Gunnar’s Wings: Friends, family celebrate the life of teen fondly remembered as Goon

WILLOW — Less than a week after Gunnar Swan was shot and killed while sitting inside a vehicle in a Meadow Lakes neighborhood with a group of teens, friends and family gathered to celebrate the life of a 19-year-old fondly remembered as Goon.

Hundreds spent the day at Newman Park in Willow Feb. 2, gathered to do what Swan loved to do.

Race.

And Swan’s mother, Monika Swan, spent her day trading stories with Goon’s friends.

“I felt Gunnar all around. There was the exhaust and the sound and the families and everybody having fun, and this is exactly what Gunnar would've wanted and I want to thank everyone for what you did for him remembering him like this, because this is exactly what Gunnar would’ve wanted,” Monika Swan said.

Gunnar Swan died on the morning of Jan 27, the result of a gunshot wound to the neck. Jordan Flowers, 19, who was also in the Jeep with Swan, fired the shot that killed Swan, according to court documents, and has since been charged with murder. Flowers made another appearance in court on Tuesday. But Saturday, the focus was on the found memories of Goon Swan, who had an unbridled love for racing and motocross.

Before Saturday afternoon’s main races, hundreds gathered in a tent. Members of the Alaska Sno-Cross Lions spoke, reminiscing about Goon’s spirit. Dane Ferguson, President of the Alaska Sno-Cross Lions, remembered a particular instance early in 2018 when members of the community testified in front of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly to fight for racetrack regulations. Goon showed up with two of his friends and spoke to the assembly.

“That meeting was super impressive. I seen a skinny little stoner looking kid that looked just like me and he wasn’t there with our club, and he wasn’t there with the other Lions club, he was there on his own. At that age I would backflip a sled without checking the spark plugs but I would not go to something like that and talk in front of a crowd,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said that Goon spoke from his heart with passion about what he loved.

Racing.

Goon was awarded an extra three minutes to speak, something that is almost never done during public comment of government meetings.

“His dream was to go out and become a professional motocross rider. He wanted to become very good but he didn’t want the glory of that, instead he wanted to take those opportunities and he wanted to start programs to help kids learn how to ride,” Monika Swan said.

At just 18 years old, Goon got to work after the meeting.

“Gunnar hits me up and his first question is how can I help? I was like what? He was like I want to get involved. I want to help. Most people come and say can I use this, can you show me that, can I have this. That’s usually how people approach me and Gunnar said how can I help,” Ferguson said. “He went out he flagged with everybody. My son Brody wouldn’t have got onto his KTM 50 if it wasn’t for Gunnar.”

Ferguson invited Goon to live with him over the summer, not only so he could spend more time training, but because he was so helpful to the younger riders.

“We saw no better fitting way from the way that we’ve known Gunnar from the last eight months to a year than to just have us all hang out, ride, tell good stories, and help each other out. This isn’t a community coming together, this is Gunnar’s community coming together for his mother,” Ferguson said.

Riders competed in snowmachine races on the track Saturday at Newman Park. The food truck that had parked at Newman Park donated food for the day, and a potluck lunch was provided by those who came. A silent auction of different items was held to raise funds for the family, including a dirt bike. A poster board with Goon’s tattoo design was signed by his loved ones reminiscing over memories of Goon. After the races, lanterns were released into the sky in his memory. An anonymous donor gave a donation to establish a scholarship fund in Goon’s memory. The $2,500 scholarship will be awarded for the next five years to a rider intent on sharing their knowledge with others.

“He really went all out to try to get young kids a motorcycle. He would get spare parts and put them together. You talk to almost any of these young riders and they’ll tell you that it was Gunnar that got them started,” James Armitstead, Goon’s grandfather said. “He just loved people and he worked as hard as he could to help out other people. It’s who he was. He was really truly honestly a giving person.”

Even those who weren’t in Willow to race came out to support the young racers like Goon would have done.

“I know he would love it. He was all about bringing the community together and having fun, leaving all your stuff at the door just everybody being friends and having a good time,” Kenzie Chambers, Goon’s friend said. “I think he would be really happy that everybody showed up and did this for him. It would warm his heart.”

In the wake of this tragedy, the community has rallied around this young man and what he accomplished in 19 short years. An artist that goes by the moniker Lyrical Los released a song on soundcloud in Goon’s memory a day after he was shot.

“Never know when we might rejoin soon. It’s a bird it’s a plane it’s Goon. No other personality alike, escape reality on his bike,” Lyrical Los raps. “I’ve never seen a kid who brings me so much warmth, so much love, always greeting with a hug.”

Monika Swan said that she has received message after message from his friends recalling his bear hugs.

“Tattoos of bumblebees so humble and so kind, so different in the mind,” Lyrical Los raps. “Long live the legend Goon, I know you hear my tunes, G swan this one’s for you.”

One of the places Goon was a stalwart was at Clean Slate Tattoo. He spent so much time there, he even parked his dirtbike at the shop when he was told by police that he couldn’t ride his dirtbike in city limits. Goon had all four of his tattoos done at Clean Slate, at least the professional ones. Goon had a few tattoos that he and friends had done on each other. His bumblebee tattoo was a homage to his grandparents, who keep bees, with his motocross number 72 inside. Goon had a tattoo of a shovel so that he would always have one with him on his bike in case he needed to build a jump.

“Dirbikes your recipe, I know you’re sitting pretty, cr250 in heaven getting shifty, 144 on the side, backpack on the shovel for a daily ride,” Lyrical Los raps.

Newell had scheduled a tattoo with Goon, but he came and got his deposit back to spend on dirtbike parts. Alan Fach at Clean Slate helped Goon purchase all of his dirtbike parts, as he didn’t have his own bank account. Clean Slate has offered free tattoos in remembrance of Goon, and he was so close with the family at Clean Slate that some of his tattoos were given on the house. He would frequently try to get tattoos for free, joking with the Fach family.

“He was our family, but I keep saying that Gunnar would just be laughing knowing that he suckered me into tattooing 50 of his friends for free. I’m ok with that thought, and if you knew Gunnar you knew his snicker and the face he would make and I can see it and I love it,” Mindy Fach said. “I think in some it way would be for myself to do, like something nice to help me get through this somehow. I don’t know why, if I could make someone smile for a minute through something hard.”

Goon never got his bike finished for this season, but his memory lives on in the spirit of Valley riders. Each of Goon’s friends who got a tattoo wrote memories with him in a notebook at Clean Slate.

“With us putting some of Gunnar’s tattoos that he had on other people, I think like a part of him lives on with them and they want to keep it so they can see it and remember,” Newell said.

As the staff at Clean Slate inked Goon’s tattoos on his friends on Sunday, Mac Miller’s “Wings” played in the background.

“I'm just tryna ride, feel the breeze. With something bad beside next to me. Wind in my face, don't stop now when it feels so great,” Miller raps. “These are my wings.”

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com.