Family comes together to open Bigfork outdoor store
Espresso and bicycles. As customers walk into Bigfork’s newest store, Montana Adventure Sports, those are the two things they see first.
A large white espresso machine sits on the front counter, and Wednesday morning all who walked in couldn’t resist a cup before making their way into the heart of the store.
Owner Renny Johnson said the espresso is as much about a good cup of Java as it is about creating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and at home.
“The whole purpose of this place is to be a community gathering place for people who are athletic,” Johnson said. “That’s what the coffee’s for.”
While the store opened two weeks ago, Renny and his wife Sarah are still in the process of pulling all the pieces together. Five brands of mountain, road and cross-bikes line the southern wall directly across from a mini-bike mechanic shop. Renny is a certified professional mechanic from the United Bicycle Institute and has wrenched on his own bicycles for years. A friend Renny met during the intense two-week UBI course, Hernon Carrillo, is up for the summer to help the Johnsons get the shop going.
Racks of Lolë clothing and Teva shoes preface the mechanic shop and stand up Boga paddleboards are meticulously disbursed. The back of the store is still in motion and waiting for the arrival of skis and snowboards. While bikes might be more of Renny’s forte, Sarah is going to head up the winter sports area of the store. She was the head of her ski team in high school and college.
Sarah is also a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor and has taught classes for the last 12 years. Using both the lake and her yoga expertise, Sarah will begin teaching Boga Yoga on stand up paddleboards next month. It will be part of a slew of activities the store will offer, which will include group bike rides this summer and group ski outings when winter rolls around.
For years there were no outdoor stores in Bigfork or the surrounding areas, now the Johnson’s store is one of two that opened in downtown Bigfork this summer. The Johnson’s are focusing on being an adventure sports store and will eventually offer mechanic classes as well.
In January, when the Johnson’s started seriously looking into opening the store, Renny said they looked around at all the recreational activities that can be done near Bigfork. There’s lakes, rivers, trails and ski resorts all within a 20-30 minute drive of the area and a population that likes to utilize their recreational resources.
“If they want to buy anything, if they want to get their skis tuned up, want to get their bike fixed, they have to drive to Kalispell and we’re trying to cater to those people,” Renny said. “So far the response has been really good.”
And Renny said everyday business gets better.
While the Johnsons recently moved to Kalispell from Grass Valley, Calif., they are no strangers to the area. Renny’s parents own Johnson’s Ranch on Ramsfield Road north of Bigfork off Montana 35, which is where the couple met nine years ago. Renny’s family has owned the ranch for 17 years, both his grandparents graduated from the University of Montana, and his grandfather used to have farmland in the Bitterroot Valley.
Sarah is still a partner at a law firm in Grass Valley and plans on taking the Montana Bar. Renny worked in corporate management for U.S. Cellular out of Chicago. Renny said with one person on the West Coast and one person on the East Coast, it was rough to raise a family. Sarah and Renny have three children, a 7-year-old and 4-year-old twins.
“It wasn’t the right fit for us,” Renny said. “And really the over-riding goal for all of this was to have our family back together.”
So the Johnsons packed, moved and partnered up to get their store going in Bigfork. The store will be open year-round and the only day they’re closed is Tuesday. Weekdays they’re open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Our focus is here,” Renny said. “We’re really trying to put our best foot forward and we’ll just see what happens.”