OREGON PEOPLE REFLECTIONS

After posting my recent bit about what I've been up to for the last few years, I thought some more about the fine people I've been fortunate enough to know along the way. We'll keep this list short for now, only including Oregonians who have sites up. My list of noteworthy Californians will come next. Anyhow - here are some friends and colleagues that have helped make me who I am. (If your name is not on here - getchyerself a blog! It's free!)

Merth - Thankful to have him as a friend - this Minnesota raised lad has always displayed important traits such as patience, sharing and a genuine love for the Simpsons. If it wasn't for Jeff's devotion and production skills - our little Volcano Magazine may not have lasted 7 years. Oh yeah, he married a sweet gal from Bend named Pips too. They now call Corvallis home and I just don't get up there enough (shame on me!). I love the Merths. http://www.peak.org/~lequid/

J-Boy - Where do we start with J. A model of perseverance I suppose. After a freak snowboarding accident took J's leg - it only fueled his already raging fire. He has since completed a degree in nursing, as drummer and co-founder established his band Vihara as Central Oregon's finest progressive act and still finds time to ride wakeboards with flavor and style. Jason and his wife Erin currently call Bend home. I credit J with helping develop my passion for the drumkit - and also being one of only two drummers that I can bass with for hours given no structure, format, etc. Schmidt is the man - I only wish his ass would have moved to Bend four years earlier - oh well. We'll reconnect that rhythm section soon enough. check out Vihara online: http://www.purevolume.com/vihara/

Julian - A diamond in the rough. This musical phenom humbly calls Salem, Oregon home and continues to write and produce stunning music. In addition to his immeasurable talents as a pianist, guitarist, singer and songwriter - Julian continues to try and make the world a better place by donating his time for the Green Party of Oregon. Very fortunate to have recorded with him on the Index album - hope to do so again in the near future. http://www.salemmusic.net/juliansnow

Tullis - Mr. Bend Oregon. Andy was another huge help in keeping little Volcano Mag fresh and chock-full of great photos. Always documenting the many fine riders at Mt. Bachelor and the Hoodoo - Andy's history in NW snowboarding goes deeper than most anyone I can think of. I thank Andy for teaching me how to ride with the big boys at Bachelor - after my first season trying to keep up with his ass I progressed faster than I could ever imagined. When I think of Oregon & snowboarding - I think of Tullis. These days he has a wife and new son named Jack - and still lives in his little pad on the westside of Bend. He shoot pics for the Bulletin, still freelances shooting snow pics and in the summer you can find him shooting weddings - a lucrative business I'm all too familiar with. I hope to be seeing Andy at the Bailey again this year. http://www.tullisphoto.com

JFK - My oldest friend - and an Oregonian in every sense of the word. Joel is probably responsible for fostering my love of the outdoors - much of our childhood was spent tromping around the wheat fields, apple orchards and rain forests of the Willamette Valley. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. In high school we rocked it hard in our band ALLY and partied like it was 1985 (it was...). After my Arizona stint I was back in Oregon and we continued to rock it in Thunderjelly. JFK keeps it real by running a music store and concert sound production company in Salem - and spends his free time honoring the memory of American war veterans with his re-enactment group. http://www.pnwhg.org/1stcav/3rdherd.htm

Graves - A legendary photographer to say the least. I first met Trevor on the road during a snowboarding tour over ten years ago - some years later I found myself working alongside TG at Morrow Snowboards Art Department and a brief stint at Nemo Design in Portland. Thankful to know him, as well as fellow Nemoids Bartell and Hotz. What have I learned from Trevor? How to keep it real and humble. (No need to "spray" people, do you listen? or do you wait to talk?). Memorable TG quote: "So tell me a story". http://www.nemodesign.com

