Former Winnipeg Cyclone co-owner Earl Barish holds up one of the new clothing items being marketed by Voak Sportswear. (HANDCRAFT CREATIVE)
A local sportswear and lifestyle brand is bringing back a piece of the former Winnipeg Cyclone basketball team.
Voak Sportswear has partnered with former team owners Earl and Cheryl Barish to relaunch the defunct basketball team through a curated line of merchandise.
The project traces back to April 2022, when Voak sent a letter to Barish, the team’s former owner and league president, pitching the idea of reviving the Cyclone brand. The two sides spent the following years discussing the idea before finally getting the green light earlier this year.
“As we developed the program, Earl was kind enough to welcome us into his home to rummage some of the keepsakes from his days as both president of the league as well as owner of the Cyclone,” the company said in a statement.
“So along with some retail goods we will have a few items on display including original jerseys and renderings of the logo done by his niece, Michelle, back in 1995.”
The Barish family are also the former longtime owners of Salisbury House before selling their stake in the restaurant in 2017.
Voak will open its studio space on September 26 for a pop-up shop featuring Winnipeg Cyclone New Era caps, T-shirts and hoodies. The launch comes shortly after Barish’s induction into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame in the builder category.
The Winnipeg Cyclone pop-up runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Voak Sportswear, 27 S Landing, Unit 4, in Oak Bluff (Oak Bluff Landing).
A portion of the proceeds from the merchandise will support the Toba Centre for Child & Youth, including 10 percent of all Cyclone apparel sales and $20 from every cap sold.
