Adventures of Angeli

Believe in Sarah

2012-01-23T01:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.giveforward.com/sarahburke

I have written and erased sentences for days trying to find words to express my thoughts/feelings on what Sarah Burke has meant to me. I feel strongly compelled to share this story. It says it all.

When I was in high school I followed my older brother to Whistler, BC to attend a summer ski camp named "Momentum." This camp was located on the Blackcomb glacier and specialized in moguls and park skiing. We would wake up early and take 2 chair lifts over grass and mountain biking terrain to the last bit of snow left on the mountain. There were jumps, rails, a quarterpipe and a halfpipe. I had never skied park let alone heard of hitting rails, so you can imagine how all over the place I was on my skis that week. I tried my first 360's and slipped out on so many rails, that by the end of the week my hip was black and blue. I was a mess! But the best kind of mess there is. I was sun burnt, bruised and sore but had the biggest smile on my face. This is the week I fell in love with Freeskiing. This is also the week I found my hero, Sarah Burke.

But wait... there's a twist in this story. Half way through the week I ran into a speed bump on my way to "falling for freeskiing." There were many coaches at this camp, Sarah being one of them. These were talented and impressive athletes. We all looked up to them so very much.

...The speed bump came when a coach (who will remain nameless) told me to stick to just skiing, that maybe park skiing wasn't for me. I was heart broken. I loved this new sport more then any sport I'd ever participated in (and I tried them all!) As I was hiking up to the top of the hill with tears in my eyes, Sarah came up to me and said something that changed my outlook. She told me to follow my dream no matter what anyone said. She believed in me fully! She was able to see past my tight and torn non stylish gear, my non twin tip skis, my amateur abilities, my lack of formal ski training and see the potential that lay within. She saw something in me that I had not even begun to see in myself.

I took her words to heart and 5 years later placed 3rd at the US Freeskiing Open. That day, the same coach that doubted me in Whistler years prior approached me and complemented my skiing. Everything came full circle. He now saw the potential that Sarah saw in me years before.

Frankly speaking, Sarah is the reason I am a professional skier. She not only paved the way and created a place for women in freeskiing, her friendship inspired bravery. I looked up to Sarah in every way. Her kindness and inclusion of all people lit up a room. Her dedication and drive for freeskiing is inspirational and unmatched. I will hold onto every lesson learned from her, every gift she gave me and cherish all the memories we made over the years.

Today and everyday, let us be thankful for all we have in life. Let us be thankful for life itself. Let us fill up our days with passion and dedication. Let us continue to follow in her iconic footsteps. Let us be thankful for Sarah.

With love and gratitude, rest in peace my beautiful friend.

Trennon Paynter said it best: "She's in every snowflake, every ray of sunshine, every breeze. More than ever, now and always, I #BelieveInSarah."

Day 17 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Sewing Project

2011-06-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

For Day 17 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! I chose to make a tank-top from scratch using new sewing techniques.

I've been sewing for some time now, but have only mastered the art of remaking/restyling already made clothing. I can also make simple things such as neck warmers, pillow cases, curtains etc. The tank-top project, required me to buy a double needle, learn to use the double needle and sew with flexible cotton knit fabric. All of those new elements proved to be quite an AWESOME! challenge.

First and foremost, I looked to YouTube for some helpful instruction.

Next I found the courage to cut the fabric. I used a tank top as a pattern.

Next I set up my machine by a bright window.
I switched my regular needle for the double needle.
Now I threaded two spools of thread. Still only one bobbin.
Practice stitching to dial in the tension setting.
It took me a LONG time to dial in that tension setting...
Halfway done, my roommate Becca Babicz models the tank-top. It looked so much like a dress on her, she added some high heels!
I experimented with ways to add detailing. (look closely and you can see where I tired using a lighter to finish the edges of my hem so it wouldn't fray. Oops bad idea, I had a mini fire panic moment.)
In this photo you can see a hair straightener at the top of the table... We don't have an iron, so I made due.
Finished product on this hot male model.
Reid Persing looking all sorts of hip.
Close up on the finished detailing.
I left the neck line and bottom hem "organic" for a signature touch.
I learned many things while working on this project. Most all my lessons pointed me towards buying the correct equipment for each sewing project. I needed an iron and large table to make cutting more precise. I also needed a new sewing foot made for light weight cotton fabrics. This would have prevented the stretching of fabric while hemming.

Check out the other ladies of 30 Days Of AWESOME! to see how my posts hold up...

link

Day 16 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Flippin' out!

2011-06-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

For the 16th day of 30 Days Of AWESOME! I made pancakes... gluten-free, egg-free pancakes... gluten-free, egg-free BANANA pancakes. Yummmmm

I eat banana pancakes at least once a week with my boyfriend Reid Persing. He makes the best hotcakes around! On this particular day however, I was without Reid the pancake Guru. I found myself alone in the kitchen and tempted to film flipping my banana pancake. I have been working on the art of flipping food in a pan without utensils for most of my life. Seeing the pros cook like this, made me want to join that club. Here is the first day I EVER flipped a pancake without fumble. Hard work pays off. Seems I'm now in The Club!

:-)

The flips caught on tape in movie below...

Day 15 of AWESOME! - Utah Arts Festival

2011-06-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

For Day 15 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! I went to the Utah Arts Festival. There was music, food, and crafts made by local artists. It was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday!

Riding your bike got you a 20% discount on your entrance fee. There was a bike valet, super AWESOME!
Here are a few of my favorites...
Left: Spray paint and stencil. Right: Acrylic on wood.
Spray paint on a toilet seat... gotta love functional art!
Artist and masterpiece.
Acrylic on canvas.
Freehand spray paint.
A classic combination, skiing and the Grateful Dead!
My mom would love this one!
The Mini Top Hat booth. "Hats off to you."
Children's art, collage dragon.
Me getting attacked by the Rainbow Dragon.
This piece was some sort of paint and glass combination. Stunning!
Yard art... love these!
Hand crafted wood.
Wood and copper.
Welded metals.
Recycled Dino made out of aluminum cans.

Bikes, art and good company. I couldn't ask for a more AWESOME! day.

If you want more awesome, check out the other ladies of "30 Days Of AWESOME!" here...

link

Day 14 of AWESOME! - Planking

2011-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Planking is an internet phenomena that came from Australia. It has spread like wildfire, and now people all over the world are doing it. They even have a "Planking Association."

I thought I'd get in on the craze for my Day 14 of 30 Days Of AWESOME!

Below is a video explaining Planking and the controversy it created.

"To Plank, or not to Plank? That is the question."

Reid Persing, Abbie Luman and I decided, YES we will!

Hope you get as many giggles out of our Planking as we did.
Dub-Plank
Reid-Plank
Golf Course-Plank
Jeep-Plank
Sign-Plank
Tree-Plank
Fire Hydrant-Plank
Picnic Table-Plank
Another Dub-Plank
Abbie EXTREME-Plank

:-)

The Oregon Country Fair... Day 5-13 of 30 Days Of AWESOME!

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Original post June 22, 2011

"Hello All, and apologies for my belated blogging. I was camping in the woods outside of Eugene, OR for a week with no Internet. I will be posting day 5-13 of AWESOME! soon.

Cheers,

Ang"

The Oregon Country Fair is the hardest thing to sum up with words...

For Day 5 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! I walked around the Fair-site (the land on which the event takes place) and captured images of this Oregon riverside void of people. This peaceful setting only last until workers and participants show up.

Here is a photo gallery of the magic that lingers from last years Oregon Country Fair.

I have been attending the OCF for a long long time. My mom has taken my brother and I since we were youngsters. We have had the privilege of working Pre-Fair (which is: The month leading up to the event, around 300 people volunteer their time and creativity to set up and make the festival happen.)
These volunteers do everything from Mechanic works...
to Construction and the reconstruction of booths, stages, benches, tables, bathrooms...
some people work creating art to decorate the land with...
the Water Crew makes sure dust doesn't take over the event.
There are many crews I've yet to name, but let's skip right to the Kitchen Crew...
Our outdoor kitchen ^
I am known at Pre-Fair as the "drinks girl." I am one of a handful of ladies that brews tea, juice and coffee all day. We hydrate the workers and spice up their cups with inventive blends.
The kitchen uses all Organic and local produce... below is the OFC garden located on site.