Draplin - A damn fine designer, illustrator and all around swell guy. Back in the glory days of Bend, Oregon, Aaron and I worked together designing for the Nickel Ads. He would later help me design memorable issues of Volcano Magazine and ultimately became Art Director for Snowboarder Magazine. Originally hailing from Michigan, Aaron and his design company Draplindustries now also call Portland home where he continues to layout Snowboarder Mag as well as numerous other snow industry projects. I wish more people reached out and shared the world like Aaron does. Awright, so Draplin and I were never close like many of my other Oregon brothers, but his site and his design will always be an inspiration. http://www.draplindustries.com

Pounder - What can you say about Pounder? Well... let's see. Who else could give himself a nickname and have it stick? Judson "Pounder" Brown - that's who. Also - a striking resemblance to the singer from Cake - hell, he evens plays guitar and sings as well. Fond memories of stumbling home through Drake Park in Bend seeing who could kick a goose after many pints of fine Deschutes ales. In the winters he's teaching kids in Southern Oregon the finer things about the history of the world. Recently he taught kids how to find refuge in the post-election apocalypse by piping Eminem at high volume through the school's pubic address system while the mostly Republican staff frantically tried to turn it off. Kudos for keeping the youth on track Pounder! What have I learned from Pounder? That's a tough one... how about: how to by a cynic and a smart-ass and still have people like you. http://trailjournals.com/judson/

Jake & Missy - Probably the cutest and raddest little family I know, Jake Hauswirth, Missy Samiee and their daughter Lulu. I first met Jake back in the early 90's when he and Rob Morrow's band Sideways People shared many a stage with my old band Aggro Batch. In addition to being a fine drummer, a multi-talented artist and the quintessential Oregon soul surfer - Jake is also a renowned cinematographer - shooting 16mm and 35mm film for projects ranging from Burton Snowboards to American Eagle Outfitters. During the good ol' days of northwest snowboarding, Salem, Oregon was a hub of snowboarding in the Northwest with Morrow Snowboards' factory based there, the birth of Bonfire Snowboard clothing happening downtown, numerous pros like Rob Morrow and Michelle Taggart calling it home - and the mightiest of snowboard shops, Exit Real World, serving as a base for us all. Missy started the Exit Real World snow, skate and style shop over ten years ago and has since grown the company into a powerhouse with shops in Salem, Portland, Government Camp and at Windell's Snowboard Camp on Hwy. 26. Missy and Exit were always faithful supporters of the Northwest snowboarding document - Volcano Magazine - and for this I am forever grateful. Exit rocks!

Hughes- Ol' Johnboy. Another midwest transplant - the Hughes family has gone from Sunriver to Corvallis to Portland. John and I used to play in the aforementioned Aggro Batch. We spent all of our time either snowboarding or playing music. It was around 1991 when Johnny really introduced me to the "cruster" lifestyle of snowboarding and the fine people in and around Bend. After several years, tours and numerous "hit" songs and gigs around the Northwest, he moved to L.A. and I moved to Bend. Nowadays he is back in Portland and back in a band - this time with two other fine Oregon brothers - Doug Rollins and Chad "Frog-C" Rogers. http://www.puffermusic.com

Gus - Last but not least - Gus Gustafson - Owner/operator of the hallowed Mt. Bailey snowcats. Every year I still find my peace in the world by spending time with Gus and the fine folks at Mt. Bailey. A great little operation and a great little mountain - all courtesy of a snowcat, a lodge and the bountiful Southern Oregon snow. Gus has a long history in the mountains - specifically at Mt. Bailey having kept skiiers and snowboarders on fresh tracks for over 20 years. In the summers you'll find Gus on his boat in Alaska bringing in the fresh catch. In the winters - you'll find him at Diamond Lake keeping the cats running and the people coming. Buy him a drink next time your chilling in the lodge after riding. You won't regret it - Gus is good people. http://www.mountbailey.com

What about the rest of y'all? There are certainly many other Oregon brothers who deserve mention here - namely Cavender, the notorious ZIG, Tommy D, Frog-C, Rollins, Rossi & Mikey H. But until they get sites up or blogs... or anything for that matter - we'll just leave it as is. They are Oregonians who matter and have certainly helped make ETK the jackass he is today.