It’s that time of year: the globally adopted end-of-annual-calendar. New Years!

Whether you’re using the occasion to party, prepare for a healthier 2016, or just release your first LP (idk), there’s a perfect energy to continue (or begin) progress in an especially powerful way.

Sure, you can change your life any day of the year. We don’t need New Years to create resolutions for ourselves, but it does dramatically help when your “reason” is the New Year. Take advantage of the “season of opportunity.” Everyone else will have their resolutions, but you can be one of them that actually follows through. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, days are getting longer. More time each day to do what you want to do.

Especially in American culture, Christmas is almost as much of a season as winter is. It remains prevalent throughout society as not only a holiday, but an attitude and a “spirit.” This season of giving ends with a bang at Christmas, but the residual effect lasts for about a week until the New Year is the reason to fill up your cup and be with special people once more. 

Embrace the positive energy and accomplish for yourself this year - 2016! "Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” Run your year. Run it well. 

I’m going to try very hard to save all of that holiday energy and take some out each day and each night, keeping the goals in flow and work in motion. Each person has a different version of that, because every person has separate goals, work, desires, and traits. I sincerely wish for everyone’s successful New Year, however that may happen.

The potential of each day is greater. Translate that to a full year, and you have hundreds of days to achieve everything you want.

Cheers!

 - 7Ply Epic

My last weekend (of 2015) in CA was spent in San Diego. I was hesitant to spend it away from home, but I went for it anyway. A two-day trip to San Diego it was… My friend, Beau of Open Source Skateboards, and I have been keeping in touch for the last two years and always make an effort to meet up every month on average. As a resident of San Diego, it makes for a damn good excuse to head south for those magnificent SD vibes. 

I left on a Friday morning, en route to Orange County right after the AM rush hour. There, I grabbed a burrito and some good conversation with a new acquaintance. Chryssie works at Sole Tech in Lake Forest. She has a girlfriend that lives in Portland, so with my recent Portland visit and a shared interest in fishing and skateboarding, we had a lot to talk about. After a good lunch, we go to the warehouse store at Sole Tech HQ. Because of our work, we obviously thought of some ways to work together, and before I left Chryssie hooked up some fresh Etnies (skate shoes). Thanks! 

On my way further south, I hit some mild traffic before arriving in Del Mar, just in time for the setting of the sun over the 101 and the Pacific Ocean. I met with Beau to take a short hike, chat, and talk about the rest of the weekend. The big hairy plan was to film some skateboarding and general b-roll from skating around downtown San Diego, Washington Street Skatepark, and one or two other local-area skateparks. The skies were cloudy, a non-characteristic condition for the city of SD, so the sunset was nonexistent. However, we enjoyed the cool temperatures (also non-characteristic) and headed out for a burrito. El Cortal was the name, and decent quality Mexi food was its game. Chatting over food is such an historic and meaningful way to exchange social interaction, and I think it’s one of the more beautiful aspects of universal human culture. Not to mention, I love burritos. I fucking love burritos.

After an early night, we woke up to start our Saturday around 8 am. This was with the intention to start our session at Washington Street Skatepark before the local rippers and hecklers showed up and to allow some time for non-pressured filming of a skater yet to really learn “WSVT”. 

*For those not familiar with the culture of building shit out of cement under an overpass: There is a strong and tight-knit community based around “DIY Skateboarding” and the physical products of it. This is when a group of guys (who love skateboarding with all their hearts) become tired of not having legal access to skating street and/or free reign to do whatever they want at public skateparks. They then proceed to culminate however much money they have to purchase materials and tools to build a concrete paradise for their shredding pleasure and as a location for free expression, judgement-free antics, and construction ideation. They slowly form into giant playgrounds for grown men and women who like to skateboard, if they last long enough before demolition of the property owners, etc.*

So Burnside, which I’ve written about on this blog, is widely considered the first real DIY of note. Washington St. (SD) and FDR (Philadelphia) are two others that have grown to great size and have developed respected cultures around them which continue to grow. Washington Street was very much the spot we went to to film me (Beau has a much stronger flatground skill set, something that I do not). So we did capture some solid shots and then went onward to Balboa Park. There, we park and cruise downhill into downtown SD to spontaneously search for and find street spots and aesthetically pleasing flatground freestyle spots. 

