Georgia Roadtrip GRC…. UGGGHHHH
This weekend James Hindes, Glenn Valentine and myself took a road trip up to Gravity Research Compound up in Eastman Georgia to hit some rails and work the transfer box to get ready for Wake Games next weekend. We got up here friday afternoon around 4 road a couple sets and then shreded our hearts out today. Its been a good trip I learned to hit the transfer and James and Glenn both have been getting tech. Glenn broke a brand new board Shane Bonifay gave him his first day after catching a support post and I took a few back edges learning how to transfer 270 to backlip on the Transfer box. Here’s some pics from riding today check it out and look for a short vid of the weekend coming this week. Thanks to Jeff and Wes for hooking us up out here and help progressing the Georgia wakeboarding and rail scene out here in the sticks of Eastman Georgia.
Peace
Rooftop Riding
Rail riding has become a huge part of wakeboarding. Giving riders to distinguish themselves in a different aspect then off the wake. The other day we headed over to hit a rooftop rail built by Zane, Derek, and Jeff House and the boys on Lake Lulu. Its a super fun jib that is super fun to slide and with easy ollies to get tech on. Heres some pictures of the session look for a quick Video soon. Thanks to Zane and all the guys on Lulu for letting us hit the rail.
Theatrical Extravaganza
As summers approaching the rush for movie releases is growing. I have figured I would enhance the excitement factor in my day and go appreciate a few theatrical experiences at the big screen. After seeing some new flicks I left with mixed emotions. Fast and the Furious, soo sick. Duplicity, dumbest most twisted, unnecessary movie in the history of dumb, twisted, unnecessary movies. Fast and the Furious brought back some old school homeboys from the original and the plot intertwined with the third, Tokyo Drift. The cars and the plot is badass and the end leaves you hanging for another. Duplicity staring Julia Roberts, who still looks amazing, and some douche named Clive Owen is simply a waste of two and a half hours and ten dollars. I will say there are some badass looking movies coming out one in particular is Public Enemies. A movie starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, the feds try and take down Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Flyod during a booming crime wave in the 1930s. I hope this helps you next time your late for a movie and pondering what to see. Don’t make the same mistake I did.
Later
Easter Weekend
Whats up?! This past easter weekend was full of fun-filled festivities. My buddy Gilligans’ mom and sister came to town for a few days so we spent some time in Orlando hanging with them. With days full of hockey team parties for Dave’s sons hockey team and Easter with Betty and Frank, and night full of hot tubing and makeshift poolside bartending. Alot of good times and funny stories, that will been blown out of proportion as all great stories, made this weekend memorable. The next couple of weeks are packed with riding, going to Georgia and getting ready for Wake Games. Ill keep y’all posted on any updates in the next few weeks. (Ya that’s right I said y’all and drive a old jacked up Chevy, I’m adopting the redneck lifestyle.)
Peace
Long term forecast… sucks and so do the Lightning
This past couple of days have been nothing but cold and windy. A wakeboarders paradise? Wrong. We like it hot with butter water and no hot lappers or shinanigens. With 30 mile and hour winds and a stifling temperatures of 56 degrees it doesn’t take much to kill the stoke levels. The forecast doesn’t look promising, it’s only supposed to get colder befor warming up by the weekend. This means alot of tournament water riding and consistancy in the head and tail wind. Im sooo stoked! Tonight to boost or spirits and get our mind off the weather I went to the Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Pittsburg Penguins. It was a good game which started slow and looked to be a blow out by the Penguins but after 8 minutes in the third the Lightning lit it up and made a come back. After a few beers, a couple of fights a pizza slice and a 5-3 bullshit win for the penguins we called it for what it was and will say goodbye to the Lightning until next year.
