Brandon Nelson

Gwyn Howat

In this edition of “The Way I Live” we get some insights into the thoughts and life story of Mt. Baker Ski Area manager and ocean paddle racer Gwyn Howat.

On her influence of the snowboarding industry… before it was an “industry”:  “Amy went pro at 15 years old, was on the world cup circuit, and needed a travel mate. She competed in Europe, the Rockies, all over. So I got a job for Gnu Snowboarding as their Pro Team manager and team photographer. I helped set up organized distribution in Europe, helped with board design, and I translated feedback from the pro riders to help create mass-produced snowboards. It was a tough learning curve; it was challenging to be involved in the inception of an industry. To get our boards out, we’d hit up the windsurfing shops because they were looking for a winter product to sell. Back then the ski shops wouldn’t even look at you.”

On snowboarding’s universal impact on athletics: “Snowboarding, I would credit, created the cult of personality within pro athletics. Back then – pre-Michael Jordan or Laird Hamilton – it was still all about the teams. But snowboarding in general quickly became about the individual rider, and the athletes started free-riding and making movies. They were making a living outside of competition. And that all started here in the U.S., the idea that athletes can have value beyond being the winner. What a mindset change that was! It made athletes creative, and it was the birth of extreme sports.”

On life and learning: “I appreciate formalized education, but when it came time to declare a major at UW, I just couldn’t. I have minors in art history, chemistry, photography and journalism, but no major. I use and enjoy every bit of it. When I lecture at Western to the Rec Management classes, I tell them, “If you go into Rec, depending on the day of the week, you’ll be a carpenter, a mechanic, a plumber, an accountant… and none of it pays much.” When I was traveling the world with Amy, I got the best education in international business and marketing anyone could hope for. And I’m still learning more every day.”

On working in the outdoors today: “Growing up, I learned that work is part of life. I wanted how I make money to be a positive contribution to life. For me, I always adored nature and my daily life is being outdoors, not being disconnected. As our society gets more tech-based, we have more need for people to experience the outdoors, to get away from TVs, cell phones, out of malls, and enjoy the natural environment. To be able to serve these people is why I live here.”

On the role of Water: “I love the water even more than I love snow. I think it comes from a time I met Jimmy Buffet, and heard his stories and music about the ocean. I used to think I’d live and work in the tropics, around saltwater. I love anything on the water. I rowed stroke for UW. I was the first one in the family to get into it, and I still haven’t found anything like it. In an “eight”, in stroke, with everyone in synch… nothing else compares. I’ve been fly-fishing in Honduras, Belize, Montana… I want to do an all-women’s tarpon fishing trip in the Florida Keys. My goal for next year is to get one hundred days on the water.”

On her “Craftsman Eclectic” house: “I had to hock my rowing shell to buy cabinets when I bought my house. It’s on Chuckanut, looking out at the saltwater. It’s small, nine-hundred square feet… I call it my “Room with a view.” It sits on a half-acre “city farm” with chicken, quail, pygmy goats, a herd dog, and a greenhouse. Someday I’m going to build a strawbale house, totally off the grid. These days everyone’s into this “Green” buzzword, but it’s always just come natural to me.”

On the future of Whatcom County: “I hope that as we grow, we can keep the focus on the access and maintenance that is integral to why most of us live here. On a daily basis, I use our trail and park systems. When I do that, I appreciate the effort to create, preserve and expand that. And I see some positive things with the influx of interested people and a tighter community. But also, I can see myself and my family getting priced out of our own community. I have friends who work hard, and try to stay here, but can’t afford to buy a home. I fear that I’ll be taxed out of my own house. I say that from a practical concern, not a political statement. I live in a modest house, but if I want to be there at 60 or 70 years old, I realize I need to start thinking and planning for that now.

On the natural world and the people who love it: “You never own it. You’re the keeper of it. You just have to care enough to be willing to help preserve it. Ultimately, that’s why I ended up back here in Bellingham – to be part of this community and to help maintain it. That’s what makes it worthwhile. I’ve visited some truly amazing places, and there are a lot of amazing, fun places to live… and sunnier! But having seen all that, the uniqueness of Whatcom County, the setting, the access to saltwater and lakes, rivers, glaciers, foothills, and all that combined with a community that appreciates it… That’s “home.”

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