17 minute read
Q&A with 7x World Champion Sage Kimzey
Team Polaris Bull Rider 7X WORLD CHAMPION SAGE KIMZEY
BY LINDSI RIAN
Pro bull rider Sage Kimzey has quite the resume when it comes to his career in rodeo. When it comes to bull-riding ranks, Sage has been #1 for seven out of his ten year career. He became the youngest millionaire in PRCA history during the 2016 Wrangler NFR at 22 years, 3 months, and 2 weeks old - which was also only his fourth year competing on the pro level.
Q: WAS RODEO ALWAYS PART OF YOUR LIFE?
I grew up in a rodeo family. My dad was the first person in our family to get into the rodeo scene. Even as a baby, I was going to rodeos with my dad. From Mutton Bustin’ to bull riding, I did it all. I started Junior Rodeo when I was little and had an older sister who was into rodeo before me. I worked all the events growing up as well. The older I got, I realized that bull riding was my favorite event and the one I was the best at, so I pursued that. In high school I rode broncs and bulls, then in my junior year, I focused on bull riding only, now, it’s a full-time career. Last year I went to about 110 rodeos and typically, each rodeo has one bull, some have more per event. I was on 175 bulls give or take in 2021, so quite a few!
WHAT PUSHED YOU INTO PRO RODEO?
The big “ah-ha moment” for me was when I was 15 or 16 years old. I won a $4,000 prize and was so excited because, for any kid that age, that’s a lot of money. I was like ‘Man this is definitely what I want to do! I’m never gonna do anything else. I’m a bull rider now!’ There were a lot of steps to even get to that point. But when you finally make a good ride and go pick up your check, there’s not a feeling that can replicate that. I never considered myself the most talented or the guy who’d go on to win the most buckles or anything. There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in the sport and I loved it all. I worked my way through the ranks and eventually found myself competing in the Pros. I’ve always competed because I love the sport, the fame and fortune have just been a nice bonus. I signed on with Team Polaris in 2015 or 2016 and it’s been a great experience. Whenever you’re growing up, all you want is to be good enough to have a sponsor. After some success in the pros, being with Team Polaris has been amazing and it’s special being a part of the premier group of athletes.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED?
Oh yeah. You name it, it’s probably happened to me or one of the guys in the locker room. I’ve been really fortunate and blessed to stay relatively healthy throughout my career so far. It’s one of the most dangerous sports in the world, so you do it long enough and you’re eventually going to get hurt.
DO YOU CONNECT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL WITH YOUR ANIMALS?
Bulls are so funny because a lot of them have big personalities. Some of them you connect with and some just want to do their job, buck you off, get you out of the way and hook you. For each guy, at the end of the day, it’s a macho man’s sport, but I look at it more like a dance with the bull. It’s like going to war with the animal because at the end of the day you’re not going to overpower an 1,800-pound animal that’s been bred to buck you off.
WHAT IS #BELEGENDARY?
My wife actually came up with that. We were dating at the time and talking about social media and my brand. I told her that I wanted to be able to inspire young kids that needed something to shoot for. We had always talked about becoming legendary and she suggested we use that. Being legendary can mean so many things to so many different people. I’ll be honest, at first, I didn’t really know where she was going with it, but in the end, she was right and it ended up fitting my brand perfectly.
50 30 IN
OH MY!
Nicole Cooper Visited 50 States in Her First 30 Years
•Nicole Cooper landed in Alaska - her 50th state - in September of 2021 and celebrated by doing some backcountry hiking around Cooper Lake. Renowned traveler, Nicole Cooper has traveled to all 50 states in the United States of America. Nicole is a mother to her five-year-old daughter and three-and-a-half-year-old son, a wife, and she’s the Director of Digital Media at A.E. Engine. She completed her 50-state journey within thirty years.
Nicole grew up in upstate New York and still resides there today. She started her traveling journey with her grandparents, Donald and Barbara Hess, when she was a little girl. Her grandparents owned an RV and they’d travel pretty much every summer. A couple of times Nicole was homeschooled in the RV when they traveled during the school year. She’d travel so much with her grandparents that it eventually became clear that she could accomplish all 50 states.
Nicole’s passion for travel is owed to her grandparents who were avid travelers. Her Grandfather Donald had successfully traveled to all 50 states and her Grandmother Barbara traveled to 48 states. Once Nicole got a little older she loved learning about her nation’s history. She’d love to choose a destination to visit next by what she had been learning about. Her grandparents were very supportive of their granddaughter in choosing the next location. Nicole stated, “There’s no better way to get a connection to history than to stand in that spot. You can just imagine the people around you and that atmosphere.” This is how Nicole’s love for traveling continued to set fire.
When Nicole got into high school they didn’t go on many big trips because of school and sports. The time for college came around and her grandparents were too old to travel so it came down to Nicole traveling by herself and then eventually with her husband and kids. Nicole and her family have made a fun new tradition of taking a picture with a paper plate to document what number/state they’re in.
