Jason Hairston of KUIU passed away today

[FlyGuy]

I still hope that more details will emurge later today and we will learn his death was accidental. But, judging solely on the complete lack of information being released that is beginning to feel unlikely.


My nephew took his life a few months ago so this hit home for me. In a similar fashion as Jason, he was extremely successful in his own rite. It did not make sense to any of us. This is the 1st time I've been close to a death by suicide and it's a grief that is unlike anything else. I've watched my wife's family struggle with this and it is awful to see. So much misplaced anger and so much misplaced guilt. Hours spent in a loop trying to make sense of the actions of a person that was no longer rational. It is a horrible, horrible loss for the loved ones of the departed and I know that none of them will ever be the same b/c of it. So, I grieve for those that were close to him.

I've always been a diehard Sitka guy. My hunting partner is hardcore Kuiu. We've had a lot of fun hazing each other about how crappy each other's camo was or why their camo was the true reason for my blown stalk.

I have a ton of respect for how far he pushed the industry forward and made all of his competitors get better.

I've never owned a piece of Kuiu gear in my life, but I think today I'm going to change that. For better or worse, Hairston himself was a huge part of the Kuiu brand. His image on the mtn, his personal message to the customer base about the direction and the goals. From purely a business perspective, With the loss of Jason they have been dealt a great blow. They lost not only a great mind, they lost a figurehead and a brand image. I imagine that there are a lot of great people working their that are mourning this loss but also are concerned about their future. I hate this for them.

So, I'm going to put away my prejudices and I'm going to support this brand. It feels like the right thing to do.






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[Coastal]

Tragic loss, prayers for his family.

 

[Dukslayer26]

So sad!! So many of us wish we could live a life like Jason did. Goes to show, you can have everything in the world and not be a happy person on the inside!! If it is true, it’s so sad he did it while his son and father were on the same trip!!! Imagine what his poor son is going through!! Prayers to the family!!

 

[WoolyBugger]

Brand loyalties aside, I think anyone can respect what Jason has done for the community. Thoughts and prayers are with his family

 

[rewild]

I've never owned a piece of Kuiu gear in my life, but I think today I'm going to change that. For better or worse, Hairston himself was a huge part of the Kuiu brand. His image on the mtn, his personal message to the customer base about the direction and the goals. From purely a business perspective, With the loss of Jason they have been dealt a great blow. They lost not only a great mind, they lost a figurehead and a brand image. I imagine that there are a lot of great people working their that are mourning this loss but also are concerned about their future. I hate this for them.

So, I'm going to put away my prejudices and I'm going to support this brand. It feels like the right thing to do.

You know he founded Sitka too? Sold it and started Kuiu. So you and your buddy are both wearing the hunting clothes he conceived and dealt with all the barriers to bring to fruition. I went to school at UC Davis too and know that it attracts very smart and motivated people. Rest in peace Jason.

 

[AdamW]

Very shocked and sorry to hear this. Just prayed for the family and will continue to do so. I hope the rumors aren't true about suicide, I lost a close friend to suicide close to 20 years ago and I still can't understand how he chose that path.

"Chose" may not be the best way to describe it. The closer you are to these things, the more you begin to try to understand and empathize. I can assure you there is someone in this thread who has at least "considered" suicide and if they were to openly speak about it I bet you'd find it was nothing like "I don't want to live any more, I'm going to kill myself." The state a person is in under these circumstances often isn't "them" in my opinion. Save for those circumstances where a person has a terminal illness and makes the conscious decision to not die a slow and agonizing prolonged death, the mental state a person is in at these times is something hard for a "normal" person to understand. And that's why we/those "normal" people often indeed don't understand.

The hunting community and his family suffered a loss. Don't miss opportunities to love your loved ones.

 

[geriggs]

I am floored

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this. Didnt know the guy but respected what he built. Ill never understand suicide. The wake of destruction and pain you leave behind is devastating. I guess you just never know what someone is going through. Prayers to all those close to him in pain currently.

 

[huntaholic123]

Prayers to Jason's family and friends. The questions and unknowns are the worst when it comes to suicide. Wish there was a quick fix but unfortunately there isn't, so all we can do is be there for one another. Reach out to others. He was a pioneer of the industry and no matter what you thought of him you can't deny his success. Just shows though no matter what one has in life, suicide can affect anyone. Big loss for the outdoor community.

 

[Ross]

Very sad day

 

[Murdy]

My condolences to his family

 

[Coastal]

"Chose" may not be the best way to describe it. The closer you are to these things, the more you begin to try to understand and empathize. I can assure you there is someone in this thread who has at least "considered" suicide and if they were to openly speak about it I bet you'd find it was nothing like "I don't want to live any more, I'm going to kill myself." The state a person is in under these circumstances often isn't "them" in my opinion. Save for those circumstances where a person has a terminal illness and makes the conscious decision to not die a slow and agonizing prolonged death, the mental state a person is in at these times is something hard for a "normal" person to understand. And that's why we/those "normal" people often indeed don't understand.

