HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 08-03 Another chapter for Strauss skates REVIEW Page 14B Wed., Aug. 3, 1977 TRACKS
A tradition continues .a�
Another chapter
by Rob Schabert other brands. But the skates, unlike the Blvd.It occupied a small store on Fourth
day when John Strauss Sr.opened shop in Street across from the St. Paul
Workmen are busy writing the latest 1887, are just a minor part of the Auditorium until the last move in 1970.
chapter in the long and profitable Strauss operation. "John Friedman, the manager of the
skate story. "My dad was born in Germany," ex- Civic Center told me that right now the
One of the past chapters is chronicled plains 68-year-old John Strauss who took spot where our store used to be is right
on the pages of the Encyclopedia, where over the business from his father in 1940. where the women's toilet is," kidded
John Strauss is credited with making "He worked as an apprentice in Germany Strauss.
improvements in figure skates back in for safes and locksmithing, and that's John Jr.worked under his father since
1909 what he pursued when he came here. he was in the sixth grade, took over in
Another chapter is scripted in world "But along with locks he started 1940, then had to close up shop in 1942
record books, where several Olympic making racing bicycles,and in the winter when he enlisted in the Navy. The shop
champions (including Dorothy Hamill) it was the bike racers who took up speed was closed for three years, the only time
have glided across Olympic sheets of ice skating, so he branched off into skates." the shop has been closed.
on skates manufactured by the Strauss Old skates were crude models, usually About five years ago they added the
Skate Company. pieces of steel ground smooth and bicycle line to their retail sales,and now
Today,hums from saws and thuds from sharpened and attached to a piece of retail sales is the biggest end of the
hammers occasionally join in with the wood. There wasn't much conformity to business. They still manufacture skates,
high-pitched buzz of the skate sharpening the design. but it only amounts to about 20 per cent of
machine as Strauss, in its sixth location John took out a bulging scrapbook,with the business.
on Cope Ave. just west of White Bear the words"father"and"son" printed on After the move to Cope Ave.,customers
Ave., is being added onto. The new the cover.Paging through it he reached a from Wayzata, Minnetonka, Richfield—
section will practically double the present page that included copies of pages from donel over
at the
Strauss.continueed toodhave woork
size. encyclopedias.
When you walk in the front door of "The word for skate dates back as far following,"Strauss said.He said they also
Strauss, bicycles greet you, two rows as 1573," he read, "but the idea of the do work for the Russian team, the North
stacked on top of each other and looking skate goes back to the eighth century." Stars, the old Fighting Saints, and the
like a gaping set of jaws.On one wall are Farther down the encylopedia explains University hockey team.
accessories for skates, skateboards and how the design of the skate was changed The bicycle line is the reason for the
bikes. Another wall is full of hockey when, in 1909, John Strauss of St. Paul addition.Now they have storage space in
sticks. In the corner is "The crease," invented the "closed toe" design, to give a nearby warehouse to hold all the bikes,
where goalie equipment is displayed. better stability. and with the addition will handle all the
And of course there are skates,new and The first Strauss skate shop was on E. merchandise in the shop.
used, hockey and figure, Strauss and Sixth Street, then it moved to Kellogg
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A FII#EFALL OF SPARKS pours from a blade as John Roberts,head of manufacturing at Strauss
Skates,cleans bumps from the steel.In front of him sit unfinished blades.
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