One spot we went to was just at the base of the Hilton - Bay Front. Perfect curved ledges, with angle iron and cool-looking sculptures in their center. Got some great clips of Beau preforming his wizardry and even filmed a street line of myself. There, we met up with our mutual friend, Dave, and two student skaters from UCSD, Allen and Jimi. It was a  crew at that point, and we all shredded the spot for about another 45 minutes. The original three of us were starving, so… You know the drill. Burritos.

Lolita’s was the place, and they had decent cheap burritos; not the best of the trip. This gave us all another opportunity to talk about skating, life, and any topic that came to mind. Good times eating mediocre burritos in downtown SD. Following burritos that were OK, we made our way to one of Beau’s places of work, FabLab. 

FabLab (San Diego) got its name as the fabrication lab of downtown San Diego, but it’s much more than that. It’s a maker space with a real and healthy community of creatives, visionaries and social nerds. Equipment you need to make some shit? They've got it, believe me. It’s really interesting to check out so many active projects happening at once, even on a Saturday. It reminded me very much of Raleigh. A BetaBox-like HQ Raleigh in San Diego. After a couple of hours, we headed out to hit a skatepark north of the city. At this point, the sun has set and we’re heading to Carmel Valley Skatepark in Carmel Valley, CA.

The main reason we decided on going to that particular skatepark was because of it’s lights at night. As we roll up, we see that the lights are NOT on, and a bunch of local kids are hanging out in the parking lot. After talking with them, we find that the lights out are totally random, and everyone is bummed. But we decide to make something from it, taking the two lights we collectively had, lighting up a hip (type of obstacle) in the skatepark, and organizing an impromptu best trick contest. A few of the dudes REALLY killed it (nollie cab heel, lazer flip, gazelle flip, nollie half cab heel the hard way, etc.), and we hooked up the winners with hard goods. Everyone got a t-shirt, hat or a pair of socks. It’s fun to hook it up for dudes that genuinely appreciate it. After that skatepark spot, we hit up some dinner and headed back. Dave drives back to Long Beach, and Beau and I back to his place in SD. 

That night, although Beau doesn’t join, I attended a party at UCSD, hosted by our friend from earlier, Allen. Beau and I got caught up watching the video that we’d captured earlier that day, and by the time I go to the party, people were talking of heading to a larger party at San Diego State University. Allen didn’t want to go “out” and I was his guest, so I decided to just chill out with him and about five other people. It got a little stoney, but it was cool. And all the people were cool. So some good conversations, smoking and watching music videos actually worked out as a great way to unwind after a long day. One by one, people decided to leave as we all became exhausted with time. At one point, it’s just three of us, and a friend of Allen’s, Meagan Rose, comes in through the front door. I was basically the only one that’s fully conscious at that point, and her and I were the most sober of the bunch, so we stayed up late, talking, getting to know each other, drinking coffee and smoking herb. A younger girl that acted more mature than most girls my age was refreshing. Looking at the clock, we realized how late it was and both decided to get some sleep. The next day, I woke up early to go skate one last time with Beau in Ocean Beach.

Ocean Beach Skatepark was a semi-iconic park which I definitely recognized from several videos of the past. It’s really fun yet quite rough. It takes a bit of time to get the lines down well enough to maintain speed through the grit. It’s cool to skate with Beau in each of our elements, because we usually learn so much from each other. Our styles are completely different, yet we always have fun when we go out of our way to meet up and skate. Freestyle wizard meets tranny skater and it works. That theme of complementary skills comes to our personalities and types of life skills as well, so it’s always great to meet and just hang out. 

From the skatepark, I head back to LA. A two-hour drive to the Baker Demo at Hollenbeck Plaza in East L.A. This trip was on of my the nest SD excursions yet!

