Sports Creel, the oldest ski shop in the area, has been a family business for three generations

On Tuesday morning, there wasn’t a speck of snow on the ground in Spokane Valley. The lack of precipitation didn’t impact the steady flow of customers who streamed into Sports Creel in anticipation of ski season.

For 70 years, the oldest ski shop in the area has served generations of residents.

Customers dropped off and picked up skis, and lined the benches where boot fitters ensured each ski boot provided a perfect fit.

“Once people get thinking about snow skiing, it gets busy,” Micah Genteman said. “The weather has little to do with it.”

His grandfather, Harry Larned, opened Sports Creel on East Sprague Avenue in 1954. Micah operates the store with his wife, TJ, and his parents Herb and Lin.

Between customers, Herb shared a bit of store history.

“Harry was a World War II bomber pilot,” he said. “He started the store after the war. He sold everything from shotguns to boats to fishing gear – that’s where the name comes from.”

Herb started working at the store in 1967. Two years later, he married Lin.

“I worked my way up by marrying the owner’s daughter,” he said, grinning.

While Micah and TJ oversee most of the day-to-day operations, the senior Gentemans aren’t in any hurry to retire.

“We get to work with fun stuff and happy people all the time!” Lin said.

She is the second of Larned’s seven kids and grew up in the shop.

“I started dusting things when I was 8,” she said. “I guess I’m the only one that got the retail gene.”

Over the years, the business adapted to the market, forgoing general sporting goods to specialize in skiing, both snow and water.

“When the snow melts, the lakes fill, and we sell everything that can be pulled behind a boat except tubes,” Lin said.

You also won’t find Nordic ski gear at Creel.

“We believe you shouldn’t sell things you don’t do,” she said. “People ask specific questions, and they need to know they can trust our answers.”

Her father emphasized always putting the customer first. That ethic is the backbone of the business, which employs 12, including, four who work in the back, servicing skis.

Employees greeted everyone who walked through the door. Folks who needed a fitting sat on benches resembling ski lifts where Micah’s motto, “Date Skis Marry Boots,” is painted.

“The boots are the most important thing,” Lin said. “If your boots don’t fit right, it’s a bad day on the mountain. It’s not only uncomfortable – it’s not safe. If they fit well, it’s a great day.”

The five boot-fitters at Creel are certified master fitters, having received multiple hours of training.

“Micah is an elite fitter,” TJ said. “The elite credentials delve heavily into the biomechanics of the foot. That beard isn’t there for nothing. He’s the boot wizard – the boot whisperer.”

She met her husband at Creel 25 years ago.

“He believed I’d make a good part of the team,” she said. “I started working here when we were dating. I fell in love with taking care of people and selling toys. We sell fun!”

Micah said he had great examples of how couples can live and work together.

“I literally grew up here,” he said. “I took my first steps in the shop. I watched my grandparents and my parents be great life partners to each other and spectacular business partners. It’s all I know!”

His mom agreed.

“I don’t know any different,” she said. “I worked with my dad, Herb and the kids. I like the feeling of family with employees and with our customers. We have three generations of family working here and four generations of customers. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

The bustling business continues to thrive largely due to that repeat customer base.

“Our customers are our best salespeople,” Micah said.

Running the shop takes the Gentemans off the slopes, but Lin said they feel like they ski with their customers every day when they come in and share their stories of time on the mountain.

After five decades in the business, Herb and Lin still love coming to work.

“We do sneak off in the summer,” he said.

But the satisfaction of helping people enjoy a sport their family loves continues to delight, and a wintry forecast just adds to the fun.

“When it’s snowing, everybody who comes in is happy,” Lin said.

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com