I just got this letter from Scott Dickens at Glass and Powder. Very sad news. For those of you that have been doing this internet wake thing as long as I have, you probably remember 10 years ago when Scott and his wife moved across the country to start their board shop. Scott got a ton of advice and help with the name from the wakeboarders on the Wake List (now I'm really dating myself). I'll miss seeing him at Expo every year. Hopefully, this will work out for the best for him, his wife and their partner. <BR> <BR>Dear Friends of GNP, <BR> <BR>I’m sorry to say that after 10 years in business, Glass &amp; Powder Boardshop, Inc. has permanently <BR>closed its doors and ceased operations. This decision does not come easily. We as owners have <BR>invested a decade of time, effort, and money, as well as foregone salaries to make Glass &amp; Powder <BR>something special. We have poured our lives into the shop since 1998, in some cases sacrificing our <BR>own health for the good of the company. In the end, adverse economic conditions, an unfortunate <BR>corporate expansion and subsequent restructuring, and countless legal bills have depleted any <BR>resources we once had, leaving us no choice other than cease operations. <BR> <BR>Our customers, employees, friends, and reps all hold a special place with us. Glass &amp; Powder has <BR>always been focused on community, culture, and our ever-expanding G&amp;P family. Our riders and <BR>customers are people that we could relate to – people we would invite on a snowboarding trip, a day <BR>on the lake, or an evening long boarding around the city. Simply put, like-minded friends! We still feel <BR>an enormous connection to each of you, and I assure you that we will for many years to come. <BR> <BR>It’s an emotional time, and I find it hard to put into words my appreciation and gratitude for the best <BR>job anyone will ever have. Despite my paralyzing accident, I wouldn’t change what we’ve <BR>accomplished over the past ten years. This is our “baby” and we had some great experiences <BR>watching it grow and develop. We did some things extremely well and other things catastrophically <BR>badly. Regardless of outcome, we always gave 110% with the same passion that drove us to start the <BR>business to begin with. It’s discouraging to see it fade away. <BR> <BR>We are deeply sorry to close our doors, and very sad personally. We value the relationships that we’ve <BR>developed over the years, and hope that everyone will understand the toll taken upon each of us to <BR>make this work. We have, since day one, done our absolute best to make this business a success. <BR> <BR>I’m extremely proud to know and work with all of our employees…I simply couldn’t ask for a better <BR>group of people. You guys are (and will always be) family. Stop by any time. In the end, we have to <BR>move on now. Our glassandpowder.com email addresses will be good for a while, so please let us <BR>hear from you. <BR> <BR>GNP RIP. <BR> <BR>Your friends, <BR>Scott Dickens - President <BR>Cara Dickens - Vice President <BR>Sanford Appelman - Treasurer

WTF??????? <BR> <BR>scott, sorry to hear. looks like it's time to head back west and get a gnp goin' out here!

Very sorry to hear about this. Good luck to them in whatever they chose to do next.

man i loved gnp that sucks sorry to hear bout it

i hate to think this, but could this be the beginning of the end of our beloved sport?

Scott, Cara &amp; the rest of the G&amp;P crew...we're going to miss you guys! Thanks for all you've done for the sport in VA...wouldn't be where we are without you! Best wishes for the future! <BR> <BR>Joe, say it ain't so!!!

I hate to open any wounds so if I am out of line, please disregard this post. What is the deal behind this? Is is the state of the economy? Or the state of wakeboarding on the east coast? Or did Scott have an accident that does not allow him to continue. Again, please disregard if this is out of line and I am showing my ignorance of a situation most of you are aware. My condolensces for whatever the situation may be. I hate to hear of people who had the heart to jump out on a limb and try to live what I think most of us would like to accomplish, starting our own business.

Its a tough economic time in the retail industry. Good luck Scott and Cara.

This is very sad news. Glass and Powder was a great store and Scott, Cara, and Sandy were amazing people to work for, ride with, and party with. This is just plain sad and I am disappointed that the Mid-Atlantic Snow/Wake/Skate market could not support such a killer shop. I know a lot of you guys have not been riding for a super long time. But we owe a lot more to them than we all realize. They brought wakeboarding and snowboarding to VA, in my opinion, yes there were other shops back in the day, but no one did it like G&amp;P. I met many of my life long friends there. . RIP GnP.

nuckledragger, You are not out of line. Yes, Scott had a snowboarding accident and was paralyzed in year one of the shop. This did not stop anything and they poured 110% of their energy into not only the shop, but the wake/skate/snow scene by sponsoring riders, hosting demo days, and of course hosting probably close to 100+ tournaments. I think a large majority of their closing was due to economic conditions in addition to big chain stores moving in and online retailers. GnP was a customer service based store and I have never encountered a retail store of any kind come close. Support your local board shop.

