Give us a brief history on the shop. When did it start and how did it get to where it is now?

While our history in watersports goes way back to the 1970s, our first shop location opened in 1996. Since then our goal has always been to offer Canada’s best service and selection, through a knowledgeable, friendly team of watersports lovers – a watersports pro shop, beyond anything else in the country and on par with the finest shops in the U.S. Our customers, suppliers, and athletes, from around the globe, tell us we’ve done just that! We’ve continued adding new products that we enjoy ourselves, like stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, wake foils, kites, and wings.

What makes Shuswap Ski & Board different from your average watersports retailer?

Our focus is on the equipment, listening to individual needs and matching customers up with the perfect gear for them. We are not a boat dealership with a pro shop. We are Canada’s number one watersports retailer with unmatched product selection, premier customer service, unrivaled product knowledge and excellent store policies that back YOU up. When they com into our stores, customers know that they will speak to watersports equipment professionals with a true passion for the industry.

What new trends, if any, have you seen in Watersports over the past year or two?

I would think it is the rise of wake foiling the last couple years. It’s so much fun and a new challenge to take on. I have been doing watersports for over 20 years and there really isn’t a similar feeling to cruising around two or three rollers back, whether it’s a wake boat, fishing boat, ski boat or something else. Foiling has created an accessibility to watersports for anybody who doesn’t have a V-drive, wake-sport specific boat.

What is the biggest difference between the Canadian market and the US market?

Canadians go hard, lol. When you know that you might experience colder temperatures for eight months of the year you really learn to take advantage of the sunshine when it’s here. We go wakeboarding in our drysuits when the ice comes off the lake in spring, and we put our surf booties on in the fall, keeping those toes warm, as the warm(ish) mountain lake throws steam into the chilly fall morning air.

What is your best-selling LF product these days?

Liquid Force has so many great products, it’s hard to single out just one. We love the Primo wakesurf board around here. It’s so versatile for many users and fun to ride. The larger fins allow a beginner to get up and cruise with ease, while the flatter skim profile allows rider advancement when learning some 360’s. It comes in so many sizes you can cover a whole family. I love the Liquid Force life vests, too. The kids’ vests are some of the softest neoprene there is, and they are so stylish the kids want to wear them. I love to wakeskate, so of course, I am a huge fan of the Reflex and Focus wake skates we stock as well.

Any big plans for the next season or two?

Continuing to share a love of watersports and a passion for customer service with every client we interact with. And continuing to be Canada’s number one pickleball retailer.

Pickleball?

Haha, yes! A while back, when Mike went shopping for his first paddle, he was surprised that there wasn’t a pro shop really paying attention to pickleball. One day Andrew posted a photo of the two of us playing in our Calgary warehouse on Facebook. We had put an 11-foot SUP board box on its side and were using it as a net to perfect our dinks, lobs and third shot drops. It led to a pickleball brand asking us if we’d like to sell their paddles and now, we’re also Calgary’s #1 source for pickleball gear.

Got any final thoughts?

Thanks for reading 😊 Ski you later!!!