After owning Bohs Cycle and Sporting Goods in downtown Moose Jaw for over 30 years, Boh VanTassel has decided to sell the business and enjoy his retirement.

Brittan and Jordan Calibaba are taking over the retail store with an abundance of knowledge about owning a local business.

The brothers owned New Board Shop, a skateboarding and apparel store for several years, and currently own Alternate Root Organics, a natural health food store.

VanTassel says COVID-19 had a lot to do with his decision to sell the shop.

"You know, things were floating along, as usual, I'd been cycling through Mexico and came home to find out all my staff had been laid off and here I was, standing in the store right at the beginning of COVID all by myself and wondering about the future."

VanTassel says part-way through the summer Brittan ended up working at the sporting goods store while still learning operations at Alternate Root Organics.

"We needed the help and I got to know the guy, and I just knew that this was the guy I wanted to run my store in the future if there was a possibility."

The brothers were staying busy with the natural health food store, but this was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.

"This spring came around and me and Boh got chatting again, and he was looking to retire. So, he presented us with the opportunity, and we decided we're going to go for it," says Brittan.

VanTassel says he will continue to drop in and make sure the Calibabas have a smooth transition, but he believes they will find success with the business.

"You know, COVID has been a renaissance for the bicycle business. You can't go out at night without seeing families of four and five riding around," says VanTassel.

The brothers do have a few ideas on ways they want to evolve the sporting goods store.

"The backbone of the place is bikes and boats so that's what we're going to focus on, but with the apparel and the clothing stuff, we have some ideas of what we want to shift into," says Brittan.

The brothers know that owning and operating an independent shop is very challenging, but they are confident they can make this work.