Joe's Sports and Outdoor Alumni

03/08/2026

An update on our old pal Hal.
(Warning: you may want a shower after reading.)

After the sudden closure of Okra yoga studio in July, instructors and massage therapists are discussing the mismanagement they experienced.

10/14/2025

Brian Rollins checks in with the cover of an employee newsletter from February 1995:|
"I worked the boat show that year with Dan Locke. We were both at store 3 in Tualatin. I was really fortunate to work for GI Joe's back then. We had great employees and great customers."

04/09/2024

Today is April 9.

Send a message to learn more

03/28/2024

Thanks to Janna Orkney for the heads-up on this book, which has several pages on the early days of G.I. Joe's (I'll see if I can find and post some quotes).

Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America

11/24/2023

This would have been a Joe's Xmas item, for sure...

11/22/2023

Get yours before they sell out!

11/01/2023

Does anyone know what became of this sign, mounted by the break room in Wilsonville?

10/29/2023

I saved this for Halloween. If this doesn't give you the creeps, nothing can...

10/16/2023

Rite Aid filed Chapter 11 today. 500 stores to close, others to be sold to...??? Who's ready for the return of PayLess?

09/11/2023

Don't know if any of you have a Joe's September 11 story, but here's mine. I had gone up to Issaquah the night before to stay over and get an early start with the audit team. In the morning, didn't turn on the TV in the room or the radio going through the the McD's drive-up. I came into the store, and while I was used to somebody having a radio on in the auto department in the mornings - this was DIFFERENT. As in LOUD, and some sort of news program instead of music. So loud that I went over there and yelled "Man, turn that #?@&! radio down!". One of the associates came over to me quickly and gave me a little bit of a look, and then said "You don't know, do you?". No...I didn't. I think I might have spent 20 more minutes there, then climbed back in my rig and drove straight back to Wilsonville (I knew it would be pointless to hit the other stores planned for the day) with just KIRO fading in and out to keep me company.

09/05/2023

https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/09/05/outdoor-supplier-and-military-surplus-outlet-andy-and-bax-is-closing-its-doors/

Andy and Bax—Portland’s longtime supplier of camping equipment, military surplus gear and novelty gas masks—is calling it quits after nearly eight decades of business.A sign announcing the closure appeared on the side of the business at 324 SE Grand Ave. either Sept. 4 or Sept. 5, according to...