Meet the Gorillas and T-Day Plans Inside

How It All Started

Max works the front desk. Brandon and Paydyn train clients. Somehow this turned into West Coast Fitness having a basketball team that competes in an actual league with refs and everything.

The origin story is exactly what you'd expect: gym bros who longed for more sport. They dreamt of uniforms. Statistics. A playoff bracket. The full local legend package.

Portland Basketball had what they were looking for—a Monday night men's league where former high school jocks could revive their glory days, or make new ones.

The Sasquatch in the Room

Ten players made the roster. Nine from the gym, plus Brandon's friend Chase who nobody can verify actually exercises anywhere. The team needed a name and jerseys. Jay graciously stepped up and turned their dreams into reality. With the sponsorship complete, the West Coast Gorillas were born.

About that name: the logo is actually a Sasquatch. But saying "West Coast Sasquatches" makes you sound like Daffy Duck, so they went with Gorillas. The logo's ambiguous enough that it works. And they move so fast you'll never get a good look at it anyway. 

A Three-Game Winning Streak Is Still a Streak

First practice at Irving Park gave the boys some valuable face time and took a little bit of fear out of being on a court again. After a 5 on 5 game or two, they were ready for the real deal.

They joined the league two weeks late, which is the athletic equivalent of showing up to a group project after everyone's chosen their parts. Started 0-3, which surprised nobody including themselves.

Then they won three straight to close the season. It's almost like working out at the gym translates to real-world skills. 

Season Two: This Time It's Personal

New season just started. Every Monday night, somewhere in the Portland metro area these guys spend their night defending the glory of West Coast Fitness. There's a playoff bracket. Winners get a trophy (that we'd definitely put in the gym somewhere prominent.) 

The competition is legitimate enough that traveling gets called and free throws actually matter. Nobody's quitting their day job, but everyone's group chat is extremely active on game days. 

The Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show

Before we return to basketball glory, a couple notes about Thanksgiving: 

Thanksgiving Day we're open 7am to noon.

At 9am, we're hosting a Thanksgiving Cardio Dance Party—75 minutes of choreographed denial about what you're going to eat later. Four instructors (Colleen, Devon, Jennifer, and Kathy) will be rotating through multiple formats, which is either a gift or a threat depending on your fitness level.

Free for members, $8 drop-in for non-members who want to dance among friends they haven't made yet. All levels welcome, which means you can't use "I'm not coordinated" as an excuse.

It's a special kind of peace of mind that comes from working out before a meal this size. If there's a workout involved it's called bulking, right?

Why Any of This Matters

The Gorillas are proof that organized sports aren't just for people who peaked in high school. These guys wanted to build something together, and then they did. They're living proof that the gym isn't just a singular experience. You inherently have something in common with everyone here, and if you spend a little time together, you'll realize it's probably more than you think.

Communities need connection, and connection builds bonds. It's a hard, scary time for people in our community, and a friendly smile, or a "have a good workout" fist bump go a long way. Who knows, your next teammate could be on the bench next to you.

It's Game Time

Want to see a game? Ask one of the guys in the photo where the next one will be.

Want to train with someone who knows how to prepare you for any sport (including just staying alive)? Check out our personal trainers or stop by the front desk.

Rooting for you,

Your West Coast Fitness Family

P.S.: If you've got any other sports you'd like to play, maybe it's up to you to start it, team captain.