A few weeks ago, Clearwater Country lost an advocate and true friend when well-respected Moscow community member John Crock lost his battle with melanoma. Many people knew John as the owner of Hyperspud Sports, Moscow’s downtown one-stop-shop for everything outdoors, whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter recreational pursuits. John owned Hyperspud Sports for twenty-five years, with the shop being an integral part of Moscow’s charming downtown community.
Besides being customers of the store, our staff knew John as a long-time FOC member, an extremely generous local business supporter, and a lover of all things wild, particularly the Clearwater. Folks may recall the article that John wrote for our Winter 2010 Defender, “Bumping Down the Selway at Low Flow”, which documented his paddling (and portaging) adventure with another FOC member down the Wild & Scenic Selway River in September of that same year.
While John was passionate about adventure and exploring wild places, he was equally passionate about supporting the Moscow community, constantly devoting time, energy and money to help various causes, including donating items every year to the Friends of the Clearwater Annual Meeting & Gathering. If you were the highest bidder on a tent, a backpack, trekking poles or even some hiking socks at one of our end-of-the-year celebrations, chances are it was graciously donated by John Crock.
With Sunday’s very touching memorial for John at the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute behind us, it is now time for us to look forward and explore other ways to celebrate his wonderful life. We’re sure that as time passes, citizens of Moscow will have ideas on how to do so.
All of us at FOC would like to offer our condolences to his family and wife Laurene Sorensen, including the staff at Hyperspud Sports. Hyperspud Sports is located at 402 S. Main Street in downtown Moscow.
Brett Haverstick
Education & Outreach Director