Sailing Stories

Kirk’s sailing story began with Go Sail Flathead Lake. While he had been out on many a boat, none had been a sailboat. “I expected that it would be pretty fun,” he said. “I have a decent amount of experience with boats so I assumed it would be kind of like that but with the…

Arielle Wilson’s plunge into sailing began as a cathartic way for her family to deal with difficult news. Her uncle had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. “It was my dad and my uncle’s way to bond,” she explained. “They just showed up with a boat.”  Both her dad and her uncle had sailing…

Bill Pope’s introduction to sailing sounds a bit like a clown car trying to take to water. “We probably had seven people on [the sailboat] and it probably shouldn’t have been more than three or four and no motor… so this was just going off the dock and expecting to get back to the dock,”…

Sergio Mercado was drawn to sailing young.  “I was 14 or 15 years old but I didn’t know anything, I was just a passenger but it amazed me, you know, the way the wind could move the boat,” Sergio said about his introduction to sailing in Puerto Rico on his great uncle’s boat. “It caught…

Since elementary school, Pat Montgomery knew he was meant to be a sailor. “I remember in third grade I did a book report on sailing and I thought— my heart is in sailing,” he said. But it wouldn’t be until years later until he ever even stepped foot on a sailboat.  “I started out in…

Kevin Hopper came to Montana to chase the snow. 8 years in the Flathead Valley and sailing had never even crossed his mind. At least not until the fateful day he saw Go Sail’s job listing in the paper.  “It spoke to me,” Kevin said. “So I went and got an interview!” Kevin was confident…

As an immigrant from a landlocked country in Eastern Europe to a current resident of a landlocked state within the U.S., sailing wasn’t a likely hobby for Edi Stan to pick up.  “As landlocked creatures all of our lives [my family] wondered how I got into sailing,” Edi laughed. “By a random happening I got…

Captain Bob may be new to Montana but he’s no stranger to sailing.  2023 Outstanding American Sailing Instructor! “I grew up on a lake in the summertime. All the cousins would get together and everyone had a boat,” Captain Bob recalled about his childhood in the Midwest.  He remembers wanting his own boat so much…

Quote: We definitely want to keep sailing on Flathead Lake— it’s one of the best places in the world to sail Jennifer Fisher was in high school when her dad asked her to go sailing with her on Flathead Lake. “My experience with dad…was he didn’t know how to sail,” Jennifer said.  So she thought…

The sailing ‘bug’ hit Greg Hansen early in life.  “I was actually at a church camp up on Flathead and they had a little Sunfish,” Greg said, explaining how he took the little boat out on the water and tried to teach himself to sail. “I dunked myself more than once,” he laughed. However, the…

The 2024 sailing season is quickly approaching in Montana! If you aren’t already itching to get out on the water, these sailing stories and memories from 2023 are sure to turn up the excitement a notch and give you a few ideas of how to spend your 2024 sailing season with Go Sail Flathead Lake! …

A love of sailing is about much more than a love of sailboats for most sailors. For Hallie Johannisson her love for sailing is about three things: adventure, community, and challenge. Hallie has always been an adventurous type.  “My friends and family often call me a gypsy because I do have trouble staying in one…

Even though Bill Reed began sailing nearly 50 years ago, his first memories on a sailboat are still as vivid as ever. “My dad had a Morgan 36 in Clearwater Beach, Florida,” he explained. “The first time I ever hoisted a sail was on that boat.” Bill fondly remembers how those first experiences on the…

Dave Shafer had never even visited Montana before. In fact, he’d only just been getting into sailing and by all accounts, he assumed Montana wouldn’t have much to offer him in the way of sailing.  However, as he sat up late one night on anchor watch, with his captain on an ASA sailing course in…

Morgan Spitznagle had spent a lot of time watching sailboat racing, but never thought much of trying the sport out herself.  “I live in Somers right across the street from Juniper Bay,” she explained. “The yacht club races are right across from my house essentially.” Morgan would regularly sit outside on her porch with friends…

