Fans of recreation, rejoice! Barrie’s Ski and Sports is bigger, brighter and better after its move to 624 Yellowstone Avenue.

    The former Hollywood Video building has been refurbished and is stocked with everything from the tiniest trikes to the best in mountain bikes and everything a skier needs to go swooshing down the hill.

    “We are going to do what we know best,” said founder and owner Barrie Hunt.

    The store will continue to specialize in skiing, biking, snowboarding, water sports and all the commensurate accessories. But it can now offer much more to customers than it ever did before.

    Hunt started his own sporting goods store in 1976, and recently enjoyed the Grand Opening of his store’s third incarnation.

    “Our business was expanding and we grew out of our building over there,” he said, noting that people are skiing and biking more, and he is confident that the expanded store can perform well, regardless of problems in the general economy.    

    “We had close to 2,000 people come through to take a look at the new store,” said Barrie Hunt’s son, Jonathon Hunt, who also works in the store.

    Now with more room to stock equipment and supplies, the store can increase its stock of Trek, Giant, and Santa Cruz brands, and has added four more ski lines and two more bike brands. In its new surroundings, the store is able to present its products in a brighter and less-crowded atmosphere.     

    “We have a lot more in stock, and don’t have to special order so much,” said Jonathon Hunt.

    In addition, the store is now able to offer expanded service in its bike and ski repair and maintenance areas.

    “We can do our tune-ups more efficiently now,” said Jonathon.

    One great new amenity the store can now offer is premium storage for bikes as they come in to be tuned up or repaired. Instead of bikes being leaned against the wall or piled up next to each other, each will be in its own storage slot before and after its maintenance is done, which is a boon for those bike owners with high-quality equipment.

    Jonathon Hunt says one of the coolest new products available in the new store are bike lights that are as bright as car headlights, allowing for safer and more enjoyable night riding. Another new product that Barrie’s can now stock is snow bikes, equipped with fat tires, so biking enthusiasts need not give up their favorite sport in the winter months.

     Barrie’s Ski and Sports is very much a family business and a family-oriented business. All the photos mounted all over the new store are photos of family members or employees involved in their favorite outdoor activities.

    But the remodel and move did not come without its hardships. In June of 2012, the Hunt family was already considering a move from its former quarters. Then Barrie Hunt found himself on the road suffering from a coronary incident, with local first responders unavailable because they were responding to the Charlotte Fire.

    “I was pretty much pronounced dead on the road,” Hunt said.

    Thanks to the help of family and friends, Hunt made it to the hospital, where triple bypass surgery was performed. By September, Hunt was able to participate in the Grind de Galena, a long-distance bike ride.

    “Truly it was not just me,” smiled Hunt. “All my family and friends kept me going in this remodeling and moving, and it was because of them that it was so successful and so quick. There wasn’t one employee that didn’t help increase our business or come together to make sure it happened. It was a miracle.”

    Barrie’s Ski and Sports is well known in the Pocatello area for its support of local programs, events and charitable efforts, such as Spinderella, PedalFest and many other events.

    “I found out that if you give to the community, they give back to you,” said Hunt.