Early life and family
This U.S. state, where Jason Hairston was born in July 1971, is better known for beaches and freeways than backcountry sheep hunts.
What is California?
Jason played linebacker for this University of California school, whose team is known as the Aggies.
What is the University of California, Davis
Jason loved planning extreme backpack hunts in Western states like Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and this state known for its panhandle and elk
What is Idaho?
Jason co‑founded this technical hunting clothing company in 2005, named after a city in Alaska.
What is Sitka?
Jason was married to a woman with this first name, which starts with the same letter as “KUIU.”
Who is Kirstyn?
Jason grew up in this region of California, home to places like Tustin and Orange
What is Southern California?
In 1993, Jason became a starter at this defensive position for UC Davis before injuries changed his path
What is linebacker?
Jason became obsessed with reaching remote areas with “lots of animals and no people” by carefully studying this type of map showing land features.
What is topography
Jason and his partner sold Sitka to this well‑known fabric and technology company, famous for its waterproof membranes, in 2009.
What is Gore‑Tex
At the time of his passing in 2018, Jason lived and worked near this northern California town, also home to KUIU.
What is Dixon, California?
As a teenager, Jason worked in this kind of specialty store, making arrows and helping customers, long before he ran a global hunting brand.
What is an archery shop
Jason suffered a major neck injury in a Division II playoff game, breaking these two cervical vertebrae, labeled C5 and C6.
What are his C5 and C6 vertebrae?
KUIU gets its name from an island in this U.S. state, a dream destination for many mountain hunters and guides.
What is Alaska?
In 2010, Jason founded this direct‑to‑consumer hunting brand, which he once called the “Gucci of hunting."
What is KUIU?
Jason died at age 47 in 2018 after struggling with symptoms linked to this degenerative brain disease seen in some athletes.
What is CTE
Jason often left parties early because he and this family member would head out for hunts together just a few hours later.
Who is his dad
After going undrafted, Jason signed with this NFC West powerhouse in 1995 as a free‑agent linebacker.
Who are the San Francisco 49ers?
Jason’s vision focused on this style of hunting, done far from roads, often requiring backpacking, steep climbs, and ultralight gear.
What is mountain hunting
Jason kept KUIU’s prices lower by skipping this traditional step between manufacturer and customer and selling directly online.
What is the retailer
Earlier in his post‑football life, before Sitka and KUIU, Jason worked in this field, helping people buy and sell property.
What is commercial real estate?
Jason described hunting as a family tradition centered on this traditional weapon, rather than rifles or crossbows.
What is a traditional bow?
Jason later joined this AFC team based in Colorado before retiring from the NFL in 1996.
Who are the Denver Broncos?
In high school, Jason’s love of hunting led him to a job where he made these key components of archery ammunition by hand.
What are arrows?
By 2016, KUIU’s sales had reached this impressive eight‑figure dollar amount, showing how big his idea had become.
What is 50 million dollars?
Jason said building specialized hunting brands was his “gift to the world,” especially after he realized he had created this entire niche segment of the hunting clothing market.
What is the mountain hunting category