About us

reMatch Sports:  In Sven Jensen’s Words

reMatch Sports founder Sven Jensen explains how his passion for sports led to developing his new concept sporting goods store in San Francisco:  

“After too many years of 120 hour work-weeks as an investment banker in Manhattan, I realized there must be more to life.  In 2007, I decided to leave that world behind and find a place that would allow me to achieve my new goal:  rediscover a normal work/life balance.  

“I sought out a place similar to what I’d grown up with in Cape Town, South Africa.  San Francisco, with its abundance of sporting and outdoor activities, proved to be a perfect fit.  Be it training for triathlons, surfing, mountain biking, snowboarding, or any of the variety of things immediately on hand, I am rarely the type you’ll find either sleeping in on weekends or spending my Sundays at brunch.  

“Given the spectrum of sporting activities available here in San Francisco, my exuberance for all things active led me to wanting to take part in all of them.  But I quickly encountered two significant constraints.  Participating in so many sports meant spending a lot of money on purchasing new equipment, and living in a small apartment limited my storage space for new and old equipment.  

“I soon turned to online marketplaces to sell my equipment and find lower-cost, used equipment.  As good of a service as eBay and Craigslist both provide, the sale of sporting equipment is a category ill-suited to their models.  After many frustrating buying and selling experiences later, I thought there had to be a better way.  

“I have also always wanted to be my own boss.  After getting my green card in 2008, I could finally achieve this dream of setting out on my own.  As an entrepreneur, I have three goals I hope to achieve:  to start my own company, provide an outlet for my passions, and give back to my community.  And from these goals came the concept of reMatch Sports.  

“Preparing to launch reMatch Sports has meant long hours, but I have never been one to shy away from hard work or manual labor.  I have recalled many of my long-forgotten carpentry skills to build racks and displays shelves for store.  And trust me, painting a 6,200 square-feet retail space with 22 foot walls was an experience I don’t need to relive anytime soon!  But it is refreshing to spend my time working hard on something I’m passionate about rather than in a suit in an office working on Microsoft Excel.  

“As a locally-owned sporting goods store in San Francisco, I hope to become part of the fabric of the Bay Area’s sporting activities.  Partnering with charitable organizations, particularly those that work with children, is one of my highest priorities as reMatch Sports grows and develops.  

“reMatch Sports is allowing me to turn my passion for the outdoors and an active lifestyle into a career.  Through it, I hope to be able to give others access to so many of the activities I feel helped shape my personality – and hopefully provide that access in a more cost effective manner."