- Local business multiplies to Anchorage - December 5, 2017
By Mackenzie Sylvester
From starting out as a small shop run out of a family garage, Trax Outdoor Center strides closer to its goal becoming a multi-city ski café.
The locally owned and family-run outdoor shop will expand and open a new store in Anchorage.
An official opening date has not been set for the new shop, but owner, Mike Hajdukovich said they are trying to open before Christmas.
The Hajdukovich family started out selling and renting paddle boards out of their garage at home and their cabin at Harding Lake. They bought an old, warehouse at the base of Birch Hill and turned it into what is now a popular outdoor center known for its cross-county skiing gear, paddleboards, high-end sportswear, Lululemon Athletica gear, and its own yoga studio.
Through it all, owner Mike Hajdukovich had his eyes in a bigger market to the south.
“We always wanted to be in Anchorage,’ said Hajdukovich, “that’s where the people are.’
When a space that was very similar to Fairbanks’ location opened up for rent in Anchorage’s Kincaid Park in September, the family jumped on the opportunity to expand their business.
“It’s time to move to the next step,’ Hajdukovich said. “We’ve got to do it. it might be another 10 years before an opportunity like that comes along.’
Hajdukovich said he has family and friends in Anchorage that will help run the new shop. “It’s not going to be easy,’ He said, “you got to work at it. You can’t be two places at once, you have to make it a home away from home. The toughest part will be creating that vibe.’
Trax strives to have an inviting, warm vibe. “The homey feel […] emulates from that store,’ said Hannah Monzingo, a full time employee at Trax. “The friendly and warm faces that continuously greeted me entering the store inspired me to become part of the Trax team. We want people to feel at home, sit by the fire with hot cocoa, beer, Hot Licks ice cream, anytime.’
The Anchorage location will be a smaller version of the Fairbanks store. It will offer the same gear rentals and prestigious brand gear for sale, such as Lululemon Athletica. Though there won’t be a yoga studio, “we can still do yoga in it,’ Hajdukovich said, “we’re going to bring Lululemon down […] we’ll help feed that side of town the Lulu stuff.’
The Lululemon Athletica store is located in the 5th Avenue Mall in downtown Anchorage. The new Trax Outdoor Center will be by the airport on the other side of town, Hajdukovich hopes this will help him sell more Lululemon yoga gear. Hajdukovich expects their location by the airport to be convenient for tourists and for rentals to be popular.
“They don’t have to drive all over town looking for a place to get skis then and then skiing and bring them across town,’ Hajdukovich said, “it’s right on the way, we’re right at the bottom [of Kincaid Park]). They hope Trax will become the place to stop for tourists visiting Anchorage.
Trax is known for its involvement in events, the community and local sports teams. They strive to create a place where people want to be and have a good time.
“We always want to be more than a store,’ Hajdukovich said, of his goal for Trax, “I don’t ever want to be a boring store. I want to bring good times to that place, so people can say it’s more than just an REI or a retail store. We have first Friday parties, any kind of gathering you can think of, banquets, any kind of even event can throw a party at, something that brings people together.’ Hajdukovich plans to continue this business model in the new location. They will host First Fridays, ski events and hope for their own Trax events as well.
“The space is really nice,’ said First Friday vender, Mary Webb. “I photographed their October First Friday. All the art is in the big yoga studio, it’s pretty nice.’
The original dream for Trax Outdoor center was for it to be a “ski café.’ Hajdukovich said, “it’s always the next phase, is the food. Food is the last piece of the puzzle we’re trying to figure out.’ They currently serve coffee at the Fairbanks location. They plan to take the coffee machine to Anchorage and install some new food services in Fairbanks.
Hajdukovich hopes to open the new store before Christmas. He said there is “a big ski race for kids and that’s before Christmas. It would be kind of neat to hit that.’ Things have been moving slow with contracting, Hajdukovich said they won’t be worrying too much about hitting a dead-line, but they are very close to opening, “it’s getting really close, the floorings in, it’s painted, I want to get a little gas fireplace, and get just have to move junk down there.’
“I think Trax screams, ‘get out and play,’’ said Monzingo. “Whether it be on skis, a paddle board, master craft boat or to enrich your well-being with a yoga class. It’s a constant message that we want people to have fun and truly enjoy life.’