Rainy Days

Doing an outdoor sport has its pros and cons. I love being out in the sunshine and bluebird days when the warm air hits your face to give you a cozy feeling inside. However, it is not always that ideal. These past four days has been the complete opposite. It has been pouring here with huge wind gusts, although I do love hearing the rain drops exploding on the tin roof, it’s not fun to snowboard in this weather.

So I have been filling my days with going over the copious amounts of emails I have been collecting in my inbox for the past four year, I am now down to 980 emails as oppose to 1900. I have been catching up on business which needed attending to, sending off photos to sponsors, watching movies, going to the gym, etc. All very mundane to me when compared to boosting airs in the half pipe. I find my situation similar to that of Mathew Mcconaughey’s in the movie Surfer Dude where he waits seemingly forever for waves to come in.

Tomorrow I will head to Christchurch to see some good friends whom recently had a baby. I am looking forward to spending time with Lori and Graham Strickert and their new baby Taz. You know the type of friends who you always just pick up where you left off? That’s these guys for me, where it’s about the quality and not quantity of time spent. As I get older and more transient I find these are the friends who truly love you and I value these friendships the most.

I will be away from the mountain for a week, the time off will be good in the sense that it will give me a good break from snowboarding so my hunger for it will mount. Time to reset the mind and body is always a good choice to avoid being burnt out.

It's Fun to Be a Kid

Days off are the best, I really enjoy taking some time for myself off snow, especially after a great day of training, you know leave on a good note. The time off is important in keeping the balance of mind and body, also to get hungry again for the snow. Besides much easier to take time off when the skies are full of low lying grey rain clouds complete with showers.

I spent my day hanging out with my roommate who is a close decade younger then me and a friend from Germany who I met three years ago but is finishing up his law degree down here in New Zealand.

I had a vigorous workout in the gym where at the end I taught Palmer, the teenager, a handful of core workouts with explanations included of how they were beneficial to snowboarding and general health. I am a firm believer in strength to battle injury; this is what I was trying to pass on to my younger protégé for the day. She did great and after we had a foam roller party to loosen our tired snowboarding muscles.

After a very satisfying lunch we left for Puzzling World, a tourist attraction in the town of Wanaka. It’s full of optical illusions and different rooms to leave your mind boggled or expanded. It was really fun hanging out with the carefree and fresh teenager and old friend whom I had not seen in about a year, something I have not done in a while. Spending time with Palmer made me want to be seventeen again. We had so much fun shooting video with my Cybershot camera and running around the place. There were a cluster of tables at the exit of the attraction with various puzzles on them and this is where we sat for a good length of time getting puzzled. This was perfect way to spend the afternoon when it was wet and uninviting outside.

This day ended with a Thai dinner where the kid rookie and my national team teammate joined us. Supper was full of conversation that crossed all age groups and we old dogs enlightened the new ones on life lessons and the culinary delights of Thailand. Right now, as I yawn to myself, I am very surprised at how tired I am from all the excitement of my day off the snow. I have a feeling of delight that I get to pass on things I have learned from my experiences and practices. Furthermore, I may not be seventeen but I can still appreciate the excitement that encompasses being that age.

Show me the Support

Man, why does it have to get so hard? Over the past little while I have been dealing with a lot. Life does not get easier as the Games get closer. Not that I ever expected it to but there are always things going on behind the scenes that are hard to share with the public. Dealing with sponsors, coaches, finding good pipes and fairness in federations can be the hardest part. The snowboarding is easy element; it’s what makes all the tears, yelling and loaded emails worth while.

When there are only six months left every day counts and I have to make the most of it every time my board glides through the pipe. Having a coach keep a watchful eye, or better yet a Handycam, on you is imperative to progress; believe it or not getting those eyes can be a huge mission. Lately my coach has been slipping and I am getting frustrated with the lack of attention and professionalism I am getting. The even more exasperating piece is a sliver tongue which is very convincing to my sponsors to the point where my constant cry for help is mistaken for drama. My needs are simple and the roles should be clear but they get clouded by excuses made to look like my faults. I didn’t realize that wanting to ride cloud or shine, hard snow or soft snow, was a bad thing. I try to enlighten my investors about the industry and its workings and I come short of doing so because my points get intercepted by third parties. Sometimes I am at my wits end and I want to give it up for an uncomplicated lifestyle of school or normal work but I know I can’t stop now. I am lucky to have a couple of brilliant minds to keep me on track no matter what my sponsors or coaches say or do to me. Thank you to those people.

