Brandon Nelson

Dan Wakeland

This month, we read about surfski racer / Dad / Hubby / cyclist Dan Wakeland!

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Q:  You’re director of operations at Tabar, Inc.  What’s Tabar’s role in the outdoor gear industry? A:  Tabar is a 25-year-old company that has been designing and manufacturing gloves for the outdoor market.  We don’t sell under our name, but rather we work directly with most of the major outdoor brands in creating exclusive glove designs that match their needs, materials, image and price.  It’s not a cookie cutter business – we tailor each glove to specific design briefs and often work hand in hand with the brand to create the right product for them.  It’s intriguing in that we work with so many different brands, often direct competitors, yet we are able to separate designs for each and ensure that they are successful – after all, their success is ours.  We earn our living based on the gloves they order, not on the design side, which sets both parties up for success.  Some of the brands we do work for are Mountain Hardware, Outdoor Research, REI, Descent, Kona, Sombrio, Browning, MEC, etc. We’re currently wrapping up Spring 2009 design and development, are well into Fall 2009 and in another month or 2 we’ll start 2010!  We follow the process from design through development, into manufacturing and finally through shipping to the client – so we are constantly working on different aspects of the process.  Part of my work is to help improve our processes and to support the various teams. We’re also looking at expanding our services into Europe, where I have prior experience.

Q:  You, your wife Char and daughter Rose, just moved back into your home after a COMPLETE transformation remodel. Tell us about the design process that resulted in the dream home you guys created. A:  Complete is correct! First, kudos to Char for all the work, she was the project manager and CEO – I was the CFO.  We had been talking about transforming our house prior to even moving up here – we were down in Seattle while I worked at REI for 7 years.  Char and I have always wanted to live in a smaller community and when the opportunity came up for the move up to Tabar, we jumped on it, as it filled the need of what we wanted in community and outdoor recreation.  We moved into a house that had a lot of potential, but definitely needed work and updating. It was a 1950’s rambler sort of thing that had been poorly added onto.  We played around with a number of design ideas and finally asked local designer Deborah Todd to help polish these thoughts.  Char and I wanted a more open floor plan, one that would be simple to deal with, have nice flow through the space, and take advantage of the lot and view.  We both love to cook and when friends come over we always hang out in the kitchen, so this was to be sort of the focal point.  The other restriction was that the house was built with 7’6” ceilings and, me being tall, it was somewhat oppressive.  So we wanted to figure out how to do something about that.  We thought about adding a 2^nd story and thus raising the ceiling height, but that was cost-prohibitive.  Char came up with the idea of adding on and moving the kitchen/family room out – where we now have 9’ ceilings and the feeling of space.

The other big things were to use quality materials, to try to be as green as possible (it’s hard and can be very expensive) and build to last.  Char found an absolutely terrific contractor that had similar values, had great input and ideas and built quality / timely homes.  He was great and a task master, as he and his team moved quickly. If we didn’t make a decision, he would make it for us.  I remember talking with him about putting a skylight in the front entry – and it was in the next day.  We actually finished the project almost a month ahead of schedule.  Everything went really smooth for the most part and we’re so happy with the results.  We have a lot to do still, as we are tackling the landscaping ourselves. We love the space, we love the layout and the materials.  It’s a very inviting space that is easy to live in.  It was an investment for sure, but we see it paying dividends already for us.

Q:  Your skills in the kitchen are the stuff of legends. What’s in your pantry, ‘fridge and garden right now? What’s your specialty? And what are your culinary dreams for the future? A:  Mmm – today there is an Organic Chicken, a bunch of greens from the garden, a bunch of cheeses, a few bottles of Vino Bianco and all the other “staples”  There’s half a  loaf of Pain au Levain that I made the other day.  The garden is finally starting to grow with the warmer temps – we’ve got beans, peas, lettuces, raspberries, tomatoes, kale, leeks, carrots, beets, peppers, sunflowers, etc.  I love to cook and I suppose if I could I would be a chef, although late night hours don’t do it for me.  I lived in Europe for almost 10 years and really had an appreciation of the Italian and French food – which is what I prefer to cook.  I learned early on, since my Mom was a terrible cook (self admitted), but my neighbor growing up was a gourmet chef and I learned from her at an early age.  I’ve had a number of friends that were in the trade and have read a lot on various techniques and preparations.  I like to try and figure out how to make things and use recipes as guidelines, not rules.  I guess my specialty is Italian – pizza and handmade pastas.  I do a killer pizza and we’re going to build a wood-fired oven out in the back this summer – I saved all the fire brick from the chimneys we took down. For the future?  We’re trying to eat more locally – actually being very conscious about where the ingredients are coming from. When we get that oven built,  I think I’d love to do a cooking class – like a week at the Culinary Institute down in Napa (but not during the summer – when it’s more fun to be out on the water or the bike).

Q:  Your rap sheet includes bicycle and surfski racing, and I know you enjoy zipping around town on your Vespa. Share a little of your athletic background with us, and tell us where your focus is going these days? A:  I grew up racing bikes, starting right after high school. I was lucky and landed a summer job at Trek back in Wisconsin that turned into a full time gig once I got out of college.  I raced for almost 16 years.  I was pretty good on the track and criterium racing and ok on the road.  Winning is definitely fun, but it wasn’t about that, but more about the experience, the camaraderie, and the chance to be fit (ok I’ll admit it, I was more domestique than leader).  But that said,  I was able to race in Europe for two summers (I was supposed to be in school for one of them) and got a real dose of the life as a racer, even doing a few neo-pro races with a number of guys that did turn pro – so that was really cool.  I ended up really enjoying riding in the mountains and doing long climbs as I got older and had less snap in the legs for the sprint.  Char and I met through bike riding, she was a pro mountain biker in Colorado for a long time and we both ended up in California for a brief time where our paths crossed and we started riding together.  We lived in Sonoma county where the riding was (is) stellar.

Riding down in Seattle was hard for us – too many people, too many cars, not enough access to good roads, etc.  Being up here, the riding is great, but at the same time the connection to the water is strong and we both took up surfskiing. Debbie and Morris Arthur got us started. I never paddled before really, so it was a long learning curve (it still is!), but it has the same sort of appeal that riding does – except you don’t have the roads to deal with.  It’s fast, it’s challenging and the friendships are great – that’s half the reason why we do it.  I want to get better at it – the usual – faster, go longer, do some challenging races and adventures and share a tale and a beer afterwards.  There are so many places to paddle around here it’s crazy, so there will be no lack of things to do and explore.

Q:  Dan, you could be the poster boy for the front end of Generation X, as comfortable in a white collar as you are in a rash guard in the surf. Like a lot of NW Way of Lifers, you’ve got a unique perspective on everything from global warming to globalization, racing culture to pop culture. What’s your message to your daughter and her friends who will be running the show in another few decades? A:  Oh geez, the hard question. Char and I are kinda luddites, electronics and TV are not our thing – I honestly wouldn’t have time to watch TV. In the winter we watch a DVD once in awhile, but who has time when it’s nice out?  I guess the message to Rose is pretty simple: Take care of yourself, your environment and planet, and your fellow citizen and live a balanced life. Easier said than done.  But there are so many self-induced stresses and we become so hyped up trying to do everything, that it becomes ridiculous. Step back, enjoy the view.  I guess the other thing that is really important to instill in Rose is the importance of education, to be well rounded and understanding. Most prejudice comes from ignorance.  I’ve been fortunate in that I have lived and worked in different cultures and at first it’s really hard, but once you learn and get over some of the initial issues, its fine. You adapt and make the most of the situation.