Can I ski with you?

Hello TGR,

I enjoy skiing powder and jumping off cliffs. If there is no real cliff nearby I will ski fast enough so that I get air and look real zippy for the camera.

I don't have any sponsors except for myself. North Face thinks I am silly. Smith might think I am stupid and Redbull wants to keep putting money into some racer named Gay.

J. Neilson said I should put some time "in the industry making inroads" in order to come up on his radar or something like that. Problem is, my shit is stealth. I was working with RJ and he passed my name to you but maybe it didn't ring a bell? So if that means lurking in the men's rook at the mangy moose I have to pass on the whole scene. I did waste a lot of time in the men's room at the Garibaldi Lift Co but what happens in Whistler stays in Whistler.

I did manage to get Alyeska on board and they even approached you with $$$ but I realize that they are direct competition to Jackson Hole so that sponsor is a 'conflicted interest.'

Anyway, as president of TGRISRAD I am again saying HI!

[ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128080"]TGRISRAD - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]

Here is an example of making an air out of nothing, 3 foot bump and still got 50 feet.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...3eefa27167.jpg

I skied this 'delayed double' before I actually base ground these skis hot off the press:

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...cafe421e70.jpg

I call this second descent and called it 'Rail Road Tracks of Death' because that is what I was doing! I trannied out to the bush on the lower left.

Here is another sweet air.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...1d72341736.jpg

I used to play a lot of hockey back in the day. Because I was taller and good at skating backwards I was stuck on defense all season and even though I was good at it, I hated it.

So as we were coming into this big tournament thing I basically told the coach I did not want to play unless he put me on center. I ended up scoring 7 goals over the next 3 games and won the MVP.

You gotta put me in coach!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5IXfxdTnTM"]YouTube - jakeski[/ame]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

So as we were coming into this big tournament thing I basically told the coach I did not want to play unless he put me on center.

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so what you're saying is you're a prima donna and not a team player at all?

;)

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Originally Posted by YetiMan

so what you're saying is you're a prima donna and not a team player at all?

;)

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No not at all, I knew where my skills would best serve the team in the end. The coach just needed a little cajoling to see what I was getting at and he laughed, after the fact, that I should have been up front all along. I took the risk of looking stupid but, such is life!

For all the footage you see me pushing of myself, there is about ten times that of footage I filmed of my team mates.


I feel The Pony running under my feet.

I feel the top of a desk running into my forehead.

So it's your overwhelming sense of humility that's holding you back? Thought so spermy joe:tdo13:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Meanfruit

So it's your overwhelming sense of humility that's holding you back? Thought so spermy joe:tdo13:

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I have been humbled by death and humiliated by the occasional poor decision. More recently I have found humility in my 3 month old daughter.

When the going gets gnarly, I am usually the first to say that I am afraid because out of fear comes respect for the mountain.

Please don't confuse my self confidence for arrogance.

Nothing is holding me back...

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...247529fe1c.jpg

...but a heli budget would not hurt! Hey that is Carpathian Peak in the far back right!

True, modesty will get you nowhere, but this is too funny because you're just too core.

You could get a foot in the door, start at the bottom by writing copy for the website. I like your tone, your lackadaisical but honorable pomp. Your spelling and punctuation are good.

I liked your video, but alas and alack, I have no heli, and no pull with those who make the movies.

Good luck. Carpe(thian) diem!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rasputin

I liked your video, but alas and alack, I have no heli, and no pull with those who make the movies.

Good luck. Carpe(thian) diem!

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Rasputin, lets make this kid ski the bowl on a terrible day, then we will see what he is made of.

Oh! Here is Carpathian Peak up close and personal.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...8c76a24cc2.jpg

You can see a clean line right by the star on the one ski. Have not skied it yet...


http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...3bab07bab2.jpg

Heli's are over rated.

I am actually really trying to be 'less core'. It takes a lot of time and is hard to make friends, as you can imagine. I want to turn skiing into a preference rather than an addiction.