Finding proper training grounds at this time of year can be an even harder task. Here in New Zealand there are amazing conditions for practicing and I am currently trying to stay longer to make the most of the snow features. Counting on the weather two months in advance is a gamble that shouldn’t be taken during a qualifying year. You would think taking a proactive approach would be the right idea instead of being idle while the southern hemisphere winter passes you by. However, it feels like a battle to get the resources I need to maximize my advancement and I can’t understand why that is.

Being rational is not something my federation is proficient at, being hypercritical is more their forte. The qualifying for the Olympics is performance based and is decided just before the event. It would seem like a logical approach to apply this to a substantial contest as well, but alas it is based on a theory of opportunity rather then performance. The just action would be to include those athletes who are riding the best at that time in the contest and not a list that was composed weeks prior to the event. This would be the best for the riders and put Canada in the most optimal position for results. In sport there are always politics and this is what diminishes people’s sprit and love of the game.

Thus, all of these features have compounded for me over the last little while giving me a bad feeling in my heart and aches in my head. Currently as an athlete I am in a place where talk is cheap an actions mean the world. I feel my support team seems to help each other more then they help me. I would think in my ten years of snowboarding I have seen a thing or two and I know what works for me. If my riding has improved it is because I understand a lot more about the bio mechanics of half pipe riding, not just because someone different is yelling at me to bend my knees and look up. They all tell me they believe in me and I believe in me, they just make it hard to believe in them. If it looks like I have gone over the edge it is just because you were not listening in the first place so I had to yell to get attention. Truly, I am focused, I have planned and I am going to conquer.

Different but the same

Here in New Zealand things are a little different from Canada, which you would expect going to another country. Not only do the toilets flush in a different direction but they also drive on the other side of the road which puts the driver’s seat is on the other side of the car (this can be very confusing at first when you are running for shotgun) and I get a bit frustrated when I set off the wipers when I am suppose to be signaling. People say “mate” a lot and other strange words like “ta”, “oy” and “sweet as” (if those are words). Sometimes I have to ask native people to repeat what they have said to me because of the slang used here. When I was working out I had to remember to convert the pounds in to kilograms, at the start I wondered why a weight with a 10 engraved on the surface was so heavy. All these traits are adopted from their once ruling country of Britain but it’s clear that New Zealand has its own flavor.

Not only do I find differences in this country but also with my placement in it. I am currently staying in a house with the range of ages being from 17 to 31 and I am sharing a room with someone ten years younger then me. A little different from the boarding lifestyle I lived through high school but it’s still dealing with people in close quarters. I am grateful for the skills I learnt during that time because I can utilize them now. For example I have to accept the messes in the common areas, where if I were at home it would drive me crazy. At times I find myself cleaning up after the younger ones and even the older one because I naturally take on a mentoring and nurturing role. Yesterday I taught one of the kids how to start a dishwasher after I got over the fact that he did not know how to do this simple process (what kind of kids are people raising? Teach self reliance not just self esteem!). Today I made dinner for a bunch of them and after reminded them to wax their boards where I taught a waxing 101. All of these tasks are very different from my normal life of mostly living on my own and they are a challenge from time to time but a great reminder of how lucky I am to be able to live in a solo manner. I am so happy I have the gym to escape to.

Fortunately snowboarding is the same no matter where I am and here it is back to full o n winter. Including cold crisp mornings completed by feeling the icy air through your nostrils and seeing it slightly crystallize in your breath. I wake up, eat, drive, ride, hike, ride, hike, etc, until I have to eat again. Then head down the mountain, snack, workout, make dinner, work a little, snack and then off to bed. The life is not as glamorous as some think but I live it and love it.

The Gift of Travel

Traveling is something I have always loved. It is the adventure that draws me in and excites me. I was the tender age of 17 when I first ventured alone and it was a trip to Australia for a student exchange. I still get the same feelings when I reach an airport now as I did on that first day of departure.

Coming to New Zealand used to be a total flight time of 24 hours, not including layovers. Now it has been cut to 15 hours, thank goodness for the Vancouver to Auckland direct flight and my Play Station Portable. Still, once you have connected to that last flight to the southern island (after a 5 hour layover) and then shuttled to your final destination it has been a long voyage. I am happy to say that dealing with the jet leg is much easier when you are traveling east to west than the other way. Going home is another story.

At least I am here now in the cozy town of Wanaka. It is a beautiful little town on a blue lake which has cinnamon colored mountains with snow as white icing. This is my fifth year here and I am very familiar with the infrastructure of the city and this is soothing to me when you are this far away from home. The local people are very nice once you get over some of the cultural differences and I end up seeing the same half pipe snowboarders who also follow winter. The only thing I can never get over is the houses here.