Bummed out…
The past couple days have been moderatly slow compared to the I do 35 in the 50 zone lifestyle I have been living. But all things have come to a halt. The same day I landed that toe 7, and the stoke levels were huge, the buzz was quickly killed and our boat broke down as we snapped the shaft. This has put us out of commision from wakeboarding for the past couple days and I have quickly realized all the things I am not doing with my life when I am not wakeboarding. Instead of being at the bowling ally working on my spin, or at the links working on my short game I am sitting at home doing nothing with my life, not even watching drama filled tv sit coms like the OC. To try and compensate, yesterday I decided to go to the gym and make myself feel like I have done something with my day. After a round trip of 32 minutes, it wasn’t as satisfying as I made it sound in my head. Today the boat is supposed to be fixed and I am eager to get back on the water, but wouldn’t you know I get woken up this morning at the crack of 10, to the sound of thunder and lightening with rain beating off the roof. When it rains in Florida it pours.
Later
720 Status
Wakeboarding has become a sport that I live for. Being able to go out everyday and ride without any stress or pressure is my favourite thing in world. Although I get so much joy out of riding its the feeling of learning a new trick that makes it all worth while. This morning I hit the water for my first set and everything clicked. Off the dock hitting Whirly, Tootsie, Moby Dick, and Crow Mobe in a line was something I had been working on for a while, but it was the end of the set that made it what it was. I have been trying toeside 720’s for the past couple weeks and have come really close but couldn’t ride away. After trying a few today and eating shit on a back edge, I went out and stuck it on my 5th try. This is why I wakeboard to push myself and others to do something they haven’t done befor. Watching my good buddy and roommate Gilligan jump out of the boat was awesome. As of tomorow we’ll be filming our sets everyday so keep an eye out for some video clips in the next few days.
Later
O-Dub
The Canadian National development team has been in town this week riding and training for the upcomming season. I got a call from a good buddy of mine Robbie McMillin saying that the team was up at Orlando Watersports Complex and to come and shred. Gilligan and I cruised up there and got in a good hour of riding with the team. It was a fun day, hitting some heel 5’s off the kicker and throwing a few 7’s. Gilligan is getting good at greasing the A-frame and Robbie and I had some good hits on Nessy. If you haven’t been to OWC its definatly something you need to do when comming to Orlando. Check it out at www.orlandowatersports.com Every wednessday is half price after 4 o’clock so Ill try and get some pictures up asap.
Later
Fox Spring ‘09
Over the past year and a half now I’ve had the awesome oppourtunity to ride for a company which has become an influential part of the wake Industry. Fox supports some of the to riders in the world including, Parks Bonifay, Danny Harf, Rusty Malinoski and Jimmy Lariche. Although i dont ride on the pro team with them I have had the oppourtunity to ride with them up in Clermont, Florida. Watching guys I have grown up idolizing was a huge motivation to where I want to take my wakeboarding. The new ‘09 line up for Fox Racing clothing line this year looks really good with some new designs and collections. Check it out at www.foxhead.com and see what these guys have been up to and the current look for spring ‘09. I give thanks to Dave Radcliffe and all the guys at Fox Racing Canada for supporting me and making sure I dont look like a complete teenage bum. Heres some photos from a little riding on Lake Minihaha.
Beach Volleyball
Lately I’ve decided that with the day only having 24 hours in it, I might as well not sleep for 12 of them. I am on the 8 am wake up program and on the water by 9. This way i figured I could ride both my sets with Briscoe in the morning and have the rest of my day to help benefit my day to day life as well as my wakeboarding. Although having the right mindset and positive thinking, during the rest of my day I find more then enough time to head over to my buddys’ James and Glenn’s apartment and hit the volleyball court. Lately we’ve been playing Canadians vs Americans and I really cant say who has the advantage. So instead of going to the gym or maybe hitting rails at owc, I have taken a more relaxed approach to my floridian lifestyle and stuck to the beach. So if you ever make it down here to Central Florida and you cant find me on the lake working on getting my Crow Mobe consistant or working on that toe 7, try looking at the volleyball court where im working on my forearm pass or spike .