strung out

I've never been into drugs but I know what it's like to be strung out from the road.  Hundreds of miles alone and straight ahead put you into a strange state of mind.   That's where I'm at right now.  My job is great and I wouldn't trade it but days like today sure make it seem like work.  Temperatures of just under a hundred don't help matters much when I'm unloading 50 pound bags of shoes from my van.   I've been trying to lose weight and eat better and that's making it tougher to find food.  I brought a lot of food and a cooler and have been doing the grocery store deal, but once a day I crave hot food and southern Kentucky doesn't have much in the way of vegan or low-impact vegetarian food.   I asked the folks at one of my shops if they knew of any "hippy" restaurants that might have good vegetarian food and they looked at me like I was an alien, sitting behind the wheel of a German space ship.

     I did get to ride the new park in Bowling Green, Kentucky last night and it is pretty awesome.  Three different big bowls and lots of weird street obstacles.  I skated almost as much as I rode and met some cool dudes there as well.  Super fun and the highlight so far.  I've seen some pretty random stuff on this trip as well.  On day one, on a winding country road in Southern Indiana, I had to hit the brakes to avoid a low-flying hawk who was struggling to take off with a rabbit snared in it's talons.  It was pretty wild.  I've seen two too many dogs cruising around on the highways and off ramps as well. I hate that.   One was right before I stopped here to get gas...

Yes, that says possum junction.

Later, I put away a few of these:

I felt like a macho man pounding 7 ounce High Lifes.  Contact from my friends when I'm on the road keeps me sane.  Here's an awesome shot of Benny Baker jumping over his old man, wearing a shirt he tie-dyed himself (future Deliverance contributing artist!).  Kelly's worried the kid might go hippy on him.  

 

  As much as I'm not a hippy, I have a lot of hippy practices.  I ain't scared of tie-dye either.  There is something liberating about wearing clothes that bother other people.   Born to Lose, baby.

Sean Newton sent me a pic of his new paint job.  Looks tight.

Today is the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death.  I remember it very well.  I was at my friend Brian's house, riding bikes on the litttle practice track we had recently built.  My other buddy Larry had gone home for dinner and came back to ride more.  He had big news.  His uncle Steve had crashed his motorcycle and Elvis had died.  I was an Elvis fan as a kid.  My mom let me order an Elvis double record set from a TV ad (the only thing I ever ordered from a TV ad, even to this day).  It took a long time to arrive at my house (we probably had to mail them a check or something), but when it showed up, I was stoked.  I remember sitting at the kitchen table, by myself, listening to my new Elvis record on a little portable record player and singing along.   Good times.  I was pretty bummed when I found out that Elvis had died and remember being surprised that Elvis had died and my real hero, Evel Knievel, was still alive (and still is!).  

    August 15th these days means something more to me.  It's my beautiful wife Gail's birthday.  Happy  birthday to the person who means more to me than anything in the world.   I told you being on the road this week was a tough one....

 

 

 

heavy metal thunder
Now Playing: Neil Young: Comes A Time

Today was a wild one.  I helped organize a reunion for Bud's BMX track in Elkhart, Indiana.   The crazy part is that the track closed in 1985.  That's a big span of time to try to bring people back together.  The magic of the internet made it all a reality.  I won't bore you with the gammet of emotions that ran through my head, but it was a pretty special afternoon.  Here's a FlickR slideshow...  You can click on the photos to read the captions. 

Sean Newton sent over this pic of Tyler Deshaine shredding the fuck out of the new Grand Haven bowl.  This may well be one of my favorite photos ever.

Sean is a really cool dude and I like riding and hanging out with him, so I almost feel bad posting this pic, but he's the one that gave me the term "Underbeard" in the first place....

We got a new batch of man-bar bags and belts.  Here's a shot of the sweat shop in action.  If you buy a new Bar Bag from Dan's Comp and it smells like a sweaty dude, pretend it never happened.

A lot of work goes into putting the Bar Bags together, but it's worth it.  I'm not gonna lie, I think they are bad ass.  And speaking of fat ass, I need to put that bootleg copy of "8 minute abs" that Hatfield burned for me into action.

 

 

 

 

Pizza guy
Now Playing: This Bike is a Pipe Bomb: Jack Johnson

Fro Ardelean sent me this but don't ask how or why, please.  It's disturbing.  The logo on "dude's" shirt looks a lot like the very first Deliverance logo.