It’s always cold at night. Central heating is not common in the housing; only the main gathering room and kitchen are heated mostly by a wood burning stove. Only select newer homes maybe heated by floor heating. There might be an oil heater that can be carted from room to room depending on where you are, if you’re lucky. Other huge factors are that some houses are not insulted and have single pane windows! You never know what you’re going to get since most houses are rented over the internet, so I am sure to travel with my own duvet to keep toasty. This is key to getting a good night sleep so work can be done the next day.

Riding is the best job, as I have expressed before, and I was pleased to go to work today. Friends tell me it was the best day of riding all month. The sun was out and the pipe had a perfect cut on it, a great opener for my first day up the mountain. It was all fun today dropping in on the 22ft transition and I loved every minute of it. Even hiking that steep slope didn’t bother me because I was so elated from the experience. I would never know this had I not traveled here.

So to everyone who has never left their province, state or town. Get out there and travel around, see the wonderful features which surround you, voyage to the other side of your country or even better grab a passport and go to another country. Meeting the people, smelling the scents, tasting the foods, and gazing at the brilliant landscapes will enrich your life as it has mine.

Getting Things Done

Has anyone out there ever made a video? I just made my first video and it took me ages longer then I had expected. About eight hours over two days for a five minute video. I guess it didn’t help that it was working with new software and new equipment. The picture in the corner shows how crazy I got at some points. It was defiantly a learning experience. Please take a look at it and pass it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW_fauFGlEs

Thank goodness I have a great outlet to beat the frustrations out of me, the gym. On Saturday I did a killer workout. Squats, chin-ups and bench press, followed up with dead lifts, high pull and an over head bar press. I did some core and stretching and I felt so much better. Yesterday, I ran shuttles followed up with a 30 seconds on and 30seconds off sprinting set. Today, it was back to the gym for a final workout before I leave and I quarter squatted 315lbs. Pushing that load is a great feeling, once that bar is off your back you feel as light as air (oh, and no bar pad either, throws off your balance). . I’m happy to get in a heavy workout before I sit on a plane for fourteen hours. Those Sony cordless headphone are the best in the gym, I really have the freedom to move around with out the worry of getting tied up in wires.

So now it’s a whirlwind to leave. I am in my final stages of packing, going though my check list which I have developed over the years and making sure the rest of my life is in order before I leave. I have taken a couple of days off my blog so I thought I would squeeze in one before I make my way down to Vancouver. My next one will be written from down under where I will be in winter again. I must say that I am a bit sad to leave summer behind so soon, I was really enjoying the warm outdoors. C’est la vie, I guess this is what I get for loving snowboarding.

It’s really great to be home

Yesterday I spent at home and I really enjoyed it. After writing my blog it was off to the gym. I had a harder workout then normal because I don’t have to be hiking the pipe all day today and so I knew I could push more in the gym. I did what I call an 8’s workout, 8 sets of 8 reps with four different exercises in two rounds and no rest. My first round was deep squats, tuck jumps, chin-ups finished with a bench press. The next round consisted of dead lifts, VMO Squat, push-press and bent over row. Then I finished with a 15 min core workout and 15mins of stretching. Sounds like a lot when I write it out but it goes by fast. I don’t mind working out because it has become a part of my lifestyle.

After a shake, a big meal and some computer work I treated myself to some anime. For those who are unfamiliar with anime you might know it as Japanimaton (cringe) or along the lines of Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon. However, there are many kinds of anime out there. I like the more technical drawings with deep story lines; some of my favorite ones take place in feudal Japan with samurais and ninjas. The one I was watching had more of a military feeling and they fought in big machines. Anime is my little geek out secret that I am sharing with you. I love watching anime and it looks and sounds awesome on my Sony home theater system.

Another great aspect about being home is having my kitchen. Cooking is a great outlet for me and last night I had bbqed kebabs, rice and green beans. For dessert…smoores…Yummy! It really is better than any restaurant and I have to eat at a lot of restaurants when I am on the road. Overall, a perfect relaxing day.

Today, I have already gone for my run; it was a sprinting day for me and I have the best shoes to run in. The Nike Zoom Vomero3 makes me feel like I am running on clouds. They are my favorite shoes in the Nike repertoire and have really changed how I feel about running. Still no matter what shoes I was wearing this morning it was still an early one for me and it’s not always easy to drag my sore body out of bed and go running. But I did it and feel so good after, it’s worth it.

