Jason Hairston of KUIU passed away today

[young7.3]

The news of Jason's passing is truly saddening. I've used his clothing from KUIU for several years and respect the man for his leadership and innovation in the hunting industry.

The father/son hunting relationship him and his son had reminds me closely of my own growing up. I can not imagine the pain his son and family are in right now. Prayers go out to them all.

My father and I will be leaving for a 9 day elk hunt on Sept 10. Glad to have some quality time with him after this news.

 

[Crippledsledge64]

Awful news to hear, everyone has their demons even those who seem to have the perfect life. I'm sorry for his family and friends that have to be going trough some awful pain. A lot of "what ifs" and "if onlys" are probably being thrown around.

I work in the mental health industry and work exclusively with young guys and the majority of stuff I see is depression and anxiety. The hardest part of treating this stuff is actually getting guys in the door because of the stigma of talking to someone. CTE definitely adds an extra layer in Jason's case, but anyone who struggles with this stuff should see talking to someone as be no different than going to physical therapy for a bad back. Everyone got stuff they go through, how you handle it is up to you. It's a lot easier and no less manly to let someone help you carry it whether they're a friend, loved one, or counselor.

Hope Jason's family will eventually find some peace.

 

[WestDan]

Havent posted in a long time, but I saw this news and was shocked as all of you were. No matter what you thought of the guy, he was a leader and an advocate for the industry and someone who seemed to live life to the fullest. I remember when he first started Kuiu and I thought it was a cool approach to starting a company by sharing his experience with everyone on a blog. he certainly was a visionary in my mind who spurred many other companies to innovate and make our selection of products better than it's ever been. I don't understand mental torment (fortunately), but i hope there are improvements in the future to get help to those that need it. He was a talent in our industry that forever changed how we think about gear and that will live on. I own pieces of gear from all the top companies and usually like to blend them all with the best pieces, but I'll certainly have my kuiu products on for the next hunt to say thanks. Prayers to his family and children for their terrible loss.

 

[jspradley]

Damn... that is heartbreaking.

 

[GPATTI]

So sad indeed. As a (beginner) entrepreneur, with a passion for hunting, he inspired me in many ways. He was a true pioneer and innovator who made such an impact on the mountain hunting industry. Hoping that his family, friends, and especially his young children find the strength to carry them through this.

 

[TheLastFrontier]

Wow.. Truly shows that you never know what kind of demons someone is struggling with - he seemed like a normal dude living an awesome life. I can't imagine the pain his family is going through now.

 

[TravisIN]

My heart is broken for his wife and kids. Him and his family seemed very close from what I have seen on various occasions. I hope that they can find peace and remember the good times.

On a side note, I wanted to say that I am proud to be apart of this site. Everyone has been extremely polite and respectful in this thread which is a pretty amazing thing for the internet. Suicide can be a very controversial subject and when it happens people tend to voice their own opinions and forget that there are people who have suffered a horrible loss no matter what the cause. Much respect to everyone here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JWP58]

My heart is broken for his wife and kids. Him and his family seemed very close from what I have seen on various occasions. I hope that they can find peace and remember the good times.

On a side note, I wanted to say that I am proud to be apart of this site. Everyone has been extremely polite and respectful in this thread which is a pretty amazing thing for the internet. Suicide can be a very controversial subject and when it happens people tend to voice their own opinions and forget that there are people who have suffered a horrible loss no matter what the cause. Much respect to everyone here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very well said.

 

[kaboku68]

I conversed with him a couple of times during the first couple of years of his companies operation. He was always a class act. I will remember him from tossing his backpack down the cliff. That was a real show of guts and faith in his product. I hope his family and his tradition continues in a strong way that he applied himself to life- straight ahead with little regret.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Currently I'm sitting in a noisy restaurant in Fairbanks. I have seen a number of people wearing KUIU today. I wonder how many of them may know of Jason's death...and are any of them wearing his gear as a sort of tribute. Anyway, I'm reminded that hunting and all of life's pleasures are of little value if you aren't happy inside. I'm still so sorry for Jason, his family, and all those who suffer enormously due to depression and suicide. I'm also reminded to value the really important things in my life as I start this hunt. Everything else will fall into place and I will return with a smile....an inside smile.

 

[Ohio Darin]

Currently I'm sitting in a noisy restaurant in Fairbanks. I have seen a number of people wearing KUIU today. I wonder how many of them may know of Jason's death...and are any of them wearing his gear as a sort of tribute. Anyway, I'm reminded that hunting and all of life's pleasures are of little value if you aren't happy inside. I'm still so sorry for Jason, his family, and all those who suffer enormously due to depression and suicide. I'm also reminded to value the really important things in my life as I start this hunt. Everything else will fall into place and I will return with a smile....an inside smile.

Well said. Good luck on the hunt and enjoy your adventure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fngTony]

Really nice seeing respectful condolences on social media from the outdoor industry including competitors of Kuiu.

 

[rodney482]

Very well said

Currently I'm sitting in a noisy restaurant in Fairbanks. I have seen a number of people wearing KUIU today. I wonder how many of them may know of Jason's death...and are any of them wearing his gear as a sort of tribute. Anyway, I'm reminded that hunting and all of life's pleasures are of little value if you aren't happy inside. I'm still so sorry for Jason, his family, and all those who suffer enormously due to depression and suicide. I'm also reminded to value the really important things in my life as I start this hunt. Everything else will fall into place and I will return with a smile....an inside smile.

 

[Stid2677]

His wife shares in this piece. Prayers....

Jason Hairston'''s Wife Speaks Out About CTE Following His Suicide | PEOPLE.com

 

[dtrkyman]

Sad and scary, I only hope the family can get through it all, particularly his son who it sounds like was home at the time of the incident.

A close friend of mine had his best friend take his own life after his father passed away, his nephew was there and heard the shot and found his uncle, we take him fishing and I can not imagine the horror he feels having to live with that, I could not fathom that happening to me.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Very disheartening losing such an icon in the industry, especially before most of us head out in the back country this season.

Rest in peace brother

 

[Wapiti66]

Very sad story, I cannot imagine the pain his family is experiencing. My prayers go out to them and also those who may be dealing with the same thing. Stid, thanks for sharing the People article. The stories you hear after the fact are tough to read, but may shine some light on issues people may be dealing with, and possibly without knowing it.

 

[xziang]

Read that article too and keep wishing that he just would have been out on the mountains hunting since it is that time of year.. Could have still occured out there, anyway you look at it is a sad situation all the way around.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Man what a tough article to read, I feel so bad for his wife and kids. I can’t imagine what their son is going through after finding his dad dead. I’ll definitely be wearing at least one article of Kuiu in honor of Jason throughout the season.

 

[Rmauch20]

Was a pretty heavy article. Really makes think about youth playing football. My son started tackle this year in a 4th-6th grade league this year.