Jeez douchebags - lighten up! Sounds like he's just trying to score some free heli time. I can't fault him for that. If the guy wanted to be a rich star he'd be auditioning for a boy band. If you're into skiing to get rich and get laid, you're barking up the wrong tree. Ain't gonna happen.

Isn't it enough that you live in an area with that kind of terrain? I mean really, is it not satisfactory that you throw down better then 95% of the rest of us? Now it's taking glory and ladies from the likes of Olsson and Morrison? Sir, you have no shame.

Gosh mister Young it looks like you have a really cool ski company SO I was wondering if you need any skiers to sponsor ?

XXX, I already ePromised Jer a pair of skis and have yet to follow though with the delivery... but I will. I have to keep in mind 'markets' and 'demographics'
and such. NOrthern BC? The people don't know where that is. I am just trying to piggy back on all the AK hype pushed by the media. AK this AK that...

MeanFruit, I was informed by said J. Neilson that "pro skiers wait their whole careers waiting for the chance to get to AK." I guess that is why we have the repeat story of the new guy getting dropped off and getting spanked down by AK etc.

He stopped returning emails when I told him that I had more days in AK then all of the TGR athletes combined. Seems logical that there might be some good footage waiting to be filmed...?

From what I gather the 'ski industry' is like a elite charity program for under privileged Tahorado skiers who wa nt to go north to prove their manhood and return south as heroes among men.

I feel like some north shore surfer trying to convince the film crew from Cali that I am good enough to tag along. But don't worry, I do have a life outside this thread...

Jer, you are the one who should be getting paid to write stuff. Your skis are soon to be constructed.

dude, you should just make your own movies. If we are such posers and dicks why do you care about being in our film. Oh yeah, and the Alyeska people did not have money for you, which is irrelevant anyway, regardless of Jackson Hole or anyone else. Seriously, I think you rip too hard and it would turn the industry upside down for you to make Jeremy Jones and Seth Morrison look like posers. Actually, I saw your face melting youtube clip and you already did. Slap a name on that and print some DVD's. You already own it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

XXX, I already ePromised Jer a pair of skis and have yet to follow though with the delivery... but I will. I have to keep in mind 'markets' and 'demographics'
and such. NOrthern BC? The people don't know where that is. I am just trying to piggy back on all the AK hype pushed by the media. AK this AK that...
.

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Its even worse when you talk about the BC in BC ,it always fucks up those monosyllabic grunting extreme skier types

People don't know where northern BC is ?shit you could spend 2 weeks sitting in a cheaper/better motel in northern BC just as easy as you could in AK

so you are giving me the brush off , no skis ... how about a sticker then ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

XXX, I already ePromised Jer a pair of skis and have yet to follow though with the delivery... but I will. I have to keep in mind 'markets' and 'demographics'
and such. NOrthern BC? The people don't know where that is. I am just trying to piggy back on all the AK hype pushed by the media. AK this AK that...

MeanFruit, I was informed by said J. Neilson that "pro skiers wait their whole careers waiting for the chance to get to AK." I guess that is why we have the repeat story of the new guy getting dropped off and getting spanked down by AK etc.

He stopped returning emails when I told him that I had more days in AK then all of the TGR athletes combined. Seems logical that there might be some good footage waiting to be filmed...?

From what I gather the 'ski industry' is like a elite charity program for under privileged Tahorado skiers who wa nt to go north to prove their manhood and return south as heroes among men.

I feel like some north shore surfer trying to convince the film crew from Cali that I am good enough to tag along. But don't worry, I do have a life outside this thread...

Jer, you are the one who should be getting paid to write stuff. Your skis are soon to be constructed.

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I am from Colorado and like to ski fast. Your video looked fun. I'd like to travel north, prove my manhood, and return as a hero among men (but more importantly, ladies).

I have more guns than Jer.

Please spancer me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

Jer, you are the one who should be getting paid to write stuff. Your skis are soon to be constructed.