   I rode the new park in Grand Haven last night and it is awesome.  The bowl is a work of art.  Really smooth and well designed.  It was great to skate and ride.  Speaking of skating and riding, bikes and skateboards seemed to be doing fine together, but little kids on scooters were an absolute menace.  How about an 8 year old girl, wearing flip-flops and no helmet, doing continuous laps around the park while 50 skaters and biker zoom around her?  fucked. 

doushbag parking
Now Playing: NOFX: Bob
"Doushbag parking" was painted on one of the decks at the Akron cement park when I was there last week.  I thought that was really funny.   There is always funny graffiti at skateparks.   I meant to take a pic of it, but only got this one on the way out.

The "Air Dock" freaks me out.  It is so huge and ominous.  I know I've written about it before, but I still get kind of nauseous looking at it.  That Metlife blimp with Snoopy on the nose landed while I was there.  I'm going to speculate that landing a blimp is no easy task.  THere was a whole crew of people on the ground, running all over the place, trying to grab the ropes to bring it in.  I imagine the blimp was in action on a Thursday afternoon for the big golf tournament that was going on in Akron.  I don't follow golf, but I wish I did so I would have known to come to town another day.  I paid $130 for a smoked out hotel room at midnight!  So bummed.  I almost always stay at Super 8 and pay 40-60 dollars, which is living large compared to the sleazy motels I used to stay in when I was super poor and on the road.   I should have stayed at the Super 8 up by Chenga--the new Chenga, which is by the old Chenga, kind of.  I rode it.  It's nuts!   I didn't know what to think or do for the first hour or so.  I just rode around, overwhelmed, feeling like a dork.  I took a break and asked "Juicer" if he wanted to shoot some photos.  I know he's super good from the old Chenga and also from Rays.  He kindly obliged and went to work busting out insane trick after trick.  I just wanted him to do some basic stuff!

This huge fufanu came right after this tailwhip on the step-up/step-down oddity...

Then, this ridiculous wall-tap out over the 10 foot vert wall (with four feet of pure vert!) in the bowl...

After that, some over-vert carves in the capsule...

He did all this stuff like it was nothing.

Here's a couple over-view shots:

After shooting the photos, I kind of calmed down and really had a good time.  Chenga57 is awesome!   There were some dudes from St. Louis there as well and it was fun riding with them.   They were on a big road trip (they are the people in the over-view shots too).

    The next morning I rode the Akron park for a bit, followed by a long day of visiting shops for work.  The last skate shop I went to was in Oberlin, Ohio, a small town west of Cleveland.  On the way into town, I noticed a lot of good terrain.  After my shop visit and before my five  hour drive back home (it's a lot further to Cleveland after the move!), I stopped to cruise around a bit and get my blood flowing before the long drive.  I was only on my bike for a minute when I heard "Hey, how's it going?".  I turned around and saw a dude picking up his bike.  A real BMX bike.  I said hello as his two buddies rolled up.    Vince, Jeremy and Justin (I think I got their names right) proceeded to take me on a short tour of the area, including a rad spot called "The Octagon" (it was octagon-shaped, go figure).  These dudes were real cool and it was a fun session.  We hit a bunch of good stuff in 45 minutes and I'm sure there's a bunch more there.  Just meeting dudes on the street and having them take me around felt like the old days, when you had an instant bond with someone if they had a BMX bike or a skateboard.  Not like today, when there's usually a weird vibe and ass-sniffing ritual like unfamiliar dogs checking each other out to see who's coolest.  Vince took this pic of me about five minutes after we met. 

And  here's a shot of Jeremy, who is turning "the big 2-0", according to Vince.

I thought about isomethign as we were riding, how weird, by normal social standards (whatever those are), that this group of 20  year olds just happen to meet this older guy on the street and take him around to ride their local spots, all in celebration of the 20 inch BMX bike.  Obviously, they knew I was older than they were, but I'm sure they would have been way off if there were to have guessed my actual age (double theirs!).  Funny, yet fairly normal by BMX standards.   Warms my heart.  Here's a shot of my unbroken Stairmaster.  I had a little scare last week, but it turned out to be a paint issue....

By the by, I still love the term "Bicycle Motocross", even if really doesn't apply to much these days.

   And I've decided that I hate the X games.  When the BMX dudes are wearing uniforms and my wife's uncle and my mom both ask me if I saw the "skateboarder wreck" on the same day, it's gone too far.  I also really, really hate that "my events" are pre-empted by shit like baseball games, NASCAR and the football hall of fame... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

39-13
Now Playing: Judas Priest: Hell Bent For leather

This is a pic of Kelly Baker, winding out his 39-13 at the FBM Belmar event this past weekend.  Kelly had 20 years on most of his competition and took on the monster jumps in style.  This photo tells a real story.  Look at how stoked everyone is and you can tell, just from this single frame, that Kelly is in full torque mode.  He told me he changed his gear the morning of the event.  That is the racer in him coming out.  Here's his recap (which he didn't intend for me to post--sorry KB) "I checked out the jumps and worked on them muddy friday nite and partied. a bunch of dudes came home and tented in our yard. sat mornin i put a 39 on the front. you had to pedal down the sidewalk and then down a bumpy alley. the jumps were monsters. they felt really good but you really had to pedal for them past random drunk people. i havent pedalled that hard since the 80's. lots of good riders wouldnt mess with them. some of the ams were awsome and some i dont know what they were thinkin. they would slip a pedal 3 times and still hit the jump , do a tailwhip right into the back side (*SCARY)." 