Our food is DELICIOUS!
There are dirt paths that lead to everything...
Volunteers and vendors camp on site. Here is a camp spot tucked away in the trees. The mailbox gives them away.
Everything on site is ART! From the benches...

to the structures...

to the stages.

Here is what the vendor paths look like...
The"Ritz" saunas, tubs and showers.

Magic happens on this land.
Here I am with a dragonfly perched on my shoulder. He decided to hangout with me a while.
My friend the frog... joined us while basking in the sun.
My week at the OCF site was AMAZINGLY AWESOME! and BUSY BUSY BUSY.

Catching up...

Day 6 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Midnight gluten-free waffles from scratch with 10 friends!

Day 7 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Made chocolate syrup and orange syrup from scratch.

Day 8 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Outdoor movie (True Grit) projected onto a barn and visible from the sauna window!

Day 9 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Being lead around in a wooden push-cart with blankets and pillows.

Day 10 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Singing "Jukebox Hero" with a live band!

Day 11 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Sleeping all night in a "Cuddle Puddle" of my friends.

Day 12 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Creating my very own signature tea/juice brew. (All from scratch) Cucumber/Mint infused water+Sweet Ginger Brew (agave and boiled ginger tea)+Lime Juice= "Angeli's AWESOME! Brew"

Day 13 of 30 Days Of AWESOME! - Eating salad w/ 2 meals/day for a week straight.

30 Days OF AWESOME! Day 4

2011-06-13T13:37:00.001-07:00

I am currently sitting in the Portland, OR airport. I have been here 4 hours on a layover before boarding my flight to Eugene OR. I may not have Internet when I arrive, therefore I am posting my AWESOME! Day 4 early.

Because I spent most my day in airports, I decided to do a people watching scavenger hunt. I absolutely LOVE people watching!

Not only did I have to spot each situation on my list, I had to document it with either video or photo. This was for sure the hard part!

Being a paparazzi for the day was sketchy. I felt creepy sneaking photos of people and nervous that I would get caught. I guess that's what made this adventure such a challenge, and made it so AWESOME!

Below is my master list compiled last night. And the photos that check off each number I completed. I even logged a few video clips in.

Hope you enjoy

:-)

17. Man in Short Shorts.
33. Mustache.
16. Someone going somewhere warm/tropical.
34. Someone on a computer.

35. Someone reading a book.

38. Someone wearing a beanie.
11. Vacation disaster. (mother and daughter fighting)
37. Someone with sporting equipment.
37. "

2. Someone eating ice cream.

19. PDA
9. Someone sleeping.
24. Someone with tattoos.
28. Someone eating fast food.
32. Celebrity look alike. (Elmer Fudd)
31. Mullet.
13. Non-westerner clothing.
12. A new friend. & 23. Someone smiling.
22. Soldier.
6. A pet.
26. Beard.
40. Pilot.

7. Someone wearing sunglasses.
36. Someone multi-tasking.

in video...

1. Long hair.

8. Dancing.

Day 3 of 30 Days Of AWESOME!

2011-06-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

Good morning, and welcome to another day of 30 Days Of AWESOME!

Gifting is AWESOME! in itself. In my opinion, when a gift is handmade it is even more AWESOME! On my Day 3 of AWESOME! it was a dear friends birthday. Birthdays are my absolute favorite celebrations. What better to celebrate, then the very existence of those we know and love?!

Pip Hunt, athlete, professional skier, ski coach, Crossfit trainer, exceptional gluten-free chef, hard worker and a talented all around person. Pip is also one of my dearest friends. Through the years, Pip and I have been on many adventures. One of my favorite memories is of us in New Zealand.

New Zealand 2007

Our friendship is fun and meaningful. We can laugh about anything, and have heart to hearts about life. What more could I ask for in a friend?!

Pip has seen me through some of the hardest times in my life. Her support and love continues to lift me up everyday.

:-)

For Pip's birthday gift, I went about making a pair of earrings. I challenged myself to use techniques I have never used in beading. I even mounted 2 feathers myself (which is quite hard). The set came out unique and beautiful, just like Pip.

Birthday-girl wearing her gift.
Happy Birthday Pip, I love you!

Spoons

2011-06-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

My second day of AWESOME! started off with a hunt for spoons in the house. "Why?" you ask... well it all started with this article.

The Spoon Theory

by Christine Miserandino www.butyoudontlooksick.com

"My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very late and we were eating French fries with gravy. Like normal girls our age, we spent a lot of time in the diner while in college, and most of the time we spent talking about boys, music or trivial things, that seemed very important at the time. We never got serious about anything in particular and spent most of our time laughing.

As I went to take some of my medicine with a snack as I usually did, she watched me with an awkward kind of stare, instead of continuing the conversation. She then asked me out of the blue what it felt like to have Lupus and be sick. I was shocked not only because she asked the random question, but also because I assumed she knew all there was to know about Lupus. She came to doctors with me, she saw me walk with a cane, and throw up in the bathroom. She had seen me cry in pain, what else was there to know?

I started to ramble on about pills, and aches and pains, but she kept pursuing, and didn’t seem satisfied with my answers. I was a little surprised as being my roommate in college and friend for years; I thought she already knew the medical definition of Lupus. Then she looked at me with a face every sick person knows well, the face of pure curiosity about something no one healthy can truly understand. She asked what it felt like, not physically, but what it felt like to be me, to be sick.

As I tried to gain my composure, I glanced around the table for help or guidance, or at least stall for time to think. I was trying to find the right words. How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through with clarity. I could have given up, cracked a joke like I usually do, and changed the subject, but I remember thinking if I don’t try to explain this, how could I ever expect her to understand. If I can’t explain this to my best friend, how could I explain my world to anyone else? I had to at least try.

At that moment, the spoon theory was born. I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table; hell I grabbed spoons off of the other tables. I looked at her in the eyes and said “Here you go, you have Lupus”. She looked at me slightly confused, as anyone would when they are being handed a bouquet of spoons. The cold metal spoons clanked in my hands, as I grouped them together and shoved them into her hands.

I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted.

Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions. So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. If I was in control of taking away the spoons, then she would know what it feels like to have someone or something else, in this case Lupus, being in control.

She grabbed the spoons with excitement. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she is always up for a good time, so I guess she thought I was cracking a joke of some kind like I usually do when talking about touchy topics. Little did she know how serious I would become?

I asked her to count her spoons. She asked why, and I explained that when you are healthy you expect to have a never-ending supply of “spoons”. But when you have to now plan your day, you need to know exactly how many “spoons” you are starting with. It doesn’t guarantee that you might not lose some along the way, but at least it helps to know where you are starting. She counted out 12 spoons. She laughed and said she wanted more. I said no, and I knew right away that this little game would work, when she looked disappointed, and we hadn’t even started yet. I’ve wanted more “spoons” for years and haven’t found a way yet to get more, why should she? I also told her to always be conscious of how many she had, and not to drop them because she can never forget she has Lupus.

I asked her to list off the tasks of her day, including the most simple. As, she rattled off daily chores, or just fun things to do; I explained how each one would cost her a spoon. When she jumped right into getting ready for work as her first task of the morning, I cut her off and took away a spoon. I practically jumped down her throat. I said ” No! You don’t just get up. You have to crack open your eyes, and then realize you are late. You didn’t sleep well the night before. You have to crawl out of bed, and then you have to make your self something to eat before you can do anything else, because if you don’t, you can’t take your medicine, and if you don’t take your medicine you might as well give up all your spoons for today and tomorrow too.” I quickly took away a spoon and she realized she hasn’t even gotten dressed yet. Showering cost her spoon, just for washing her hair and shaving her legs. Reaching high and low that early in the morning could actually cost more than one spoon, but I figured I would give her a break; I didn’t want to scare her right away. Getting dressed was worth another spoon. I stopped her and broke down every task to show her how every little detail needs to be thought about. You cannot simply just throw clothes on when you are sick. I explained that I have to see what clothes I can physically put on, if my hands hurt that day buttons are out of the question. If I have bruises that day, I need to wear long sleeves, and if I have a fever I need a sweater to stay warm and so on. If my hair is falling out I need to spend more time to look presentable, and then you need to factor in another 5 minutes for feeling badly that it took you 2 hours to do all this.

