I took a trip down to Encinitas a few weekends ago for an interview over at Nixon¹. Leaving the desert of Riverside/Temecula and entering the breezy and beach communities of San Diego reminded me of how much I missed the beach. I arrived in the city about an hour before my interview started so I could explore a bit (and of course get my thoughts together). Encinitas is exactly how you would picture a nice little beach community. People riding bikes up and down the streets, restaurants full of people dressed like they came fresh out of the water, and a calmness that is almost impossible to explain. When I moved out here I pictured myself living in the hustle of LA, but there is something to be said about beach…who knows where I’ll end up.

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1. Nixon is an Action Sports company recently bought out by Billabong. They specialize in watches and they also manufacture wallets, bags, and some other items. Nixon sponsors some of the biggest names in the industry, and true legends of their sport. From Bob Burnquist to Travis Pastrana, everyone is covered with the Nixon Brand!

“55 expert and novice class to the gate please.” A man announces over the loudspeaker.

Who would have thought that there would be people 55 and over out today?  The races begin and moto after moto the fans cheer on loved ones and are taking pictures as if it were the first day of school. It’s an event that is hard to explain. Riders old and young alike all gathering on a Saturday doing something they love.

I venture over to the practice track and there are more bikes lined up at the gate. The gates drop and the roar of 250’s are overwhelming. 

I stood by a fence snapping pictures and taking in everything around me.

Fathers helping sons with their bikes, a sea of tents where sponsored and privateer riders alike are all congregating, and younger brothers and sister’s trying out a ‘big kid bike.’. I may have been alone, but I felt as if I was right at home. Saturday’s at Glen Helen are going to become an every weekend event with some interviews to come. There were so many riders who I know have stories to tell, and I can’t wait to hear them all.

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:: But I digress ::

Ricky Carmichael is also said to be the Greatest of All Times…when it comes to the sport of Supercross. So how does Ricky stack up against the Michael Phelps?  I felt the best way to show this match up would be through a chart (wow, I’ve officially hit rock bottom)

So, on paper, it’s quite apparent that Ricky could be considered THE greatest athlete of all time. But, until Michael Phelps hops on a 250 and Ricky dons a Speedo, these two legends of their sport will be considered idols to old and young alike who can only train with the hopes to one day surpass what these two athletes have accomplished. && Ricky, please leave the Speedo’s to the professionals!

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-         A poster from Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam that I attended &  my ticket stub from the event

-         An article from 2001 about Colin MacKay and how himself and Bruce Crisman were the futures of BMX

-         Ad’s featuring riders on the newest and greatest bikes or boards from the late 90’s

-         Pictures of me from when I first met Chad Reed in 2002

&& The list goes on and on.

It’s just interesting to see how 10 years ago Action Sports were truly my life, and how little has changed since then. Sure the athletes have matured, and the sports have progressed farther than some people could have imagined, but I still watch events the same way I did 10 years ago. Still in awe at what these athletes can do & it’s like I’m a kid again.

- Kyle Loza’s Electric doom at Freestyle Best Trick

- ACP going end-over end-in Rally Car

- The debut of Women’s SuperCross

- Mirra and Kagy’s battle during BMX Big Air

The list of memorable moments goes on and on. However there was one thing that stood out in my mind that many people may have missed.

I could write for hours about what Danny Way demonstrated at Skateboard Big Air but it’s actually one thing that he said that, in my opinion, truly embodies not only the X Games, but the spirit of Action Sports as a whole.

 “1^st or last it doesn’t matter, as long as I get the opportunity to skate with my friends.”

 I sat back with my mouth gaping open at what he said because that truly is what it’s all about. Not the fame or fortune, but the opportunity to wake up everyday doing something that you love with people that you love.

As the X Games progressed on, spectators were able to see exactly what Way meant with all of the ‘Jam Sessions’ that occurred this year. Watching riders cheer each other on and push each other (not in words, but by putting it all on the line) is what these sports are truly about. ‘Going Big’ for the fans and for the progression of  the sport is what separates Action Sports from most ‘main stream’ sports out there.

I commend not only Danny Way, but all of the athletes that competed this year because not only did they put on a great show for all the fans, but they also illustrated what makes Action Sports athletes truly amazing. Whether it was Burnquist and Way sharing a tearful embrace at the end of Skateboard Big Air, or Pastrana paying homage to a fallen friend and former competitor these athletes show that they’re not rivals, but family involved in some friendly competition.

