Hidden Wave Board Shop, a hidden gem for Boarders!
“Our mission is to build a good, local snowboarding community in the area.”
Located at 896 S. Burlington Blvd, this little gem is hidden along the main drag.
In this location since 2001, they took the business over in 2016. They are in the sweet spot, centrally located between Mount Baker and Stevens Pass. When asked about if Burlington is a good place to own a business, Cody said, “I do, it’s a tight knit town, very blue collar, which we like…yea it’s a good town.” They run the shop with just one or two other employees in the summer and up to four more in the winter, which is their busy season. “We offer a full tune shop in the back. We can re-edge skis, snowboards, wax ‘em and tune them up.” The mission was “to build a good, local snowboarding community in the area.” They are geared mostly towards snowboarders and skateboarders but hope to be able to expand one day to be able to get into the surf community.
I spoke with Amanda and Cody Cavanaugh, owners of Hidden Wave Board Shop in Burlington, WA. This business is located right off the busy Burlington Boulevard, but you might miss it if you blink while passing by! I asked if that was where the name Hidden Wave came from, but that’s not it. When I asked about the store name and whether is was named that because of their somewhat discreet location, Cody responded with, “Hidden Wave started with, it’s a little zone up at Mount Baker with kind of a big wave to the side and its kind of tucked away and hidden so that’s kind of where the name started.” Hidden Wave comes from an area on Mount Baker that is a hidden gem for snowboarders and skiers, and so it is fitting since this business is one of Burlington’s local gems, hidden in plain sight.
Amanda and Cody Cavanaugh
Owners and avid snowboarders, parents, local business entrepreneurs, and voted the cutest couple!
Upon getting to know the owners, husband and wife team, I immediately sensed their joy and enthusiasm for running the board shop. Both avid snowboarders, they have a passion for what they do and gave up their secure full-time jobs to take over this shop that otherwise would have been lost. When their buddy decided to sell, they knew this was their chance to follow their dreams to become business owners and run something they are proud of and excited to provide for our community. I was curious about what drives a business owner to continue to work hard every day and what the drive is for these two. Cody said he’s “passionate about snowboarding and skateboarding and just the community and all.” They hope to expand so they can carry more things that people are looking for and have a larger tune shop. Being parents, business owners, community members, and locals, they know and understand the importance of creating something necessary and relevant for this town. They also feel deeply grateful for the support of our community and the people who come from afar to shop in their store. They made me further understand the gravity of shopping locally and supporting the small businesses that work hard every day to provide for their families while providing the community with the necessities of products that facilitate a healthy lifestyle and foster positive mental health.
They get involved with the youth and create events geared toward getting kids outside and getting excited about being active and healthy.
I asked how they give back to their community and they mentioned that they “do participate in fundraisers supporting local softball and baseball teams, football teams when we can. We also try to throw yearly events, skate events and skate jams at the local skateparks and get everybody involved.”
“ We hold events with the city at skateparks and have skate days for kids to help them learn how to skate and we provide the pads and the helmets and bring ten complete skateboards, a couple team riders and employees and help the kids learn how to skate.”
They have shoes, sunglasses, clothes, skateboards, skim boards, and anything you need to hit the slopes. Now is the best time to come in and get their winter snow gear, everything is on clearance and at the best prices you’ll see until the snow falls again. They are having a big spring shoe sale and women’s summer apparel is also on clearance.
In Skagit County, the local business community thrives when they work together to collaborate and lift each other up. I asked how they could improve their relationships with other local business owners and Amanda simply stated:
“Working together because we are all here for essentially the same reason, not only are we trying to provide for our families but we are also trying to provide for the community and giving them places where they can go.”
The pure love I felt from these two was almost tangible. They radiated with a sense of deep inner peace. This might have to do with knowing they are doing what they should be doing. Their mission will continue to evolve as they grow and develop their full potential.
Skate Park in Burlington, WA 871 S Section St.
The Skate Park in Burlington is very well laid out. It’s clean and smooth and in a nice setting. It is also easily accessible, just about 5 minutes off the Burlington exit. Head into the Historic Fairhaven District and towards Rotary Park. This is a lovely park and skating is a fun activity to get your kids involved in.
If you’re already really into skateboarding (somewhat advanced) you might check out the DIY Skatepark in Glacier that “was started by the locals and is growing all the time. It’s available to anyone, is a beautiful setting, it’s almost 10,000 square feet and adding more. It’s just a great place. There’s a bowl up there, there’s spines, there’s just about everything, a little street section. It’s a pretty large and great park. It’s a destination skatepark so people travel from all over to go there.”
