"Cruiser Phil began his company, Cruiser Phil's Volcano Riders, in 1998. I knew Phil much further back than that however dating back to 1975 when I opened my very first location in a couple of leased parking spaces that were located right in front of Ed and Don's Ice Cream Parlor on the corner of Front and Hotel Streets in downtown Lahaina. At that time Phil was the manager of the shop and we knew each other through the fledgling years of Tom Barefoot's Tours. He was always there with a smile and a helping hand and was one of my first business contacts in those early days. Since then Phil went on to work in the airline industry and then participated in the newly created bicycle downhill industry on the slopes of Haleakala. After working and assisting in managing other companies for some time Phil opened his own company and has been gathering ""kudos's"" from those who know him in the industry and from the general public who use his services ever since.
As downhill companies go, he is somewhat smaller than many but this probably works to his advantage in many ways. His personal ""style"" lends a bit of individual touch and warmth to his business and although he does not generally go up the mountain to lead the tours on a general basis anymore he is almost always there to greet each van as it pulls into the base yard lot after each tour to greet the guests individually. His staff has, by in large, been with him for a long time and there is a genuine sense of ""family"" among his employees. On the day Jake and I did his downhill tour we not only were greeted by Phil but also by his wife Cindy and even had an opportunity to meet his youngest granddaughter who sat on his knee while we talked. "
