Retail chain carrying gear, apparel & footwear for a wide range of outdoor & fitness activities.
The O-RIGINAL Motion Makers was founded by Norm and Dianne Harrell in 1986 when their son, Benji, was riding skateboards and BMX bikes. Norm was good at helping Benji’s friends with their wheeled fun and opened Motion Makers on Hwy 107 in Sylva, NC as a way to provide this sport to the Sylva market. Around 1993, they moved into a 1920’s building in the heart of downtown Sylva, which was just starting to revitalize from many years of vacant buildings.
In 1997, Dave and Sandy Molin purchased the store. They had moved down from Vermont to escape the winters. Dave, a practicing Pharmacist, worked at several pharmacies in the area until he noticed that Motion Makers was for sale. An avid cyclist, it looked like the perfect job to relax and enjoy his sport and get out of the corporate world of pharmacy.
In 2007, “Surly” Dave convinced Kent Cranford to consider buying the shop.
Kent started racing and working on bikes as a BMX kid in the late 70’s. Spurred on by his father’s love of riding and tinkering with bikes, he quickly learned the basics of flat changes and converting coaster brake hubs into freewheels and other BMX mods of the day.
At age 16, the local bike shop, Bicycle City, offered him some work during Christmas building bicycles, then during summers. While in college, he worked at Harper’s Schwinn in Knoxville, TN, then at Skedaddle Bicycles in Murfreesboro, TN.
After graduating from MTSU, Kent headed out to Colorado to visit his brother who was in school at CSU. While there, the call of the Rockies sent him job hunting where he found a job at Keystone ski resort for the rest of the winter. Near the end of the ski season, he took a job at the Knorr House in Breckenridge, CO assembling their fleet of rental bikes for that summer. Later that spring of 1991, a stop in Crested Butte, CO led to a two-year job at The Alpineer, one of the original Mountain Bike shops of the late 70’s.
An annual pilgrimage back East to the Tsali trails led Kent to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where he took a job working in the “original” store and tasked with creating a real “Bike Shop” in NOC’s new outfitter’s store that was built in 1994. In 1995, he accepted a job with Litespeed Bicycles in Ooltewah, TN and worked as Marketing Director for two years. The job took him all over the US and Europe to attend shows and events helping to grow this small company. It was a dream job getting to rub elbows with all the cycling greats and seeing so many of the legendary cycling destinations.
The mountains of NC have a strong draw and in 1997, Kent came back to NOC to continue growing NOC’s biking program and interest in cycling in Western NC.
In 1999, Kent had tired of the tourism retail trade and decided to pursue his newest love in computers. After two years in that industry, with the “dot-com bust” looming, Kent saw a listing for the Territory Manager position with Specialized Bicycles covering the Southern Appalachian region, home of the greatest cycling anywhere and where he happened to live.
Over the next five years, Kent enjoyed his 1000-mile weeks on the road and spending half the weekends of the year at events representing Specialized. His 2005 marriage to Sarah and impending birth of their daughter, Beverly, in 2006, sent Kent into the booming real estate industry to stay home with his new family. This job allowed him to spend a lot of time in Sylva and Jackson County, re-kindling his belief in what a great cycling region WNC is. Little did he know that Dave asking him to come look at Motion Makers would save him from another Bust!
In 2009, the opportunity to open a second store 45 minutes away in the cycling mecca of Asheville, NC, could not be ignored. Kent had frequently asked his sales reps why there was only one large bicycle store in the booming town. One of those reps was Ben Hinker, who also wondered why someone hadn’t opened a big store in Asheville. He immediately signed on as Manager of the store as soon as he learned of Kent’s plan and was involved from the early stages of deciding where to put this new store. Another key person, Sara Jarrell, a Cullowhee native, had moved back home to WNC from California a couple of years earlier. She had quickly become a trusted source of knowledge at the Sylva store but had been making the commute from Asheville to Sylva to work. This gave her plenty of reason to help make this new store a place that people could trust with her skills as Service Manager.
Calling on the design expertise of the Specialized Retail Services team, the Motion Makers crew signed on to become an Elite Store with Specialized. This allowed for a quick opening in March of 2010 with a very clean and professional look that the team knew they wanted for Asheville while allowing it to remain a locally owned store, not just a factory footprint. The store is one of the largest in the region and has, we believe, the best selection of bikes and equipment so you can always find what you need.
Reems Creek. Golf how it was meant to be.
Explore Western North Carolina’s great outdoors with Nantahala Outdoor Center. The nation’s largest outdoor recreation company, NOC has led outdoor adventures since 1972 and earned recognition as “One of the Best Outfitters on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure. Over a million guests visit NOC annually to embark on a diverse collection of more than 120 different river and land-based itineraries! Learn to kayak at NOC’s world-renowned Paddling School, or test the latest outdoor gear and shop at retail stores in Asheville, Gatlinburg, and Nantahala. Book a trip on one of seven rivers in the Southeast, or fly through the skies on the Nantahala Mountaintop Zip Line Adventure!
If you’re wondering what to do around Asheville, NC, look no further than Asheville Adventure Company to get the insider “local” experience. We are long time Asheville residents and we are passionate about showing people what we love about Asheville and the surrounding area.
