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It’s hard to explain in a headline, but this video from The Surfer’s Journal is a wonderful concept: Take Dan Malloy, eminence grise of egalitarian board design, match him with up-and-coming pro Dane Reynolds, who lives for the shortboard, and send them into knee-high Ventura shorebreak for a board swap. Each throws the other a curveball–Malloy with a finless, sculpted plank, Reynolds with a dog’s breakfast of a board he shaped himself–but the lesson is that a great surfer can surf anything…and make it look like sweet, timeless fun. Witness Malloy falling off a longboard owned by “Thomas” (likely Campbell, the artist and surf filmmaker, but it’s never said), landing in a dive, and with one stroke matching the speed of the wave to finish his ride in a wonderful bit of body surfing.The video comes courtesy of The Surfer’s Journal, of which I am an unabashed fan. “Reader-supported journalism” was the goal when Steve and Debbee Pezman launched it a decade and a half ago and to this day it remains the model for an enthusiast book–soulful, focused, intelligent. If all magazines were as smart in their vision, as humble in their goals, and as true to their readers, publishing would be thriving today, rather than circling the drain.“Board Swap” is one of three TSJ videos you can see on the magazine’s website. Others include a meditation on board shaping by Terry Martin and a look at the planing hulls of Bob Simmons, another board designer. Sound esoteric? In a way. But you don’t have to be a surfer to enjoy the passion, commitment, and reporting you’ll see here.

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It had me at the first snowflake…

The elements of skiing’s appeal are quite simple. Crisp, cold, clean air. Mountains. Gravity. Speed. And above all, the magic of snow. It is a romantic pursuit, this skiing thing, a beautiful one, and if you love it as I do, with everything you have, you will find something, many things probably, in this video to make you feel like you’ve come home.The video is an ad for Telluride. It’s an ad, yes, but it more perfectly captures the sweet love affair with skiing than anything I’ve seen in a long time, and that includes documentary ski movies and magazines. There are a few cliches and some obvious bones thrown to the marketers, but they’re far overshadowed by the sense of wonder and spirit of appreciation that we actually get to ski and to experience places as delightful as Telluride.

So, kudos to Ben Knight and Felt Soul Media for applying their patient cinematography to skiing and to the folks of Telluride who funded the project and trusted that words are unnecessary. There’s a difference between sharing and selling, and this video proves it.

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Damn!

About two weeks ago my mother arrived into Raleigh, NC and we took off to Charleston, SC for 1 week.  We had a wonderful time, beautiful area, tasty fried southern food… and had roughly 2 weeks off of the bicycle!

I recently returned home and have been pushing hard, riding hard, eating like PO since.

Well yesterday turned out to be the killer of the week. A few of us rode in the early morning, roughly 10 easy miles of singletrack… reason being is I was headed back out later that day. Well around 5ish I meet up with a few others and we hit some solid bandit trails… for another 10-15 miles. Towards the end of the ride, I started cramping something fierce!

Around 10pm last night, chilling… I ended up cramping so damn bad I was on the floor almost in tears!

*Note to self* Invest (stock) in the Banana market!

Posted in Cycling

Must watch

Posted in Cycling

While riding my mountain bike recently, I was thinking about all the benefits of putting in miles on two rubber tires (and no motor!).  And then I got to thinking about the job seekers in the world and how biking should be an activity included in their job search routine.

So, without the fanfare of a drum roll, I present in no particular order…

• As you venture out of your immediate neighborhood, on the way to the trail… travel through industrial parks to find companies to investigate.
• Riding helps clear your mind and gives you time to think.  Bring a recorder (or old school: scrap of paper/pen).  You’d be surprised how many great ideas pop into your head while you’re riding.
• Obviously, getting some exercise is a chance to burn calories.  Hours of research in front of a computer can lead to the opposite.
• By meeting new folks who ride in your town, you get to network with all kinds of new contacts.  Most bike shops hold weekly rides originating from their shop.
• In between jobs, it is sometimes hard to find accomplishments to be proud of.  As your miles and fitness increase, you’ll feel extremely good about your positive experience.
• Biking adds another dimension to your personal life that may be useful in interviews.  You never know, you might have an interviewer who is an avid cyclist.  Making personal connections in an interview is key.
• Being healthy is appreciated by employers’ (and your own) budget.  In fact, many companies have developed programs in the last several years for encouraging their employees to stay fit.
• Biking lends itself to setting and achievement of goals.  Hiring managers like candidates who are self-directed and can achieve personal goals.
• Biking is a stress reliever.  It gives your body and brain a chance to vent frustrations by pushing yourself physically.  Being out in the world/nature/fresh air helps bring you back to reality.  Although this may be a tough time, there is a “bigger picture.”
• Duh!  It’s a good habit.  After you’ve found your next job, you’ll want to continue mashing those pedals!

If you’ve got a few more to share, feel free to comment below. Or if you want to chat about biking, tweet me at @codybks.  I’d be happy to give you my two cents immediately, assuming I’m not on the trail at the time.

Posted in Cycling

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