With a city full of mountain scalers, rock climbers, downhill racers, and bike enthusiasts, there’s bound to be plenty of used and second-hand gear for us novices, right? You’re darn right that’s right. Heck, even well-seasoned types shop at Second Ascent where the sporting good shop’s manager, Kendall Dewey, might even hand out homemade chili recipes.

WWW: What’s your personal spin on the ubiquitous “How can I help you?” question?
Dewey: It’s most important to greet people as they come into the store and make them feel welcome. Just acknowledging them is often enough to get them to ask you for help instead of forcing questions out of them by being pushy.

What’s your favorite thing in the store right now?
We are very excited about the clothing and gear we carry from MontBell. It’s a Japanese company that makes cutting edge outdoor-related products like sleeping bags, packs, and tents. Their down- and synthetic-filled jackets do particularly well for us.

Where do you shop when you’re not at your store?
I enjoy cooking so I particularly like the Central Market. They have just about anything you could want. I also like Mrs. Cooks at U-Village.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened in your store?
Some of the characters down here in old Ballard can be pretty interesting. There was also that time Steven Segal was playing next door at the Tractor. That was kinda weird.