The Complete Cyclocross Diaries Archive

Our fabulous host Heidi sums it up nicely in one blog post over at Wend Magazine. Already looking forward to cross-racing 2010.

Cyclocross Diaries Webisode #005

Not nearly enough time for blogging these days. Too busy getting married at Breitenbush Hotsprings, honeymooning in the San Juans and Vancouver Island, and returning just in time to embark on a rather large project: Racing AND Producing the Cyclocross Diaries for Wend Magazine, all over our fine state, from October through December. There is nothing I would rather be doing, but it can be a challenge - particularly when you are racing, camping, donning a winning costume and trying to gulp down the occasional beer. Such was the case at THIS race:

Wend Magazine, Oakridge, Aaron Draplin and Layer Tennis

Tuesday the 23rd of June, and all is well. Finally got on the other side of some big projects - mainly - the short film contest with Jesse Blanchard, the Wend Magazine Pingpong Party video is up and getting views and the Woodstock house is emptied and cleaned up real nice once and for all. Next up? Editing the Portland frame-builders piece, also for Wend. Oh... the Oakridge mountain-biking video from the man's weekend is also up!

In the meantime, for all you e-loafing slackholes - an old friend from Bend is still slaying the world's graphic design ass like no other. Aaron Draplin is his name - and there is way too much to be said about this bad mofo, but this is worth noting: he is in the semi-finals of a little something called Layer Tennis. Instead of regurgitating what it's all about - all just post this from their site: " We’re hosting a series of live design events called Layer Tennis. The season wouldn’t have happened without the support of Adobe® Creative Suite® 4, the weapon of choice for Layer Tennis players and creative professionals everywhere. We'll be playing matches using video, animation, sound, photos, type and lots more, but the basic idea is the same no matter what tools are in use. Two competitors will swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a “volley” and then we post it to the site live. A third participant, a writer, provides play-by-play commentary on the action, as it happens. A match lasts for ten volleys and when it's complete, Season Ticket Holders tell us what they think and we'll declare a winner, so sign up today."

Anywho... I've watched two of his previous matches, live, and gotten a real kick and further inspiration from it. So when you've got one eye on the clock Friday, like the postman in downtown Bend, roll your mouse and eyeballs on over to the match. Fun stuff. Go Draplin!

Summer - It's always like that.

My friend Jeffie and I used to chat about how Summer always seems to go by so fast, and you really need to pack in the adventuring to not feel cheated. This means being extremely proactive and fillin' up the spaces on that calendar. Summer 2009? Quickly becoming no different as things progress nicely in the life that is ETK. Add to it a slew of new video and film projects and things really start to get interesting. I felt like I needed to make a list here as some kind of mental purge and visual organization. Here the short list:

1. Final edits and trial with Smith Freed.
2. "The Last Orderly" 3:00 film contest with Jesse Blanchard.
3. First video projects for Wend Magazine.
4. Moving into Tuckridge Lodge above Bull Run river.
5. Man's Weekend mountain-biking Oakridge/Westfir.
6. Femi Kuti at the Zoo.
7. Three Fingered Jack snowboard retreat #29.
8. Village Idiot reunion show.
9. Ween in Bend.
10. Mt. Bike race at Diamond Lake.

Don't get me started on the "currently under construction" empty spaces on the calendar... -ETK