I think she was starting to understand when she theoretically didn’t even get to work, and she was left with 6 spoons. I then explained to her that she needed to choose the rest of her day wisely, since when your “spoons” are gone, they are gone. Sometimes you can borrow against tomorrow’s “spoons”, but just think how hard tomorrow will be with less “spoons”. I also needed to explain that a person who is sick always lives with the looming thought that tomorrow may be the day that a cold comes, or an infection, or any number of things that could be very dangerous. So you do not want to run low on “spoons”, because you never know when you truly will need them. I didn’t want to depress her, but I needed to be realistic, and unfortunately being prepared for the worst is part of a real day for me.

We went through the rest of the day, and she slowly learned that skipping lunch would cost her a spoon, as well as standing on a train, or even typing at her computer too long. She was forced to make choices and think about things differently. Hypothetically, she had to choose not to run errands, so that she could eat dinner that night.

When we got to the end of her pretend day, she said she was hungry. I summarized that she had to eat dinner but she only had one spoon left. If she cooked, she wouldn’t have enough energy to clean the pots. If she went out for dinner, she might be too tired to drive home safely. Then I also explained, that I didn’t even bother to add into this game, that she was so nauseous, that cooking was probably out of the question anyway. So she decided to make soup, it was easy. I then said it is only 7pm, you have the rest of the night but maybe end up with one spoon, so you can do something fun, or clean your apartment, or do chores, but you can’t do it all.

I rarely see her emotional, so when I saw her upset I knew maybe I was getting through to her. I didn’t want my friend to be upset, but at the same time I was happy to think finally maybe someone understood me a little bit. She had tears in her eyes and asked quietly “Christine, How do you do it? Do you really do this everyday?” I explained that some days were worse then others; some days I have more spoons then most. But I can never make it go away and I can’t forget about it, I always have to think about it. I handed her a spoon I had been holding in reserve. I said simply, “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared.”

Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day’s plans before I can attack any one given thing. When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count “spoons”.

After we were emotional and talked about this for a little while longer, I sensed she was sad. Maybe she finally understood. Maybe she realized that she never could truly and honestly say she understands. But at least now she might not complain so much when I can’t go out for dinner some nights, or when I never seem to make it to her house and she always has to drive to mine. I gave her a hug when we walked out of the diner. I had the one spoon in my hand and I said “Don’t worry. I see this as a blessing. I have been forced to think about everything I do. Do you know how many spoons people waste everyday? I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.”

Ever since this night, I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do. Once people understand the spoon theory they seem to understand me better, but I also think they live their life a little differently too. I think it isn’t just good for understanding Lupus, but anyone dealing with any disability or illness. Hopefully, they don’t take so much for granted or their life in general. I give a piece of myself, in every sense of the word when I do anything. It has become an inside joke. I have become famous for saying to people jokingly that they should feel special when I spend time with them, because they have one of my “spoons”.

After reading this story, I've grabbed hold of it's metaphor and run with it. I can relate completely to her situation. Having Lyme Disease has been a huge burden in my life... however, I now too can look at it as a "blessing in disguise." I take on each day with thoughtfulness. I soak up each experience and know how lucky I am to have every one of them. I have been down, on bed rest. I now know how lucky I am to be up and about each day that I feel well. This has taught me to appreciate the simple things in life.

For my 2nd Day Of AWESOME!, I chose to count my spoons throughout my day. And I mean, count them literally :-)

Here is how I used my spoons yesterday...

Spoon 1- Waking up. I felt relatively good and it didn't take much effort to get up. I washed my face and got dressed for my day. I would even include breakfast in this spoon as well, for it was prepared for me. I had an appetite, so eating didn't take much effort. Thanks to Reid for the gluten-free, egg-free banana pancakes!
Spoon 2- Taking my Lyme Disease treatment medicine. The act of taking my medicine is not tedious. However, the way I feel 10 minutes later is quite the contrary. I usually feel faint and dizzy... this stems from a bit of a tummy upset and what they call in Lyme terms, a "flare-up." When your body is fighting off Lyme in your system, it creates a "flair-up" of symptoms. This can range from body pain, to nausea, to just about any Lyme symptom I experience.

Yesterday, from the minor flair-up, I used a spoon.
Spoon 3- Blogging my Day 1 Of AWESOME! adventure. Focusing my attention on this task took much effort, for I was having a "foggy headed" day. This means precisely what it sounds like.... fog in my head, making it hard to think of things in a continuous train of thought. This too is a symptom of my Lyme Disease.
Spoon 4- Walking to the store. The store is just a few blocks away. I bought groceries and walked home.

(thought: this is making my day sound really uneventful hmmm hehe)
Spoon 5- For dinner we BBQed and friends came over. It was fun to socialize. Laughing, talking, using energy to focus on following a conversation... this took a spoon.
And last but not least Spoon 6- I used this spoon to get ready for bed. Brushing my teeth, washing my face and taking my evening medicine.
Yesterday, I did not save an extra spoon in my pocket. The night prior, I didn't get much sleep and therefore used quite a few spoons from reserve.

Luckily yesterday was a Saturday, and I didn't have weekday activities/responsibilities.

This is the first time I've shared an inside look as to what it feels like to live with Lyme.

I hope you enjoyed following my day.

AWESOME! Day 1

2011-06-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, It's Angeli.

The exclamation-point in our team of AWESOME! ladies.

First and foremost I want to share how honored I am to be included in this challenge, along side an elite pack of fun loving people. May my journey entertain you, inspire thoughts and inspire random acts of AWESOME! in your own life.

Cheers.

The challenge I chose yesterday to kick off my "30 Days Of Awesome!" adventure was, baking the largest pastry I've ever made!

I've taken on the art of baking as a hobby these last few years. My recent dietary restrictions have made it even more challenging. I now have to bake everything without GLUTEN and EGGS.

With it being a HOT day here in Salt Lake City, Utah I decided to make a cookie ice-cream sandwich... A HUGE cookie ice-cream sandwich... A HUGE, GLUTEN free, EGG free, ice-cream sandwich!

Here goes...

First we must start with a refreshing beverage. Water with cucumber and a wedge of lime.
Next we gather the ingredients for baking cookies and creating this mammoth ice-cream sandwich.
Mix and mix.
Add goodies, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts on the left and classic chocolate chip on the right.
Spread half the dough onto a pizza pan.
Bake for 22 min.
Vuaaaalah!
After the cookie cools, flip onto another pan.
Take the remaining dough and make 2nd large cookie.
2nd cookie baked and ready to go.
There they are. It was not as easy as I'm making it sound. I had a few cookie breaking scares.
Add vanilla ice-cream.

And there she is...

Last step was to enjoy this tasty creation with friends, yum yum yum!

Check back tomorrow for my 2nd Day Of AWESOME! adventure. I promise to post in a more timely fashion :-)

30 DAYS OF AWESOME!

2011-06-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

What a perfect day to kick off this new chapter of "Adventures Of Angeli!" The sun is shining, I just confirmed a new job coaching a talented skier Abbie Luman, and my doctors appointment yesterday (for Lyme Disease Treatment) went great! Along with being extremely excited about my life, I am excited to start the "30 Days Of Awesome" blog challenge.

30 Days Of Awesome was started by a few creative women wanting to push the limits of what's possible in their daily lives. It has evolved into a 8 person challenge where we blog EVERYDAY for 30 DAYS! Each blog post has to be something we have never done before, and of course it has to be AWESOME!

Stay tuned for my day 1 post dropping tomorrow morning.

Cheers,

Ang

Check out the other 7 ladies of AWESOME!

http://www.leftwithnothing.com/

http://yessplease.blogspot.com/

http://rhymeswithnog.com/

http://www.tawnya.us/

http://www.allthewayaroundit.com/

http://hhendrix.wordpress.com/

http://lovelanegraveyard.tumblr.com/

and the master site which is soon to be updated with awesomeness- http://30daysofawesome.com/

Alice Gong, Everybody!

2011-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Alice Gong PCMR edit from Angeli VanLaanen on Vimeo.

Cruising At PCMR

2011-01-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

After taking a week off due to a tweaked knee, I am back at it. Today was sun, fun and some mellow runs. Here's a few shots of me playing around with my new camera at PCMR (Park City Mountain Resort.)

November Colorado Edit

2010-12-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

Colorado Edit 2010- Angeli Van Lannen and Ashley Battersby from Ashley Battersby on Vimeo.

Credits:

Skiing by-

Angeli VanLaanen

and

Ashely Battersby

Filming by-

Oakley Shea

Editing by-

Ashely Battersby

Opening Day at Alta Edit...

