He was born in Montrose, Colorado, grew up loving sports, and lived in many other places. After years of traveling and exploring the US, he now calls western Colorado home. He is the mastermind behind Delta’s tattoo shop, Slink Ink Tattoo in Delta, Colorado – he is Gabe Neuenschwander!
Getting to Know Gabe
Gabe is the proud father to a daughter and grandson and has made western Colorado his home for the past 13 years. As a tattoo artist, he’s had the pleasure of training and mentoring three artists – two of which still work for him at Slink Ink. “I’m very proud of all three artists,” he boasts, “they are very passionate and talented.” Gabe loves the outdoors, too. “I love hiking, fishing, scuba diving, photography, and art,” he said. “I love art from sketching, sculpting, and music.” What many might know of Gabe is that he was a musician for 25+ years and is savvy on all instruments as well as composing. “I have even been on the radio several times and in the past have owned a few recording studios!”
Making the Bucket List Dream Come True
There was a bucket list Gabe had created but he had given up on the idea over the years. “I just thought I was getting too old and it seemed out of reach for me. However, three years ago I met Ben Lowe, the owner of Ultimate Skydiving Adventures, at a midget wrestling event and won the raffle which was a tandem skydive!” he said laughing. “It was a rough time in my life as I was going through a horrendous separation battle. I am also scared to death of heights but I finally made my way to the dropzone to make my first jump and it was amazing! I learned that fear of falling wasn’t falling at all – it was floating in the clouds and all my fears vanished! Ben made it easy seeing his confident smile as we lept from the plane.”
He continued, “That first jump was like hitting the reset button on life. I felt like all the bad was gone and the future means so much more to me. It showed me that whatever was to come, I could handle it. I share this experience of skydiving with many people going through all different challenges in their lives. With those who are willing, I get to be a part of that journey welcoming them to this incredible sport, and to this day, I’ve brought over 100 friends from family members to clients to the dropzone. I feel blessed that Ultimate Skydiving Adventures is in our backyard to be able to watch so many people’s lives change in a positive way and that we get to do this through a sport I fell in love with!”
Tattoos and Skydiving
Gabe now has over fifty skydives and is working towards earning his B and C-licenses so he can experience skydiving all around the world and in his words, “experience life on a different level!” Gabe shares, “Don’t be hesitant or scared to try something new, change is naturally scary. Opening the door is sometimes the hardest, but walking through that door can be the most unexpected and rewarding experience!”
Gabe is still active and busy at his business at Slink Ink, still enjoying his art and tattooing. Gabe added, “Learning from Ultimate Skydiving has been the best experience for me. The instructors care for you and your growth as a skydiver. They teach you for YOU and want YOU to succeed in the sport. The culture and crew of the dropzone and leadership are contagious! They make you feel like family, and I love this crew! And this is what I want to bring to my tattoo shop!”
For many skydiving is a one-time experience, but for Gabe, he found a community outside of his tattoo world that has welcomed him with open arms. He closed out with a big Gabe smile and said, “Skydiving is one of the best things that is happening in my life!”
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