A conversation with the ultimate hipster of Bozeman

Hipsters of Bozeman: you may have heard of it. This cornerstone Instagram account perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of Bozemanites spanning from Bridger Bowl to Big Sky. From Four Corners to Livingston. From Roskie to The Quads. If you have ever wondered about the mysterious entity behind HOB, then you’re really out of luck here because they do an excellent job at staying anonymous. Join me now for an exclusive conversation with Hipsters of Bozeman themselves.

AC: Hipsters of Bozeman's IG has been active for about six years now, has it been the same admin(s) the entire time, or is there a passing of the torch?

HOB: We are a commune of writers mainly looking to achieve some comic relief alongside the hipsters of Bozeman and occasionally at the expense of realtors.

AC: How did the Hipsters of Bozeman start? How has it grown to its current 27k followers?

HOB: I just created an IG account while I was working in Yellowstone in college. This is a grassroots movement. The Montucky sweepstakes have been instrumental to our success.

AC: How does HOB get their photo content?

HOB: I have hired my younger brother mainly to spend time in Bozeman to capture the photos. Occasionally we will pull from the archives of user submitted content if he’s at a scooter tournament or something.

AC: What's the caption writing process?

HOB: Channeling pure angst and heart tingling chagrin related to Sitka bois, and faux cowboys/cowgirls/cowtheys is a key element. The rest is thanks to PBR, Collective Elevation, and a traumatically comical relationship with my uncle Terry out in Wayne County.

AC: Is there a sort of ethos, or philosophy when it comes to creating content for HOB?

HOB: I just want to make light of the hilarity that is a result of the techy meets wannabe cowboy meets ski/trout bum which encapsulates what Bozeman used to be and what it is becoming.

AC: What would you say are the different species of Bozeman Hipster?

HOB: Chaco wearers and non Chaco wearers pretty much sums it up. Oh, and realtors.

AC: Has anyone ever gotten mad that they were featured on HOB?

HOB: My own mother twice and some guy made me take down a video of his tabby cuddled up next to a pack of Marlboro Golds.

AC: Do you have any funny stories about running the page?

HOB: I once met George Strait in Big Sky and had no idea who he was (apparently he’s a big deal) so I awkwardly said “well I run a rather (locally) famous Instagram account @hipstersofbozeman.” He had no idea what that was so that put us on what I felt was a fairly level playing field.

AC: What sorts of posts perform the best on HOB? Is it the type of hipster? The caption?

HOB: Train car derailments in which beer has spilled do fairly well apparently. Beyond that, relatable content in which the subject is wearing visually appealing colors. *see beacon man in Town and Country.

AC: How do you think Bozeman's boom has affected the Hipster market?

HOB: The hipsters are flourishing and they’re only encouraged by the never ending flow of sprinter vans and remote workers.

AC: Sometimes HOB promotes GoFundMe fundraisers and does giveaways and things like that, can you talk about the "giving back" aspect of the page?

HOB: There is a tiny bit of a platform here, certainly more than my accounts about the similarities between Pacific Northwest botany and the lack of icing near the edge of a Pop Tart pastry, so I figure why not use it to atone for my past sins.

AC: What sort of effect do you think HOB has had on Bozeman or MSU in general?

HOB: Well, we couldn’t keep the Scoop from closing so I would feel like I was reaching to say we’ve had any kind of meaningful impact at all.

AC: What's the future of HOB look like?

HOB: Most likely just like a derailed train car full of Coors Light. If we’re lucky.

AC: Any parting words?

HOB: If you’re driving up to Big Sky and you have 6+ vehicles trailing behind you and 0 cars in front of you, your mother, father, grandma, auntie, uncle, sister, second cousin, step brother and fishing guide should be ashamed of you.

There you have it. If anyone could set up another Coors Light train car derailment, it seems like they’d really appreciate it. Thanks to Hipsters of Bozeman for getting real. Give them a follow (if you don’t already) @hipstersofbozeman.