    Kelly's family was there, cheering him on.  I can't imagine how proud they were of him.  On an additional old guy sidenote, Brian Foster won the event, and he just turned 35!   Old dudes holding it down!  Photo used without permission by Vic Bettencort.  Thanks Vic.

 

Low Res
Now Playing: bad religion: we're only gonna die....

I took my 17 year old brother-in-law and his buddy to the Warped Tour in Detroit on Friday.  I went to the first few years of this event and it was always fun, but either I'm too old or the bands are just too crappy now.  I came up with a few alternate names for the event:

Shitty Kid Fest

Bad Tats R Us Fest

 I Came to Warped Tour with my Parents Fest

I Don't get out of the House Much Fest

1.   Dad, you're cramping my style.

2.  Division/Harley Davidson BMX shows were a highlight!  Synchronized backflips are no joke!

3.  I read a review of this band, Vincent Black Shadow.  It said they sounded like Black Sabbath with Iggy Pop singing.  I think the reviewer must have had the wrong CD playing.  They are a crappy new wave band and this girl didn't sound like Iggy.  The guitar player was hilarious.  High School Theatre major on speed.  I couldn't get a good photo of him with my phone (I need to break out the real cameras more often, I suppose).

4.  Ratty tats.

5.  Matts Sparks and Carmickle.  I finally spelled Matt C's name correctly thanks to his tattoo.    Sparks was on injured reserve but MC wowed the crowd with dangerous front flips.

6.  Use the Force

7.  black clothes make you look thinner (I should know).

8.  Quinn Semling, Wisconsin's finest.

9.   The fact that the oldest band there was by far the best (and had the biggest crowd) is a statement on modern music.  Bad Religion is good. 

10.  Mom, I told you to walk ten feet behind me.

    I must be getting old.  I was bored out of my mind for most of the day.  The BMX shows were great.  Micah ate Catfish, then bought me lunch.  Thanks dude.

   I took Noah to a Chopper event at the local dragstrip.  THere wasn't much going on, but he liked the bikes.  We bailed and went to the motocross track up the street.   He thought it was awesome and I thought "I want to do this!". 

Last night, myself, my friend PJ and my brother-in-law met up with Sean Newton, Levi Brown and Kenny Oliver, as well as Kenny's six year old son, Adam, at Western.  I love to ride street, but usually do so by myself.  It was a blast to ride with such an eclectic crew.  Western is so fun.  Jeff Degryse built a bunch of stuff there, including a dirt quarter and a fun step-up over a rickety old fence.  These pix were not taken on any of his creations, however.

PJ used to be a little kid that hung out at my Dad's bike shop in the 80s.  Now he's a grown ass man* but he's getting back into BMX and it was fun to ride with him. 

Kenny Oliver is an old dude like me that used to race at the track back in the early 80s.  I've seen him at Kzoo events a couple times but this is the first time we've ridden together. He was going nuts on his "Freeride" bike.  That's his kid, getting stoked on his old man.

Sean Newton and Levi are my most frequent riding bros since the move.  They are mellow dudes and fun to ride with.  Levi was floating these 3s on the flyout with much style.  Sean took all these photos, too.    The Western session was so fun and I am so sore today.  I love it.

   Here are some pix of the new public park in Grand Haven. 

Todd Britton was instrumental in having this park be bike friendly.  Grand Haven is on Lake Michigan and is a cool place to visit.  This park makes it a grand slam. 

*grown ass man is a Catfish term, used without permission. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMEMEMEME
Now Playing: Bob Dylan: Shelter From the Storm

This post is all about me!  pictures of me, stories about me, my opinions, my way on the highway, bitch!

That's me, driving down the highway.

Here's me shredding! Kris K took this photo at Modern (I have a stockpile).

And here's a painting of my chest tattoo.  Dude, I'm awesome.

Rich from Division Tattoo is opening a new gallery and store on the corner of Woodward and 9 mile in Ferndale.  I'm going to do some custom, one-off Deliverance shirts to sell there, as well as some "art".  I have a hard time calling my projects art.  Shit ain't that great.  It may be open already.  I live out in the country now.  I'm a little out of touch.  Bar Bags and belts are being produced as I type this and new shirt graphics are in the works.  I think the "Deliverance Project" logo on the opening page is destined for stickerdom. 

