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Ex-'ski bum' enjoys sport
joconnell@journalnet.com
POCATELLO - Barrie Hunt strapped on his first pair of skis when he was just 2 years old. He was also a youth when he got his first taste of working retail. He helped at his father's business, Hudson's Shoe Store, formerly located at the intersection of Center and Main streets. Hunt's career is a melding of the two prominent early childhood influences. He owns his own outdoor retail store, Barrie's Ski & Sports, 699 Yellowstone Ave.
Hunt grew up in Pocatello and graduated from Pocatello High School in 1972. In 1978, he started working for Darrell Scott at Pocatello Hardware. Scott, who also had a passion for skiing, opted to start up a small ski shop in the back of his family hardware store. ''Oh baby, was it a weird mix. But you've got to remember, you're in Pocatello, Idaho,'' said Hunt, who attended Boise State College on a skiing scholarship.
Within about five years, the hardware store gave up on the hardware part and moved exclusively into outdoor retail. By 1995, Scott sold his share of the successful outdoor business, and Hunt started up a local sports shop in the Westwood Village Mall, Sunset Sports Center, affiliated with a Boise business.
In 2000, Hunt went on his own and started Barrie's Ski & Sports. His biggest break came on Oct. 1, 2006, when he moved into a new location on Yellowstone Avenue. Since then, Hunt estimates his business has tripled.
''It's the old saying: location, location, location,'' Hunt said. His store sells bike brands including Specialized, Cannondale and Jamis. Specialized, Hunt explained, is the biggest name in the cycling industry. Jamis is the fastest growing importer of bicycles in the U.S., he said.
''I base business solely on service and quality and making sure the customer is taken care of,'' Hunt said. In that vein, Barrie's offers free workshops in bike mechanics to the public at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. The workshops are for people of all skill levels and last about an hour each. They're conducted by bike mechanic Chris Picard, who trains the Barrie's bike shop staff.
The questions: ISJ: What's your favorite food?
Hunt: Oreo cookies, double stuffed. ISJ: If you could have dinner with one famous person, who would it be?
Hunt: Lance Armstrong. He's an inhuman being. ISJ: Who inspires you the most? Hunt: My wife, Jill. ISJ: If you could return to any age, what age would you be and why? Hunt: At the age of 34 I didn't have to worry about the draft, I was out of school and I was a ski bum. ISJ: If you could choose a new career, what would it be? Hunt: This is my love of my life. I have an electronic tech degree and I hated it. I went there. I didn't enjoy it all. ISJ: What's your favorite appliance? Hunt: It's got to be the dishwasher so I don't ever have to wash dishes again. ISJ: If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? Hunt: I'd probably help out the poor and needy. I love to help people. I devote a lot of service to helping people. ISJ: What's your favorite sport? Article RatingReader CommentsSubmit a CommentCommenting RulesWe encourage your feedback and dialog. All comments are subject to deletion by our Web staff.
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