There are a lot of ways to relieve tension and release aggression, and the Californians are notoriously good at offering a large number of expensive ways to help you achieve your stress relief goals.
Yoga, massage, aromatherapy, they abound on the West Coast. But smash therapy? Thanks to two former veterinarians, the good people of San Diego, as well as interested tourists, have a new and very amusing way to banish those blues. All at a fraction of the cost of a session with a psychologist, and certainly a lot more fun.
Sarah’s Smash Shack, which opened its doors just over a year ago, offers all kinds of beautiful glassware and assorted crockery for sale…for the eager patrons to smash to pieces.
In one of two “break rooms” individuals, couples, even corporate groups are encouraged to take their purchases into the enclosed areas, suit up in a little protective gear, goggles and gloves, then hurl away to their heart’s (or budget’s) content. According to the “menu” prices start at $12, which can buy you 10 plates, 10 glasses, or 3 very pretty crystal champagne flutes that must make an exquisite mess when hurled fastball style at the brightly painted walls.
As a bonus, customers are offered the option of adding a musical accompaniment to their therapy session, either providing their own, as both break rooms are equipped with IPod speakers, or by choosing from the tracklist offered by the store (I am guessing perhaps that Guns ‘N’ Roses “Appetite for Destruction” is probably a popular choice) Both break rooms have a large viewing area located just outside, so that everybody can see just how relaxed you really are becoming each time the satisfying sound of gorgeous glassware being smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces is heard. The smaller break room is designed for individuals or couples (could be dangerous surely, if things aren’t going so well on the domestic front?) The larger room can however accommodate at least four to six people at any given time and is known as the VIP Lounge.
Sarah and her staff do offer “timed” sessions as well. These sessions allow you bring in your own breakables, and smash away for a predetermined amount of time. These can be particularly useful for those who have been wondering what they should do with all those CDs and Video game disks that a dreadful ex has never bothered to pick up from their place (just a suggestion…)
The good staff at Sarah’s Smash Shack do not even expect the newly “released” patrons to clean up after themselves. You can however take home a memento of your destructive outing, as remnants of your destruction can be encased in a Plexiglass cube for just an additional $10 charge.
Those fragments that do not go home with their destroyers are donated to local arts programs by owners Sarah and Ed, and they are actually used to create some rather nice mosaics and sculptures.