Ski Inn hit with 'jean bomb'

The Ski Inn in Sisters hasn't been the same since a wind-blown tree fell on it several years ago. Last weekend, the building was hit again - this time with a "jean bomb."

Right on time for Quilt Show Week, the face of the old Sisters building was transformed with guerrilla fabric art made of countless pairs of jeans. Like most taggers, the artists responsible have tried to avoid the spotlight. Sisters being a small town, however, the rumor mill swiftly came up with a couple of prime suspects: Kathy Deggendorfer and Kit Stafford, with an engineering assist from Karl Goodwin.

An additional person of interest, Mike Blesius of Sisters Bunkhouse, reportedly stopped by while walking his dog - then returned with a weed trimmer and knocked down weeds and grass in front of the building so that the fabric art was displayed in its full glory.

The motive of the suspects was apparently multi-fold. Not only did the jean bomb fit in with the Fiber Arts Stroll and the Quilt Show, it was also a tribute to Sisters' most recognizable Jean: Quilt Show founder Jean Wells.

The caper reportedly required an enormous cache of jeans and weeks of secretive trimming and cutting conducted in an undisclosed location. Sisters Habitat for Humanity has been identified as the primary jeans supplier.

The installation attracted much astonished attention from passers-by on Sunday, and has garnered significant additional notice on social media, including footage that clearly identifies the suspected jean-bombers, who seem to have widespread community support for their actions.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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