The Mad Bomber’s Early Flights

The Mad Bomber spent his early years attending school in France, enjoying the good life (perhaps a little too much of it?). Learning to ski by standing on the back of his father’s skis (a.k.a. Big Bob), sneaking into the circus, and later dallying in pseudo-criminal mischief in The Old Dominion and beyond, the wayward lad eventually came to a crossroads — and at the tender age of 19, decided to start a new chapter in his life. Re-thinking college as a better alternative to a career as a semi-professional rapscallion, he went on to earn the nickname “Mad Bomber” ski-jumping far (but uncertainly) in Alta, Utah and throughout the American west. 

Then, for no particular reason, he decided to look for clues to the meaning of life in China. He discovered many — but more to the point, he started finding amazing, unique products he thought his American and European friends would like. Hauling the original Bomber hats out of Manchuria by suitcase during the early ‘80s, he soon launched his rebellious little upstart, the Mad Bomber Hat Company, which would over time grow into a progressive outerwear enterprise.

Did he become an overnight hat tycoon, you ask? Quite the contrary. In the early years, he laid the foundation of his future company by building personal, one-on-one relationships with small shop owners and multi-national chains while living out of his ‘63 Mercedes. With his trusty dog as his wingman, he occasionally bathed in winter streams to save money (hey, when you’re poor, it’s either dog food or a motel, but not both). His first important customers were Georgetown Leather, Britches, Wild Bill’s Emporium in Vail, and “Where’d You Get that Hat?” in Lake Placid.

At the same time he was building his retail partnerships, he worked to gain a better understanding of, and empathy with, his Chinese suppliers and farmer-sewers. Insisting on implementing western safety and quality standards in his Manchurian factories, within a few years, the Mad Bomber was mass-producing high quality hats and outerwear — and at the same time, fairly employing thousands of Chinese families who supply and sew the company’s unique products.

And that’s the story of The Mad Bomber. At least, the first couple of chapters.