This is a story of ingenuity, sticktuitiveness, and breaking the fun meter. It all started on a commerical salmon fishing boat in 1991 on the Bering Sea. 22 year old captain Barry Barr finally had enough of losing his hats in the wind. This is when his big idea surfaced. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a pair of adventure sandals, cut off the webbing and started formulating the concept of the original KAVU Strapcap.

The prototype was made from sandal webbing and fishing line. Once back ion Seattle after the fishing season, Barry got to work. He hit the yellow pages and started calling fabric shops and sewers. Most were independent sewers working out of their homes. Serendipitously, Seattle was a hot spot for sewers due to several booming local backpack brands. The city was littered with talented sewers and heavy duty double needle machines. This environment was purpose-built for the rigors of backpack construction, but perfect for a young captain trying to make the world's toughest hat.