NEW TERRITORY: Sports memorabilia store expands to Wasilla

WASILLA — Excalibur Sports opened its second location in Wasilla on Nov. 16. While the Mat-Su Valley may be rife with athletes and outdoorsmen and women, it is sparse with merchants to sell sporting goods and fan apparel. The Manning family that mans the Excalibur shop in Wasilla next to Value Village is hoping that fans across the Valley can avoid a drive into Anchorage for their fan gear needs.

“Athletes are fans too,” Steve Manning said.

Manning runs the business with his wife, Chery, and his son, Alex. Manning previously ran a trophy shop in the Valley for nine years, and has been talking about expanding Excalibur to the Valley with Phil Robertson, who opened the first Excalibur Sports location in the Northway Mall in Anchorage in 1992. This is technically not the first Excalibur Sports location in the Valley, as Phil has run a booth at the Alaska State Fair since 2011.

“Wasilla is a small knit community that wants to shop local in their area. As being a 45-year resident of Alaska we are all about local business. We as a family believe Wasilla is and has been worthy just for being in Alaska. We wanted to for a long time ago and did not have the resources at that time. I also believe in taking chances and here we are. I have the right family in Wasilla,” Robertson said in an email.

Inside the store you can find various types of memorabilia emblazoned with team logos. Jerseys and hats are just the beginning, as nearly any item you can think of has had a logo stamped on it. Manning is a San Francisco 49ers fan, and even though he raised Alex in Alaska, his son has taken up the family fanhood, too. Manning is partial to throwback jerseys featuring the name and number of legendary quarterback Joe Montana. His wife Chery is no stranger to Sundays watching football, either.

“I like Chicago so Fridge is kind of who I like,” Chery said.

Chery is referring to the nickname for William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry who crossed over from playing the defensive line to become a situational running back for the Chicago Bears, and also a fan favorite. While sporting goods are not the main item sold at Excalibur, there is already high demand for more opportunities for athletes and fans alike to shop local.

“We’ve had a lot of hockey people in because they’ve told us that there’s not a lot of places to buy hockey gear out here,” Chery said.

Steve outlined all the different ways that gear from Excalibur allows you to show off your fanhood. Whether it’s a shirt, a hoodie, a jersey, or a sign with a team logo on it that says ‘Man Cave,’ which Steve says has been wildly popular, just about anything can be used to prove your fandom.

“Fan is short for fanatic,” Steve said. “Jerseys are obviously one of the biggest ones because then you’ve got the name you can associate on TV.”

Steve also noted that any fan can decorate their entire vehicle with their favorite teams colors. Steering wheel covers, floor mats, and license plate covers customized with team logos are available at Excalibur. Steve hopes that the connection between customer and cashier will help foster a positive relationship with those who shop at Excalibur. Even if similar gear can be bought online, sometime for a cheaper price, Manning knows the struggles of getting something other than what he ordered in the mail and then having to wait weeks for a response from customer support.

“This is a symbiotic town. You buy from me, I spend that money, I go eat somewhere else. That’s the way I feel about it,” Steve said.

The Mannings are hoping that Excalibur’s business will take off just in time for the holidays, filling stockings and boxes under the trees with fan gear for fans of all ages. Steve mentioned a conversation with one of the Valley’s many senior citizens who came in looking for Chicago Bears gear. Not only is the fan gear at Excalibur fashionable, but sometimes functional. Carpenters can even buy logo branded measuring tapes.

“We’re so much different out here in the Valley than they are in Anchorage, supporting local business realizing you don’t have to go online to buy everything,” Steve said.