Meet Chris Bacon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Bacon.

Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It was a long, cold, rainy night… Just kidding.

I was born in Seattle and mostly raised across the Northwest corner of Washington State. We had a few stints in Oregon and Idaho when I was pretty young, but mostly we moved very often between the I-5, 405, and other, more rural areas in Western Washington before settling in the Stanwood/Camano Island area in the late ’80s. It was here that I fell in love with skateboarding and snowboarding as a young teenager. Together with the Street Brigade (our small group of skate homies), I found something that truly spoke to me: an individual, creative physical activity that I could do with or without friends, surrounded by a larger, as yet unknown to me, culture of complete expression. I was hooked and eventually started having aspirations of learning more about the business side of things and dreaming of working in a skate shop one day.

In 1991, my Mom told me we were moving to Missoula, Montana. I was devastated, as any High School Sophomore would be. The Stanwood/Camano Island area was the longest we had ever lived in the same school district in my entire life, so I finally had the chance to make friends and feel stable for the last two and a half years. And all I knew of Montana was dirt roads and mountains. No hope of skateboarding much out there in the sticks. Even though we moved to Missoula around Thanksgiving, it didn’t take me long to realize how special Missoula really was. It felt like I had actually finally arrived home. I met skaters and snowboarders and musicians and artists and fell right into all the things I loved. I found my bubble as my Great Grandmother said in 1997. She was a fortune teller by trade, learning from Gypsies in the Missoula Valley around the turn of the century. After my Mom’s 4th failed marriage, we ended up having to move back to Camano Island. We had only lived in Missoula for about 8 or 9 months, just long enough to start laying down what would become some deep roots.

We moved in with my Aunt on Camano Island and my Mom and I shared a room (I was 17). My Mom went through a serious mental breakdown and I moved out, finished my Junior year in Washington, then moved back to Missoula to finish High School and try to start my life. I had 3 jobs in the summer of 1993 until that fateful day when Zack Spannagel (one of the 2 original owners of the Board of Missoula) took me out skating and asked if I’d like to work at the shop. I was floored, of course, and added a 4th job to my schedule, along with my Senior year, skating/snowboarding, playing music and taking care of own bills, rent, etc. I graduated on the Honor Roll in 1994 from Sentinel High School in Missoula, MT.

The early years of working at the shop were very different than they are now. I worked for store credit for almost 2 years and skateboarding and snowboarding were still brave new alternative worlds for the most part (especially out here in Montana). Times were lean at the shop for sure, but Zack would always make sure that I had some extra money for food if I needed it, or a lift ticket if I couldn’t afford it. I can’t say enough about Zack; he was a Mentor, Father-figure, Brother, Best Friend, Hard-Ass; just everything. After another move back to WA in ’95, I came back to Missoula in ’96 and started working back at the shop (and 2 other jobs) with the intention of going to the University of Montana to become an Entomologist. About 2 months into my first semester of college, I was super frustrated with how the University system worked. The timing couldn’t have been better as the shop was starting to become busier with the rise in popularity of the skate and snow industries. I was finally offered a paid position! I was to be in charge of the skateboarding department specifically, graphic/ad design, and data entry, along with all the other day-to-day tasks, customer service, etc.

At this time Board of Missoula had 3 owners; Zack Spannagel, Wright Hollingsworth, and Jeff France. Zack sold out first, then Wright, then Jeff sold the shop to Jake Barrow. Jake Barrow’s Dad Greg (G-Money), started Edge of the World in North Carolina in the 80s, so Jake had grown up around skating and snowboarding his whole life. Jake changed our shop name to Edge of the World in 2004 and kept me as an employee which I couldn’t have been more thankful for. He also let me have the Board of Missoula name so I could continue to make Board of Missoula Brand (BOMB) Skateboards, clothing, etc. I bought about half of the shop from Jake in 2013 (all the skateboard stuff, clothes, shoes), then the rest of the snow side of things in 2017. Jake is another dear friend of mine who helped teach me many, many things in this industry and in life. The Edge of the World years were incredible and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I was SO STOKED to bring the Board of Missoula name back and I still have to pinch myself all the time that I actually OWN this place! So here we are now; 2023 and loving it!

