Country veteran Kenny Chesney has returned a fan-made drinking device after it survived the devastation of Hurricane Irma last year (17) to signify the unbreakable bond he shares with devotees.
The singer had originally been gifted the shotski, a ski with a number of shot glasses attached to it, by Michele Henke at a Kansas City, Missouri show at Arrowhead Stadium in 2016, after he spotted the fan and her family using the custom item in the venue's parking lot before the gig.
Chesney had an associate offer Henke a trade for the black and white shotski, which was decorated with the words "No Shoes Nation" as a tribute to the name of his fan base, and ended up giving her a signed guitar in exchange.
He showed off the piece of memorabilia onstage at the concert, and a photo of the moment ended up becoming the cover art for his 2017 album Live in No Shoes Nation.
Chesney put the shotski on display at his bar in the Virgin Islands, where he owns a home, and reveals it actually emerged unscathed from the hurricane which destroyed much of the paradise location last September (17).
"It was one of few things that made it through Hurricane Irma, believe it or not, and I just felt like it described our bond, how strong our bond was between me and the audience, and I decided when it made it through, that I was gonna bring that shotski back, and give it back to the person that gave it to me," he told breakfast show Good Morning America.
Chesney followed through with his vow in mid-July (18), when he performed back at Arrowhead Stadium once more, and invited Henke backstage to surprise her with the present.
"This is obviously the ski you guys gave me two years ago...," the singer told Henke, according to The Associated Press. "I can't tell you how many times that me and my island friends used that shotski. Every day around three o'clock."
Kenny also wrote a special message for his fan on the ski, which now holds pride of place in Henke's home.