Dave, <BR> <BR>I was right there with you on the WakeList when Scott hatched his crazy idea to open a shop. <BR> <BR>Man this really sucks<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/sad.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR>GNP, <BR> <BR>Good luck to all of you on whatever the future brings!

It's just a sign of the economic times right now. They're not the first nor will they be the last. Best of luck in the future to some pioneers.......

damn that sucks. im orginally from richmond and they did so much for the grassroots movement of the sport(tourneys and sponsoring riders). damn that sucks. <BR> <BR>i totally forgot about the wakelist.

Alan, <BR>Your profile pics are from the Chick? When did you leave Richmond?

No! this is so disappointing. they were the shop that always held the most comps on Lake Anna in VA... now there will never be any more comps here...<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/sad.gif" border=0>

i really enjoyed the demo days/ride with pro days. great customer service. <BR> <BR>thanks scott, cara and the rest of GnP for all you have down in the Richmond area.. much less the state of Virginia.

man, this economy stinks right now. Sorry to hear that what seemed to be a great shop is closing (no personal experience). <BR> <BR>Just an FYI to the crew at GNP, you might be able to get a hundred bucks or more from your domain name so don't let it expire... might want to try and sell it on the open market.

No experience here either, but its sad to hear of a great shop closing its doors. Best of luck to everyone going forward.

I met Scott once when visiting the East Coast, I found a tournament on the Chickahominy River. When Scott found out I was from California he gave me a huge announcement coming off the dock, such a cool guy. That was the best event I've ever been to. Good luck in future endeavors! I'll be rooting for you.

SUCKS.....our local snowboard shop (which has been in business for over 30 years) closed it's doors Aug 1st. What the hell!?!? <BR> <BR>Best of Luck to the GNP family..... If they want to open a shop in Northern Ill w/ little to no competition (aside from box stores) w/in a 50mile radius, let me know....

I hate to hear this. Scott/Cara/Sandy, good luck in whatever you do next. <BR> <BR>Chad Seymour

This news does not seem to be easy to find on their website.

Bummer for all the shop riders, and for all the vendors as well who lose out on getting their money.

I am sure the vendors are going to be fine, they get all of their volume and give all of their bulk order discounts to the online retailers and sporting good outlets, so that they, in turn, can snuff out the smaller businesses who actually support the sport.

Yeah, I guess that 10 cents on the dollar that bankruptcy gives the vendors is suffice.

And.... the sales rep. that sold the shop the gear doesn't get paid when they go into collections.

"Yeah, I guess that 10 cents on the dollar that bankruptcy gives the vendors is suffice." <BR> <BR>Yep. <BR> <BR>"And.... the sales rep. that sold the shop the gear doesn't get paid when they go into collections." <BR> <BR>No such thing as a free lunch.

Thst is bad news. They have been great to work with. Best of luck.

I don't mean to knock the sales reps. But I would not be to hyped to find out that MB Sports sold 40 boats to the Bass Pro Shops boat outlet 20 miles up the road and then they sell them for a couple bucks more than I pay for them because of their "volume discount." Does not do any good for anyone.

Why would they announce it here, second hand, instead of on their website?

Read Post #1

"Read Post #1" <BR> <BR>I did but then went to their wesite and it appears to be business as usual which seems odd to me.

The first emails were sent out yesterday to vendors and employees and the another batch to loyal customers this morning. I am sure that they will make a more public announcement on their website soon. Dave's post is a copy of one of those emails.

The one posted above was to "Friends" The one that went out to Vendors was not so pretty. Asks that " any correspondence be done through their lawyers."