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Really, you should give/sell 'em to XXXer. I'm not putting down your work by any means - they actually sound very interesting , but I've got 7 pairs of skis as it is and if anything I should be getting rid of a few pair. I guess what I'm saying is that there are probably people (XXXer) who need/deserve them more than I do. Believe me - it's hard to refuse skis this time of year when skiing DT's are in full swing. I nearly bought a pair of ON3P's before Gorgoroth ripped me off and I realised I need to thin the quiver as it is. Do you make boots? I could actually use a new pair of alpine boots.:wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by leroy jenkins

I have more guns than Jer.

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I don't know - right now I've got 9. I should really get rid of the 111. I asked my wife if she wanted to trade for her Makarov, but there was no way.



In closing I'd like to say I'd much rather watch Carp rip AK lines than watch a half hour of some dingleberry doing a super-flippy-whatever backwards like there always seems to be a lot of on TGR's recent stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jer

In closing I'd like to say I'd much rather watch Carp rip AK lines than watch a half hour of some dingleberry doing a super-flippy-whatever backwards like there always seems to be a lot of on TGR's recent stuff.

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That is my point exactly. I think he should just showcase himself in his films. They are more relevant and more in synch with the progression of ak big mountain riding. Why dick around with our kiddie porn, when Carp can just do it better from a film making and riding standpoint.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TGR420

That is my point exactly. I think he should just showcase himself in his films. They are more relevant and more in synch with the progression of ak big mountain riding. Why dick around with our kiddie porn, when Carp can just do it better from a film making and riding standpoint.

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Are we a little sensitive today? I think there is room for all sorts of cool movies of charging skiers, be it 10 second clips of AK style charging/carving@ 50 mph by Carp or 5 second clips of Meatdrink chucking himself off every bloody cliff in the lower 48. Its all self gratification anyway, be it watching or performing. Personally, I like to watch;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TGR420

Why dick around with our kiddie porn, when Carp can just do it better from a film making and riding standpoint.

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I heard advres left because he went into kiddie porn full time.

Oh and hey, hottate slept on my couch once and Neilson and I used to ski together sometimes in college (not to mention drink), so I should get some heli time or something. Right? Isn't that how this works?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

I heard advres left because he went into kiddie porn full time.

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Do you mean The Suit?

Hey Carpathian, if I come to Alaska will you take me to places that are good for skiing?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TGR420

dude, you should just make your own movies. If we are such posers and dicks why do you care about being in our film. Oh yeah, and the Alyeska people did not have money for you, which is irrelevant anyway, regardless of Jackson Hole or anyone else. Seriously, I think you rip too hard and it would turn the industry upside down for you to make Jeremy Jones and Seth Morrison look like posers. Actually, I saw your face melting youtube clip and you already did. Slap a name on that and print some DVD's. You already own it.

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Ahaaa! Fish on! I sense your sarcasm...

I humbly defer to Morrison and Jones. But if I could ski 95% of Morrison and snowboard 95% of Jones would that be cool? I can spin, not much for flipping.

Quote:

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That is my point exactly. I think he should just showcase himself in his films. They are more relevant and more in synch with the progression of ak big mountain riding. Why dick around with our kiddie porn, when Carp can just do it better from a film making and riding standpoint.

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Like many skiers on here, I give a lot of inspirational credit to you guys. Sarcasm or not, it would be easier if you just said you suck GTFO! I also respect how you created all of this from scratch with hard work and vision.

My problem has been that my vision was too intertwined with the notion of skiing with TGR as if it were the definition of success on skis. I apologize for being a douche but I had to drive the conversation to this point so that I can let go and move forward.

Whew! That was not so bad.


XXX I can probably get you a couple of planks. Trade you for a bag of Smoke?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TGR420

That is my point exactly. I think he should just showcase himself in his films. They are more relevant and more in synch with the progression of ak big mountain riding. Why dick around with our kiddie porn, when Carp can just do it better from a film making and riding standpoint.

