[4] Sport Chalet was founded on April 1, 1959 by newlyweds Norbert Olberz, a former baker, and his wife Irene, who bought a ski and tennis shop in La Cañada Flintridge, California, for $4000, equaling a $2500 check plus a negotiation, from Milo Svoboda, the original owner, whose store had only been open four months.

[5] To initially stock the store with ski gear, the couple took out a $5,000 loan and borrowed money from a relative and some employees.

[6] Early on, Sport Chalet stocked products that few other stores sold, such as scuba and mountain-climbing gear.

[6] Sport Chalet's location was about one block southeast of the intersection with Angeles Crest Highway, a major route into the San Gabriel Mountains.

[8] Norbert Olberz died in La Cañada Flintridge on July 15, 2011,[9] survived by his wife Irene and his son Eric.

[5] Two years later Eric resigned from the board, replaced by Miki Berardelli, chief marketing officer of New York women’s clothing designer and retailer Tory Burch.