After 50 years in the ski-shop business, the last 32 on the ski retail and sports rental side, Bill Tinney is hitting the slopes whenever the spirit moves him.
The same goes for Sarah Tinney, his wife and business partner. Together, they have been renting and selling skis and snowboards, surf and paddle boards, camping and exercise equipment, disc golf accessories and many other sports-related items. They have always tested their products, but now they get to do all those things at their leisure.
The couple behind Sports Rent and Coastal Ski+Sport on Government street have sold the business, which has endured on a business plan of “try it before you buy it.”
The plan has served the Tinneys well as independent sporting goods retailers in Victoria have come and gone, falling victim to larger national chains or the trends of consumers who can spend lots of money on equipment, then find they don’t like or have time for the sport.
But Sports Rent has flourished, and especially so since public health orders encouraged people to enjoy the great outdoors during the pandemic.
“We have never been busier, so it was a good time to exit,” said Bill Tinney, 62.
“With everyone staying close to home due to the pandemic, it made for a large demand in outdoor sports equipment. All the numbers are still going up, ahead of projections. So it’s a win-win for both parties.”
The new owners are Shelley Jones and Doug Woodrow, outdoor enthusiasts and long-time residents of Ladysmith who were looking for a change of pace in their lives.
Jones worked in finance at a credit union for the past 20 years and Woodrow recently retired from the Royal Canadian Navy after 24 years as an explosive ordnance diver, including a tour in Afghanistan.
“We’re both looking forward to working for ourselves,” said Jones. “It’s a good business, and we love to hear about people’s experiences in the outdoors.”
Bill Tinney will remain on a part-time basis in a consulting capacity to assist with the transition. It is business as usual with other main employees being retained and some new ones added. Among the key staff remaining are retail manager Brian Lowen, who has more than 50 years experience, and Matt Walker, who worked for Sports Traders for 25 years before joining Sports Rent.
The business was opened in 1989 by Bill Tinney and his brother, Roger, then operated for the past 25 years by Bill Tinney and partner Sarah. The first store was in Mayfair, but moved to the northern edge of downtown, first on Discovery Street and since 2002 at its current location on Government Street.
Over the years, Tinney said, the business has supplied thousands of outdoor enthusiasts with ski equipment, snowboards, shop repairs and boot fittings, surf gear, tents and backpacks, fitness machines, bicycles and much more. Tinney brought in rock-climbing equipment, hockey and baseball gear, water skis, roller blades — even trampolines and snowshoes — following trends of the day and the mantra that test-driving a particular sport with rental equipment as opposed to buying outright can be a better way to go.
The majority of the business is now slanted toward sales as consumers rush to sports such as skiing and surfing, but rentals remain.
Bill Tinney has been one of Canada’s longest-certified ski technicians, starting at age 16. A Prince Edward Islander, he worked the slopes at Panorama and Blackcomb/Whistler.
He was also a varsity hockey player and business major at UPEI, and the sporting goods business was a natural fit.
He said surfing and more skiing are on the to-do list as he ventures into semi-retirement and looks for other career interests and opportunities.