Thanks Beau! And thanks to everyone that made it what it was. 

 - 7Ply Epic

As I watch the sun set from the plane window, a burning orb in the western sky, I imagine a beauty that is both perception and reality. After a short two and a half months residing in Los Angeles County, I’ve begun my 10-hour journey home for the holiday season and well-deserved time with family. I left North Carolina in that 15-year-old Volvo just this past summer, mid-August, and my anticipation of adventure was completely fulfilled (even over-filled). From the great times in Toronto and Detroit to the self-exploration in Utah and Colorado, and further along into the hustle of New York and LA, a short four months has shown me more than I considered possible or rational. At the point where I want to relax in one place for at least two months, I remain grateful for the incredible spontaneity and excitement that life has provided. Moving west has already given me reward and continues to show more for the near future. 

That being so, returning to North Carolina is as tantalizing right now as some of my first travels away from there were. Anticipation understates the feeling. Stoked to see my best friends and the ever-growing city of Raleigh. Stoked to spend time with my mother and family, skate the familiar skateparks, drink for the sake of the visit, and tell stories of “those times” in Wilmington. Stoked to connect with people and stoked to spend quality time alone.

I’ve observed that reflection is much more productive when in familiar places. Those places that helped shape your young self, and more importantly, housed your less-developed self. Remembering your mistakes, at peace with all of it, seems to be a common feeling I experience in the house I grew up in and at the establishments I used to frequent. It’s perfect to visit for the holidays and feel that, because that is a time of year when most people take time off of work anyway. You can relax away the work hours and take genuine time to give back to yourself. Whether it be used to get tipsy with your closest friends or sit and think alone, it can always be a positive experience. And one in which you’ll eventually realize you grew more from having. 

Life is beautiful; therefore, the physical place where it started will always serve as an influential place for one's soul. There, whether positively or negatively,  a connection to energy, landmarks, or memories will carry so much more influence in your thoughts.

I hope that anyone and everyone reading this has a positive spiritual experience this month, religious or non-. I hope that each person with the ability can appreciate the environments they find themselves in. And most importantly, I hope that these experiences bring some sort of lasting positive change inspired by this end-of-calendar-year reflection. *I’m not speaking of “New Year’s Resolutions”, but if they serve the same purpose for you, Right On.*

Happy holidays, whatever that means to you. This giving season, give yourself the gift of time to ponder, realize, and improve. 

Cheers!

 - 7Ply Epic

Recently I received an email reminding me to renew my blog hosting service. I immediately recalled that I’d been doing this [blogging thing] for six months. 

I’m inspired and grateful for this practice that has become a staple in my week. Writing has become a ritual for me. Not so much a routine as a practice - a goal I set for myself this past summer. It’s now coming into the holiday season, and I’m thankful for writing as a convention for improvement. Writing, for me, is something that encourages me to record my thoughts. But as a bi-product of that recording, writing has become much more. It’s grown into something that I aspire to. Something to abide by, something to grow from. 

The act of documenting is one that rewards itself. It has developed from a desire to an ambition to a habit to a tradition to a peculiar sort of meditation. Chronicling thoughts and ideals, realizations of growth, is not only a wonderful way to journal experiences but a method with which to reflect on some of life’s most real and meaningful conclusions. 

I’m aware and contented to know that there are people that find interest in this. *Thank you, if you are reading this right now.* And I also hold appreciation for writing as something that serves the writer for her/his own benefit and transformation. 

This collection of thoughts, stories, and adventures began as an approach to sharing my experiences from the road. But its purpose has very much drifted into intention of understanding the very human nature that drives us, from my own humble perspectives.

Since preparing for a cross-country move, I’ve made my way out of my residence, through cities I’d yet to traverse, across new and old friendships, over thousands of miles of highway, and upon several places within myself that I never was previously aware of. 

To you, friend, acquaintance, companion, or stranger, I express gratitude and praise. 

The road is not what brought me here. They are the people, places, and great times all along the way that helped me to arrive at this place. Here in Los Angeles, but also a place of better understanding and appreciation. 

