Not a day goes by when the Shippelt family isn’t thinking about powersports. Or revving their own dirt bikes. Or providing ATV sales and service to everyone else. For these owners of S5 Powersports in Rocky Mountain House, they’re enthusiasts first and dealers second.
“We used quads back when I was a kid growing up on the farm,” recalls S5 owner Wes Shippelt. “When I got a bit older, I got into dirt biking and have been racing bikes for the last 20 years. It’s our day-to-day, our work as well as our recreation.”
It’s not only Wes. His wife Kristine and their three boys race dirt bikes as well, and it’s Kristine they’ve been trying to keep up with lately.
“I like to keep reminding them who brings home the trophies after the races,” she jokes.
Not quite a year ago, Wes and Kristine purchased the Rocky Mountain House staple Glenn’s Sports Line. Building on its 45 years in the community, they were able to hit the ground, or track, at a pretty good clip.
Of course, the town’s location 75 km west of Red Deer has also meant that individual and industry customers are often looking for new ATVs, side-by-sides and motorbikes, or to have their current rides serviced.
“We’re pretty much at the gateway to everything on the eastern slopes, where everyone heads from Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer,” Wes explains. “Everyone comes through here because we’ve got the best riding in Alberta. I may be a bit biased, but that’s okay!”
Farmers still make up a large portion of the S5 Powersports clientele, and the business also services heavy industries and the oil fields with equipment such as generators and pumps. Wes points out that, in addition to quads, farm-based customers are gravitating more and more to side-by-sides.
S5 sells Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Echo and Ducar lines, and they carry parts and provide service for most makes and models. And even if a customer has a quad or bike in need of a part that isn’t in stock, the Shippelts will do their best to get it.
They want their customers to ride the very best, and to also look good while doing it.
“We carry a large selection of Fox, and we have Off-Road Vixens as well,” says Kristine. “We have a lot of ladies’ clothes, and lots of different gear, lots of brands.”
Current and prospective customers are welcome to connect with Wes and Kristine through their business’s Facebook page, and further information about their products and inventory is available on their website.
S5 Powersports is located at 4824 49 St in Rocky Mountain House, and they can be reached by calling (403) 845-6906.
“You can always call the shop and talk with us directly,” says Wes. “We’re here all the time and we love helping our customers one-on-one.”