Heather and Bryan Pettit have lived in Moscow since they attended the University of Idaho in 2005. The couple bought a house between Moscow and Genesee near the wheat fields eight years ago. And this year, they bought Hyperspud Sports in downtown Moscow.
Heather said owning Hyperspud is a lot different from her old job at Moscow & Pullman Building Supply, where she worked for six and a half years.
“In retail, a lot of people were buying things to do work on their homes and it wasn’t always an enjoyable thing for people,” Heather said. “Here, people call it a toy store for adults. People come in and they’re usually in a really good mood, talking about their trip or future plans. They’re a lot happier and it’s fun to help people find what they need to help them recreate and have a good time outside.”
Bryan is still a technical editor with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, but works the store from 5-6 p.m. Saturdays.
“It’s enjoyable having something we can put work into and see grow over time,” Bryan said. “It’s something you don’t get with a typical 9-to-5 job.”
The couple met in upstate New York and have been together since they were 17 years old. They didn’t go to the same school, but worked together at a boy scout camp in the Adirondack Mountains during the summer.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors, it’s kind of where I spend all my free time,” Heather said. “I’ve always been a customer of Hyperspud so it made sense to put my passion and retail experience together and buy the place.”
They noticed the business was for sale in February, but buying the business seemed risky at the time due to COVID-19.
“I think the pandemic made us drag our feet a little bit and we didn’t open or buy the place until June,” Heather said. “The previous owner had it closed, as many businesses had to be closed in March and April, so we didn’t rush into it due to that.”
Heather hopes to one day hold speakers or classes in the building. Her goal is to create a space where others can meet and plan trips together. At the moment, Heather and Bryan’s focus is restocking the store.
“I think we’re going to continue to run it as it’s been running,” Bryan said. “Definitely up the inventory from where it is now to fill it up a little bit.”
Hyperspud Sports is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Customers can call (208)-883-1150 for curbside pickup.
Stevie Carr can be reached at [email protected].