PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle’s Bike, Board and Ski is moving into a new, larger space on Main Street next month and bringing in some new lines of outdoor equipment.
The outdoor sports store is in the process of moving into a retail space that is triple the size of its current spot at 428 Main Street. The new location is several stores north on the same street, in a space most recently used for karate classes.
Mike Chasse, who works at the store co-owned by his father and brother-in-law, said the move is expected to be completed in mid-October and will offer more space for new equipment such as stand up paddle boards and camping gear.
“The reason we’re making this move is because the community has supported us,” Chasse said. “We’ve always loved doing this. Our community has a large ski hill, Bigrock, a smaller ski hill, Quoggy Jo, and the Nordic Heritage Center. And there’s this strong group of outdoor enthusiasts.”
Bike, Board and Ski started out as Rocky Mountain Sports in 2007, at the Aroostook Centre Mall, and then set up with its current name in downtown Presque Isle in 2012, selling downhill and cross country skis, snowboards, and mountain and road bikes.
Chasse remembers when the main purveyor of downhill ski gear in Presque Isle was the store Ski City, run by Wendell Pierce, the late former owner of Bigrock Mountain. Chasse later helped his father and brother-in-law transition into the outdoor sports industry and establish a presence in Presque Isle’s redeveloping downtown.
“We’ve always wanted to be part of downtown and we feel like downtown is really coming together,” Chasse said. “We’re hoping by fixing this building up, it’ll encourage more people to come downtown.”