The hunting community and his family suffered a loss. Don't miss opportunities to love your loved ones.

Very well said, I'm in the behavioral health industry, there is definitely more that we don't understand than we do about the brain and what people are dealing with. I do know for fact that perceived "success, money, power, etc" do not fulfill us or make us immune to life. Prayers continue for his family and friends.

 

[ctsmith]

If the rumors are true, the situation in which it occurred, isolated with his father and son, tells me obviously something was not clicking right in his head. There is no way anyone with any control over their actions would put their loved ones in that situation. Something had to be off. So so tragic. I'm still hoping we hear something different.

 

[jspradley]

"Chose" may not be the best way to describe it. The closer you are to these things, the more you begin to try to understand and empathize. I can assure you there is someone in this thread who has at least "considered" suicide and if they were to openly speak about it I bet you'd find it was nothing like "I don't want to live any more, I'm going to kill myself." The state a person is in under these circumstances often isn't "them" in my opinion. Save for those circumstances where a person has a terminal illness and makes the conscious decision to not die a slow and agonizing prolonged death, the mental state a person is in at these times is something hard for a "normal" person to understand. And that's why we/those "normal" people often indeed don't understand.

The hunting community and his family suffered a loss. Don't miss opportunities to love your loved ones.

This 100000x

If you've never lived with the demons in your head telling you that you don't deserve to be alive from the time you wake up to the time you finally fall asleep you really can't understand what it's like. It's not a rational thing and the common internet badass "How could you be so selfish" line just represents a profound, and quite frankly disgusting, ignorance of what's really going on.

It's just a horror that lives in you, some days it's there, some days it's not. It just is what it is.


I truly hope this was an accident and not suicide, even though he's gone either way the effect on his family and friends is completely different. :-(

 

[Shepherd]

Such tragic news for his family, friends, and the hunting community.

I never met him but he seemed to be a smart, driven, and passionate guy who lived his life to the fullest. I have a lot of respect for what he accomplished in his life and the innovation he brought to benefit hunters and outdoors people.

 

[Studs1991]

A day later, I still feel like I had to pinch myself to make sure this actually happened. It's incredible how close the hunting community has become after this tragic event. I am at a loss of words besides this.... Jason was definitely an inspiration and somebody I hoped to meet one day. RIP GOAT

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

This 100000x

If you've never lived with the demons in your head telling you that you don't deserve to be alive from the time you wake up to the time you finally fall asleep you really can't understand what it's like. It's not a rational thing and the common internet badass "How could you be so selfish" line just represents a profound, and quite frankly disgusting, ignorance of what's really going on.

It's just a horror that lives in you, some days it's there, some days it's not. It just is what it is.

The big stigma around mental health is a PITA on this front as well, folks don't want to seek help and if required consider medication. Just because your brain wasn't previously betraying you doesn't mean situations, traumas, etc. can't alter your brain to the point you need (at least for the time being) something to counter act what is going on upstairs currently.

Illnesses, feeling trapped in a life, reliving traumas, non-stop anxiety, etc. can all create situations that the brain shifts on someone (and some folks seem to always be/have been that way with chronic issues) and living with one's self becomes increasingly uncomfortable.

 

[tstowater]

Jason was one of the innovators in mountain hunting clothing. The changes that he helped spur in that business will have a long term impact. I am very sorry to hear of his passing and hope that he is at peace.

 

[Takem]

Terrible news. My heart goes out to his wife and kids. I wonder if the CTE speculation is true and how he got it. Either way I find it hard to judge him.

RIP

 

[Randle]

Very tragic and sad . Prayers for the family.
Let's not forget there are Meds out there right now that can cause this also.
One of my kids had been taking a med for awhile , and we found out later they had thoughts of suicide. Also later disclosed to be a big side affect. Still hoping it was an accident.

 

[jspradley]

The big stigma around mental health is a PITA on this front as well, folks don't want to seek help and if required consider medication. Just because your brain wasn't previously betraying you doesn't mean situations, traumas, etc. can't alter your brain to the point you need (at least for the time being) something to counter act what is going on upstairs currently.

Illnesses, feeling trapped in a life, reliving traumas, non-stop anxiety, etc. can all create situations that the brain shifts on someone (and some folks seem to always be/have been that way with chronic issues) and living with one's self becomes increasingly uncomfortable.

Yep, no one calls people with cancer "weak" or "selfish" but when it's an invisible illness they act like dogs attacking an injured pack member. It's heartbreaking.

And then there's our screwed up legal system that punishes people for talking to their doctors about suicidal ideation. The sad fact is there is the very real chance of losing civil rights for bringing up these issues to a health provider, that is NOT the way to go about helping people in this situation.