At A Store Near You

Go ahead and grab that issue of Freeskier. Open up to the travel section and check out the story about Mt. Baker. I wrote that.




Across North America (and probably some other locations) people are picking up that very same issue and thumbing through my story. What a feeling.

Sadly, it's been about three years since I walked into the Tahoe City Albertsons with Wendy, grabbed the latest Powder Magazine and pointed to my name in it.

I didn't realize how great and beneficial that experience is. Authors love seeing their bylines and names in books for lots of reasons. The most common reason I suppose is vindication - some editor (credible writer) thinks my work is good. The. There's the fueled ego. This is where the author's head swells as large as their ego. Both of those reasons are long in the past for me.

This time feels like no other before. This time I've proven to myself I can still do it. This time I know I can write a better piece if I put more effort in. Now I truly know what it means to put on the kind of effort required for the kind of product I want.

It's been a long four years since I created quality magazine copy - long enough to doubt my ability to ever do it again.

I needed this. I needed this positive energy and forward motion to produce more positivity and forward motion.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Relax - It's Just the Holidays

Seriously. What should be the happiest season of the year turns into the most stressful time of year as we overcomplicate things.

Well there's something to be said by complicating the holidays w/ a knee surgery. What I genuinely believed would be a hinderence is turning out to be like a vacation at home. I've spent the last three days sitting on my ass w/ Vicodin and Oxycodone. And even though I'm on a vacation to the couch via lethargia, I'm getting all kinds of work done and not getting worked up in the process.

Now I'm not much of a social creature in this condition, but things are going by just slow enough to digest while not getting too excited to use my new lower limb.

Then there's the stress of my concern about the long-term effects of my knee injury. A lot more than just skiing rides on my knee. My career and health ride on it too. I've been so sedated w/ these pain meds I can't even begin to digest how dangerous this all is to my career. One bad knee can sink everything.

On that note - things are still looking good. I've managed to stay afloat w/ my work at Hayter PR and even expanding to new clients like Evolve Chile and a couple others left unnamed. The Navy is coming along as well as I've been offered an AT in Cambodia for two weeks this summer.

Heli skiing in Washington, skiing in Whistler, one week in Tahoe, two weeks in New York and Vermont (w/skiing), two weeks + in Chile and two weeks in Cambodia - suffice to say 2010 is shaping up quite nicely.

Reporting From LaLa Land

There's something to be said about writing while high. Actually there's quite a bit to say in this case.

I just got back from my knee surgery a couple hours ago. As my earlier blog post described - I went in to have a 9mm-long piece of foreign debris removed from my right knee. The piece has been floating around my joint for at least five years now.

We're not exactly sure where the piece came from. However wholeheartedly believe it is from a dislocation I suffered around March of 2004.

I underwent surgery for the injury with a doctor I really didn't like or trust, but I was on the Navy's dollar and feared further chastising/harassment if I didn't just follow through w/ surgery. The doctor's bedside manner was atrocious and he repeatedly tried convincing me there was nothing wrong w/ my knee - even though it occasionally and inconsistently swelled to the size of a grapefruit after or during physical activity like running or sometimes skiing.

Having already undergone corrective surgery on my right knee - I was familiar w/ the recovery procedure. This time was a bit different though. Rather than feel relief in the joint, I felt pressure. Also, as I began physical therapy and bending, I could feel some kind of muscle protrusion from the underside of my lower-inside quadricep. That muscle never grew back despite my working hard at it and within a few months I began to notice this protrusion moved around. Since then, I've always had a loose piece float around in my knee.

It broke free and moved around for the 05,06,07,08,09 and what felt like again yesterday.

I had an MRI a couple weeks back showing the foreign body at the back of my knee in what appeared to be a fluid sack.

Well Dr. Helpenstell didn't find the object, but found lots of arthritis and smaller debris which he feels is generated when my knee cartilage is forced to rub together. He vigorously searched for the large piece, but couldn't find it.

I'm hoping what he sucked out of the joint was the remnants of that 9mm-long piece - having smashed it to smitherenes yesterday while shredding pow at Crystal. If not - I'm up for another surgery. Let's just hope we get it.

Here's what an arthritic knee looks like - and at 29 years old...

Mr Fix It

You'll notice I'm not skiing in this picture taken at Crystal Mountain yesterday.

And after four days of skiing this season - I won't be skiing for at least another month.

That's because I'm headed for the hospital and knee surgery #3. Trust me when I say there are better hobbies than counting your knee surgeries.

