Local Color
Park City has its share of charismatic citizens …
Photography and Concept: Dan Campbell
Geoff Tabin
Because he holds degrees from Yale, Oxford and Harvard, you might think the most developed part of Geoff Tabin is his brain — but in fact, it’s his heart. Professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and director of the international ophthalmology division at the University of Utah’s Moran Eye Center, Dr. Geoff is also co-founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project. Since 1994, Geoff, along with his partner Dr. Sanduk Ruit and staff they’ve trained have screened 1.5 million patients and performed over 75,000 cataract surgeries in mountainous Asia. Geoff was the fourth person in the world to reach the highest summits on all seven continents and jokes that he’s the only corneal specialist in the world with calluses on his fingertips. “While traveling for climbing to third world countries, I discovered that of all the public health issues, the one real miracle I could perform was cataract surgery. There are 18 million people in the world who are blind from cataracts.”
What drives him to do as many as 80 surgeries a day when he travels to Asia?
“I can’t think of anything else to do!” he laughs. “No, really, I truly love doing surgery. And it’s my small way of being able to help in the world. I’ve found my niche. To help people see again is amazing. I still get a thrill out of it.”
Geoff and his family (wife Jean, children Daniel and Sara) moved to Park City four years ago. Geoff works one day a week at the Moran Eye Center at Redstone Health Center and will handle all of the emergency eye surgeries at our new hospital. Getting more notice for his international work (he was awarded the Dalai Lama’s Compassion Award in April and will be featured in upcoming issues of Outside Magazine and National Geographic Adventure), Geoff is still all about enjoying the moment. “I try to maximize every moment. The only thing we really have is today. I think a lot about compassion and kindness. I try to do little things to make the world a better place.”
Graham and Ethan Reynolds
At first glance, brothers Graham (15) and Ethan (12) Reynolds seem like pretty normal Park City teens. But look closer and you’ll discover more. The two are passionate about downhill mountain biking and could enthuse for hours in the sport’s vernacular about “nose manuals,” “tail whips” and “scrubs.”
In their first year competing this season, Graham podiumed 11 times in the Utah Downhill Series and then won the Wyoming State Championship, and Ethan podiumed three times in his division.
Then things get even more interesting. These honor-roll students are also savvy entrepreneurs. Three years ago, they created their own jewelry company “KGEK Jewelry” (their initials and those of their parents, Kathryn and Kevin). “We went to String Beads once and made necklaces for ourselves, and Mom wanted us to make earrings to match. We thought it was so much fun we just kept doing it,” says Ethan. “We studied the markets and local businesses — we looked in magazines to see what was popular,” explains Graham.
Selling their wares at the Park Silly Sunday Market and other local shows, the boys’ beautiful turquoise, silver, semi-precious gemstone and pearl creations are pleasing throngs of locals and visitors. “When people hear we have a jewelry company, they think it’s like paper clip chains or something … and then they see our work and say ‘oh my gosh!’ People walk up to our booth and think we’re just helping Mom out, and when they realize we’re the jewelers — boy — they are surprised!” With their profits, the boys have paid for two family vacations to Hawaii, invested in stock, donated to Furburbia and Doctors Without Borders, saved for college, funded savings accounts and happily support their downhilling habit. “Without the business, it would be really hard to afford the bikes and stuff.”
The satisfaction in the work? “When you see the smile on customers’ faces, and they’re so happy and tell you they don’t need a bag; they’re going to wear the piece right now.” Satisfaction in life? “Being joyful, going for it and trying to have fun with everything we do. And getting our schoolwork done so we can go biking.”
Jean Louis Montecot
Jean Louis Montecot’s trademark shaven head is as sleek as his eponymous Main Street restaurant. The native Frenchman has been in the states for 23 years and in Utah for 14, serving as chef at Sundance, Inn on the Creek and Goldener Hirsch before opening his own bistro three years ago (where he’s already garnered Wine Spectator awards, Zagat ratings and more). Famous for his enthusiastic social skills, he laughs, “I think I’m the most approachable person in this town!”
Of Park City he says, “I’m not really a skier, I don’t golf, but I love the people here. I love the size of Park City. You can do a lot and make a difference. I’ve supported almost every charity in this town. I’m not rich, but I believe if you help others, it will come back to you. I like hanging out with locals here at the restaurant, when they come in and sit and talk. And I don’t mind the growth in town — I like the growing part — you get to keep your job. I don’t know what people have to complain about! My kids (Stephanie and Matthew) like it here, too. It is a good place for them.”
Jean Louis’s annual “float” in the Fourth of July parade is always a hit, with his staff all marching down the street outfitted with “bald caps” to mimic his stand-out style. “That parade is what Park City is supposed to be. I know we get fancier every year, even the floats in the parade, but people moved to Park City to keep it simple. That’s the way I like it.”
“Every night at the restaurant, my favorite thing is to make sure I can please a table. I like a challenge to get people to relax. You take the blame for anything that happens to your customers that day, and you fix it. It’s like theater for me.
It’s like at 5 o’clock, the curtain opens, and I come out and put on a show. My goal each day is to make sure I make at least two people laugh. If you can make someone laugh, it will change your day.”
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