For too long the guiding industry has been ruled by a collective of companies that build their business by charging crazy money to take customers to the most popular spots around. We want to change the game. We strive to offer the same level of service (or better!) as our most prolific competitors but opt instead to build meticulously planned trips that are as unique as the many visitors that flock to this area. We hope that every trip leaves customers with a sense of awe and wonder for this incredible area. We want to push our customers outside of the tech and stimulus heavy world that we live in to a place where they can explore and push their own boundaries as far as they feel comfortable. We hire only the best guides, and we refuse to offer a trip unless we think it’s awesome (as a group of adventure nuts we have a pretty high standards).
We currently offer a selection of day hiking trips, e bike trips, overnight backpacking trips, and paddling trips. We are also always open to crafting private trips. If you have a trip that you have been dreaming up but need some help getting it across the finish line then contact us and we will help you plan something amazing!
Join Brookside Guides’ experienced and professional guides for the fly fishing adventure of a lifetime in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Our WNC trout waters are filled with lively rainbows, browns and brook trout. Fish with our fly fishing guides from Pisgah National Forest to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Beginning anglers can sign up for a day or weekend of fly fishing instruction and guided fishing with our skilled, patient and fun guides.
More advanced anglers can choose from the over 4,000 miles of freestone mountain trout water located within easy reach of our home base in Asheville, NC. The Davidson River, one of the most exciting and challenging rivers in our area, is listed in Trout Unlimited’s “Top 100 Trout Streams.”
Western North Carolina’s temperate climate makes this a great destination for fly fishing 365 days a year. Spring and fall offer the best hatches while in winter months anglers often find they have rivers to themselves as they search for trophy trout.
No matter what the season, you’ll have your choice of fishing on wild trout waters filled with big, wary browns or hiking to streams in the beautiful Smoky Mountains that hold the prize catch, native Appalachian brook trout.
Choose a true wilderness adventure and experience an unforgettable overnight back packing/fly fishing trip! Combine fly fishing and camping for a fun-filled family vacation.
Be sure to check out the Brookside Guides’ Women’s Fly Fishing School.
Asheville Bicycle Company is not just another “Bike Shop.” We offer the most progressive customer service and customer retention programs available. We strive to make your purchase not only the right purchase but to give you peace of mind that Asheville Bicycle Company is behind you all the way – from the day you make a purchase to the coming years that you enjoy that purchase.
Asheville Bicycle Company is a part of the Ski Country Sports family. Ski Country Sports began in 1990, specializing in ski equipment, clothing and inline skates. However, the shop quickly grew to also become one of the leading bike shops in the area with a full line of bicycles, including road, mountain, BMX and youth bikes. The shop also boasts one of the largest service centers in Asheville and the surrounding area. In 2015, the bike portion of the shop broke off into Asheville Bicycle Company, which remains the leading area dealer of Giant and Kona products.
Guiding is our passion. Sure we love catching fish on our days off, but sharing the experience is far more rewarding. We are guides and instructors who enjoy helping both beginners and advanced anglers alike. Being a professional guide requires a diverse set of skills, not just being able to put people on fish. A professional guide is patient under pressure, a teacher and coach to their clients, has excellent work ethic in all situations, has a keen sense of awareness and the ability to adapt to different learning styles, fishing styles and personalities. All AFFC guides are endorsed by multiple gear companies which allows us to provide you with the best gear available. We are dedicated to giving you the best service you have ever experienced, and to always enjoy as much river experience as possible while putting fish in the net. We are problem solvers who enjoy the connections and process just as much as the pull. We push each other to be innovative, aware of the fine details and to always anticipate the next move gracefully and with respect. Our first time out with you, we take note of the details that make a difference to you. From the moment we meet you onward, we go the extra miles so you are right where you want to be, fishing better and laughing louder.
As the light paints the dramatic peaks and verdant valleys of the Carolina mountains, the seasons gracefully blending into one another, in these purest of moments, it occurs to you — there is something special here. Far beyond the pristine landscape, and the charming towns, and even transcending the engaging lifestyle, you come to appreciate being more alive, more connected to yourself and the world around you. This is life at The Cliffs, a state of being that surrounds and permeates all inside and outside our seven Carolina mountain communities. It is boundless nature, thrilling experiences and the pure joy of calling this place home.
The North Carolina Arboretum’s 434-acre campus is nestled off the Blue Ridge Parkway minutes from downtown Asheville and offers beautiful gardens and natural areas, including the Bonsai Exhibition Garden, 10 miles of forested hiking and biking trails, garden tours, nature activities for families, changing science, art and cultural history exhibits, an on-site bistro and gift shop.
Daytime admission into the Arboretum is free; however, a $16 parking fee applies for personal vehicles. To view full listing of parking fees and hours, click here.
Asheville’s Premier Fly Fishing Guide Service
Southern Appalachian Anglers LLC offers professional, full-service, guided waded fly fishing and float trips in Asheville, North Carolina. Enjoy the beautiful Appalachian Mountains by drift boat on Western North Carolina’s remarkable stream-fed rivers or by wading up our pristine back country creeks. Spend a day on the water with a certified and professional Asheville fly fishing guide and we will ensure the best fishing experience for all. With over 15 years of experience, our professional fishing guides have local knowledge to not only help you catch fish, but to also provide expert advice for casting and fly presentation. All of our guides are trained to help and teach others. We stand behind our tagline: Trusted Guides – Exceptional Service, and we guarantee your next fly fishing trip in Asheville, North Carolina will be unforgettable!