Norbert Olbertz, who founded the American Sport Chalet chain of outdoor and snow sports stores in 1959, died of natural causes on July 15 at the age of 86. Trained as a pastry chef, he moved from Germany to Canada and then to the U.S. He set up the first ski shop with his wife in southern Califonia after he learned to ski in Oregon. His company, which now has 55 stores, went public on the Nasdaq exchange in 1992.

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