2010-11-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Adventures at Alta, Day One from Pip Hunt on Vimeo.

Featuring:
Shaun Raskin
Molly Ellowitz
Pip Hunt
Vanessa Aadland
and
Angeli VanLaanen

Filmed by:
Re Wikstrom

Edited by:
Pip Hunt
and
Angeli VanLaanen

"Angi Shows Lyme Who's Boss"

2010-11-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

I did a photoshoot with Riley Snyder recently that included limes and a organic Park City setting. This was the most creative and unusual concept for a shoot that I've done to date. It all started as a joke...

Riley and I were brain storming ideas for the shoot and he began by asking me about myself and anything that is prevalent to my life as of late. I blurted out, "well, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, we could have me crushing a bunch of limes!" My dear friend Ashley Battersby laughed out loud, loving the metaphor and play on words. Riley agreed it was a unique idea and we should give it a shot. And that's where the idea was born... "Angi shows limes (Lyme) who is boss."

Here is assistant Oakley Shea and I rolling limes, to make crushing them a little easier.

"Let the crushing begin." Me with lime in hand.

It was such a fun shoot thanks to Riley and Oakley. Toe stand was a must!

To check out the finished products, go to Rileysnyderphoto.com and click on Portraits. Scroll through and you'll find me at photo 6, 18 and 30.

Recently EXPN posted an article on me written by Molly Baker (talented journalist, friend and fellow skier & Atomic team rider), where I open up about living with Lyme Disease. Check it out at http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/news/story?id=5681374

Enjoy :-)

Faces

2010-09-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

A collection of candid portraits I took over the past year...

It's hard to believe that most of these photos were taken with my

i-phone! Fancy camera, coming soon...

Katal Inc.

2010-09-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

This spring I was in my favorite place to spend the month of May, Mammoth Lakes, CA.

With rock climbing galore, mountain biking, great people, delicious food and not to mention plenty of snow to provide the best spring park and halfpipe around, Mammoth Lakes has it all. I spent a few weeks with Kristi Leskinen hitting the Katal Inc. Landing Pad. I was able to work on new tricks and inverts for the first time, to prepare myself for progression in park and halfpipe. Kristi inspired me to jump outside my comfort zone and work on off axis spins and flips. I had done a few backflips off backcountry jumps when I was younger and more daring. But attempting them on a park jump was WAY outside my comfort zone.

Look for me in the video at the top of the article ESPN wrote on Katal Inc, doing my first back flips on a park jump. I was extremely stoked to say the least!

The guys who invented this contraption are outstanding human beings and engineers! And the people who brought the "pad" to Mammoth and made it possible to train on it this spring are exceptional as well!

BIG thanks to Mammoth Mountain, Oren, Loz, Kristi, Aaron, Steve and Ryan for a fun and productive month!

Ryan's "movie trailer voice" for your viewing pleasure...

South America

2010-09-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

My South American adventure started 2 1/2 weeks ago, arriving in Santiago, Chile and continuing on 5 hours South to Chillan. Atomic sent Molly Baker and I on a mission with Grant Gunderson to shoot the 2012 product line. We stayed right at the base of Termas de Chillan for a week in the Grand Hotel. The hotel brought zest as well as many opportunities for practicing my Spanish speaking with the staff. We were somewhat stranded on the mountain without a car and there were few guests midweek... I began to feel very at home, walking to breakfast in my pj's & slippers and greeting the staff by first name. This luxury was wonderful but I was feeling we were missing out on the rustic South American experience. Hmmm but with a hot tub the size of a pool, who's complaining.

We skied all day from open to sunset, making the most of the powder that greeted us. When the storms turned warm in Chillan, we headed further South to follow the snow.

The next leg of our journey was a polar opposite experience. We stayed at a friends house in town and got a feel for the local scene in Bariloche, Argentina. Meals weren't catered and rooms weren't cleaned daily. The snow kept coming and we enjoyed the abundance brought by the Santa Rosa.

I feel we got the best of both worlds on the 3 week trip. Molly Baker sums up our experience fantastically on "The Ski Journal" blog.

I am ecstatic to have finally made it to South America! Here are a few images from my adventures.

Me enjoying the snow at Termas de Chillan, Chile.
(top two photos credit to: Forrest Burki)
Street Art in Santiago, Chile.
There are many stray dogs here in South America. They all melted my heart and I adopted a new one everyday. This lil buddy appropriately named "Zorro" (fox in Spanish) was my favorite of the trip.

We visited the Patagonian Museum in Argentina.

These hieroglyphics look phenomenal. I would love to see them in person someday.

Tango night at the Grand Hotel.
Seafood in Chile was amazing!
Grant gives this $7 bottle of wine two thumbs up.
More seafood... with papitas fritas (mini french fries) on top, curious but yummy.

Molly flashing her wad of pesos.
The bus terminal in Santiago, Day 1... "we've got two first timers here!"

Here are a few more blog posts from our trip:

The Ski Journal

ESPN ski

Sharing strength.

2010-08-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Motivation.

I know we all fight an inner battle with motivation... or at least many of us do.

Motivation to stop eating unhealthy, motivation to work out every morning, motivation to keep going through the motions of our day when we feel less then 100%.

What is it that keeps each of us going?

For me, my motivation in life is my passions. Passion for skiing, passion for dancing, passion for learning and teaching. The list goes on and on. Usually I would elaborate on this list, but today I want to flip it around.

I am interested to know what drives us... I am interested to know what drives you.

I was informed recently of an event this September to support a family battling Lyme Disease right here in Bellingham, WA (my home town.) I know from my own experience, that finding motivation when you have a painful disease can be a struggle. Any and all inspirations shared with me this year have helped tremendously.

I would like to ask anyone/everyone to write in with thoughts and inspirations for people going through hard times. This could be a poem, a quote, a photo, a story, anything works. For example, my friend Brittney sent me photos of her adorable dog to cheer me up. It not only made me smile but helped to put positive thoughts in my head. Positivity is one of the greatest healers.

My end goal is to compile a journal to share with others.

Please send entries to : Angeeski@gmail.com

Thank you and I'm very excited to hear from you,

Angeli

Dance, Sing, Love!

2010-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever snuck-up on you while you were dancing all out to an ipod?

Well, it actually happens to me all the time... seems I dance a lot :-)

These candid photos reminded me of a quote for the day:

DANCE like no one's watching,

SING like no one's listening,

And LOVE like you've never been hurt.

Drink of the day:

Strawberry juice

Clean and cut strawberries.

Place in pot of water and simmer for 60-80 min ( The time simmering depends on the amount of water. Your goal is to let the liquid absorb the juices and then thicken up into a syrup. Make sure not to boil the berries, the syrup will burn to the bottom of the pot.)

Strain liquid and let cool.

Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Mix with water or lemonade & agave or organic cane sugar to taste.

(It's fun to serve strawberry lemonade with a few cut strawberries on top of the ice.)

Enjoy.

♥Ang

Summertime drinks...

2010-07-31T20:42:00.001-07:00

~After spending a month in Alaska, 2 weeks at Mt. Baker, WA and a month in Mammoth, CA skiing, I was ready for a short break from the ski world. A change of scenery always gives me a chance to pursue other passions and meet people outside of the mountains. I cherish these breaks in between skiing adventures because they deepen my appreciation for all walks of life, as well as recharge my batteries and excitement for skiing.

Me on top of a heli line in AK

Mt. Baker Road Gap

In May I was offered a job by a family friend, to work for pre-fair at the Oregon Country Fair site. For those of you whom have yet to experience the Oregon Country Fair, I will do my best to sum it up.

Think: 3 days in July of music, art, handmade food and crafts, theater, circus, beautiful land by a river and a bunch of happy hippies.

I have been attending this festival with my family since I was young, but skipped a handful of years for sports and summer adventures. In the years away, I had forgotten the magic of this festival and the last month of my life was truly like COMING HOME...

My home in Veneta, OR

For all of June and the beginning of July I worked right outside of Eugene, OR, in a little town called Veneta. My job was in an outdoor organic kitchen that fed the crews building the festival. I got to dabble in all areas of kitchen work but found my niche at the drinks bar.

I spent most my days mixing and boiling healthy and delicious drinks. I made everything from chai tea, to cold water infusion coffee, to watermelon juice. And when I say "made", I mean from scratch.

