Carl Peter Weiseth

Carl Peter Weiseth, entrepreneur, musician, writer, artist, renowned speedwing pilot, and music festival personality, died in Bellingham, Washington on May 25, 2026 at the age of 45. He was the founder of Third Eye Pinecones, SpeedFly.com, and other small businesses. He will be remembered at celebrations of his life later this Summer. Dates and locations will be shared as they are confirmed. Carl was the beloved son of Mark and Connie Weiseth of Bothell, Washington and the brother of Paul M. Weiseth of Bellingham, WA. He is survived by his parents and brother, 10 aunts and uncles, and 11 first cousins, who will all miss him terribly. Carl was a fun and adventurous child and “upwardly mobile” since he could walk. Immediately he could kick a ball, climb a picnic table and jump off the top while still in diapers. He shinnied up a pole on the ferry boat to get up to the captain’s cabin by age 2. He was forever climbing trees, cliffs, or anything to get higher. His favorite vacations were weeks spent at his grandparents’ home on Coeur d’Alene Lake, and wake boarding became one of his first sports. Carl was raised in the Christian faith, where he was involved in youth groups and practiced kindness and generosity toward others. Over the years he embraced a broader spirituality that reveled in nature and love for all people. Carl graduated from Woodinville High School in Woodinville, WA and earned a BA in Communications and Journalism from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Carl loved to read; if he finished a book and didn’t have a new one readily available, he would read that same book again. He took books to bed with him as a child and read when he was supposed to be sleeping. He loved to write, and filled journals, as well as church bulletins and scraps of paper with his thoughts, poetry, and new ideas. He put his education to good use as he worked in corporate communications immediately after college, moving on to editing books for a private publishing company in Santa Cruz, CA, designing websites for small businesses, then creating Third Eye Pinecones. Having discovered the natural beauty of the inside of a Knobcone Pine pinecone, he cut a slice and wore it around his neck until so many people asked if he could make them a pinecone necklace that he started the business of Third Eye Pinecones. The business grew mainly through sales at music festivals across the U.S. and in several other countries and then grew more on the internet. It became a full-time operation, providing creative work for numerous young artists and craftspeople. It brings Carl’s family comfort to know that hundreds of thousands of pinecone necklaces hang around the necks of people around the world. Carl had a sharp mind and was a huge and unique personality. Over the course of his short life he set out to learn and then master a very eclectic collection of skills. He would try out things like playing the piano, trombone, or taking judo lessons, decide he didn’t like it and quit. Then he’d try something else and practice and practice and study and perfect his skills at things like harmonica, guitar, writing poetry, rollerblading, playing soccer, skiing and acting in school plays. Then he’d move on to something new. Like building a treehouse high up in an old growth Fir forest. After spending a semester studying at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, Carl broadened his skills further by learning how to play didgeridoo and how to spin Poi (a Maori art form originally from New Zealand). He perfected his beat-boxing skills and combined them with didgeridoo in a unique and entertaining way. He worked for so many hours and years on spinning poi that he advanced from twirling balls to twirling fire, and performed for large crowds. Next came rock climbing, complete with hand-hold grips screwed to the rafters of the family garage where he could practice hanging by his fingertips. Then slacklining, then waterfall diving. Carl and his brother built a beautiful house in the jungle of SW Costa Rica that was totally solar-powered and used local materials. He learned to play steel drums and djembe, the two-headed flute and other exotic instruments. Eventually he explored paragliding, fell in love with it, and pursued excellence in that too, leading to use of smaller and smaller wings – “speedflying”—combined with skiing. He and his brother enjoyed flying in the Swiss and French Alps for several months each winter. Carl discovered that this dangerous sport had no standards and very little formal training, so he created the first formalized rating and training program within the U.S. and began hosting Beginner-through-Advanced training clinics in Salt Lake City. He started a business, SpeedFly.com, providing this training, selling speedfly gear, helping to build a world-wide community of speedfliers. When recovering from various injuries, he pursued other sports like surfing, windsurfing, spearfishing, and electric skateboarding. Carl had many many friends; he constantly met new people and shared his ideas and heart with them. He was kind and befriended and mentored young people through his businesses and festival presence. He could also be sharp-tongued, analytical, critical, and harsh at times, but was softening over the years. He was learning to live more gently in his own skin. He is mourned by a large community world-wide, but especially by his loving family.

Carl Peter Weiseth

May 9, 1981 - May 25, 2026