Image Credit: Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

Outdoor Recreation

Kayaks, paddle boards and bikes in high demand during pandemic

Aug 17, 2020 | 4:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — The COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to cancel their summer travel plans, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting outside and getting active. Outdoor sporting goods stores have been busier than ever, selling kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and bicycles.

“People can get out instead of going on vacation, which they can’t right now,” said Rachel Gill, a sales associate at True Outdoors said. “It’s just a better way to get some activity and get some exercise, and it’s just easier to social distance this way.”

Gill says paddle boards and kayaks are the store’s big sellers.

“I myself have sold almost 40 kayaks this summer, and I’ve only started working back here since school for around three months, so it’s been crazy,” Gill said. “A lot of people want tents and backpacks as well as a lot of people are starting to get more into camping, hiking, backpacking.”

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Consignor Sports had shut down for six weeks back in March. Owner, Ted Desireau says when the store re-opened in May, stock was flying off the shelves.

“We ran out of new bikes maybe two or three weeks in and the entire industry is sold out until probably October or November, stand-up paddle boarding the exact same thing,” he said. “We did bring in some new stuff, but it was gone and because most is made in China, they’re done again until October, November or next season.”

Spoke Bike & Ski is one of few stores that has new bikes in stock, and co-owner Carolyn Berry says people are going to extremes to ensure they can get one.

“We had some people fly in with a helicopter to pick up two kids bikes,” she said, “they were from Abbotsford and they couldn’t find any kids bikes in that area, so that was pretty amazing. And then we’ve had people from Edmonton and Calgary and Kelowna and Vernon, the island, the Lower Mainland driving up to get bikes.”

Berry says the growing popularity of e-bikes is opening up the activity to more people. She’s hopeful people will continue to ride, even after the pandemic ends.

“I think people are going to get hooked on it,” Berry said. “I see people on the trails, and I ride a lot, I see people all the time. They’re just having a great time, it’s getting the family together again, it may change things. Hopefully that’s the case.”