The beauty of my job was the freedom to create whatever drink I dreamed up.

In the next few blogs I will share some secret recipes and new ideas for summer drinks.

So, from me to you... Yummy liquids :-)

Drink 1:

Ginger Lemonade (simple yet perfect for a hot or chilly day)

Grate ginger (skin and all) and place in a pot with water (amounts depends on how strong and the quantity of tea you want.)

Boil ginger for 30 min. (you can reuse ginger one more time before composting.)

Let ginger tea cool...

(You can either squeeze lemons or use lemon concentrate for the next part)

Squeeze a bunch of lemons and mix with ginger tea.

Add agave or organic cane sugar to taste.

Add water if brew is too strong.

Serve HOT or COLD.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 and extremely good for the digestive system and immune system.

Enjoy :-)

♥Ang

Twitter take over...

2010-07-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

Joining Twitter (http://twitter.com/angeli_v) has made it far easier to update everyone on my travels, adventures and interesting thoughts/ideas... however, this has left a gap in my blogging. I hope to change that this month by sharing a blog every few days.

Let the blogging begin!

Skating in Mammoth

2010-05-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

After a lengthy hiatus from blogging, I am back. And here is a quick edit of me skating for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

(intro credit: my dear friend Alice Gong)

catching up...

2010-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

To catch you up on the past few weeks starts with the She Jumps fundraiser. It was a HUGE success! Fun, productive and informative. I walked away with a shovel/probe set for half of what the retail price asks and extremely inspired to continue gaining mountain knowledge. We are never done learning, no matter how many avy courses we have taken.

Me and my prize

Manning the She Jumps Table: "donations welcome" :-)

More to come on Xgames 14...

Avalanche Awareness Night

2010-01-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

There is a great event coming up this Thursday in Salt Lake City. I highly encourage anyone interested in mountains, snow and back country shredding to attend.

(click on flyer to enlarge)

See you there :-)

odds and ends

2010-01-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

^twins.
^flat.
^kitty Tiesto joined the family.
^what do you hear... holiday cheer.
^look closely...
^AMAZING!
^friendly pup i met while walking.

Holidays...

2010-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I hibernated from the cold... other then sneaking out to ski, enjoyed a wonderful family dinner at the Battersby's house on Christmas Eve (thanks Deb), played many games of dice "10,000" with friends (a new game I am obsessed with), drank tea, cooked, baked Christmas cookies and rang in the new year singing "It's the final countdown..." (artist: Europe). Amazingly this was the first Christmas I did not spend with my family! I guess this means I'm officially an adult now, and Santa must have been my mom all those years hehehe.

It was wonderful staying close to my Utah home, hiding from the holiday crowds, with wonderful people I love. Happy Holidays to all and best wishes for a bright New Year!

^Me hibernating.

^Orange-jah glad it snowed on New Years Eve? (2 ft. at Alta) A blue bird pow day with my favorite ski buddy was my cherry on top!

A few things that RULE!!

2009-12-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things that made my week...

i-phone scrabble
Alta Ski Area
Saga Outerwear

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!

2009-12-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

If you like skateboarding you gotta check this out...

The Battle at the Berrics 2, Championship Battle

I've watched it many times and the maneuvers never cease to amaze!

Thanksgiving in San Diego

2009-12-01T14:38:00.001-08:00

Empire State Building & one BIG Piano

2009-11-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

Mom and I 125 stories up

I was greeted at the entrance of FAO Schwarz

Childhood dream came true, The Big Piano!

My day at the Met

2009-10-31T09:16:00.001-07:00

There is something about art that soothes the soul and inspires thoughtfulness. I spent hours at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art pondering the human experience through the ages. Here are a few pieces that spoke to me. Enjoy and have a wonderful Halloween!

A Golden Birthday

2009-10-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

The start to a Golden day and a Golden year.

New York, New York

Broadway

Jude Law was brilliant and OH SO DREAMY!

Acting my age at the Waldorf

Central Park

My family made this trip so special

Brunch in the Chandelier Room with Mom

And Grandmere (french for grandma)

Look closely... a little buddy eat with us

(click to enlarge photo)

My favorite mode of city transportation

More photos from my trip to come...

The Journey

2009-10-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

A few photos from two weeks on the road with Cycle For A Cause

A perspective from the support vehicle ☟

Best wishes for the finish to all the crew!

Cycle for a Cause!

2009-09-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

Billy Poole

Shane McConkey

I am getting involved in the Pacific Cycle for a Cause and want to spread word about the event.

The cycling rally will run through the month of October from Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA. Athletes and industry folk alike are dedicating their time and sweat to ride the coast for a great cause. All proceeds will go to the Billy Poole Ski Foundation, the Shane McConkey Fund and the Riley Poor Fund.

Billy and Shane were fellow skiers who passed this year in skiing related accidents and Riley a close friend and filming talent in the ski industry is recovering from a severe spinal cord injury.

I am very passionate about doing my part to make this event the most it can be. I am asking for your help in this mission.

For more information, to donate or get involved go to pacificcoastcycleforacause.com.

SPREAD THE WORD. SUPPORT THE CAUSE.

My recent adventures.

2009-09-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

I just arrived home in Salt Lake City from a 3 day, 900 mile road trip to bring my '71 VW pop top camper van to Utah so I can work on it. This bus has been in my family for decades and a few years back I decided to buy the beast from my mom in an effort to save "Red Ball Jet" from being sold away. I have big plans to refurbish the relic in my spare time. First order of business, get a stereo hooked up!

Me waking up after a good nights sleep in a cot located in the pop top. My outfit called for some ninja moves before launch off.

It is a different experience road tripping at 55 mph... a slower pace allows for time to take in the sights. These old school windows frame the landscapes so eloquently.

There has been a new addition to the family, Lady Love Bug!

Lady chillin in the grass with me.

Lady's home.

Family portrait.

A few things that make me laugh.

2009-09-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

1)This kid that taught me how to play "Let It Be" by the Beatles.

He ROCKS! Next week I am learning Titanic and Frank Sanatra.

2)This Photo of Keri Herman and I kicking butt and taking names at the secret Nike store in Portland.

And

3) This movie!

Dove beauty campaign.

2009-09-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

I found this ad some time ago,

but just incase anyone missed it I've posted the video below.

Justin Timberlake shouts out...

2009-08-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

My friends are on Justintimberlake.com!

It seems Justin is a fan of skiing...

(random thought: so if Justin Timberlake is stoked on skiing, and could become pals with some of my buddies that are mentioned on his site, and Justin is pals with Elton John... does this mean I may be able to meet Elton some day? Seems logical, yes!)

summer

2009-08-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

I went exploring in the Salt Lake City area recently with friend and seasoned Utah adventurer Cody Barnhill. We discovered a wonderful wooded get away from the hot sun, Ferguson Canyon. I was delighted to find a few new bugs along the way... we sure don't have those metallic beetles in Washington!

Driving with the wind in your face is the way to go in the summer heat! This is easily achieved when your friend owns a open top Jeep.

Lyme Disease...

2009-08-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Recently a few of my family members have been diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease is a rapidly emerging bacterial infection of the blood, caused by the bite of an infected tick. Not long ago Lyme Disease was unknown amongst the medical community and to this day is still relatively hard to diagnose. This is mostly due to the broad spectrum of symptoms, as well as lack of knowledge by health care professionals.

Symptoms can range from:

*Arthritic problems (Lyme is a smart little bug that will hide itself in many corners of the body that are sheltered from our immune system. Often times in the joints.)

*Malfunction of the nervous system (example: twitching of the eye muscle, muscle fatigue, blurred vision, etc.)

*Swelling of the brain (causing mood changes and depression.)

*Extreme fatigue (unexplainable sleeping for whole days at a time and random lack of stamina.)

and the list goes on.

Many times Lyme disease has been misdiagnosed as M.S. (multiple sclerosis), A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder), learning disabilities (in children and young adults), depression and anxiety, ulcers etc.

My Aunt has been struggling with extreme symptoms for years and luckily opened the door for my cousins to get diagnosed as well. There is treatment for Lyme Disease. I have found many books written by athletes who went on to do great things after treatment. These inspiring stories and the strength of my family, gives me confidence that they will all come back from this stronger then ever! I am currently on a mission to gather knowledge and create awareness for this disease.

