Sailing Story: Aron Quist
Many people begin sailing thanks to a push from a friend or family member but for Aron Quist, the push came from a music genre.
“I was inspired by yacht rock to go sailing,” Aron explained. “It was kind of the fantasy of being on a boat and casting your life into the waves.”
Songs like The Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Christopher Cross’ album “Ride Like the Wind” were just a few of the songs that got Aron out of town on a boat, sailing a reach before a following sea (as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young may say).
However, while romantic— it wasn’t quite that simple from the outset.
“We didn’t really know how to get started,” Aron laughed. He explained that it wasn’t until he was sitting in a cafe in Somers one day, talking about his dream of sailing, that someone actually offered to let him take their boat out for a ride!
Aron jumped on the opportunity and found that his introduction to sailing was much similar to the art of sailing itself. “Sailing is enjoying things as they happen organically,” Aron said. “What do they call it—Serendipity?”
Soon enough, serendipity brought Aron into the heart of the Flathead Lake sailing community.
“When I would hear about a regatta or a sailing competition I would run down to the marina and volunteer to be a mate or a deckhand,” he recalled. “You’d learn about sailing by they would tell you what to do— you know, ‘pull in that line or… duck!’”
It was through the sailing competitions that Aron found out about Go Sail Flathead Lake. He took ASA 101 and gained the confidence he needed to sail on his own.
“Once I passed that class, Genevieve let me take the boat out on the water without a skipper
I go out about once a week when I’m here,” Aron said about his time on Flathead Lake during the early and late summers. “I call it summer bookends. We are here before memorial day and then after labor day.”
While Aron isn’t in the Flathead Valley during peak sailing season, he says his membership with Go Sail Flathead Lake is well worth it. “It’s a very reasonable amount, it’s unlimited sail so I really took advantage of that,” he explained about using his sailing membership the last few seasons. “I got a calendar in front of me and got a hold of friends and family to see when they would like to go.”
However, now Aron’s dreams of sailing are broadening beyond the shores of Flathead Lake.
My family is from Stockholm, Sweden,” he said. “My dream right now is to become proficient enough to charter a boat in the Stockholm archipelago for a week or two.”
Sure enough, Aron’s sailing story is starting to look a lot like the lyrics from Christopher Cross’ “Sailing” song that he found himself listening to and dreaming of years ago.
“Well, it’s not far down to paradise, at least it’s not for me,” the song goes. “And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility.”