---

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Meanfruit

Are we a little sensitive today? I think there is room for all sorts of cool movies of charging skiers, be it 10 second clips of AK style charging/carving@ 50 mph by Carp or 5 second clips of Meatdrink chucking himself off every bloody cliff in the lower 48. Its all self gratification anyway, be it watching or performing. Personally, I like to watch;)

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I am dead serious bro. I think he has it all right there in his world.Seriously, read carps stuff. he has already got it going. what would be the point of him showing up mac and seth in our films. he knows he can do it and already has the clips to prove it. the point is mute.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

XXX I can probably get you a couple of planks. Trade you for a bag of Smoke?

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game on

hey how did you like the brownies ? you disappeared after eating that one I gave you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TGR420

. what would be the point of him showing up mac and seth in our films. .

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It was never about showing anybody up. I just wanted to get in on the energy of jumping out of the heli with the best skiers in the world day after day. If I ripped a line and Mac was stoked to go rip another, harder line... that is the point. Or vice versa.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...581ed6c4ed.jpg

These two shots are my biggest multi stagers. TGR420 you do know how to stroke an ego. I like the 'it is not you it is me' argument. Very diplomatic.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...d80611f157.jpg

That is pretty mind blowing if I go from off the radar to over qualified in one thread. But I hear what you are saying. Thank you for your time and consideration.

XXX I ended up swimming in the river.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

XXX I ended up swimming in the river.

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I thot brownies are great for the river in my play boat ... just let that current take you

^^^XXX, My handlers say that I can't talk about 'the Smoke' or 'brownies' or
'smoke infused brownies.' As a role model I now have to start acting like one.

Kids, the surest way to hone you skillz on the skis, besides endless hours climbing and skiing in the dark lonely mountains of Alaska, is to get on a bike. Preferably a bike with lots of travel so you can jump off of things. By the time you get back to snow, you will kill it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifpsxr9COWs&feature=channel_page"]YouTube - Whistler Bike Park Action[/ame]

fuck ya ,I remember that "having kids" phase ... well sort of

don't worry about being a role model cuz they will rebel anyway ... one of mine turned out smart and the other one is religious

take me to the river,wash me in the water ...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25E0ACkA6uo"]YouTube - Talking Heads - Live in Rome 1980 - 06 Take Me To The River[/ame]

Going with the flow is not always so easy. Here are a couple of older mixes. I prefer to see skiing as art and have only recently become unstuck on the idea of making it a business. There are a couple of TGR classics in there.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vJPviuX-nw&feature=channel_page"]YouTube - YIN/YANG in Skiing[/ame]



“He leaned forward then and held his gnarled hands out to the firelight, and the flames threw his shadow, magnified, onto the thick logs of the cabin wall. Then he began to weave a tale of high mountains and proud men that rode among them, like princes surveying their estates, like lords high up in their strongholds, where only the wind could touch them, and the world was free of pain and sorrow, and we were always young.”

Men for the Mountains, Sid Marty

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carpathian

I prefer to see skiing as art and have only recently become unstuck on the idea of making it a business.

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Art should be for the singular desire to create (IMO). (Again IMO) art and business don't mix so well. I've tried it (not with skiing - I'm not all that good) and really really didn't like it. In fact I hated it.

Yet another kick ass vid, BTW.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bio-smear

You could get a foot in the door, start at the bottom by writing copy for the website. I like your tone, your lackadaisical but honorable pomp. Your spelling and punctuation are good.

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You asked for it...

I just took a swig of my fireball whisky and it starts to take the chill off. It started snowing today after 2 weeks of –25C. My brain feels tired of scheming and studying. I have been cramming for the last 2 weeks so I can pass the BC Fallers Standard exam. I am challenging the test based on my experience on the chainsaw.

With each step along the way I have stretched myself into opportunities only found by stretching the truth. I landed a job cutting seismic lines for a mining outfit based on my experience falling ‘danger trees’ on the local ski hill for firewood. The deal was sealed when the prospective boss told me that he was not going to check my references because he and the referenced guy did not get along for some reason.