If you break down disease... Dis Ease... no one should have to go through a life of Dis Ease if there is a way to stop that pain. The more people that know about Lyme Disease, the more cases can be caught early on.

Spread the word.

SMILES!

2009-08-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Ras Trent (From Saturday Night Live)

this summer... and when ever I need a good laugh, I watch this.

Which has been almost everyday! haha

Freeskier Shoot at Hood

2009-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

We just rapped up the Woman of Freeskiing shoot at Windells Ski and Snowboard Camp in Mt. Hood, OR. It has been a blast. Check out our site DaHoodestHouse.wordpress.com... it started as a joke because some skier boys we know started a site for their house this summer here in Hood, DaHoodHouse.com. So, we thought we'd get in with da hype :)

My July Adventures

2009-08-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Camping, climbing, Xgames and LA...

(click on photos to enlarge)

Saga Blog...

2009-07-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

Check out my road trip to Hood with Austin and Jordan at sagaouterwear.com...

Thanks again for carpooling boys!

Hood bound...

2009-07-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a week in Wisconsin visiting with my family. So much summer fun!

Now I'm heading out to Hood tmrw morning to ski for a few...

It is trailer season: here are a few links to my favs thus far:

CONTRAST- Nimbus Independent

REFRESH- Level 1

EVERYDAY IS A SATURDAY - Poor Boyz Productions (look out for Timmy D's bag of tricks!)

Their coming...

Adventures of Red Ball Jet

2009-07-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

My most recent bus adventure, since there have been many:

My '71 VW pop top camper van has been in the family for years. Although "Red Ball Jet" (named after the original converse which were my mom's favorite shoe when she was my age) has been mine for a few years now, I haven't had a place nor the time to work on her. Now that I am in temperate Utah, I started plotting to get her out here. The plan that assembled was a road trip with my mom from WA to UT.

Our plan was set in motion as I traveled to Washington last weekend. However, when I started RBJ up for the first time in nearly 2 years... there was something up. She was shaking badly and after taking her to our friendly Bellingham VW mechanic, discovered she needed some joint replacements. These would take a bit of time first locate and then to order. Therefore, the trip has been postponed for later this summer.

Photos:

1)Me taking a trip down memory lane with Red Ball Jet... these stickers have been on her since I was little.

2. and yes that is a "dancing bear" skiing that I'm pointing at above.

My week at Camp Woodward

2009-06-27T16:25:00.001-07:00

Here is a gallery of my photos from Camp Woodward at Copper Mt. CO. Thanks to the Woodward crew and all the groms for killing it. I had a blast!

(click on photo to enlarge)

A beautiful day to road trip.

The crew. L-R Ali Gingras, Taylor Seaton, Phil Casabon, Brittany Adam and me.

Go carting! Phil zooms by.

Me catching up to Tay.

Yup I am in the back while Brit and Phil duke it out for 1st.

The boys held a ton of contest for the kids over the week. This one was who could jump over without knocking down the pad.

JUMP

Happy Camper! Katie eating dinner.

Camp Food, not bad at all.

Brit holding it down.

Dr. Phil (camp doc) and Tay on hill.

Yoga session with the girls.

The boys found someone they know in Freeskier...

It's me!

We made smores.

Camper Hannah hanging at the barn.

I think I need a Red Bull... these kids have so much energy!

Katie making her camp shirt.

Alina and Kelsey getting their art on.

I love Hannah's design!

My girls and their T's. And look who arrived, GBaby (Grete Eliassen) far right.

Keyboard Art...

2009-06-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

Someone put this together...

!ılıll|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llılı

Boom Box playing MUSIC?

Summer is BACK!

2009-06-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Unfortunately my camera had to run out of battery on the sunniest day since I moved here, my apologies for the lack of photo documentation.

Today was jammed packed with summer fun.

9am-4pm. Water ramping and tramping at the Olympic Park. Worked on breaking useless habits in my spins and corks. Humbling experience let me tell you! Also, worked on some unnatural spinning. I think I am finally getting used to the ramp set up. Tramp time highlight was having a contest to see who could jump the highest and have the longest time after 10 jumps. Oh and bed tricks on the tramp are my new fav!

4:30pm. Riding the longest zip-line ever made (located at the olympic park). FUN!

4:45pm. Riding the Alpine Slide (also at the olympic park). FUN, until I caught up to the lady in front of me, then it was just plain slow.

5pm. Skating with some friends at the Park City Skate Park. I like the park, great variation in the big bowl.

6pm. Watching a softball game. Go Team Skull Candy!

7pm. Bailed on further summer festivities to hide out from the sun in my cool basement room. BBQ on the last standing jump at Park City Mt... could have been a blast, but I am beat!

As you can imagine I got some sun today... my tan lines are rockin'!

I hope you all are having fun in the sun this summer.

Utah Olympic Park

2009-06-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to try water ramping for the first time yesterday with AVSC coach, friend and former roommate Elana Chase. She and a few Aspen kids are here in Utah for the week training at the Olympic Park in Park City. The experience of working on tricks on the trampolines and ramps has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for my skiing! I was like a kid in a candy store and had smiles for miles coming home yesterday evening!

I went back today and plan to keep ramping all week. More photos and recap to come.

Summertime and the living's easy...

2009-06-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

This photo of Maria DeBari was taken one May in Mammoth... it is one of my favorite pictures!

What reminded me of this shot was a conversation with my best friend Maria. She just graduated from WWU last weekend. For a final project, her class took a 10 day camping trip into the Washington wilderness. On this camp out they all were assigned a 3 day solo... meaning 3 days in one spot with nothing but themselves and nature. No notebook, no book, just each student and their thoughts. They were assigned to recount every memory they could. Each person that has come into their lives and every experience. Maria did this diligently for 3 days and said it was an unbelievable journey. A journey that I can imagine would leave you feeling thankful for the gift of life. She remembered things that had not crossed her mind for years. One being an EPIC May in Mammoth when we lived in a cabin with some wild girls. It was good times through and through.

I am committed to pondering my past experiences this summer... I am sure to dust off some grand adventures and funny stories :)

Stay Tuned!

Rommie Files...

2009-06-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Us, New Zealand 2007...

My roommate here in Utah happens to be one of my closest long time friends, Phillipa Hunt aka: Pip. Pip is one of my favorite people in this whole world and she makes me laugh all the time! This week I have captured some amazing personality shots of her and had to share them.

Here is my photo gallery "Ode to Pip"

I made her this gluten free yummy snack...

it got all over her face!

Re and Pip dance partying.

Food baby or baby? Abdominal skillz.

looking to see if there is any cocoa left.

An old friend...

2009-06-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

I began a new read the other day, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. This gem was suggested to me by a friend... Jerard I cannot thank you enough for adding this book to my long reading list. While scanning a book shelf a day or two ago, the lavender paperback jumped out at me.

Reading each page, I've felt like I'm talking with an old friend. Each idea and philosophy presented, matches up with my daily thoughts majestically. In a world where people avoid deep thoughts and conversations, to know i can find one in a book is delightful.

I find myself taking my time, even rereading sections.

"Instead you spend your time being aware of things and meditating on them. On sights and sounds, on the mood of the weather and things remembered, on the machine and the

countryside you’re in, thinking about things at great leisure and length without being hurried and without feeling you’re losing time. What I would like to do is use the time that is coming now to talk about some things that have come to mind. We’re in such a hurry most of the time we never get much chance to talk. The result is a kind of endless day-to-day shallowness, a monotony that leaves a person wondering years later where all the time went and sorry that it’s all gone. Now that we do have some time, and know it, I would like to use the time to talk in some depth about things that seem important. "

mystery photo...

2009-05-31T15:31:00.001-07:00

This here photo has been locked onto my desktop since the first year I had this computer... that makes it three years now! I don't ever recall looking up this geographical site. Luckily my long time roommate and friend Anna Segal informed me that it is an interesting rock/mountain in Australia... but we have no idea how it became locked up on Opal (my mac).

It seems the mystery of "The Rock from Down Under," may never be solved but I would really love to get it off my mac! Does anyone know how to unlock files??

Monotonix

2009-05-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last summer I was lucky enough to see a small live Monotonix show in Seattle, WA. I was reminded of these guys today. It was hands down the BEST rock show i have ever seen! This band is unpredictable and high strung. Beware of the PG13 sometimes R-Rated nature of their stage show, but check out their music. It is AMAZING!

