Tiny House Nation, which aired in 2014 and was recently added to Netflix, showed everything about the tiny house movement. Hosted by renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, the show gained great popularity. Today, we are meeting Zack Griffin and his point of view.
Who is Zack Giffin?
He is the co-hoster of Tiny House Nation and is a professional skier and contractor. He is so passionate about tiny homes that he constructed a mobile tiny ski chalet for himself and has been residing there permanently for years. Every winter, Zack relocates his modest house to pristine slopes throughout the nation.
He holds the position of vice president on the boards of the Tiny Home Industry Association and Operation Tiny Home. Zack, a professional home builder, and carpenter, has devoted his life to finding time for outdoor exploration. As a result, his love of backcountry skiing has become his dream job.
His Background
Zack was a pro skier before he began his well-known career as a TV broadcaster. The best state in the union for this kind of sport is Colorado, where he was raised in the small hamlet of Gold Hill. Although there were many men in the profession around him, it was his grandfather who frequently took him skiing as a pretext for driving in the mountains.
Inspired By His Family
Driving was something his grandpa enjoyed, especially in the Highlands. “We lived about 40 minutes from Eldora,” says Zack. And my grandfather used to take me skiing so he could have a reason to drive.
His father was “a wild inventor,” who was “constantly developing new ideas,” and gave his sons free rein to use his tools to make whatever they wanted.
“I was raised in a setting where trying was encouraged. Nobody’s capacity for creativity is limited. It reminds me of sports. The more you practice, the more you want to practice and get better at it”.
The entire family frequently traveled to Eldora to go skiing. His brothers served as a source of inspiration. His older sibling set the example and demonstrated what was feasible. He inspired Zack to chase a goal. His younger brother, who possessed extraordinary talent, was vying with him for the role of the skier brother. They developed their skill sets collectively and with their buddies.
His Wife Shared His Passion
Zack and his spouse came up with the concept to travel and shoot in 2011. He had a wood stove in his truck, but he believed it would be inappropriate since it was too “ski bum.” Long-term RV rentals also turned out to be out of their price range.
They ultimately decided to construct their little dwelling. With the help of some friends and family members and his natural building talent, Zack finished the house in just over 7 weeks. They were fortunate to have a sponsor (Outdoor Research) who provided funding for the study.
The project was named “Livin’ Tiny: A Quest for Powder”, where that season’s journey and skiing adventures were documented.
Five people stayed in the little house on some days (and nights) during that first ski season, according to Molly, Zack’s wife. If you do the arithmetic, you’ll find that this only amounts to 22.4 square feet per person, not counting space for “avalanches” of ski and snowboard equipment (to use Molly’s phrase).
After season one, Zack and Molly moved into the modest house, and other than the occasional visitor, it is now just the two of them.
Where Skiing Has Taken Him
He recently traveled to Alaska and had a great time there. He said it was tough to beat Japan. Uruguay and Chile. He has made a lot of acquaintances in South America and has grown loyal to it. the entire continent of the United States and isolated regions of Canada. He has taken part in heli-trips that would not have been possible without what he is doing. He never anticipated having encounters like these.
How Does He Prepare For His Trips?
He compares the planning for lengthy journeys to summertime home construction. He never stops thinking about those trips in his head. The stability of the snow is essential. He has enough experience with huge skis to know what equipment to bring and have it ready every day. He asserts that repairing huge lines requires patience and allowing the snow to fall at the proper time. You cannot force big lines. “The only thing you can do is wait for the right day while being ready.” He makes an effort to defer to the mountains. If the snow and conditions are ideal, then that will be his chance.
How Does He Feel About Being A Famous, Sponsored Skier?
Everyone remarks that he is living the dream as they observe what he is doing. He asserts that the task he is performing right now is difficult. Traveling and filming detract from powder turns. He was likely receiving the most powder of anyone in the world while residing in a van at the Mt. Baker terrain park. He claims it takes a lot of time away from skiing, but he is not trying to win pity. He waits for the cameras while he is not skiing. But he says doing what he loves while living out of it at his age is a win, so he is extremely grateful for everything he’s achieved.
Tiny House Nation
John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, renovation experts and hosts of Tiny House Nation, travel across America to showcase inventive small homes and the creative people who live in them, as well as to assist new families in designing and building their own miniature dream homes in areas no larger than 500 square feet. This series celebrates the rapidly growing small home movement and features tiny homes across the country, including a micro-apartment in New York City, a train car turned residence in Montana, and a micro-sized mobile home for road trips. The show is not your normal design program; it features expensive and inexpensive designs, demonstrating that imagination often triumphs over largeness and luxury.
Tiny Home Building Workshops
The Operation Tiny Home team and Zack Giffin teamed up to teach the fundamentals of carpentry and building to the veteran and active military community while helping a local veteran who is experiencing housing instability and homelessness.
Their seminars offer participants the chance to acquire skills with many of the pieces of equipment used in home construction while learning about various building materials, the procedure, and how each step influences the subsequent ones throughout the project.
The dry-in courses include fundamental and advanced topics like understanding blueprints, laying a foundation, constructing walls, installing windows and doors, installing siding and trim, and general tiny house design principles.
The final steps of the carpentry process, including installing finish woods, trim, baseboards, stairs, and unique multifunctional furniture made especially for tiny home living, are covered in the finish carpentry workshops. Every ability level is welcome here! They want workshop attendees to have a good time, pick up a few new skills, and meet some new people.
Tiny Home Industry Association
THIA is a non-profit organization that promotes regulation changes, establishes best practices and construction laws, and tries to make tiny houses more accessible by making them permissible as permanent housing.
In the future, according to Zack and his colleagues, individuals will have more access to affordable, environmentally friendly, secure, and safe housing options.
As THIA expands, they work to effectively represent the wide range of commercial and non-commercial interests in the sector as well as the larger tiny house community in the US and throughout the world.
FAQs
Where Has Giffin Participated Before THN?
Zack had worked on video projects for ESPN, Skiing, and Powder Magazine before Tiny House Nation. Additionally, he had been profiled in all of the top ski magazines.
When Was THIA founded?
The Colorado Blueprint 2.0 Initiatives, in collaboration with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and under the direction of former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, supported the launch of the THIA as a trade organization in 2016.
What Does He Enjoy The Most About His Lifestyle?
According to Zack, his tiny abode contains all the amenities you would expect in a house, except for a toilet. The best luxury, though, is enjoying more time.
He claims that eliminating the commute from skiing gives you more time to complete chores, take care of everyday obligations, and still have some free time that you must fill. He uses that time to do the things he likes to do, like reading, drawing, and playing his guitar.
The Wrap-Up
Zack sees tiny houses as a powerful tool; once a person has a good understanding of how homes are constructed as well as proficient knowledge of the use of the tools required, they not only have a valuable skill set that can create new job opportunities but also a pathway to creating an affordable housing solution.
Zack’s journey has been inspiring. He enjoys doing what he loves while also helping people learn everything about it.