Go figure, so there I am busting balls, learning on the fly and just getting by, by playing it cool and knowing just enough to make it seem like I know more. They always end up catching on though. But by then, you prove yourself trainable and capable and hardworking and you keep your job. And besides, after a summer of insane long hours on a fishing boat in Alaska, I figured I could do anything for 8 hours.

My wife Vesna and I just returned north to live in Smithers, BC as refugees from the madness of the lower mainland if not the Pacific Rim in general. We are hunkered down around a wood stove in a small cabin located just 5 minutes drive from town. It seems to be the perfect place to homestead in a semi urban environment. It is also the perfect place to raise a family and make a living in the harsh world of ‘bush work.’

As it turns out, Vesna is 6 months pregnant and I am scrambling to make some cash. Though I had sworn off running a chainsaw after 400 days of work over 4 seasons, I find myself in the middle of climbing the corporate ladder of the chainsaw world.

In the world of chainsaw operators the firewood collecting, line cutting and slashing is at the bottom of the barrel. It may be tough and grueling but you only top out at $300 a day while cutting millions of small to medium sized trees.

In the world of chainsaw operators, unless you have your ‘fallers ticket’ you are an amateur. In the chainsaw world of British Columbia in specific, falling trees has been a way of life. Basically the bigger the trees the more money you earn and the more danger you put yourself in, naturally.

I have been reading and re-reading the official government issued hand book that lays out in detail all of the do’s and don’t associated with falling trees. Today I went out with my friend to collect firewood and as excuse to practice falling some bigger trees.

I was taking my time making conventional undercuts and trying to line up the back cuts perfectly. On two of the four trees I did not cut enough holding wood so that left me standing there with two buried wedges and a tree that was not budging. I was able to make sketchy secondary cuts to the undercut of the first tree but that was not working on the second one.

It was a heavy leaner and I was trying to get it to fall 90 degrees to where it wanted to fall. Both wedges are buried and I am making quick cuts while staying ready to dash an away given a moments notice. That is a good way to make the tree jump off the holding wood or spin around 180 deg and go in the opposite direction. I was nervous. Nick came over to offer a push and examine the cuts. He pulled one of the wedges out and just as I turn to grab my saw and BANG! The holding wood exploded under the hanging tension and the tree power slammed to the ground, luckily in the intended direction. I scrambled to the ground and fell and lost my helmet. We were both safe but as I sat there all disheveled I began to have second thoughts about this tree falling business. $600 a day or not, risk versus reward?

I have to make a living though, there is a looming recession you know. These troubled times… So we bucked the tree up and loaded it in the truck and here I sit with my bottle of whisky, listening to the fire crackle.

It is really snowing out there and windy too. The ski hill up on Hudson Bay Mountain is getting hammered. The snow is cold and deep and you can have it all to your self with no frenzy and no rush. Did I mention that I really like skiing? I do very much. But does it pay the bills? Is it going to put my kid through college? Does saying, “Fuck it all, I am going skiing!” relieve my karmic debt? What about a maxed out line of credit?

It is really snowing now and the fire is roaring in the stove and in my belly. I know falling large trees is dangerous. But so is skiing big mountains across Alaska and BC. Cliffs, avalanches, exposure and ice all conspire to wipe you out. You risk it all for nothing if not for the relief at the end of another dangerous day in the mountains.

I figure it all comes down to gravity. It is all around us and treats everyone indifferently. You can go against it and be punished or move with it and be rewarded by ease of motion, existential bliss. The gravity pulls the tree to the ground on to a cushion of needles or it crushes your leg. You can jump off a cliff with skis on your feet and sail away with the wind or land wrong and crush you leg under you own weight. That gravity is a tricky one.

Most of these following stories are related to gravity in one way or another. The highs and lows of living under the most natural of influences. The weight of a river, the weight of a huge snow-pack, the weight of the ocean as pulled by the moon. I have been strongly influenced by her pull and release if not outright traumatized at times. But you would never guess as I struggle to remain objective in experience and description.

