Hardcore Archery in Kelowna has a new world class indoor archery range.
Image Credit: Kris Garwasiuk
January 29, 2016 - 9:30 AM
KELOWNA -There's nothing else like it in the province, and it started out of a mix of passion and boredom.
Ken Garwasiuk and his wife Krista owned a logo embroidery company for many years. To help break the monotony, Ken, an avid hunter, started winging arrows in the back room with his bow.
"It's just a passion of mine," he says. "Now it's a business and it's getting busier every day."
In the seven years since opening Hardcore Archery in Cooper Centre he’s sold roughly 300 bows a year but Garwasiuk, the father of freestyle motocross rider Kris Garwasiuk, doesn't believe in doing things half way. On Dec. 1 they moved their little archery supply store to a larger location where they set up a world class indoor archery range.
“We have the best facility in B.C.,” he says. "There's nothing even close to this anywhere around here."
Their new 5,000 square foot facility features nine competition length lanes of 18 metres each, equipment rentals, the only restringing machine in B.C., a lounge and one of the best coaches in the country, Chuck Land.
Land used to work for an archery store in Vancouver where he taught celebrities like Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes and was a consultant for the TV show Smallville, Garwasiuk says.
“He’s the highest level coach in North America,” he says, adding that he's confident archery is here to stay in the Okangan.
“Anybody can do it,” he says. “The neat thing about archery is it fits everybody. In basketball you’ve got to be tall to be good…. In archery it doesn’t matter what size you are… anybody can beat anybody. Size doesn’t help or hinder you.”
Garwasiuk says he’s seen an increase in interest in archery and bow hunting over the last few years.
“More and more people are trying to hunt for the meat as opposed to buying meat from a store,” he says. “But not everybody wants to hunt. That’s why this is a good option. Some people don’t want to go to a fish and game club because they may be intimidated by the hunting aspect.”
Hardcore Archery's new location offers equipment sales and service, an indoor range, a lounge and professional instruction.
Image Credit: Kris Garwasiuk
To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016