Nicole’s grandparents, Donald and Barbara Hess passed away in 2020 and Nicole vowed to complete traveling all 50 states in their honor. “I don’t think that any of this would have been possible without my grandparents. I feel like I got the best grandparents in the world.”
She finished traveling to all 50 states last September 2021 by visiting Alaska. Nicole has also visited Iceland, Spain, France, and Italy so far during some breaks from traveling the states. She’d love to continue to experience other places now that all 50 states are checked off.
Western Destinations
Redwoods in California
Nicole loved California, she especially loved visiting the Redwoods home to the sequoia sempervirens. There are several locations around northernmost coastal California where you can see the great redwoods. These beautiful evergreen trees are long-lived being 1,200-2,200 years old or more. The redwoods are the tallest and the oldest living trees on earth. They reach about 379 ft in height (without the roots) and 29 ft in diameter. Nicole stated, “It sounds funny but the smell there was incredible. You’re just living in a bunch of Christmas trees. It was so pretty, it felt so nice, and it was just so peaceful.”
Petrified Forest National Park
The Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona and it’s simply beautiful. It’s this old-growth Rainbow Forest located in the desert that has turned into colorful petrified wood. You’re able to walk around and witness all these hardened trees. Nicole thought it was such a wild and cool experience.
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona was a really unique place in a mythical kind of way. Located in southeastern Arizona, this town is one of the most authentic western towns left in the United States. The town was founded in 1877 and the western heritage runs deep through the town’s roots. Once you arrive you’ll step back in time and enjoy the Old West Atmosphere. There are tons of attractions, shops, restaurants, and saloons in “The Town Too Tough to Die”. •Nicole walks along the California coast for the first time with her grandmother at the beginning of her 50-state adventure.
Badlands National Park
The Badlands National Park in South Dakota is another special spot and something you can’t see anywhere else. It has a presentation of dramatic landscapes including steep canyons, towering spires, and layered rock formations. Bighorn, sheep, bison, and prairie dogs inhabit the grasslands of the Badlands. The atmosphere is very unique and the people are very genuine.
Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park
The Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park located in Colorado was another incredible place to witness. It is one of the best-preserved and notable sites on the North American Continent. After primarily living on the mesa top for 600 years, in the late 1190s, Ancestral Pueblo people began living in pueblos they built beneath the overhanging cliffs. The structures differed in size from one-room storage units to villages with more than 150 rooms. They continued to farm the mesa tops while still continuing to reside in the alcoves remodeling, repairing, and constructing new rooms for just about a century. The population slowly began migrating south to present-day Arizona and New Mexico in the late 1270s. The Ancestral Puebloan occupation of Mesa Verde came to an end in 1300. Nicole stated, “To be able to learn about the people who were here 1000s of years ago, to stand there, and take in that this land was civilized for a long time before any of us got here is incredible.”.
•Donald and Barbara Hess standing at the Four Corners in Navajo Nation.
Four Corners, Navajo Nation
NICOLE ALSO FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SOUTHWEST AREA OF THE
United States, the Navajo Nation. It’s truly an extraordinary and breathtaking nation within a nation. It is over 27,000 miles and covers over four states: New Mexico,
Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. She loved visiting Four Corners where you have the opportunity to stand in all four states at once. The Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department oversees all Navajo
Tribal Parks in the largest sovereign nation in the United States. As a sovereignautonomous tribal government, the Navajo Nation creates laws and governs its citizens – which means all non-Navajo travelers and visitors must comply with and abide by tribal regulations, policies, and laws. Their intent is the caretaking of Mother
Earth, which Navajos respect at all times. You definitely want to experience the breathtaking views the Navajo land has to offer.
Travel Tips
Avoid touristy places
Another travel tip is to avoid touristy places as much as possible. There are some things you should see, for example the Grand Canyon but there’s always a better way to see it than parking on the side and exploring. There are guided rafting and hiking tours, and it’s the same for just about everything. If you’re at a farmers market, restaurant, or museum don’t be afraid to talk to the locals for ideas on places to visit.
Check out your nation’s history
Nicole believes that you should see where you’re from to connect your history before you can really understand what your country is about. Once you have gathered that information go explore other countries. Nicole suggests visiting Gettysburg, Boston, Charleston, and Ellis Island; those kinds of places are where you can see history, stand there, and learn about it while you’re at the physical location. That would help people get rooted.
Eat all the food
Don’t be afraid to try new food! Nicole really loves going to places and not knowing what anything is. Getting to taste something and see if it’s either good or bad is such an amazing experience. You’ll learn what the area has to offer, the culture, why that food is on your plate, and who’s putting it on your plate. •Nicole’s young children, Nova and Orion, have already begun their travels and will hopefully continue the tradition.
Hostels/Airbnbs
Before having kids, Nicole loved getting a hostel. It was a great way to meet local people who could direct you to some neat places especially if you’re traveling overseas. If you’re traveling by yourself, it’s also a great way to meet new people and be able to go to a restaurant together if you’re looking for company. Airbnbs are a great option if you have children and they’re a go-to for Nicole and her family. You have your own space and there’s a wide variety of unique Airbnbs to choose from all over.
