is coming from a perspective of being a biker and being passionate about it," she said. "It gets more people out there riding. Since he's been around in the last four months, we've also done more trail work because he helps out with that."
Ian Torrence, the store manager at Rogue Valley Runners who moved from Flagstaff, Ariz., in 2007 to work there, said he loves the training group that has sprung up in Ashland and expects it to continue growing.
"Why Ashland? Because Hal's here and he's establishing a running shoe store and developing a system here," said Torrence, who has run 142 ultramarathons and won 49 of those. The runners who have moved in since the store opened make it easier to train and have a good time with friends at the same time, he said.
"I don't know if (Hal) intentionally meant for this to happen," he said. "But I think it was awesome that he found Ashland when he did."
Staff writer Julie French can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 227 or jfrench@dailytidings.com.