I wonder if the domination of a big portion of VA's wakeboarding market by Wake'n'Skate had anything to do with this? Although it definitely had more of an impact on Freestyle boardshop on this side of the state versus the East, but it still would have taken a lot of business away, especially with how Wake'n'Skate managed to pull off getting Brostock to SML. <BR> <BR>I seem to remember one of my friends telling me about how Wake'N'Skate managed to pull almost all of another boardshop's sponsored riders away to it's team (partially because WNS is located on the biggest lake in VA, where many of their sponsored riders were, convenience probably played a role in that), although I can't remember if it was GNP or Freestyle in Roanoke, VA. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by wakeboardern1 on August 14, 2008)

WOW! That really sucks, i'm so sorry to hear it. They've done so much for the wake community at LKA, and were really missed this year when they couldn't put on their comp. I always look forward to those G&amp;P events at the start of the season. Nothing beats being on the water, watching wakeboarding and good times with your friends. Sorry to see this happen to such cool people and I wish you guys all the best!

Very sad indeed...

Everyone should pay attention to whats going on here.The real people,the people that care about you and what they are selling are the ones getting the shaft.Small business is a thing of the past. <BR>I thought my job was so obscure I couldn't be touched but sure enough they now ship the same thing from china.I couldn't even buy the materials for what china is selling the product for so I had to move to other things. <BR>My point is to support the local guy whenever you can even if it cost more.Go to the local grocery instead of wallmart because someday it might be you struggling for your business. <BR>Besides the small guy is the one thats on your side when you have a problem.Its worth the extra cost just to have good service and support. <BR> <BR>sorry to hear they are calling it quits,ten years was a pretty good run.

Scott and Sandy were some of my first sales in repping, they always were willing to listen. <BR>Met them @ expo around 97. Spent my own money with GNP, Cara went out of her way once to deliever over night lenses for the wife's birthday without charging meexcessive shipping. Class acts. <BR>Best wishes.........BEST OF LUCK <BR>itch <BR> <BR>(Message edited by fullonsalesgrp on August 14, 2008)

again people support your local shred shop. the market is becoming over saturated with a mix of core shops and now mall and internet shops. support the people who support the sport or activity you like. <BR> <BR>online shops = death to core shops. <font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font>

ohh and if you dont know anyone at your local shop..... or live a bit of a ways away. walk into thier door and start a relationship. that on its own will be more rewarding than any free dvd's or shipping will ever be worth.

The internet is a tool.Everybody has to use it nowadays so I wouldn't right it off but you can still support boaders selling boards instead of companys that don't have anything to do with the sport.

I agree- and Buy Gator or Company Wake Boards. Same idea. Local, indies and not some huge capital investment firm who owns all the companies and cares nothing about the spirit of the sport and makes all their board in China

Glass and Powder had an online shop, right? So why would that be the reason for their death?

alan yeah the pics were taken on the chick. i left richmond 6 years ago. im actually moving back to the area pretty soon though. i used to ride with travis probst when i lived there. im actually from new kent and live 1/2 a mile from the chick. im looking forward to going back and riding there and seeing how the scene has changed.

Its not the sales reps fault. They are just doing their job (sales)! With todays economy the consumer has to shop around for the best price. This is not a cheap sport we are involved in. Its hard for small business owners right now. Especially when they try to expand in this economy.

I know its not the sales reps fault, they are just trying to make a buck. I am just really going to miss being able to head over to GnP, watch some of the latest wake/snow flicks, see some old and new friends, and take a new board home with me knowing that I can try before I buy. Now I go online or walk into Dicks and pick out a board and bindings based of some industry dude telling me how something rides or just by color or graphics, SWEET! After that I may walk over an check out the awesome new treadmills or pick out some rad new Reebok jump suit. Just to save a few bucks. No thanks. I think I am just going to be the old dude that rides the old gear for 10 years. Come to think of it, I probably used to buy a new setup every year or two because I enjoyed the experience I had at GnP every time I went in there. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Alan-S on August 15, 2008)

Hey Alan, I've got an '06 Watson 138 I'll sell you <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by dan.smith on August 15, 2008)

>>I am sure the vendors are going to be fine, they get all of their volume and give all of their bulk order discounts to the online retailers and sporting good outlets, so that they, in turn, can snuff out the smaller businesses who actually support the sport.<< <BR> <BR>AMEN BROTHER!!!

If it were not for the vendors and reps most of the small shops would not have prizes, etc. for their grassroots comps. Consumers are the driving force behind small shops closing. The majority of consumers take price into account first before service.

"I am sure the vendors are going to be fine, they get all of their volume and give all of their bulk order discounts to the online retailers and sporting good outlets, so that they, in turn, can snuff out the smaller businesses who actually support the sport." <BR> <BR>I completely disagree with the first part of the statement. So its OK for small shops not to pay their bills? So what if you had 200 small shop accounts and only half of them paid you for what they ordered? Do you think those manufacturers would survive? <BR>If you wonder why the manufacturers deal with the big corp chains is because they pay their bills. <BR> <BR>There are a fair share of small shops that pay their bills but there is also a bunch that can't and don't.

