The Rock Store Makes It Onto NPR
I think the first time I ever encountered the famed Rock Store, Malibu’s truly iconic riding destination, it was in this 1980s Kawasaki magazine spread. That’s just what I imagined California must look like from the confines of my ghetto-adjacent Kansas City apartment. Beautiful people on swell new motorcycles under towering oaks on a perfect Fall day. Who knew I’d wind up spending a small chunk of the rest of my life there. Stopping to kick tires, grab a cold drink, shoot photos – but mostly run up and down the crazy-tight section of Mulholland Highway that begins just past the Store’s front door. We’re testing, see. It didn’t even matter that the Store was usually closed during the week when we were there “working.” It was still the Rock Store.
Unfortunately, the Store was right in the middle of the huge Woolsey fire that burned from November 8, consuming nearly 97,000 acres in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties on its way to the Pacific Ocean, before firefighters achieved full containment on Nov. 21. The official word is it claimed three lives, destroyed 1,500 structures and damaged 341 more.
The good news is that one of the structures that didn’t burn was the Rock Store (maybe it helped that it’s made of rock?). National Public Radio’s Ari Shapiro caught up with owner Rich Savko to get the scoop, in a segment that was broadcast yesterday.
Both the transcript and the 6:15 broadcast are here.
More by John Burns
Comments
Join the conversation
I somehow rode past the Rock Store, twice, when I was up in the Malibu hills on a rented bike last February. I did find the lookoff at the Snake, though.
Looking at the ad from a magazine, I'm also reminded of how wildly styled the original Ninja 250 was when it came out.
Just past the Rock Store, before the Cornell Winery/ Old Place, now lies this crumpled mess. The Old Place was chock-a-block with bikes parked out front last weekend, as there was no passage. https://uploads.disquscdn.c... https://uploads.disquscdn.c...