Ode to my Copper River Fleece
The year was 2008 and I, an 18-year-old with puffed chest and summer commercial salmon seiner deckhand’s pay in my pocket, marched right into the Copper River Fleece storefront in Cordova, Alaska. After busting my hump all season, I finally had spending money and I knew exactly what I wanted my first purchase to be—one of those fly Copper River Fleece softshell jackets I’d seen about town. I walked out, right into a fresh rain drizzle, with a brand-new, soft-shell Kodiak Jacket with the iconic (and theme appropriate) Michael Webber salmon art design. These beauties sell for a pretty penny, $225 at the time of this writing. But I bought this garment with my own hard-earned fishing dollars. I tell ya, it felt like I was wearing the varsity jacket for making the team of “doing Alaska stuff”.
I’ve always owned a Copper River Fleece ever since that day. Whether I’m in the city on a chilly, rainy day or hopping on a boat during a blustery weather, my Copper River Fleece is as much my go-to as a trusty old hoodie.
The Story
Part of the awesomeness of Copper River Fleece products is the story. The company was founded and is still headquartered in charming little Cordova, Alaska. This small fishing town on the shores of Prince William Sound is only accessible by airplane and boat—no roads. The denizens live in a rich, green rainforest and endure dark, snowy Alaskan winters. If there are folks who care about clothes that keep them warm and dry, it’s Cordovans.
Enter the beginning of Copper River Fleece by founder and designer Jennifer Park in 1995. The central ethos is to combine American sewn garments made of high tech softshell and wind blocking fleece with eye-catching designs that reflect the small Alaskan community. The company commissioned local Alaskan artists to produce the designs and even profiles each artist on their website. The aforementioned Michael Webber who created the salmon design on my jacket is a local fisherman with Alutiiq and Tlingit heritage. To locals, he’s just Mike and the kind of guy you wave a friendly hello to in the marina.
The fabric is very much of the kind one finds on topline outdoor brand products. The softshell is a woven polyester with a nylon out-face that’s bonded to a fleece inner face. A water repellant surface treatment is applied to the outer face of the fabric. The interplay of the different layers create a very durable, breathable, versatile jacket. The windblock fleece material applies similar principles but with a different layer combination that emphasizes complete wind blocking capabilities.
Since 1995, the company and their iconic garments are ubiquitous with Alaskan life. Alaskan Airlines has prominently used them as uniforms for their staff. TV personalities like serious fishermen Captain “Wild Bill” Wichrowski from Deadliest Catch commonly wear them.
Field Testing the Copper River Fleece
For boaters, a Copper River Fleece softshell jacket serves many purposes. It’s an ideal breathable thermal layer both in the wheelhouse or on deck. These fleeces, like most other fleeces, are not waterproof, rather water resistant. They aren’t designed to completely reflect direct deluges of water, but like wool keep one warm regardless of dryness. When conditions are intensely wet, the Copper River Fleece is an ideal shell layer under the heavy duty foulies. During bitterly cold conditions, a thermal skin layer underneath the fleece will keep you exceptionally toasty. The layering combo of a thermal skin layer, a Copper River Fleece, and waterproof foulies on top is pretty darn unbeatable when facing bitter cold and wetness in my experience.
I also appreciate how breathable and versatile my Copper River Fleece is. One can scurry about as crew during a regatta winching sheet lines or jump in the dinghy for a shoreside exploration without “sealing in the flavor” if you know what I mean. There are many ways to handle your durable fleece. One on hand, they are fairly expensive topline clothes that I fail to keep squeaky clean due to frequent use. On the other, a former fellow commercial fishing crewmate gave me crap for not having oil stains on mine like a real deal Alaskan. Whether your Copper River Fleece is kept family picture nice or worked in on the job, often somewhere in-between, is up to you.
Bottom line, if you want a piece of authentic Alaska that will serve you well in the great outdoors while looking svelte in town, I highly recommend a Copper River Fleece. At some point it may even start friendly conversations with Alaskans who know the company’s products. That you’re supporting a Bonafide smalltown business is the cherry on top. The company has expanded its offerings over the years to include vests, hoodies, blankets, handbags, hats, and even dog accessories. You can check out their lineup on their website copperriverfleece.com. They also have information on retailers that carry their wares that at the time of this writing includes the Alaskan Airlines Company Store in SeaTac International Airport.