It all comes down to the cliché of finding oneself. But what happens if you keep digging and when you finally blast your senses clean, there is nothing there at all except feigned emotions and a deadpan sense of humor?

I am ready to have a baby. To see the world fresh again through the eyes of an infant and to always be thankful for every breath I take.

good writing Jake ,you should submit some articals to Northword

Growing up Fishing

I can remember being scared at a young age. Our family was constantly out in search of adventure in the form of salmon fishing. My dad is a zealot to this day when it comes to the pursuit of the picky eating, hard fighting Alaskan Silver salmon, also known as the Coho.

The technique out in the ocean is a pretty standard troll maneuver. You rig the herring on a double hook setup so that the little fish in spins in a natural manner as it is towed through the water. The fishing line is attached with a quick release mechanism to a thick cable that carries a ‘cannon ball’, a heavy lead ball used to keep the bait from rising to the surface. You putt around in circles trying to not run into one of the hundreds of other recreational fishermen, all spinning circles in the rolling north pacific.

Once the Coho swim up into the fresh water streams of their birth, you have to use different techniques. It is a true art in tricking the Coho into swallowing a hook once it has reached fresh water. Out in the ocean the Coho is a on a seafood diet. In the rivers it they turn a bit more cannibalistic, eating any eggs they see floating around. (part nutrition/part rival elimination)

To catch a Coho you hide a tiny hook deep inside an egg cluster. The salmon will come up and nibble, nibble very gently. The tip of the fishing pole will show a subtle tip, tip, tip. Suddenly the fish will decide it is good to go and he will turn to swim away, still not swallowing the bait completely. As the fisherman, you are paying the utmost attention to that moment when the fish turns to swim away and then you set the hook!

On one hot weekend in mid August, the whole family was slaying salmon two hour’s upstream from the mouth of the Little Susitna River. This particular trip was unique in two ways. It was the first time my dad had tried to navigate across the treacherous Cook Inlet and it was the third time out time out in our new boat. My dad had just finished building the boat in our backyard in Anchorage. We had taken the boat out on two previous test trips on warm and relatively safe lakes, but this was different. The upper Cook Inlet is colored brown as it is choked full of sediment from the run off of hundreds of glaciers. Along with shallow sand bars and huge tides, the area is prone to strong afternoon winds.

The boat was 20 feet long and made of wood and fiberglass. The original plans called for an open skiff design but dad added a cabin that would sleep three. The next step in construction was to build an adjacent roof over the steering consol and four seats. This was a minor thing to be dealt with later as the season is short and the fish were plenty.

The trip across was smooth and pleasant. We gained an amazing and rare perspective on Downtown Anchorage that most people never see. We headed west until we came to the tip of Fire Island then we turn due north. We could see mighty Mount McKinley towering on the horizon as the mud-banked mouth of the Little Su gradually took us in.

Soon we were S-turning upstream in a river with steep sandy cut banks on the outside of each turn. We were in the huge alluvial plane that grew under the constant melt of the Alaska Range. Two hours from downtown and we were a world apart. We spent two glorious days catching six fish a day times five family members. The boat was already paying for itself ten fold!

Even though we were an hour upstream from the ocean, the strong tidal currents eventually made there way upstream quite far. In this case, the boat had spent the nights on a mud bank, waiting for a ‘wet-exit’ on Sunday afternoon. Dad was a bit anxious to get back across the inlet before the winds came up so he had the prop churning basically in the mud, trying to dislodge the boat as soon as possible. Soon enough we were zipping down stream with 30 fish, three kids and a dirty dog.

We came around the last bend in the river face to face with a steady three-foot chop. Apparently, as the tide was coming upstream the tailwind following us out of the north was pushing up against the water, standing the waves into very short length, tall waves. Soon the waves were stacking up into 5-6 foot waves as our little boat pounded into the brown froth. We drop over each wave and with a resounding THUD; cold spray would shower everyone on board.