You are putting the chicken before the egg. GnP was a growing and thriving boardshop for 7-8 of the 10 years they were in business, that paid all of their bills. When, the big dept. stores started getting all of the wake gear, people would shop at GnP then go down the street and buy it a few bucks cheaper, even though GnP would price match... This is just a small part of it, but when you are a small business, every small bit counts. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Alan-S on August 16, 2008)

It is definitely the chicken and egg syndrome. <BR> <BR>I am not saying GnP didn't pay their bills but I there are others who dont and it forces the manufacturers to get involved with the big dept stores.

Alan, you must be losing a good bit of your sales with the GNP bankruptcy. You seem bitter with all your descent about big box accounts. Vendors have to make money also, GNP could have found a way to stay in business. They were not forced out by bigger retailers. That's just ridiculous. If you want to last in this type of business, you have to be creative, and competitive, and don't spend beyond your means. Consumers will go where they want, you have to have a reason for them to come to you.

HH99, I worked at GnP from 2000-2002. Otherwise I have no affiliation. Yes I am bitter, I don't want to shop at Dick's.

"Glass and Powder had an online shop, right? So why would that be the reason for their death?" <BR> <BR>Their website wasn't much use for buying anything. Maybe the worst to navigate I've ever seen. That said they have now announced their demise on it and a big blow-out sale but in a way which doesn't let anyone know what they have for sale and what the prices might be.

>>So its OK for small shops not to pay their bills?<< <BR> <BR>Who said anything about that? I think what was being said is that the larger the order the larger the discount...so when a box store does an order for a warehouse that feeds 10 stores they get a larger discount on the order then the local shop ordering for one shop....

This is true, discounts for volumn. But MAP is MAP. They can't sell for less so to speak. If you want to sell through, as stated above you have to be creative, not just sit it on the shelf and hope for the best. Plus paying your bills will have an affect on which Vendors will do business with you, and how much. It's a bummer to see GNP go under. They have been a good shop for a decade. There are others in the area that will pick up the slack.

Guys, thanks for the well-wishing! It's nice to see so many familiar names chiming in. I'll miss all you guys. <BR> <BR>The fact is that it's not any vendor or rep's fault, far from it. We made a few critical bad moves in an otherwise well-executed business. I hope nobody gathered this idea from my original post. I accept all responsibility for what happened to GNP. But the recession is real. Look at your local main street (not mall, not chains, real "main street" businesses) - I don't know many that are thriving right now. <BR> <BR>Alan, thanks for all the kind defenses. <BR> <BR>HH99, I understand your side of the equation, and GNP has always expressed that, even going through the reorganization. We, for the record, paid every bill on time for our first seven years in business. We received "WSIA Dealer of the Year" a few years back. It's been a rough few years. Believe me when I say that we exhausted every option. Literally. We could not have "found a way to stay in business". <BR> <BR>Do you guys have a local record/CD shop anymore? We do. But barely. <BR> <BR>How about a local coffee shop? Probably not for long. <BR> <BR>Local independent movie theater? Not likely. <BR> <BR>Support your local businesses when you can. That's all. <BR> <BR>You might even get helped by an owner. Not likely at WalMart. <BR> <BR>You could get expert advice from someone who really rides (or did at one time). Not going to happen at Dick's.

BTW, thanks Dave for convincing me that it was OK to post my email on WakeWorld. Its been nice to hear from so many old friends. Even on a sad day its nice to know that people will miss you. <BR> <BR>Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll probably have more time to watch wakeboarding and discuss it now that I have some time on my hands! ;) <BR> <BR>Cheers friends, <BR>Scott

Scott you and the crew are an asset involved or not, the sport would not be as good as it is today with out your hard work.Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. <BR> <BR>Tell your beautiful wife and all Rick in Michigan says Thank You

I went through the same situation with a bicycle shop. We specialized in 20" products. We actually traveled the country vending at races and we tried to establish ourselves in the internet game. Unfortunately its almost impossible to compete with the big box. Sure I could have continued to struggle, but why put my family through that? Between the recession and poeples willingness to forgo customer service in favor of a slight cost savings, it will get harder and harder for the little guys. Support your local pro shop, or it wont be there when you need something in a hurry.