Now I am heading down to the city. I think I will hit up some pitch and putt. These courses are sweet 100yrd holes where you play with only a 9 iron and a putter, just the right amount of golf for an ADD person like me. I think I will head to china town for some moon buns and look for a long lost anime classic Princess Mononoke that I no longer have in my collection. Whatever I do I know it will be fun because Vancouver it a beautiful city that is full of great active people.

Camping IS in-tents

After only one night in my own bed it was time to get ready for my camping adventure. I had to collect my camping gear from around the house, run around Squamish for the rest of my supplies and then drive up to Pemberton to meet with the crew. These tasks at first seemed easily done, that is until I received all the calls to pick up items needed from the rest of the group. It wasn’t until 5pm that I started my way to the meeting place.

When I arrived in Pemberton I was greeted with smiles and hugs from friends whom I had not seen in a long while, some even years. The weather was a bit cloudy but I was excited to see Crispin in good spirits. We all rallied together to form the convoy traveling to the camping destination, Birkinhead Lake.

I had already been to this camping spot a couple of summers ago, so I was familiar with the set up. There was a provincial camping park at the end of the 12km road, but there was also a sweet private campsite half way in. I suggested this spot for our group as to not disturb other campers in the area. After a brief reconnaissance from the group it was decided we would camp there.

We all quickly set up camp; I was sleeping in my SUV because I did not trust the BC weather and knew my luck was not the best with camping, and then started making dinner. I love eating out in the woods with a bunch of friends, it’s such a raw experience. Good meals always seem better when catching up with old colleagues.

The group ate and drank into the late hours of the night. Over to the north of our campsite we could see the eerie orange glow from the forest burning. It was our only glimpse of fire for the weekend because of the extreme fire ban in the area. We substituted our campfire for a bright LED lantern, not quite as exciting but understandable. Then it started to rain.

Thank goodness I had the comfort of my vehicle, it rained all night. Some were so soaked they left in the morning due to a poor fly over their tent. The rest of us were troopers lasting up until 4pm; when finally, after raining all day, I was the one who said “Maybe sushi is better”. I watched Crispin’s ears perk up as the idea sank in, we all agreed.

With the same efficiency we rolled in by we rolled out. By 6 we were at a warm dry table, back to civilization and wolfing down sushi. It was a short but very sweet time out in the bush. I was so happy to see Crispin enjoyed my birthday gift of snowmobile oil and the Sheppard Faiery card case.

I got home, unpacked and slipped into a hot bath. I was chilled to the bone and needed the warmth. Last night I slept as hard as I did the first night back from my Oregon trip. When I woke up this morning I was so grateful to be home and eager to get to my tasks at hand before I head down to New Zealand. Now, after this blog entry is done I get to go to the gym, go grocery shopping and finally work on some business stuff. I may not have a regular job but believe me, my career is still work. Still it’s the best damn work and I really enjoy doing it.

Home Sweet Home

I had my final day on snow yesterday and it was nice to be in the sun again. As I drove toward Mt. Hood I could not see the distinctive snow covered peak that seems to rise out of nothing. Instead all I saw was cloud, as if it was not there at all. However, as I made my way up the curvy tree lined road the clouds started to thin and the sunshine started to show. It was a beautiful day above the clouds and a perfect way to end my trip to Mt. Hood.

Not only was the weather ideal but so was the pipe. Seeing the fresh cut made me smile, I knew work was going to be done. Having my coach pay close attention to me and put me through drills, it turned out to be another productive day in the half pipe. We started early and ended early because this was only a third of the long day ahead.

After it was off to Hood River to say good bye to my new Hood River family and to pack up the car. As I have said before it was a pleasure meeting them and I am grateful to have them as friends.

Next I went on to Portland to pick up a few last minute presents for my good friend Crispin Lipscomb who turned 30 this week. I think he will be impressed with his Shepperd Farry Obey card holder, a one of a kind item to possess. I was very excited to purchase this gift for him.

Finally it was the long drive back up to Canada. Four and a half hours later I was at the boarder handing my passport to boarder control. It was midnight and I guess they had the time so they pulled me over for a random search. What was a time killer for them was just a killer to me. At last, after an hour of tearing through my possessions they handed me back my documents and I was on my way, tired and hungry. I decided Pho soup was a good solution to my frustrations, and it was.

Driving up I could see the devastation the forest fires were having on the stunning province of British Columbia. In Britania Beach there were actually fires on the cliff beside the highway, I was utterly shocked at how close it was to my home.