The very BEST part of this journey: there is still so much ahead. Cheers to many chapters more! 

Cheers to life ongoing. 

 - 7PlyEpic

Early morning, I boarded the plane. Daylight was barely evident. I was tired. But, in those same moments, I was overwhelmingly excited for the long week to come. The airplane would be headed for Portland, Oregon. 

That would be my second experience in Portland. Based on my first, I could not wait for the awaiting flight to the City of Roses. My first trip was in the summer time, but this experience would come with the colder temperatures of the Thanksgiving season. When I arrived at the airport, my good friend from North Carolina, Chloe, was there to pick me up in her SUV, and we departed for the area of town that she now calls home. The air temperature was hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the skies were luminous and gray. The skyline and views of the bridges welcomed me perfectly to Portland on a Monday morning. 

Our first order of business, after getting the house tour and taking the dog out of course, was to enjoy a mellow hike. We followed Wildwood Trail uphill to Pittock Mansion, where there’s a breath-taking view of Portland’s skyline. (On clearer days, Mt. Hood looms in the background.) One of the best parts of the Portland area: you can drive from the center of downtown Portland in any direction for thirty minutes and be deep in nature, enjoying unique geographies without noise pollution or even many humans around. The hike to that view was a great introduction to my nine-day stay.

The following days were each perfect in their own way. The energy of the city is so unique to any American city I’ve visited. Whether it be at a dive bar, a Vegan restaurant, or a skatepark, I continually met people that had common threads. Social threads, experiential threads, geographical threads. A club DJ and ex-skateboarder that knew skaters of the dirty south and invited us to his next gig at a bar in southeast Portland. A local from central California that had the best stories and even better lines at Burnside Skatepark. A friend from North Carolina, now living in Portland, whom I randomly crossed paths with at the Safeway.

Surprises each day made every one special and wonderfully uncertain. And this was so well complemented by natural beauty of the area and its limitless options for recreation.

There was a particularly special day, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Chloe, her roommate Jessica, and I searched out a hike named "4-T Trail". The route started at the MAX Station by the Portland Zoo, from where we crossed Interstate 5 to discover a beautiful natural trail in lush Oregon forest. The trail led us onward via neighborhood roads to an astounding view of the city and four scenic mountain peaks. Mt. Ranier, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, & Mt. Adams. From the multiple peak panorama, we continued walking via a downhill sloping trail that winded slowly toward the OSHU campus, from which we rode a tram down into the city. The sun had set just as we finished the last of our natural trail walk, and we took in the ultimate view of Portland’s city lights at dusk. Following this spectacular adventure, we met with a friend who joined us for a coffee and quick meal in the Mississippi Street region. There is so much magic in the city, especially in certain districts, and this was one of them. That night, despite a larger group bailing on plans, Chloe and I proceeded to go out on the town for some dancing, drinks, and quality people-watching. 

Some highlights of the trip: Being invited to skate the Newberg Skatepark with a new friend, which coincidentally became a mission for Thrasher/OJ footage with a videographer I knew of previously. Meeting an older skater at the park that day; later being invited to his backyard pool, where I came to skate and met Bryce Kanights. Linking up with friends from LA and SF who also happened to be in Portland for the holiday. Skating Burnside and randomly seeing a friend from Red Lightning, the Burning Man camp where I stayed in 2014. 

The opportunities presenting themselves were so pleasant and plentiful, and my only attempt was to have fun and live n the moment of that day. It gets me thinking… I’ve always said that Portland was the next place for me. That eventually, I would move there to “settle”. I definitely received several signs that it is currently the place for me. That there is opportunity for me. And I already acknowledged that I enjoy my time there. If I have ever believed that places carry types of energy, I strongly think that Portland has a certain type that caters to my wants, needs, and interests.

To the new friends, the wonderful experiences, and most of all, the friends in Portland who brought me to be there. Thank you!

And to all my friends in Eugene, Collegiate Skate Tour will bring me to you in May!

The return is definite.

 - 7Ply Epic