A random train of thought...

2009-05-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today I pondered the statement, "to live" and have concluded, that to truly live you must take chances. Making decisions not on careful thought and deliberation but on simply what you choose can be risky, yet this is part of truly living to me.

To give an example, the lip piercing I got this spring. I have wanted it for 2 years and by carefully weighing out the pros and cons, decided against it. The cons outweighed the pros... or did they?

The cons were: 1) My mom was super against the idea. 2) I was sure my grandma would be upset too. 3) It may scar my face. 4) It may not turn out like I wanted it to. 5) It may be dangerous or get in the way while skiing.

And the pro was: 1) I wanted it and loved the idea of having a subtle sparkle on my face all the time.

So, I finally took the chance and have not once regretted it! I love my lip jewel (featured in photo below). Having a metal ring in my lip was cold on the mountain, and eating was challenging while it was healing but I discard these annoyances as minor because of how much I wanted my piercing. It was still worth it!

So, on with my train of thought. What comes with making choices is change, and for most if not all humans the fear of change accompanies. This fear holds people back from making choices and living their dreams! If change is inevitable wither we choose it or not, why do humans have this automatic, almost instinctual response to decide not to choose? Here is what I came up with: If a human decides based on logic then they are following some equation that makes sense. Who wrote this book of rules (often termed "they"... ie: "you know they say") no one knows. Shouldn't we each be writing our own book of rules? It only makes sense to me that, "I know better then anyone what is best for me." Maybe it's that humans don't like to take responsibility for their own lives. If we don't make the choices that create the change, then somehow it is someone else's fault when something unwanted happens.

And with this conversation I have opened a very large can of worms, being the human mind. Can we ever really know? For each mind is so different but some traits are universal. Maybe choosing to accept that we will never really know, adds beauty to the mystery of life.

Spotlight

2009-05-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few friends from home who are killing it at life.

Lucas DeBari

Lucas is one of those kids, who would never be the one to tell you he won the Legendary Mt. Baker Banked Slalom ('07) at the young age of 18, beating out guys he grew up watching win the pro men's division, Temple Cummins and Terje Haakonsen. He is a humble somewhat quiet kid with talent that speaks loudly. I have watched him through the years grow up, work hard and finally BLOW UP on the snowboard scene. Lucas also won "Rookie of the Year" at the Transworld Rider Poll Awards 2009. Proud of you bud!

Kolby Reimer

Kolby and I danced together on our high school Dance Team, BHS. She always stuck out as a starlet that could freestyle like no other. I remember us girls all thinking that someday Kolbs would be in music videos and such. Well it seems her love of dance is still very much alive. She has recently graduated from college having danced on 2 teams through her years in Eastern Washington. One being an elite group, The Spokane Shock Dance Team. I have no doubts that Kolby will go on to be a professional dancer for a sports team and who knows, maybe a music video or two.

Elisa Weiss

Elisa is a woman of the world. Having traveled to many far off places and gathered the most breath taking shots along the way. She is a student of photography at Evergreen, an avid adventurer, athlete and an activist for positive change. Most recently she has been acknowledged for her abilities in rock climbing.

Crystal Banning

Crystal and I danced for years together, first in the Pacific Ballet Company and then on the BHS Dance Team. She was shall I say, the most talented dancer I knew growing up, always! She had a love for ballet at a young age and ran with it. Now she is a graduate from Montana State University along with an acclaimed ballerina. She has danced for companies in Boston, gaining notice for her exquisite technique and grace.

More Art...

2009-05-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

This piece is titled "Bottled Emotions." On each glass bottle there is an emotion engraved and below a warning "under pressure, may blow." How witty.

Thanks mom!

2009-05-10T22:32:00.001-07:00

I recently found this piece of artwork at a gallery walk in Boulder, CO. It reminds me of "strong women" and therefore was fitting for the occasion.

It's Mother's Day and I have a very special person to celebrate!

My mother Allain VanLaanen is a woman of many talents. She is an amazing artist, teacher, mountaineer, botanist, agriculturist, single mom, musician, song writer, and the most kind and generous person I know. She is so strong, vibrant and full of life. Thanks mom for bringing me into the world and filling my life with so much joy! I love you!

Tuesday Tye-Dye Day!

2009-05-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Tye-Dye Day over at Ashley's house.

We started with some shirts and such and then Ash began to grab blankets and sheets from her house!

This blanket turned out rad!

It was such a blast! Thanks to Emily for bringing the Tye-Dye goodies! :)

Notes on Facebook...

2009-05-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

I was on facebook this afternoon and received a note from a young gal looking for advice on skiing professionally. After I wrote back answering her questions, I realized this would be great information to share with anyone who might have wondered these same things. Therefore I decided to post it onto my blog...

"Heyy Angeli!!
So this is a really random message... but my mom and I just had a life talk about me trying to pursue skiing as a career and what not and if I should keep going after it.. and we started talking about how I would support myself if I made it and how well I would do financially and what not and what I should do about school and blah blah blah... and the truth is that I really have no idea! So I decided to ask you, since you're one of the best girls in the skiing industry... like how you're making it? Like are your sponsors paying for all your travels and paying you enough to survive with living and food expenses and what not? Or do you still need to rely on parents or have a side job? And like what do you plan to do once your skiing career comes to an end and you might need to get a real job? Did you go to college and what not and have a degree to fall back on? Sorry I guess this is kinda personal information!!... but if you can help me out at all I would greatly appreciate it!! I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing with my life and its not working haha
Thank you so much!! Hope all is well!!"

My reply:

"Hey,
Yeah no worries, I know exactly how you feel and to be quit honest have been exactly where you are at. However, very few would answer these questions for me, because you'll find people in the ski industry to be very secretive. Great people don't get me wrong, but it is a business.
OK, so I have been living solely on my ski earnings for 2 years. Starting out, I had to spend a bit of my savings to get by without another side job. I have completed my associates degree (2 years of college) but since have taken time off to focus on skiing. As of now, my sponsors are paying for all my travel and skiing expenses, as well as retainer (money to live off of).
I have always been great at budgeting my money and in the past few years have been able to put money back into my savings account.
There is huge opportunity for us ladies out there in the ski industry... however, times are tough for all business right now with the state of the economy. So, this might be a hard time to get financial support from sponsors.
I have decided on a career path post skiing this year, and that is PT (physical therapy). I do not know when I will get back into school, maybe this fall, maybe wait another few years. But I figure, school will always be there. Skiing is something you have to grasp now, for it is only going to get harder and harder to make a name for yourself, with tons of young guns (like yourself) getting into competing.
Although my mom gives me the occasional massage coupon or buys me some ski socks... I have been fully supporting myself since I moved out of home at 18. It is possible to do, but I have made many sacrifices to make it work financially.
Some examples:
*Living in a one bedroom apartment with 4 other girls.
*eating lots of pasta
*living out of my car for the past 3 summers.
etc...
I guess the question to ask yourself, how much do you want it? Would you be satisfied with your accomplishments no matter what? Because you have to just go for it and risk falling flat on your face, but that is just life in general. Big Dreams, Big Risk.
I am happy to answer any other questions or aid you in anyway getting to know how the industry runs. I believe that there is enough out there for all of us and if you work hard you will find your place. So, there is no need to keep secrets about how it all works.
:)
Oh and yeah things are great. Just moved to Salt Lake City, UT for the summer. So excited to not have to live out of my car this year :)
Hope you are doing well and that this email was at all helpful.
Ang"

Big thanks to Riley Poor, Sarah Burke and Elana Chase for advising me through those first years. I would love to pass on the same generosity that they showed me.

Boulder Gallery Walk...

2009-05-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Nicole and I walked to Pearl Street yesterday afternoon to stroll the Boulder Gallery Walk. An exhibit done by Mary Scrimgeour caught my eye. Her collage of methods and sketchbook-esque layout was both playful and thoughtful. Here are some photos I took of her art... (the lighting didn't do much for my point and shoot camera. These shots don't do the coloring justice. When browsing think, vibrant.)

Click on photo to enlarge

"A" is for "Angeli"

Rally 4 Riley!

2009-04-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Boulder, CO area... Come to the Rally 4 Riley this Saturday! It is going to be a fun gathering of friends and supporters, with an auction of goodies (signed skis by Pro Skiers, outerwear, nikes, prints from various photographers and much more) to raise money for our dear friend Riley Poor. So come on out and support a great cause!