At 3am I pulled into my driveway, safe, exhausted and very relieved to finally be home. Nothing can describe that first night in your own bed after a long time away. Sleep came on fast and lasted until 11am. It was almost surreal waking up at home with my own comforts surrounding me. I am taking it all in because over the next two nights I will be camping for Crispin’s birthday celebration. This will be a whole other blog!

Wet and Rainy Day

This morning when I woke up I was greeted with grey skies and high winds. Not always the best sign when you are expecting to go up the mountain. I knew it must have been bad because when I looked out the window I could not see the beauty of Mt. Hood. Thankfully there is the internet and sure enough when I went to the Timberline website to check out their webcams all I saw was grey on three of the five cams and wet lenses on the other two. I came to the conclusion that I was not going up riding today.

I am looking forward to a day off snow. The past four days have been long, especially yesterday, but I have been taking a lot in. Yesterday was the best day. Although the weather was not as good as it has been, the pipe had a fresh cut on it and I was able to put together some great contest runs. After riding I went to the Town of Hood River to do some shopping and have a very enjoyable dinner with good friends. That night I headed over to the Page’s house where they were accommodating me. We had some great conversations about snowboarding and life. It was fresh to meet good people with wholesome values. I am grateful to have them as friends now.

But today is catching up day for me. Being in transit I missed an opportunity to write about my adventures. So, I found some internet and got to work. Not too much going on other then emailing and going to the gym followed by a big stretching session. Today I get to balance out the high intensity training I have been doing with some reflection. These days are equally as important as on snow days. The Page’s farm style log home and great hospitality provides the perfect environment to relax and get extra work done. Thanks so much to Jenny, Marcia, Jeremy and John for helping out a fellow snowboarder and just being amazing people.

Another day in Piperdise

I am close to the end of my Mt. Hood training and I am happy to say it has been a productive time here. Although the pipe did not have a fresh cut today it was still super fun. Even with a difficult and inconsistent pipe I still was able to put together competition runs, this made me very happy.

Not only is the riding great here, but so are the people. Because there are only so many half pipes in the world, I end up seeing the same people in different places. Today I was able to exchange names with a Jeremy Page, who is a native to the Hood River region. I have seen this kid in Colorado, California and Vermont and never had a chance to meet him. The one thing I have always noticed about him, other then his massive airs and Terje Haakonsen style, was that he always rode with a ton of heart. I really respect that. However, the coolest aspect of meeting him was that his mom and sister were out taping and cheering him on, even on this very normal day. It was awesome to see that kind of support on the mountain. Still, it gets better. After conversing with his family about snowboarding in Hood and how my coach and I were looking for a new place to stay they offered us a room at their house. It really made me think about how remarkable our snowboarding community is; people who barely knew us were inviting us to stay in their home. So rad, I love snowboarding.

After we came off the mountain it was off to see Alex Neun my photographer. He showed me the pictures from our shoot yesterday and they looked picture perfect, pardon the pun. With in a 30 minute photo shoot he got the on snow shots I was looking for. It’s great to work with professionals. The top photo is just a sample of what he shot. We are going to do more tomorrow but in a lifestyle type setting. I am really looking forward to it.

To top it off, I was able to throw together a killer barbeque with some great new people I now call friends. It was complete with steak, corn, roasted potatoes and carrots, caramelized onions and baby back ribs. Yummy! Again I was held in awe by the community around me as I ate my dinner and was completely satisfied. I really love snowboarding!

Sounds of summer snowboarding

I am down in Oregon right now training at Mt. Hood and it is the best. Summer is my favorite time of year to be snowboarding, all the fun without the cold. Mt. Hood is a sweet little set up. We ride at Timberline resort which is open from November to September every year and makes it the longest open resort in North America.

Training has been going great, a lot of hiking the half pipe but hard work is to be expected when there are only five months left of qualifying. I have been working closely with the best coaches in Canada and the States to put together some great contest runs and to boost my snowboarding skills in general.

Today was especially fun because I was able to put together a photo shoot with Alex Nun, a well known photographer in the snowboarding industry. We were shooting the new Sony cordless MP3 player/headphones. This is a hot new unit everyone should check out at http://www.sonystyle.ca/ . It’s a great way to move without the hassle of wires getting in the way and since the player is in the headphones the sound clarity is amazing. I love them in the gym, but this was the first time I was able to try them on the mountain.
I will have pictures from Alex in two and share them with you on my website and here at my blog. It was defiantly proven that life is better without strings attached.

Tomorrow I look forward to another day in the sun and on the snow!!