It’s the climb

MANILA, Philippines -Before Miley Cyrus became the girl who can twerk a mile a minute, she was also just the girl in a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers walking down the road with a guitar on her back and singing about “the climb.” She said, “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle; sometimes I’m gonna have to lose.”

Well, according to Jansport’s Skip Yowell, the singer was right about two things: that there will always be another mountain (Skip has spent decades drawing inspiration from his many climbs in developing the leading outdoor backpack brand that he co-founded); and two, his advocacy is always going to “wanna make things move” — that is, to get the youth out of their bedrooms and into the great outdoors.

Skip Yowell is a name that has become synonymous with the outdoors-y lifestyle. Along with his two other colleagues (one of which is the namesake of Jansport), they converted their collective passion (and refusal to take regular jobs) into a prototype for the perfect hiking companion. Jansport has also found popularity among the youth, as proven by anyone who has sported it at one point in their academic lives. I know: I was a Jansport user all the way up to high school. 

During Skip’s recent trip to Manila to celebrate Jansport’s 40 years in the industry, Young STAR caught up with the luminary right before he spoke at the University of Sto. Tomas on everything from the Beatles and Mount Everest to how it all began.

YOUNG STAR: How’s your stay been so far?              

SKIP YOWELL: Too short! (Laughs) In February, I came over to the Philippines just to have some personal time for five days and relaxed. It was wonderful.

Let’s talk about Jansport. How’d the brand come about?

I’ve always been into the outdoors. I grew up doing many outdoor activities — camping, running, fishing, hiking, touring national parks. In college, I learned how to ski. During the summer, I took a summer job in Colorado and started climbing. My cousin, who was also into the outdoors, designed a frame for backpackers and mountaineers. We didn’t want to get a “real” job after college so we thought if we could start a business to fit our passions, it would be a win-win.

So passion was the mother of invention in this case?

We had a little bit of luck. Timing was real good. The outdoor industry in the ‘60s was only a handful of companies. And we were one of them. And in the early ‘70s, college students were starting to grasp the outdoors. They wanted to escape. That was the culture of that time. And then we have the book-bags that of course, make up a huge chunk of our business.

You seem to love mountain climbing. What was your best climb to date?

We went to Everest in ’84 and were the first Americans allowed through Tibet to get to Everest. Everybody else had to pass through the Nepal side. It’s not always about climbing the mountain; it’s about the culture, the people, the food. It’s not just about reaching the summit.

What songs usually play on your iPod when you’re climbing, or are you more into nature sounds?

We’ve done a lot of climbs for retailers on Mount Rainier! That’s our testing ground for our products. On the lower part of the mountain, we’d have Walkmen in those days. But as you got higher on the mountain, you had to be conscious of avalanches. Today, I want to listen more to the sounds of nature — that serenity that comes with a climb. But a big influence on the earlier days of Jansport were the Beatles. We were really into music — the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin. Today, I can go from Justin Timberlake to jazz.

What are the benefits of mountain climbing in general?

Climbing and expeditions taught me a lot of life lessons in the sense that you have to work well with people. It’s always teamwork in doing a climb. Those same skills brought me back to my everyday lifestyle with Jansport, and the people behind the brand being able to work together as a team. You also learn patience. What I learn in the mountains, we end up using as inspiration for our prototypes. We’ve always been product-driven, and we think out of the box — which is why we’ve been successful. It wasn’t always about the money. Just have passion in what you’re doing and the money will come.

Besides technology, how have things changed for you guys since you first put up Jansport in ’67?

Our products are used by so many more people today. Back then, it was just hardcore climbers. Now, all over the world, people are using our products. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. At one point, it wasn’t acceptable to be wearing backpacks on the plane. People would be like, “Oh, that’s a hippie, or a hitchhiker!” Today, everyone’s carrying or traveling with a backpack. Why? Because it’s very functional. And of course, the styles. We never rest on our laurels — it’s always innovation, quality, and style.

Where do you get inspiration for these changes?

Of course, we have many young designers in the company. It’s not just (me) although I still like to give my input. We have a collection called the Skip Yowell collection and I’m very much involved with that. Travel, different places, and I have a worldly understanding of what people are doing.

Where do you see Jansport going in the next 40 years?

One of our future categories would be some digital products. We’re always following the lifestyle of the youth and evolving with their needs.