Oh yeah! In 2001, some dear friends and I started the Montana Skatepark Association (MSA), a Non-Profit with a mission to build a free, public concrete skatepark in Missoula. By 2006 we had completed our mission, building a world class, almost $1,000,000 skatepark in our hometown! Since then we have helped communities across MT realize their dreams of having a skatepark in their hometowns too. Montana is averaging about 4 new skateparks or additions to existing skateparks a year.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Anyone who has followed the skate or snow industries over the last 30 years has been witness to some serious hills and valleys financially. Then you’ve got partner struggles, employee drama, weather-related struggles, recessions, 911, politics, and pandemic…

So no, the ride hasn’t been smooth. But something skateboarding teaches us is to learn to keep your eyes ahead for cracks, pebbles and the like so you can navigate your path and keep moving forward. Stay light on your feet and you can get through anything.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a very driven, motivated, and creative person. These qualities I most definitely trace to my Mom who navigated some of the harshest conditions imaginable and broke many abuse cycles to give me the best upbringing she could, all the while battling serious mental and physical health problems.

I’m also a very compassionate person. I truly get so much joy out of helping kids out with their first set-ups, helping communities realize their dreams of having skateparks in their communities and bringing fun to every skate/snow session I can.

Skateboarding and Snowboarding aside, my other passion is music. My Mom was an incredibly talented pianist and I used to listen to her play all the time as a kid. She showed me a few things and I took lessons for a couple of months.

Mostly I just learned by ear and I much preferred playing music from memory as opposed to reading sheet music. I had a really cool boss at the Dairy Queen in Stanwood who bought me a bass guitar and a snowboard when he heard we were moving to MT; (he also taught me how to drive). Started plucking away on that bass and playing friends guitars when I could, and still plunking around on the piano/keyboard.

I’ve been in bands my whole life, mostly playing keyboards, bass and singing. My longest-running band was Volumen and we did some touring in the US, Canada, and Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. I’m currently in 3 bands:

Curb Dogs – Skate Video Cover songs from the 80s and 90s (we are gearing up to play the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom this February!)

Modular Haze – Super experimental keyboard/electronic vibe styles with more gear than you’ve ever seen before. It’s either a sound guy’s dream or their worst nightmare. One of the most creative music projects I’ve ever been involved in.

Bacon & Egg – A 2-piece rock party with ripping guitar by the former drummer of Volumen, keyboard bass, and heavy drum machine. Kind of a reunion deal right now for us…

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk-taking is an important step in personal growth. I was surrounded by risk as a child; abuse, neglect, alcoholism, peer pressure, mental illness… I feel like I had to make a decision early on in life as to how I was going to navigate these situations and how to avoid any of them, if at all possible. I’ve taken many risks in my life. Probably the most important risk I took was moving out on my own and trying to figure out how to have a stable life at 17, more than 500 miles away from any family.

Knowing that it was all up to me to pay my own rent, graduate high school, be on time for all my jobs, pay my car insurance, etc. was a lot to deal with at times. Yet, it felt so rewarding to be pulling it off. I had the skills and drive to be involved in all the things I loved as long as I dove in head first and worked hard. The other risk was falling in love with my incredible wife Syd. Building a family and life-long relationship with your best friend is the best thing ever. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her support, friendship, humor, and love. We have two boys, Felix and Vade, and they are incredible and hilarious combinations of our genes; Sheesh!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.boardofmissoula.com
• Instagram: @boardofmissoula | @curb_dogs_the_rock_band | @modularhaze
• Facebook: boardofmissoula
• Youtube: boardofmissoula
• Yelp: boardofmissoula
• Other: www.montanaskatepark.org

Image Credits
George Cutright and Harrison Gayton