Jenna Dodge is a Montana native but her sailing story began along the coast of Mississippi when she was just a child. “I don’t remember exactly my first time sailing because I’ve seen pictures of me younger sailing but I have clear memories as a teenager,” she recalled.  On summer breaks and during the holidays,…

Gene Kirschbaum’s introduction to sailing is about as unique of a story as they come.  “I started sailing in about 1976 when I was a school teacher in an ocean going school,” Gene explained. “We taught a nine month typical curriculum— reading, writing, arithmetic— 8th grade through high school.” The 85 students and 15 staff…

Mara Brownell is a Montana native, growing up on the beautiful shores of Polson. However, when she first became interested in sailing, she wanted to leave the shores of her own hometown and sail somewhere a bit more exotic. 

Samantha Martinez came into the world of sailing thanks to a kayaking trip she wasn’t even a part of. It all started when her boyfriend announced he was going to kayak the Mississippi this summer. Not one to miss out on adventure, she decided she would set off on her own epic, solo adventure as…

June 2023 was Patrick Robbins first taste of sailing— but it was by no means his first encounter with adventure. 

Like many a sailing story, Barry White’s sailing story started with a nudge from a friend. Barry was in his late 30s when he started sailing, all thanks to a friend asking him to go halfsies on a sailboat. “I thought it would be something I did to goof around on our lake,” he said.

Rayman Kinman has been sailing his entire life. However, with his latest plans to circumnavigate the world via sailboat, he hit a snag. Here’s how Go Sail Flathead Lake helped him overcome the obstacles for his globe trotting trip so he could get out on the open water! Sharing a love for sailing Rayman is…

This year is a year of new beginnings for Ethan Miles. It’s his first year as a father, his first full year living and working in Montana, and his first year committing himself to a new hobby— sailing! Ethan’s Introduction to Sailing Ethan’s first experience sailing was actually as a child on lakes in Utah…

John Rimel’s father didn’t get the chance to show John the ropes of sailing himself. However, he didn’t have to be around in person to ignite the spark that fueled John’s love of sailing. When John’s father died from leukemia at 42, he left behind a Penguin sailboat he had built himself just a few…

Missoula native James Maxwell has never been aware of a dream too big. In this week’s Sailing Story, we follow James from the murky shores of a Missoula pond to the open waters of Flathead Lake to better understand what sailors are really made of: Building Dreams From a young age he knew he loved…

Flathead Lake sailing company offers women a chance to challenge themselves on the waters.

Lizzy Rental Agent When you arrive at the Go Sail Flathead Lake office or call the main line, you’ll likely be greeted with an excited newcomer to the Go Sail family. Meet Lizzy!  While Lizzy is new to Go Sail Flathead Lake, she’s anything but new to the area. A love of Flathead Lake and…

Finding Flathead’s Calming Waters: Kristie Hepburn’s Sailing Story Kristie Hepburn grew up under Montana’s big sky and alongside the state’s crystal clear waters. Yet interestingly, it wasn’t until she moved to America’s largest city that she found her love of sailing.  “I was not one of those that grew up in a yacht club or…

A passion for chartering new adventures is part of what makes Trevon and Stephanie’s relationship tick. However, their individual curiosity of the water began long before they even met.  For Stephanie, being on the water makes her feel at home. She grew up in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. Her summers were spent swimming,…

Genevieve was born and raised in Montana and spent many summers on Flathead Lake. “When I was 16, the neighbor came by and asked me if I wanted to go sailing on his Hobbie cat. Before I knew it, we were flying across the top of the water without a sound. It was an overwhelming…

Chad Crist’s Sailing Story is about how he got his first sailboat on Flathead lake. “Chad said that sailing is a “mystical thing.” Sailing allows him a sense of freedom from his day-to-day work and activities, and an “escape” from his everyday responsibilities.’ When Chad Crist hopped on a Zoom call to be interviewed, his…

Jim LeKander’s Sailing Story about Sailing In Montana “Most people aren’t excited about going 5 miles an hour and it’s not everyone’s bag, and that’s OK too,” he said. But – he quipped, “you’ll be happy that you came,” because the water is “so clean and it’s the perfect place to learn.” Go Sail Flathead…