Lads and Ladies!
Dr. Van Valin here. So i believe that a mellow update is in order. Here we go.
Since our last trip down the memory lane of winters upcoming arrival, our hero DrVV (this will all be in 3rd person), has been engaging in much coast to coast debauchery. It all started the day after the last post, aka the 9th of October. A man by the name of Dirty Joel Cline and the Dr. hopped in the Rome snowboards van on a cold morning in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho and set off for shining Lake Tahoe. Their mission? To view a First Tracks Productions Movie premier at Montbleu Casino with friends like Cody Lewis, Gentle Ben, Lane Power, and other aspiring Tahoe Locals. The trip was treacherous, teaming with tumultuous occurrences and a lack of gas money, but did that set our hero and his sweaty comrade back? of course not.
Upon arrival in the Southlake area after 14 hours of Motorhead and sunflower seeds, the frivolity began to ensue! An honest celebration of life, love, long lost friends, and snowfall began and lasted through the Saturday night premier. Needless to say, Cody Lewis sent it throughout the film with several amazing shots from the endless Tahoe backcountry, and the ew's and ahhh's of a few thousand viewers.
The next day, our quick witted but extremely haggard host headed up to North Lake Tahoe to the town of Truckee for two days of fun filled quality time with Tyler and Ms. Rachel Taylor, his ex roommates from 2 years in Mammoth. Times were better than great, and yes, Colby J.W. he did sing "Rolland the Headless Thompson Gunner."
After a quick ride to the Reno Airport, our Hero, dripping with chivalrous gallantry, headed back to Coeur d'alene to pack his bags for another peaceful journey, this time to Orlando.
whist Packing, the phone rang, "Who could this be?" said Dr. Van Valin, "Why, Its our Norse comrade Thomas James Schiller!"
A deep voice echoed through the earpiece saying, "Luke, Im coming to Orlando, and together we will celebrate my 22 Birthday"
So let it be written. So let it be done.
Well, after only being home for a split second our Antagonist kissed his loving Mother and set off to O town for the final stop of the AST DEW Tour, and of course, the anniversary of the birth of a Champion.
I will describe the trip using the Chop method.
Deplane, Marriot, Fancy cars, Gorgeous women, BMX, Moto, Skateboard, Chaz Ortiz, Our hero firing the T-shirt cannon into oblivion, TJ's B-day, Roof top Parties, Redbull 18th floor Terrace bash, tiki torches, late nights, early mornings, NBC, Alligators so elusive, MTV phone calls, seashells, wading in bathtub ocean water, interviews, little Africa, Orlando Magic cheerleaders, huge twilight sunset lit clouds hanging above the Atlantic, Goldie, Katya, thousands cheering, Dew Cup awards, missed flights, no big deal, TJ Schiller is the absolute man.
Bottom line is that i could have written a novel about Our hero in that 5 day period, but lets move on.
His Orlando---> Salt Lake leg finally ended, and as he strolled through the airport to his next gate who did He see? His lovely Mother!!! There she was in all her shining glory seated unknowingly at the very gate he was set to fly out of. Needless to say, our champ ran up to her and together they enjoyed talking about the coincidence.
Once home in Coeur d'Alene, Dr. Van Valin hit up his favorite burger joint and headed straight to his homestead for some r&r. The night passed quickly and soon he was out in the front yard with one of his best friends, Chad, changing the brakes on his Subadeath.
"The upcoming drive to Simon's house is going to be a long one" he thought to himself, "Good thing I'm getting these brakes fixed."
The next thing you know, his phone rings and a casting director for MTV was on the line.
"Hey Luke, My name is &$%@#, and I want to fly you to LA tomorrow to see if you would be right to host a new show for us. Are you interested?"
"Sure" Replied Luke.
So the next morning our hero, in all of his 2 week exhaustion, rose at 4:30am and headed back to the airport. Three hours later he was in a black Lincoln Towncar getting dropped off in front of MTV headquarters. Going from the cold of Tahoe to the humidity of Florida, and the frigid frosty morning in Idaho to the dry heat of LA without much sleep was causing Dr. Van Valin to dig deep into his molded steel resolve.
After about an hour in a small studio jabbering to a camera, our champ was congratulated on a job well done, fed, and escorted back to his chauffeur and streamline luxury vehicle. By this point, his general physical fatigue was beginning to wear on him, but that didnt stop him from calling a friend, and heading to the beach before his same day flight home.
Besides, wading in the Pacific only 3 days after you were in the Atlantic is far to baller to pass up.
LVV
That's right lads and ladies, the days of ski swaps, video premiers, and stadium big air comps are here.
However, saying that, and stopping there, seems to me to be a short-cutting statement of something so redundant and cliche'. A sort of half assed attempt at truly describing the creaping alure of the upcoming winter. The alure that at some point for any avid skier or snowboarder seems to "come upon" each of us at the perfect time. The timing itself has either come upon you already, or will be arriving sometime soon.
There seems to be something inexplicable to it, something spiritually moving that goes deep, like some memory long forgotten (the smell of your grandparents house?) that seems to arrive so quickly that you can almost smell or taste the time and place. For us in the Fall season it begins with that oh so elusive scent that seems to be bourne of the nip we feel in the dry morning air. It's that sharp, poignant, feeling of being paralleled with what is to come, the mystery and severity of the incoming cold and distant storm clouds waiting dangerously to brew above the Pacific and pour down upon us all in a seemingly endless reality of Pow, Desire, and heart tromping adrenaline. The physical pleasure of living life itself, whilst ripping through earth herself, creating high speed slashes in the wilderness perfection of a snow smothered mountain forest.
But like i say, its so much more than that. Something inexplicable.
Ah yes. Mammoth, oh Mammoth, how i miss you so. The mountain bride of my early manhood who was unveiled before me daily saying, "Have me Luke, come, carve your name in my bosom."
Haha! But seriously, I truly love that mountain.
Small rant, pardon me. The bottom line is, I guess, that "Here we go again." headlong into the frightening and beautifully unexpected.
As Sammy would say, let's "Let er' buck!"
Posted by LVV at 3:24 PM
