A new store in Whistler aims to provide equipment to suit the needs of Sea to Sky adventurers.
Mt. Waddington Outdoors opened up at 4350 Lorimer Rd, unit 113, in December 2024. The location should be well-known to gear-heads–it’s the former location of Escape Route, a longtime staple that closed Squamish and Whistler locations last year.
Store owner Sam Waddington said his shop aims to cater to adventure sports that are well-known from Pemberton to Squamish. But what will set them apart is their paragliding equipment.
“Paragliding is an interesting sport. It’s always been serviced from a retail perspective by instructors and paragliding schools," Waddington said. "It’s also been a back-of-the-truck model, buying from an instructor and showing up at a parking lot where they whip out their equipment for purchase. We’d never do that for any other backcountry equipment, so now we’re trying to modernize that experience. There aren’t brick-and-mortal retailers for paragliding here in Canada, given the evolution of the sport."
Waddington paraglides and owns a guiding company in the Fraser Valley. His experience in instruction and participation meant he understood there was a gap in this market.
“I’m a core user of these pieces of equipment and a participant in the sports," he said. "The frustrations I feel as a paraglider pilot trying to buy or understand the best equipment spurred my choice … Most instructors have a single vested interest in one brand, whereas we sell all of the best creating a marketplace to pick from."
Paragliders can try harnesses in a simulator at the shop that mimics how it feels to hang in the air, and shopping at the store reduces delays in equipment delivery that occur when ordering online.
Waddington and Escape Route
Waddington said the former Escape Route was one of his favourite shops growing up in B.C. He was poised to merge with the company but chose to walk away from the deal because of financial risk.
“In the end to watch the business fail was really tough," he said. "It’s always hard because the failure of an outdoor business is twofold. It leaves a huge hole for gear, and at their best they provide a community hub for hosting film festivals or supporting outdoor clubs, gatherings and meeting points to swap information. In a very real way, Escape Route did that for many years."
He fell in love with the idea of running a gear store in Whistler during the process, and said he decided to move forward with the dream by expanding.
A community hub
In line with his belief about what outdoor businesses can be, Waddington wants to contribute to community building in Whistler.
He’s re-hired a few former Escape Route employees, and has three managers who have local knowledge and community connections. He has nine full-time staff and a handful of casual employees.
“We’re focused on supporting and building the sporting outdoor community in ways that matter to them. We are working with outdoor education programs at the local high school for gear support and discounts for high school students. We’re hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival in March at the Maury Young Arts Centre and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Spearhead Huts Society,” he said.
Waddington said they opened on a compressed timeline, with the lease signing, renovation, hiring and opening in 42 days.
“We didn’t have time to market, we didn’t even have proper signage," he said. "But the moment we opened, visitors and locals came by to check it out. The reception has been overwhelmingly great, people are happy to have a proper gear store in town.”
The shop is the second store to open under Waddington, with the first location based in Chilliwack. They service climbers, mountaineers, backpackers, tourers, paddlers and paragliders.
“We view our job as taking the best equipment in every sport category across the world, distilling it to our climate, region, users and user cases that exist and offer options in a range of prices that sit in a high-quality category,” he said.
