Main Street Marksman

SINCE 1998, LOREN HASSEBROEK has operated Loren’s Archery Shop on Main Street. He decided to open the store after noticing the need for better archery equipment among athletes and hunters, and after considering a friend’s suggestion, he decided to open his own shop.

Like most small businesses, Hassebroek started the business on his own. Initially, progress was slow, and Hassebroek said that the first inventory purchase was made with only $400, and he built up his inventory from that. He said that one of the reasons for the store’s growth was the customers, who spread the word about his store and reached more people.

“What makes my store different from others is the special services I offer,” stated Hassebroek. “I work closely with the customer and adjust their purchases to their needs and preferences.”

He spends a lot of time working with his customers, tuning their bows according to their needs, and assembling arrows by himself, offering customers a more personalized purchase.

His interest in archery started when he was a kid living with his parents on a farm. He collected sticks and cords to create his own bows and arrows and used chickens as his main target. “Mom and Dad were not happy with that,” he admitted with a smile.

However, his first official kill was a fox, which he hunted with the first bow he bought.

After that, he started developing a preference towards hunting with a bow and arrows instead of a gun or other firearms. He added that he especially enjoys the challenge of getting closer to the animals while he is hunting them. He mentioned that he had hunted animals from approximately 45 yards as the furthest, and 12 feet as the closest.

“If you enjoy wildlife, there’s no better way to get closer to nature,” he shared.

Hassebroek had taught himself how to use a bow and arrows by watching other people’s form and technique and trying them by himself. People thought that he was part of the Whitetail Bowmen Archery Club in Aberdeen because he used to go hunting with some members, but he didn’t join the club until he was 55. Then, in 2003, he started participating in competitions.

If you visit his store, you’ll notice many plaques hanging on the walls and trophies displayed on the shelves, showcasing some of the competitions he has participated in. He has competed in both national tournaments and state competitions.

“When people see these awards on my wall, they think, ‘You must be really good.’ But I don’t need to be good, I just need to be lucky enough that my competition shoots worse than me,” he shared with a lighthearted laugh.

Although he started in the category of senior (55-59 years), he went through the Silver Senior (60-69 years) and to the Master Senior (70-above) category, when, at the age of 74, he was forced to retire after an injury to his shoulder. He remembers he was working with a very heavy bow when the pain started. While he tried to recover, the pain increased to the point that he had to quit competitive archery. However, he still does some shooting to stay in shape for hunting.

Retiring from competitions allowed him to put more time into his store and focus on giving better service to his customers…