outfitters crew

John winger

music program coordinator

John grew up in Minnesota exploring the outdoors, camping and fishing for Walleye, Pike, Muskie and Trout with his dad and family. After relocating to Florida at age 12, he took up surfing and bass fishing before moving to Santa Cruz, CA after finishing school. After trying snowboarding with friends, he moved to Lake Tahoe from 1990-2000 where he worked in the snowboard industry as a sales rep for many companies including Bonfire and Salomon. There he spent his free time riding the backcountry, hiking Desolation Wilderness and fishing the Lake and rivers nearby. Eventually, wanting to escape the crowds of Tahoe, he moved to the tiny town of Red Lodge, Montana where he used to spend summers as a kid visiting his cousins. He worked in hospitality and spent his free time in the backcountry of the Beartooth Mountains riding, hiking and fishing. There he met and married his amazing partner, Anna, and became a proud father of three kiddos.

After 10 years, they moved to the beautiful mountains of Western NC to be close to Anna's family and their family farm. It was there that their oldest child, Olivia, began playing the fiddle at age 6. After hearing her play an old Appalachian tune, John bought a cheap guitar and learned enough to play along with his daughter. Within two years his son Louie began playing the banjo and a band was born. In the ten years since, they have played at Tootsies in Nashville, Merlefest and countless festivals, restaurants, bars and gigs including a six year stint at a local assisted living home where they regularly play for seniors. John has passed along his love of fishing to his three kids and they also enjoy hunting deer, dove and turkey together on their family farm. The whole family enjoys anytime they get to be together exploring nature. Whether it be the rivers and creeks of the High Country, the vast wilderness of Montana, the shallow waters of Pamlico Sound or the mountains on their farm you can be assured that the love of fishing, hunting and the Great Outdoors will be deeply rooted in his kids and handed down to the next generation.

John and Anna now reside in Boone, NC with 2 dogs, 4 chickens, 2 ducks, 3 kids and loads of gratitude.