Full-Time Staff
Houghton Staff:
Heidi Depuydt
Heidi joined the Down Wind team in 1999. Her ever expanding role entails everything from cheery greetings and personalized customer service to backroom paperwork & inventory management. For Heidi it’s all about the details whether it’s finding the perfect hat to go with your new jacket, or making sure all of the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted when the paperwork is submitted.
Being a true native of the Copper Country she has a great appreciation of all that is good about our utopic peninsula. When not at the store she can usually be found walking, hiking, camping, kayaking or out on her skis.
Tucker Depuydt
Tucker is one of the newest additions to the Down Wind Sports North Welcoming Crew.
Marquette Staff:
Melanie Stasser
Melanie got her start at Down Wind Sports doing all of the paper work involved with running the business. However it quickly became obvious that she had a much better eye for buying clothing than the guys did. Shortly thereafter she was doing the clothing purchasing for both stores. Over the years Mel has developed quite a reputation for bringing new styles and outdoor fashions to the Marquette and Houghton areas and keeping Down Wind Sports one step ahead of everyone else.
Clothing isn’t the only thing Melanie’s into, she’s also an accomplished mountain biker, sailor and she even has a dirt bike (her husband Jeff is still trying to cope with that one.) Every day she can be found outside biking, trail running, back country skiing, or sailing. Now with the arrival of her first daughter, she is anxious to introduce another strong UP girl to the outdoor sports that both she and Jeff love.
Melanie helped create our Jr. Mountain Bike program at Down Wind Sports. She also created “She Cycles” an annual women’s cycling weekend. Melanie still keeps the guys in the shop on track by taking care of all of the paper work for Houghton, Marquette and shopdownwindsports.com.
Jessica Bentley
Jessica is the brains behind the scenes at Down Wind in Marquette! She’s responsible for receiving all deliveries and placing special orders for customers. If you need something she works closely with our suppliers to get it to the store in a timely manner and then let’s you know when it comes in with a friendly call or email. She also likes to work on the sales floor helping customers to get geared up for their next adventure.
Her passion in life is to be outdoors and she loves having a variety of activities to choose from as the seasons change. From mountain biking, trail running, camping, climbing and kayaking in the summer to snowshoeing, downhill and cross country skiing in the winter. She looks forward to any adventure whether it is close to home, across the country, or someplace more exotic.
NIC DOBBS
Nic started working at Down Wind Sports part-time while he was finishing up his degree at NMU in 2010. Now he has upgraded to a full-time gear specialist. Nic has knowledge and experience in almost all of the outdoor activities that Down Wind Sports caters to, which makes him a great guy to come to with questions on clothing, shoes, gear and beta on where to use all of that stuff! Nic also takes care of the warranties that come into the shop, as well as most of the seasonal classes offered at the store.
Nic is an all-around outdoorsman. Don’t expect to find this guy inside(except when he is working of course). He enjoys hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, camping, snowboarding and basically any other extreme sport. He has travelled all over North America and looks forward to adventures in new places. Nic is also a full-time bicycle commuter so make sure you thank him for minimizing his carbon footprint when you stop in the Marquette shop!
Maddie Stasser
Maddie has faithfully worked in the security department at Down Wind Sports for nearly 6 years. Besides being a guard dog, she spends her day sleeping by the front counter, greeting customers and waiting for Tommy the UPS driver to come. She enjoys pizza, dog treats, Norway Springs water and long naps in the shop. She thinks it’s funny to steal socks at the store which drives Bill crazy – Ha Ha Ha! When not working, she can be found hiking and swimming at the beach, skiing or parked on her chair at home. Recently, Maddie has made the move to part time bike shop dog and now spends more time at home guarding the Stasser house.
