Locals gathered today to celebrate the all too short life of Isak Heartstone, the loving troll guardian of Breckenridge, celebrate a potential rebirth, and start kindness award.

Grey, looming clouds were beginning to form in Breckenridge as locals joined in a show of support for the glorious friend and mentor, Isak Heartstone. The gentle giant was– literally– decapitated on Thursday. On Saturday we celebrated all that he was, is, and hopefully will be. Rumors that the Town of Breckenridge and Artist Thomas Dambo will hopefully come to fruition and we can have a rebirth party as well. And the sun will shine again for Isak.

Tiernan Spencer, one of the event organizers, estimated there was roughly between 5 people to 10,000 people showing their support and love for our fallen friend. It was great to come together as a community and have fun in honor of an iconic Breckenridge legend. Little T spread roses around for Isak in the shape of heart, he would have been proud and felt happy. 

We live in a very special place, where we get to think about Forest Trolls. While so much of everyone’s world is negative, sad, and hurt, it is fun to be fighting for imagination, creativity, art, and beauty. We are grateful that the town is intending (and hopefully follows through) with rebirthing Isak (in a better location). Thank you for showing us that we are the town that every local knows we are, loving, supportive, imaginative, and awesome. An ugly chapter dividing us, will hopefully become something that unifies going forward. 

The Isak Heartstone Kindness Award

In honor of  our beloved friend and wood-creature, the Isak Heartsone Kindness Award has been created. Isak Heartstone is the first recipient, obviously. This award will be given monthly to a member of the Breckenridge community who demonstrates the traits that Isak had/has. Traits include:

• Kindness
• Compassion
• Gratitude
• Empathy
• Understanding
• Positive Attitude
• Overall Trollness (Being just awesome)

Why should you motivated to win this award you ask? Two reasons: If you have to ask the question evaluate your life, be kind. Second, a jar of homemade pickles from my private and only stock of pickles, homemade. 

While this award may seem silly to some, the recognition of kindness is not. I, Drew Mikita, will do my best to identify and recognize the SUBSTANTIAL amount of kindness and overall awesomeness in Breckenridge. If Isak’s rise, demise and (hopeful) rise has taught me one thing it is that the negativity is the vast minority, yet often heard because they are so damn loud. While the massive majority are quietly doing the kind, loving, Isak like thing. It is just drowned out by the loudness. 

Death and Dying Professor and Event Coordinator, Stacy Smith shared, “Grief comes in many different forms and presents in many different ways. 
Grief is like a flowing river that sometimes flows smoothly around the rocks in the way. Then it can be like a flash flood coming out of nowhere. Like a drought seemingly dried up and gone. Then something happens and the river flows again, ever changing! 

Grief is the absence of something you love. Isak symbolizes so much for so many. Part of his purpose and what has happened is to get a group of strangers to discuss grief and loss, positivity, community, and random things that bind us, like Isak. A reminder we are all fragile and have a community can allow us to share our feelings.”

Stacy Smith, LPC

Breckenridge (and everywhere) there are amazing people and stories out there. The thought of us being known as a place that has a beautiful, delicate, creature that the world is intrigued by and curious about, and we actually decapitated it. This is why we can’t have nice things. He is a member of our community, and represents us. He did kinda smell funny like us. Why do you think his hair looks like that? Clearly been skiing all day, Troll hat hair.

I look forward to awarding many Isak Heartstone Kindness Awards to you, the amazing community of Breckenridge. Mine and Isak’s proud home. Town Counsel, please don’t let us down, I believe in all of you to bring him home safely. The award will be given at Isak’s massive feet when is reborn from here on.

Mr. Dambo I speak for myself, and the surprisingly large number of people crazy enough to let me speak for them: Whatever you need to bring him back and feel like he is safe we will do.  We are sorry and embarrassed with what we have done to your incredible child. I am really good at moving rocks and telling jokes. Happy if you would allow us, the community, to help resurrect our favorite Guardian of Breckenridge. And friend, words can’t explain what Isak means to me.

A last word to you, Isak. Dear friend, it may seem like a dark time as you go into your witch-hunt-forced-hibernation. Know that we love you and are better as a community because of you. This is merely a difficult time, but you and all of us will be stronger and happier. You don’t deserve to live around any amount of hatred, like you had to. You are true peace (or piece right now). Isak, as my mom always tells me: Temporary Inconvenience, Permanent Improvement. Way to navigate Breck. We are going to find you a home where you belong, safe, serene, and jovial.  You. like all of us here, are, weird, gentle, and always in the woods: Home, Breckenridge.