Rips Audio Video & Spas

Rips Audio Video & Spas We have been in operation since 1980 servicing Central & Southern Alberta under the same ownership.

Hot tubs & Swim spas (+service, repairs, moves, parts, chemicals), Livestock cameras & acreage security, TV & Audio, Commercial AV, Rural internet & satellite TV, off-road ebikes

09/30/2026

In honor of today's truth and reconciliation day, we are sharing a fascinating historical story below.

09/30/2026

In 1930, an old man sat in a circle of men. Men he did not know. Speaking languages different from his. He lifted his hands and began a conversation that everyone in that circle instantly understood.
This 82 year old man was Alberta born Mountain Chief. He spent years on a mission to preserve a language he had known since childhood — Hand Talk. A language quickly becoming endangered
For centuries, Hand Talk connected individuals, tribes and nations across the continent, from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. It was a continent-wide lingua franca.

The principle of it was beautiful and simple – an intuitive SIGN language that everyone could use to communicate across all language and hearing barriers without translators.

It was sophisticated enough for philosophical conversations, diplomacy, trading, mapping, storytelling, poetry, humour — or just having a conversation.
Today, archaeologists and Indigenous linguists are studying connections between Hand Talk and signs found on rock art thousands of years old. No one knows how far back it goes. It’s possible that Hand Talk could be the oldest continual language on the planet
In the decades leading up to the 1930 meeting, Mountain Chief crossed the continent. He translated English songs and poetry and tried his best to increase awareness. New laws in both the US and Canada forbade or greatly restricted Hand Talk and children in residential schools were punished for using it. Still, it survived.

The 1930’s circle was not just a meeting. In collaboration with a US general, Mountain Chief’s was filming Hand Talk, so there would always be a record of it. Most of the film, unfortunately, did not survive. Still, people used it, secretly taught it and carried on the tradition. The surviving part of that 1930’s film helped. Today, right here, on Treaty 7 land, Indigenous communities are working to bring this beautiful language back to life.

The leaves are falling, and cooler days are on the way. If you own a hot tub, now’s a good time for a quick check before...
09/23/2026

The leaves are falling, and cooler days are on the way. If you own a hot tub, now’s a good time for a quick check before the cold really sets in:
✔️ Check your cover for leaks, waterlogging, or signs it needs replacing. Cover orders take longer later in the season.
✔️ Test your small ceramic heater and make sure your extension cord can reach under the tub.
✔️ With the front panel open, test every control button and check the screen. Run the jets, then use a flashlight to look for leaks and listen for unusual pump sounds.
✔️Check that the plastic connections at the heater and pumps are snug.
Found a problem or have a question? Give us a call. A little prevention now can save a lot of stress on a cold day.

2 weeks remain in our September Hot Tub promotion!All of our 2026 H2O hot tubs are marked down, and we’re including a hy...
09/16/2026

2 weeks remain in our September Hot Tub promotion!

All of our 2026 H2O hot tubs are marked down, and we’re including a hydraulic cover lifter and steps with every new hot tub.

You know… the things most people add anyway.

So for the next 2 weeks, we’ve got you covered. Literally. 😉

09/02/2026

Happy September!
✅We have Chase The Ace tickets - supporting the Elks and local charities. Weekly cash prizes, draw is every Saturday.
✅ We're continuing our gift-away with a new hot tub purchase, includes top of the line hydraulic cover lifter, spa steps and delivery.

CLOSED Sept 5 - 7 for Labor Day Weekend.
Reopen Tuesday Sept 8.

Chef David stopped by this afternoon to start planning for the future. I think it's a bit early for this stage. Should w...
08/07/2026

Chef David stopped by this afternoon to start planning for the future. I think it's a bit early for this stage. Should we set him up with a 20 year lay-a-way plan?

What's the easiest way to get into a hot tub?1. Use a pole vault and launch yourself.2. Stand on someone's shoulders.3. ...
08/04/2026

What's the easiest way to get into a hot tub?

1. Use a pole vault and launch yourself.
2. Stand on someone's shoulders.
3. Use a set of steps.

If you picked #3, congratulations—you've chosen the option that's fun, safe... and usually costs a little extra.

Just not this August.

Buy any new H2O Spa from us this month and we'll include:
✔ A matching set of steps
✔ A premium cover lifter
✔ Delivery and placement
✔ We'll even install the steps and lifter before we leave.

The boss figured if we're already bringing you a hot tub, we might as well make it easy to get in... and easy to enjoy.

An impressive garden. So nice to see where the food comes from, and that it's genuinely fresh
07/27/2026

An impressive garden. So nice to see where the food comes from, and that it's genuinely fresh

Happy 104th Birthday to our building! 🎉🎉In the summer of 1922, young pharmacist Matthew Maybank led a wagon of bricks an...
07/16/2026

Happy 104th Birthday to our building! 🎉🎉

In the summer of 1922, young pharmacist Matthew Maybank led a wagon of bricks and mortar up an empty street in Olds that no longer looked or felt familiar. Not to him, and not to anyone else.

The air was heavy; the acrid remains of burned wood and charcoal still caught on the prairie breeze. The bustling wooden sidewalks and thriving storefronts were gone. In their place lay twisted metal, broken glass, and melted rubber clumped into shadowy silhouettes. This was the road of broken dreams.

The heavy hush that fell over the Olds business district after the inferno was still there, waiting for someone to return. Matthew was that someone. He was the first to come back, taking an incredible risk. His insurance fell thousands of dollars short of what a rebuild would cost, meaning his entire life savings were piled right there on that wagon.

But he took those bricks and built a new dream—a building that wouldn't catch fire instantly. He set a new standard that inspired others to return. Within a few short years, the Olds business district was completely rebuilt with brick and stone instead of wood. New dreams. New hopes.

In 1980, Matthew's grandson sold the building to Leon Durand, owner of RIPS, and this year we celebrate its 104th birthday. Next time you're in RIPS, stop and take a look at the building itself. You are standing on a foundation built on a dream for the future—one that has held over a century of local innovation. 🧱✨

Turns out the boss has another job... Chief Pancake Distribution Officer. 🥞😄Thanks to everyone who came out to Oldstice ...
07/14/2026

Turns out the boss has another job... Chief Pancake Distribution Officer. 🥞😄
Thanks to everyone who came out to Oldstice this weekend. It was a great day to catch up with friends and neighbors!

Address

5004 50 Avenue
Olds, AB
T4H1P5

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

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