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This weekend one of my friends and I had the opportunity to hang out with some of Orlando’s up and coming wake boarders Matt Price and his tall ginger friend Ollie. Upon entering their house you know that these guys take their sport seriously. They have a hand made board rack that holds 9 boards and it is no where near big enough for their fleet of wake, wakeskate, and surf boards.

As you continue around their house they have 2 enormous televisions that are positioned right next to each other, and both have Pull and Firsthand TiVoed from every hour that they’re on. Their backyard is every big kid’s dream, having not only a ridiculous pool but a trampoline, board and handle so that they can practice &master tricks before they take them out on the water.

These two guys fully embody the wake lifestyle. So laid back and ready to get out on their Malibu Wakesetter LSV and their Liquid Force boards any day. They may both have ‘normal’ jobs right now to pay the bills, but the passion behind their eyes shows that they are on their way to doing big things in the sport of wake boarding.

Right as we sat on their couch to talk a bit about their favorite places to ride, their two dogs Hurley and Ronix decided that they wanted to play. Ollie later challenged me to ‘Hang 10’ on the Endo and our conversation was officially lost. We ended up watching 6 episodes of Pull and an episode of First Hand featuring Deegan and the rest is…well…later to come.

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::Side Note–Ollie’s dream is to be a contender on American Gladiators…I think that we’ll be friends for a while::

A few weeks ago my friend CFT, some of her friends from Alabama, and myself all drove out to her family’s property to do a bit of 4 wheeling (ATV’ing for all of you less country folk). I hadn’t been on an ATV since I was about 11 years old, so to say that I was nervous is a definite understatement.

The drive out there seemed as if it lasted forever. Driving from Tallahassee to the little known town of Quincy is scenic, yet as boring as it gets. You cross through towns that you can hardly pronounce with a maximum of 3 stoplights in each one.  

Once we finally arrived CFT’s set all of the 4 wheelers out and let us pick which one we wanted. Her friends both chose the two automatic Honda FourTrax Foreman 4×4’s and I was stuck given the manual kick start Honda TRX450r. They promised that after a bit we would all switch off so I could give it a go on the automatics. Her dad gave me a crash course in how to operate this mammoth and I was off (with him following close behind). As all of my friends zipped around the full supercross track, I was putting behind, hoping that I wouldn’t die and trying to figure out how to change gears without stalling out. I began to get the hang of it, but the second that her dad offered me an automatic I jumped at the chance.

The Foreman was a bit heavier, and not much easier to operate, and at first I was actually (sort of) wanting my little TRX450 back. None the less, I got the hang of it, and I was driving around feeling like a new person. I zipped around the property and the track and finally found my rhythm. There was a massive hill that I had been charging on every lap on my little 450 so when I was finally on the Foreman I thought that it was going to be just as simple

I was rudely awakened

I made it a little over half way up when all of a sudden my ATV completely stopped. I began rolling backwards and the only thing I could think was ‘what a way to go—backwards—at my friend’s parent’s property.’ I unsuccessfully attempted to brake and I believe that a few swear words even exited my mouth when all of a sudden CFT’s dad came out of nowhere and positioned his ATV behind mine just in time to stop it.

He asked me if I was ok

I apologized 87236 times.

We turned my ATV around.

And I was off again.

As I rode off I felt as if I learned so many things:

1) The TRX450r is so light

2) Automatic does NOT always mean easier

3) && what I already knew before—it would be quite difficult to blog in a full body cast

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I remember when the X Games were the Extreme Games and offered fans the opportunity to watch events such as Sport Climbing, In-line skating, and the ever popular Street Luge. Over the past 13 years many sports have been lost (Skysurfing and Adventure Racing) and so many others have been gained (BMX and Skateboard SuperPark) however one thing remains constant: the devoted fans and fully committed athletes. They are pushing themselves farther and father to prove that none of their sports have reached their peak. Who would have thought that someone 6’2” and 195 lbs could flip a 300 lb dirt bike not once, but twice or that a 1080 would happen in BMX Park before Skateboard Vert. I am so excited to see what tricks are unveiled at the end of this month during X Games 14—especially with Travis Pastrana making an appearance at FMX Best Trick. The possibilities are endless and I know that I’ll have a lot more to write about J

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