Start Young
IF YOU’RE WANTING
to travel all fifty states Nicole recommends starting young. Nicole stated, “Even if you’re traveling with young children don’t think that it’s about remembering every detail. It’s about realizing you can travel while learning so much. You get to see so many things, have so many more experiences, and meet so many other people. So it’s not about remembering every single thing that you do or see. It’s about learning that you can go and do and see that stuff.”
•Nicole’s husband, Jeff, marking Washington as his 17th state with the new tradition of paper plate signs.
Just start traveling
Go for it, don’t be afraid to get out there and travel. It doesn’t have to be a cross-country trip. In most states, you can drive a few hours and be in another state. There’s so much beauty that our world has to offer.
Gaining self-confidence
There’s so much self-confidence that you gain from traveling. Whatever trip you go on, there’s a potential that something goes wrong and you just have to figure it out. It’s problem-solving on the fly, you’re learning so much and it helps everyone grow. •Nicole’s 3 year old son marking Maryland as his 7th state.
MEET SHANNON MYERS
OF DESERT AIR JEWELRY
BY MEGAN DEFABRY
Artist Shannon Myers is hard at work creating the most exquisite, affordable, and one-of-a-kind hand-crafted jewelry. Shannon is the founder of Desert Air Jewelry located in Fallon, Nevada. She has countless pieces of jewelry she creates by hand including a variety of turquoise, opal, rosarita stone, buffalo stone, lapis stone, onyx stone, and several other precious stones. No stone is the same, they all have their own story and are mined out of Nevada. She pairs the stones with a different element such as sterling silver, copper, or leather creating a beautiful design for her customers.
The desert has always had a place in Shannons’ heart. She was born in Nevada and then was transplanted to California where her father ran a huge ranch. Later that ranch was sold and she found her way back to Fallon, Nevada where she grew up and resides today. To this day Shannon sees what beauty and treasures lay within the Nevada desert. Which is the inspiration for all of her designs.
Shannon’s father was an avid horseman and rancher, in other words, “he was one of the good ol’ cowboys”. Shannon is so thankful her father instilled that way of life in her, even though as a teenager she might’ve disagreed while having to spend summers gathering cows and branding when everyone else slept in. Today, she wouldn’t want it any other way and is blessed to have the background she does.
Shannon grew up around rodeos and horse shows. She loved to visit all of the jewelry booths that would leave her in awe. Her father had a good friend that was a jeweler and when he came to visit he always had a
box of love that Shannon was lucky enough to choose from. That’s where her love affair with turquoise and jewelry started.
After twenty-seven years of doing hair for a living Shannon decided she was going to finally learn silversmithing. Shannon did just that, gave it a go and she hasn’t put her torch down since. In recent years, she’s had lots of time to work on her jewelry and discovered that this was all she really wanted to do. So she took the plunge, quit doing hair, and started making jewelry full time.
Shannon feels like jewelry should tell a story. Shannon stated, “I love to know where every single stone I buy comes from. Jewelry has a journey, from the stone being pulled out of the ground to being cut from a slab of rock to a beautiful polished cab. Then bought and brought to life! Some stones just call to me and I know exactly what I want to do with them. Others I have to ponder on for a while. But inspiration is everywhere. It’s in nature, texture, color, and lifestyle. I really just try to bring the best out of the stone.”
Shannon’s jewelry line is one-of-kind and made with love. Shannon stated, “My style is pretty simple. I try to take the old western-style and make it fresh. I love to make turquoise jewelry for everyone. I love it when someone says “oh I didn’t think I liked turquoise, but I love this”. I use the highest quality stones, cut by a professional lapidary artist. My small business supports a lot of other makers, artists, and family businesses. I take pride in everything I make, and just hope someone will say “I need that!”. I want my jewelry to be something personal and that people wear everyday, not just for a special occasion”.
Shannon’s business goal for 2022 is to continue to grow as a business and as an artist. You never stop learning in life and there’s always room for growth and improvement. Shannon let us know why she’s so passionate about Desert Air Jewelry, “My why is to do something I love and that I’m passionate about every day. I want to make a little piece of jewelry that brings joy to someone. Tells a story of who they are. I want to stay motivated and grow so I can continue to do this for as long as possible.”
Desert Air Jewelry has several collections of jewelry listed from earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and hats. You can make any of the pieces from Desert Air Jewelry a staple in your everyday look. You can dress it up or down, as it is very versatile. To take a look at Shannon’s exquisite jewelry and to make a purchase please visit desertairjewelry.com. Desert Air Jewelry is also sold in person at the Free Bird Lifestyle Boutique located at 601 S. Maine St., Fallon, Nevada 89406. Be sure to follow Desert Air Jewelry on Facebook, @desertairjewelry, and on Instagram, @desertairjewelry.
