The Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth
As I progress through my 20's I see so many of my friends getting older. I mean we all are getting on in age, all have jobs and responsibilities, but that not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how many are starting to forget how to have fun, and even when they are in a position to have fun with other friends they don't know how. They will often end up talking exclusively about work, family troubles, bills, traffic, or the weather! That's one thing about being involved in board sports. They are sports driven by youth culture, and youthful mentalities. Tony Hawk said that skateboarding is his "fountain of youth". I believe it. All board sports keep you fit, and allow you hang out with friends in a "fun" environment. So as I get up there in age I hope I never forget how to find my "fountain of youth".

Current Snowboard Set-ups

Current Snowboard Set-ups

Park Board
Board: Option Joni Makinen 154 (2003/2004 Model)
Bindings: Ride MIG Bindings (2004/2005)
Boots: 32 Lashed (2003/2004 - Blue)

All Mountain Board
Board: Option Joni Makinen 161 (2002/2003 Model)
Bindings: Ride EX Bindings (2003/2004)

411 VS Contest

411 Video Magazine Competition

8 Skaters, 8 Tricks, $53 000 on the line.

Check this site out for some wicked skating and an interesting idea.

http://www.411vm.com/

Snowboarding Past and Present

Snowboarding Past and Present
I started snowboarding when I was eleven at my local hill (no mountains in Ontario). I learned on a Black Snow Legend SE, a one directional piece of plastic with steel edges. I was in heaven. I loved the speed and the similarities to skateboarding. I remember hitting up small jump that other young shred and I made on the hill. The big tricks back then were methods, frontside 180 grabs, and backside 180's.
I snowboarded for about a two years after that, main at Centennial Hill in Toronto. I remember going late with my friend Stephan, when the hill was closed and the lights were off. There would be 10 to 12 local skaters/snowboarders who would make huge kickers with snow and picnic tables. At the time I was riding a Burton Cruiser. It was Stephan's old board big and heavy. I remember just flying off the jumps trying to stay in stylish and in control. The sickest local boarder at the time was a guy named Stewart Wilson. He had the sweetest airs oozing with style. At the time I dreamed of doing backside 360's at good as Stu. We would be at the hill for hours.
A couple of year after I began snowboarding I stopped. I stopped for a couple of reasons. First my parents didn't downhill ski and never went to ski resorts or downhill ski spots. Second, most of my friends skated, and skated indoors throughout the winter. The main reason was the cost. Snowboarding is an expensive sport. You need a board, bindings, boots, all sorts of outerwear, and if you have any money left lift tickets and passes. With my passion for skating and my shallow wallet I put down my snowboard and skateboarded exclusively.
Several years’ later things have changed. It started up again with me renting boards and visiting a local ski resorts once or twice a year with my friends and/or my girlfriend. This casual riding continued throughout high school and university. Then I got a job and realized I had money to spend and enjoy life with. What really got me back into snowboarding was a trip to Blue Mountain that my girlfriend and I did with our friends. I used my friend's board, which was way better than any rental board I had ever ridden. That weekend I rode hard and fast. I brought me back to early snowboarding experiences at Centenial Hill. The following season my snowboard obsession began.
As a skateboarder I always snubbed the snowboarding community and the amount of money and time they spent buying equipment and outerwear. After going through buying it all I is fun experience. It’s like Christmas, but in fall. In late September 2003 I bought my first new snowboard. I bought an Option Joni Makinen 161 with Ride EX bindings. In October, I bought 32 Lashed boots at the Ski and Snowboard Sale. Later that month I purchased my first season pass to a local hill in the west end of the GTA. In the 2003/2004 season I learned quick, and truly rekindled my passion for a sport that I gave up on too easily as a child.
It has been a couple of years since I bought that my first real board and my passion has continued to grow. I now have bought another board, an Option Joni Makinen 154 for park riding, and new bindings Ride MIG’s. In addition, I have bought a solid snowboard jacket, Burton Gore mitts, a couple pairs of solid snowboard pants, and continued to buy passes for a couple of southern Ontario hills. All this spending seems frivolous, but it has paid off. I go out riding at least 5 out of 7 days during the season. I have learned tones of new tricks, even the backside 360’s I wanted to do since I saw Stewart Wilson do at Centennial. Most of all I’ve met tones of great people, made many great friends snowboarding, and had lots of fun doing it!

First Snow

November 17, 2005

Today it officially snowed in the Toronto area. It wasn't much, but it was enough to my heart racing. I was talking to my friend Bill after our indoor soccer match and he was saying the same thing. Snowboarding is on the tips of our tongues. I have mixed feelings. I want the snow, but in huge amounts. I hate when mother nature teases us with these trace amounts. We need a good dumping!

Current Set-up

Current Skateboard Set-up

Board: Stereo Jason Lee
Wheels: Ricta Arto Saari Aircores
Trucks: Independent Stage 9's (129)
Bearings: Bones Swiss
Bolts: Shorties 1' Silverados

November 16th, 2005

November 16th, 2005
I’m starting this skateboarding/snowboarding/wakeboarding blog today for a number of reasons. First, these boardsports are my passion, my first love (skateboarding), and what makes me tick. Second, for the longest time I have watched others in awe and never really looked at more own acomplishment in all three areas of boardsports. Third, my time in all of these sports is limited. Skateboarding is very hard on the body, as are the other two. So I want something to look back on, a diary so to speak, so I can reminisce in the years to come. “My desire to land it is strong”.
“My desire to land it is strong”. These were the words I was uttering to myself today as I skated for two hours outside my house. I took the day off school today to just relax a bit. The stress level at school has been high lately. Around 2:30 pm I got the strong desire to go skating. Time is ticking. Winter is fast approaching. The Weather Network says is going to snow tomorrow. Good for snowboarding, not skateboarding. At 3:00, when I finished marking, I went out with the desire to skate well. I warmed up normally with manuals, kick flips, heal flips, and 180’s. Then some of the local high school skaters passed by. For the longest time the only thing they have seen me doing is basic tricks, so today I wanted to step it up. I took it to the street, starting with kick flips and heal flips. They were landing so clean. Then came the 360 flips, a trick that has eluded me since my high school years. I worked on it for the majority of the day out. Back and forth, 360 flip attempts one way, frontside 180 kick flips, and/or kick/heal flips the other. The 360 flips were so close each and every time. I have realized that setting up almost like a regular kick flip, with your weight centred, weight on your toes, and by kicking more off the nose I was able to get some wicked flips and tons of near landings. Finally the words just came, “my desire to land it is strong”. After another half and hour of attempts I landed a sweet one, caught right on the bolts. Following that I was so excited and started trying other tricks and landing them perfectly. This is a total list of all the tricks I landed today: 180 FS and BS, nollie 360’s, nollie FS 180’s, tweaked-out ollies, one footed ollies, kick flips, heal flips, FS 180 kick flips, half-cab heal flips (huge and caught beautifully), fakie inward heal flips (huge and caught so high), switch FS 180 flips (first try, and a trick that I have not done/tryed for over a year, and finally a 360 flip after many close attempts. Overall it was an amazing day out. I hope for many more to come.