    The Belmar dirt jump comp this weekend promises to be a doozy.  FOD and Kzoo madman Luke White Lotus McGarry is traveling there with some other dudes.  Shit will be great.  See FBM for more details.

    I got the new Props Mega Tour 6 today.  Dane Wild is on the Albes crew and representing Deliverance with several sweet clips.  Thanks Dane.   Here's a photo of Dane's new dog.

That is a cute fuckin' dog right there.  Here's a funny pic of our dogs, being terrorized by Noah.  Check out the look of horror on Mia's face!

...and Kelly Baker represents Deliverance more than any other person, including the creator of said project.  Give that mothafucka a raise!

 

 

 

NOMOREBITCHING
Now Playing: David Bowie: Queen Bitch

Chris Hatfield went under the knife last week to get his ankle repaired.  This was taken at a better time, a few months ago at Modern.   Man, I miss that park.  Get well soon, Chris.  Kris K photo.

Here's a photo of Bob Hammond, taken by Sean Newton, at Kyle's trails in my new hometown of Otsego.  Sean is back on his bike after a severe noggin knock a while ago.  We rode Kzoo last night and it was awesome.

Here's another of Tyler Deshaine.  Clicked!  I rode Kzoo with him last week.

My wife and I went to see Poison the other night.

I'm too punk rock to admit that they were good, but CC Deville is awesome. 

Her'e's another shot of Lucero that I took at the Rock and Roll Road Fools last month to balance out the musical references in this post.

The public park in Grand Haven, Michigan opens this week.  It looks awesome.   I'm waiting for Todd Britton to send me pics (hint hint).  Todd personally raised almost two thousand dollars for this park and went to a million meetings to insure that bikes would be allowed.  Thanks Todd!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grave Digger
Now Playing: Born Against: 9 years later

 Not too much super exciting going on here.  Lots of this

a few days ago, which resulted in this:

I never in my life imagined putting a hundred dollars worth of gas into anything besides a semi or a motorhome or a tank.  I had a rented cargo van, making trips back and forth to Detroit to get the rest of our stuff moved.  It was tough.  I did get to see Chris.  He gave me a ride and a bootleg copy of 8 minute Abs, then we ate Hare Krishna food.  I need to start using the 8 minute abs ASAP.  He's scheduled for surgery on his ankle tomorrow, so keep him in your thoughts and wish him the best.   Davey Coop helped me out in a big way, as always, and is experimenting with a new look

Thanks dude.   I haven't seen any other BMXers in almost a week, but I have been working hard on my trails.  The first set/berm combo is fun and the over/under set is well under way.  Still on the freeride MTB, but they'll be ready for the 20 incher soon.   I did ride Kzoo one day last week for a bit and it was fun.  THe White Lotus, Luke McGarry, was there, along with Nate Hoff.  Nate used to live in Jackson and take care of the legendary Jackson trails.  He used to have a job as a grave digger too.  Not just for a week or anything, either, but his job was digging graves.  Gnarly.  I was thinking about Nate as I was cutting out the "under" in my new section.  It's long and grave-like, but not six feet deep.

     Burger King is one of very few vegetarian options when you're on the road and on the cheap.  Thanks BK, for taking the bold step of offering the BK Veggie burger:

 

 

   
 

 

 

 

fibia
Now Playing: David Bowie Ziggy Stardust

I called Chris Hatfield today to see if his ankle was still hurting him after the trails incident a week ago.  I guess it is--he has a broken fibia!  Dammit.  I'm really bummed for him.  He may have to have surgery, even.  He's in good spirits and being positive, so that will go a long way in his recovery.  In some good news, Chris' buddy and FOD Dan Closser has an awesome shot in the new Dig BMX mag.  It was taken by Beeler Van Orman while Dan was on his 12,000 mile odyssey this past winter.  Dan is a true nomad.  He is currently in Ecuador!

    Local trail boss Kyle Kling sent over these pix of the Ball brothers, riding the legendary Ravine in Ft Wayne, Indiana

That's Jered with the headless horseman lookback and Jeremy grabbin' his knobbies.  Kyle also sent this pic of Noah, fitting right in at the trails last week....

My wife is going to love that one...

     Here on the scorching hot earth, I've been working hard on trails of my own.  I have one functioning set of doubles and I made some progress on a berm tonight.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only jumped them on my Freeride MTN bike though (cut me some slack, the ground is super rough).   For real though dog.   

   Also, please check www.albes.com and www.fbmbmx.com to see how you can contribute to the Stephen Murray fund (or just to see how awesome these guys are with their contributions!).  BMX people are good ones.  Congratulations to Flip from Albe's and his wife on the birth of their second baby this past weekend!