Meet our 2015 Brand Ambassadors

Justin “Bugsy” Sailor – Since Bugsy is already known as the “unofficial” ambassador of the U.P., it was only fitting that he become an official SK Ambassador. Creator of Plaidurday and Yooper Steez, Bugsy once spent a year traveling to all 50 states, staying with people he met along the way.

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson – Hannah is a photographer/ writer and active outdoors person based on the beautiful south shore of Lake Superior. Her blaze orange Stormy Kromer cap is her “signature” when she is photographing bird dogs in the fall or ice fishing in the winter for her company, Stonehouse Photo.

Nic Drago – Nic grew up in Jackson, Michigan and now finds himself in the Breckenridge, CO area. A former professional snowboarder, he has a growing collection of Stormy Kromer caps that go with him on all his outdoor adventures – from hiking to shooting to riding motorcycles.

Chad Kirsebom – Chad joins us from Minneapolis where he works as a graphic designer. He loves traveling and sharing his adventures on Instagram. Having first met us at a local pop-up market, Chad is attracted to the Midwestern charm of our brand.

Joe Whitson – Joe is a bit of a Renaissance man – Ph.D. student, Eagle Scout, environmentalist, writer, photographer and historian. Another Ambassador who was introduced to SK by his parents, he got his first cap at one of our favorite stores, Duluth Pack.

Terryn Drieling – Living in the Nebraska sandhills, Terryn is a wife, mother, photographer and rancher who works hard at bringing up her family and raising wholesome and nutritious beef cattle. Learn more about her adventures on her blog.

Grace Start – This Chicagoan turned Michigander has a father-in-law that owns 18 Stormy Kromer caps, and is always wearing one of them. A resident of Grand Rapids, MI, she’s passionate about supporting Michigan brands. While she hasn’t reached her “dad’s” level yet, she’s working on it – with 3 caps, 2 bags and a pair of mittens in her collection.

Eric Bartle – An executive chef living in the Portland, OR area, Eric was introduced to Stormy Kromer by his hunting mentor over 20 years ago. When he’s not in the kitchen, you can find him fly fishing, hunting or foraging for wild edibles, a skill he also teaches in Portland.

Grace Anderson – A member of the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition, Grace is a self-proclaimed explorer of wild places and spaces. Based in Oakland, CA, Grace is dedicated to getting people outdoors and connected with nature.

Tom Handley – Another proud former Michigander, Tom now resides in New York City, where he is a professor at Parsons The New School for Design, as well as the Universidad de Navarra, in Madrid, Spain. A lifelong fashion insider, Tom is also a freelance writer, contributing to several men’s fashion websites, including The Manual. Professor Handley has a passion for Made in the USA products, heritage brands, and mentoring the future fashion generations.

Gabriella Kendus – We didn’t expect to choose a 15 year old Brand Ambassador, but then we met Gabriella. This Delaware teenager got her first Stormy Kromer cap from a friend when she shot her first woodcock. She has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram and a fantastic YouTube channel.

Blair Tice – Spending all her summers in Pentwater, MI, Blair was always aware of Stormy Kromer, but was reintroduced when we launched a collaboration with Spacecraft Collective. She’s a passionate outdoors woman in Breckenridge, CO where she enjoys skiing, hiking, skeet shooting, riding dirt bikes and more.

Dan Pemble – For the past few years, photos of beautiful Stormy Kromer tattoos kept making their way to us. Finally we learned that Dan was the artist behind these amazing designs. He also regularly hosts guest artists at his studio in Marquette, and gifts them all with their own Stormy Kromer Cap.

Heather Kirsebom – Documenting the joys and challenges of newlywed Midwestern life (her husband Chad is also an Ambassador) Heather is the voice behind Honee Bee, a blog filled with musings of marriage, recipes and daily fashions.

Karen Ung – Hailing from beautiful Calgary in Alberta, Canada, Karen is an outdoor writer/blogger and author of www.playoutsideguide.com. Known online as “Play Outside Gal” Karen enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing, cycling, fishing, climbing, paddling – just about anything outdoors!

Colin McCoy – Colin comes to us from New England. He even makes some of his own leather accessories. We’re excited to have him as an ambassador.

Mike Forester – Like Grace, Mike was introduced to Stormy Kromer through his dad’s love of the caps. As a kid, he wasn’t sure of the allure, but once he moved to the U.P. from Detroit, he got it! He now owns several caps that let him brave the Upper Peninsula weather while fishing, playing pond hockey and snowboarding.

Rebecca Pechous – During her training to become a union carpenter, she saw a worker wearing a Stormy Kromer cap. “That cap was made to rest on top of the head of a person building America, and if I was ever going to build it, I would need one too.” Well said, Rebecca. Well said.

Dave Zielinski – On his application, Dave listed his occupation as: “Engineering Manager by day, flyfisher and Dad all the time.” With priorities like that, and two well-worn Stormy Kromer caps, he’s ready for whatever life throws at him.

Jill Emmer – Founder of the Minneapolis-area Instagrammer community, Minnstameets, Jill organizes events for their 3500+ members. She’s a stay-at-home mom that doesn’t stay at home, and says her Kromer Cap “is as familiar as family.” Indeed, her whole family – from her husband and children to her parents – is outfitted in Kromer gear. Photo by Eric Mueller Photography.