Growing up, Micah Genteman heard customers come into his family's store, The Sports Creel, and say thanks for the services and sense of community provided. Seeing this impact is what eventually led him to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.
The Sports Creel, Spokane's oldest specialty ski shop, celebrated 70 years in business last year with Genteman and his family at the helm. We caught up with Genteman to learn the secrets of their success — and Spokane's enduring power as an outdoor recreation sports wonderland.
INLANDER: What allows the Sports Creel to thrive in an era of online shopping and big-name stores?
GENTEMAN: I think it's probably a collection of things, the service that we provide probably being at the top of it. You hear pretty routinely, you can witness it in person.
Facebook Marketplace is a spot where people tend to find homes for all of the things that didn't work, and nine out of 10 times they include links to the places where they bought them online. In the interest of getting ski boots that fit, finding all of the different levels of gear and equipment that the industry has that a lot of people don't necessarily know about or aren't aware of how important they are and how they all work — I think that being able to provide the same goods at often a similar price point but with immeasurably better service is what helps us.
What's it like being a small-business owner in the Spokane area today?
It's a largely positive experience. I think every single business category still has struggles. Getting to do what we do, getting to go forward and sell fun and sell comfort and sell something that gets people a chance to get into the mountains or out onto the water and do so safely, do so with their families, I think that's the part that becomes the value part that gets you through some of the "Boy, that was a rough year to get through on this."
What plans do you have for Sports Creel's future?
We will continue to work ourselves to the bone. We're kind of a small family and know how fortunately blessed we are to have the best staff in place that we've ever had and so at this point my plans going forward are to do our best to keep our existing customers happy, keep our staff operating the spectacular way they have been. Also of importance is all of the wonderful people who continue to refer our business, working diligently to make sure we treat those people right because there's nothing worse than sending somebody somewhere and then having that place not show up the way that they should've. Our plans are to continue doing what we've been doing here for 70 years straight.
What do you think makes the Inland Northwest such a good spot for outdoor activities?
I think in a four-season world, we have arguably some of the best options. You have millions of rideable trails and mountains and options that are constantly evolving and getting better in both the summer and the winter. You've got seemingly endless holes of golf that can be played, seemingly endless bodies of water that can be accessed. We have relatively consistent weather, we have a lack of overall natural disasters. In my younger years, I went out to different areas and certainly tried to find other places to be and fall in love with... the magnet of Spokane and the shop and the people in it and the people shopping here are what always bring me home. ♦