This is my pledge to myself and every other poor sap who's had to deal w/ me being too out-of-shape to ski with.

I'm not only going to do all of my physical therapy, but get into shape in the process. Honestly, there are a lot of other people who have injuries and machine their way through rehab. Why haven't I?

So Dr. Helpenstell is going to fix my knee and I'm going to fix the rest.

Now everyone knows why I'm going to be a bit out of touch for the next week or so.

Charging The Batteries

I decided rather than join Lindsay and Hannah at Costco with Lindy, I'd have a fresh beer at the Fish Tale.

My plug near the fake fireplace was occupied and I felt obligated to chat w/ its occupier about the differences between his new droid phone and my new iPhone. My laptop expired while chatting and now I get to use my iPhone to blog since I can't work.

Good news is I get to screw off and have a good beer (or two) for a while. That seems to charge my batteries.

Now if those people would just leave so I can have that plug!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

No Shame in My Game

The more I do this the easier it gets - shamelessly plugging myself of course.

What used to seem conceited or egocentric is now part of my daily routine of writing about myself and airing out probably more than I should in order to maintain an active online presence and personality.

But there's something undeniably cool about walking into Barnes and Noble, picking up a magazine and reading your own story. It's even better when someone else does it and you get to watch their reaction. That's the best.

The last time I did this was back at Powder in 2005, so getting back in the game is really rewarding. I've got four stories coming out this season in ski magazines. Factor that plus the Navy work and I'd say it's been quite the productive year - probably my best ever.

So go grab the latest issue of Freeskier Magazine. Read my piece about Mt. Baker. I promise it's a goody!

Lastly, there's something very satisfying about life in general right now. It's taken a lot of work to get here, will take more to maintain this level and even more to move to the next level. In due time I suppose.

Maybe that entry the other night about going the distance is ringing true. The struggles associated w/ getting these stories into print are finally over. In many ways it's difficult to sit back and appreciate this achievement while trying to hard to get more for next year.

I suppose it's time to sit down, watch my new ski video and drink a beer. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

Opening Day

The best I can remember, November or December 1994 was my first opening day experience.

I felt and looked great with new gear I got from mom and dad. We went to Dave Jones Sports in Kingston, Ontario for my first real complete setup - K2 SX Extreme Skis w/ Rossignol race boots and Tyrolia bndings.

Opening Day came at Dry Hill and I was there - and three to four days every week thereafter.

Every opening day since has been a high point in the year.

15 years later the phenomenon continues. Read about it as the cover story of yesterday's Yakima Herald - opening day of truly sharing my life's passion w/ the people I love most.

Read about it here!

The Big Test

I was sitting here in my Navy Lodge hotel room last night with no internet on this computer. In a move of complete desperation, I turned to the television. Rather than watch The Godfather III on AMC, which I was a bit too tired to jump into, I turned to UFC on Spike.



As many of you know, this is anything but normal for me. But it got me thinking about life and going the distance again. These two fighters were pummeling the hell out of each other. It’s really brutal, but I found some respect for both of them because there’s a certain dedication involved with trudging on.

And it’s that very reason I’m writing this morning. I don’t want to write. I’m fresh out of ideas. My give-a-damn’s depleted and that jeopardizes a lot - just like if there were an opponent waiting for this kind of vulnerability to take a shot.

Sometimes fighters just keep going because they know exhaustion is temporary - as is the pain.

Relative to the UFC, suddenly cranking out words on a page suddenly doesn’t seem like too much of a challenge.

Coming Clean

I have to admit, the main purpose of this entry it to make an entry.

Just to add some substance, I'll go over some things that keep me working rather than blogging.

First thing is all next year's press releases for K2. There are a ton of them and correspondingly a ton of skis to learn about. I wrote a lot about each ski for Armada and now a I write a little about a lot of skis.

Next was K2 Skates, then Lindsay coming home, our house warming party, finishing up the house, following up on Navy items (including the pressure to drop my commissioning package), strategy for my ski industry career, new clients, MRI for upcoming knee surgery, networking trips to Seattle, meetings in Seattle w/ K2, Ski Washington and evo, social time, a new garage door - the list just goes on.

The new focus is turning to this ski season. I feel a sudden motivation ot make the most out of it - basically ski more and charge harder than I have in years. Something just feels different - or maybe it feels more familiar.

I've got the rest of 29 to prepare for the big 30.