Fun with a capital ‘F’
Essi, which came about when the crew was brainstorming homonyms for the “S.C.” in Summit County,
“There seemed like there was no in-between. It was either gas-station glasses or high-end stuff
The three friends began experimenting with old-school sunglass designs that they liked and later
Essi Eyewear Featured in the Summit Daily
A few local business owners soak up the sun at the base
of Arapahoe Basin recently: Essi Eyewear, Meglad and Neovolt.
It’s a pretty good story for the high school reunion: Three childhood friends from Tempe, Ariz.
, embark on a journey to the snowy mountains of Colorado, where they fall in love with
snowboarding and start a business that takes the county by storm.
For Mike Kissell, Mike Crabb, and Nick Scott, it’s a story they all tell with smiles
starting Essi Eyewear out of their home in Dillon.
began producing eyewear that was both unique and affordable, filling a niche that had long been
ignored by many of the larger, more established companies.
over $100,” Kissell said. “People’s reaction was almost relief when we started putting them
out.”
expanded into T-shirts, hats, and stickers.
Always dedicated to having fun, the guys from Essi keep the local snowboard community in the
forefront of their operations.
Whether it’s inviting riders onto their tricked-out lime green RV after a long day on
the hill or putting on a backyard rail jam for the neighborhood kids, Essi embodies
the fun-loving vibe that make Summit County unique.
“If it’s fun, then we want to be apart of it,” Crabb said, adding that the company’s
new saying, “It’s Love,” represents a commitment to enjoying life to the fullest,
both on and off the mountain.
Available online, Essi products and stickers are popping up in places
as far away as New York and Wyoming, and the guys don’t have any intentions of stopping now.
“We’re going to keep it going as long as we can,” Kissell said. “It’s a fun time in our lives,
and it’s still crazy to think that we created a business that people are enjoying.”
- Ashley Dickson Summit Daily