My mom quickly took to the familiar crying/fetal position as the oblivious kids looked on. I remember the dog not looking very happy, as she had to slip slide around on the cold deck with the fish sloshing around in bloody water. Dad had to cut the throttle to half speed as he assured us that we were fine and had to just get behind the lee of Fire Island.

Right about then, the 60hp outboard died. It stopped propelling us home, if you will. We floundered for a minute while dad cursed. He turned the key and the motor started and then died again. Dad was trouble shooting “ Fuel, air, spark…” The outboard started again and he realized that the little stream of coolant water that should be squirting out the back was not flowing save for a small dribble.

“The mud!” He exclaimed when he figured that the mud from the riverbank had clogged the coolant system somewhere and the engine was overheating. So there is my dad hanging out over the back with a small poking tool, as the boat is pitching and rolling and about to become a headline. Finally he dislodged the blockage and the stream of water burst forth as the motor sprang to life and the family cheered. Another hour of pounding and we were safe in the lee of the island.

A year later we were aiming to follow the same route across the inlet and up the river but this time a thick fog rolled in and we became disoriented. The waves seemed to be inexplicably growing in the fog as the prop started to bottom out on sand at the bottom of each wave. I took to the cabin with my brother and our friend as our dads tried to figure out what was going on. Just then the fog lifted and we realized that we were in between Fire Island and the mainland in shallow choppy water. Abort Mission!

Repeatedly the compass proved to be troublesome. Something about certain motor RPMs would send the compass spinning, like we were in the Bermuda Triangle. Once we were out deer hunting on Culross Island in Prince William Sound in late October. On the day we were to leave we awoke to find Culross Passage under a half inch of ice. I was up on the bow with an oar trying to break the ice in search of open water. Eventually we found open water and were zipping across College Fiord when the motor died. At least it was calm this time, eerily calm. It was flat water in all directions and clouds surrounded us on the distant horizon, no land in sight. It really did feel like the Bermuda Triangle. The compass even started to spin, even though the motor was not running! Soon enough dad figured out that the carburetor must have been icing up due to the cold moist air and we were able to cruise back to Whittier at half speed.

If the family was not out defying death in the boat on the weekends, we were probably at the baseball diamond. Both my brother Josh and I were obsessed with playing baseball for about 10 hours a day. It was either homerun derby in the backyard or huge neighborhood pickup games in the cul-de-sac. There were three cul-de-sacs in a row with three different groups of kids. We would sometimes go to the second or third cul-de-sac to play the ‘home teams’ but the best games were always on our home turf. Sometimes we would play until midnight under the midnight sun with parents hanging out the windows or sitting on a tailgate, it was a classic small town Alaskan scene.

Both my brother and I got on real teams and climbed onto the all-star roster. My dad would be the umpire and I would get so mad when he would call me out trying to steal home.

Like most things, baseball became more and more serious as I apparently was being groomed for the pros as a first baseman. It became too much. Our all-star team was coached by an ex-triple A player and present day drill sergeant at the local army base. He single handedly turned baseball into an extreme sport. With six hour practices and running endless laps and drills and more laps. I later think he was insane, but as a kid I took the beating as part of the game. His son played catcher and he would tie him to a tree with his catcher gear on and throw pitches at him to prove that it does not hurt to get hit by the ball. If you ‘pulled your head’ from a ground ball or a curve ball or a fastball for that matter, you had to run laps.

He was a beefy guy and a solid pitcher. He would be drilling fastballs and we would hit them. He would intentionally bean you and make you run laps if you flinched. In the end it took the fun out and lucky for me, my parents were not the crazy overbearing types forcing me to play.

Around the same time in the 9th grade or so, I was going through the same process in the world of hockey. I was burned out and sensing something else out there in the mountains and wilderness at the edge of town.

I really like that story. Totally reciprocate your feelings about fun sports becoming competitive too quickly also, had the same experience with hockey.

Gotta say this beats the hell out of Witherdouche's ignore list or the tenth "can you please ban......" whine thread.