Touring the NW...

2009-04-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

After WCS (West Coast Sessions), LJ Strenio and I drove from Mt. Hood, OR to Stevens Pass, WA to meet up with the Rage Films crew. The crew consisted of Keri, Gus, Schlopy, Mertion, Fabio, Bennie, LJ, Joss, Schuster, Cosco and Spong. Also filmers Hennie, AJ and Dan. It was some good times in the cabin, kinda brought me back to the summer camp days.

It turned out to be nice weather one of the days I was there. Here is a shot of the table they set up... Lofty.

I just remembered about this photo and had to stick it in. I took this at the falls you pass on the way from Whistler to Washington. There was so much water rushing off the mountains. CRAZY!

West Coast Sessions...

2009-04-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

I am at Mt. Hood, OR for the "West Coast Sessions."

I had so much fun lapping the Timberline Park today!!!!

Fun in the sun with a crew of talented kids...

check them out Day 1 (I wasn't here yet).

More edits to come...

TEAM USA live show!

2009-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

I WAS THERE... NO BIG DEAL!

check out the live video

WSI Pipe Finals...

2009-04-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

The Whistler Ski Invitational Pipe Finals went down today and the sun was shining. It was a beautiful and fun filled day to end the competition season on. The WSI, marks the end of the winter competitions, being the last on the schedule.

I came in 2nd, had my family there to watch and...

I went bigger then ever before (as seen in the photo below)! :)

Congrats to Dania Assaly (in photo below) for the win and Megan Gunning coming in 3rd!

Vote for TONY!

2009-04-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

I received an email from my buddy Tony the other day, telling about how he's a part of a contest in which the prize is a new Nissan car! Nissan is putting on this contest to find creative, unique people. And I think Tony embodies both these qualities to a "T"... being a professional skier, small business owner, painter and all around talented guy. He started a innovative ski pole and glove company Joystick, that has brought a unique style to the ski industry.

Part of the finals is online voting. Please follow the link below, check it out and vote for Anthony Boronowski. You can vote once a day.

http://hypercube.ca/en/Canvas.aspx?id=ee075d18-0937-4687-bccf-be1c6771ef7a&lang=en

EARTHDAY in 3 days...

2009-04-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday is the day we give special thanks to Mother Earth. She provides us with all the things we know and have in life. Even the manmade stuff, it once came from the earth in some way or another.

A friend of mine was talking to me about energy a while back and brought up a simple but amazing point I had never thought about.

If everything is made up of matter, atoms and at the center of each atom is a nucleus which is essentially energy. Then everything is made up of energy at it's most raw form. When you broaden that thought into everything you touch, use, drive etc. day to day, the miracle of life can blow your mind!

The example she used was cars. The oil used to fuel the car, once came from deep deep in the earth and is millions and millions of years old. This old energy, propels us and we can move at unbelievable speeds with only the tilt of your foot on the gas pedal! Outrageous! Amazing! When I think about driving cars in this way, it is just mind blowing.

If we all took a little time today, or better yet everyday, to really marvel in the wonders of life around us, the world would be full of inspired people.

Nike ID!

2009-04-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

VanLaanen... that's my name! And yes my first and middle names are on my new shoes thanks to Nike ID.

This year at Dew Tour, they had each athlete make their dream pair of shoes. Here are mine. White and purple wood grain, turquoise, simple but bright, and something unique (my name on the back). Angeline Allain was my Great Grandmothers full name. This name was very popular in my family and who ever had the first little girl, got to pass it on. Lucky me I was born first! I am very proud of my name and am told I'm just like my name sake. She was a very independent, motivated and artistic little french woman. :)

Thanks again Nike 6.0 for making these shoes happen!

A belated congratulations to...

2009-04-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

MEG OLENICK, KERI HERMAN and WHITNEY WICKES!

The Spring Massive Slopestyle event went down at Breckenridge, CO... and any coverage on the event has been nonexistent or hidden so deep in the web, that I have yet to find it. So I am going to post what I know of the results and give a big CONGRATS to my girls holding it down in Summit County.

The day of competition was stormy and some of the worst weather to be hitting the Freeway terrain park. Despite the conditions, the comp went down and Meg took home the win!

Her run was switch 180, 3, 5

up down rail doing a swich up to switch

down rail, 270 out

flat down box with a barrel in the middle, she did switch on, swich up, swich out.

Keri and Whitney also got themselves on the podium, rounding off the Woman's Slopestyle event with some banger runs! Yeah ladies, way to have a crew sweep at Spring Massive!

Easter Weekend in Utah...

2009-04-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

At the end of last week I took quit a fall shooting a swinging log jib at the Canyons up in Park City. Being a bit sore, I decided to take the weekend to rest up for the upcoming competition in Whistler, BC... The World Ski Invitational.

My easter weekend was full of R&R, sunny days, lounging at the park, pencils and paper, a lil skateboarding, baking sweet treats, a lovely Easter dinner hosted by friends Tim and Kristen, bowling (I got a 129!!!), learning to play Catan, hanging at the hobby shop, driving RC gas powered monster trucks and dune buggies, burning my middle and ring finger getting extreme with Pep's truck... oops, sleeping in, good food and great people. It was just the weekend I needed before taking off to Canada.

Doodling at the park.

The new hangout, South Valley Hobby.

The line up...

Pep with Black Thunder.

It's a great morning when your pancake is smiling at you!

NASCAR recap...

2009-04-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Nascar was quit the experience! I was in a sea of automobiles. Trucks, cars, trailers, double wides, RVs, scooters, golf carts etc... and the fans! The stadium and surrounding area was packed with die hard Nascar fans, all wearing these snap-up jackets covered in the sponsors and numbers of their favorite racer. Everywhere you looked, there was an advertisement, colorful and bright! The noise from the 25+ cars was so loud I wore these yellow ear muffs the whole race (featured in the picture below). It was a sensory overloud, but I sure did have fun!

We were of the lucky few to be allowed into the Nascar pit area. This is where the real action is to been seen. The Red Bull crew went through 3 sets of tires in the 324 lap race. Below is a before and after of one set. They would burn through tires so fast and the rubber particles would wisk around the stadium, often landing on your face or in your drink!

I attended the race with my Red Bull Team Manager Adam and a few other athletes. Below are the boys, Terry Adams (RB pro BMX flatland rider), Adam Bebout (our RB TM) and Heath Frisby (RB Pro Snowmobile rider).

The pit crew.

Nascar fireman.

Some random pit crews and characters.

A look from across the field. Look at that crowd!

I found a mini UPS truck!

Entering the VIP zone.

Terry giving a demo to the RB energy station guests.

RB Nascar Driver Brian Vickers giving some pre race words and introducing newest RB team member, Reggie Bush. ps. the Nascar drivers are Gods in this community. Everywhere you looked there was another posters of a driver looking like a "rock star." It reminded me how vast the world of sports is... seeing as I had never heard of these guys before.

Carting around.

Terry turned out to be quit the dancer... Here he is below impressing the Texas style dance party.

RB had a street car custom made with a Nascar engine. After Reggie got dropped off at the hotel by this flashy whip, we were all to get rides... maybe even drive it! But the hotel unfortunately called the police on the noisy not street legal car.

Overall it was a great weekend hanging with the boys and getting to see what the most popular sport in the US is all about... Fast Cars and Rock Stars.

Texas for NASCAR?!

2009-04-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Fortworth, TX with the Red Bull crew to see the NASCAR event go down in Dallas tomorrow.

I don't know much about this sport, but when I heard "we'll be so close to the track on race day, there will be rubber in our drinks" (said my RB Team Manager Adam) I knew I had to come!

Here are my fellow Red Bull Athletes to root for:

RIP Shane McConkey

2009-03-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Shane McConkey was a visionary and legend in skiing. He inspired every person that got to watch him in movies, meet him in person or even just hear about his accomplishments. I looked up to him and will miss his presence in the ski community. My heart goes out to his family and close friends. Shane's memory will live on through the generations of skiers he has inspired.

Ride those endless powder runs in heaven dear skiing friend.

Utah powder hunting...

2009-03-26T17:30:00.001-07:00

I got a chance to catch up with GB (gretchen bleiler), Stan Evans & more, and go on a snowmobile and powder hunting adventure. I found out late Monday night and zoomed down to SLC from Breck to meet up with the crew for Wednesday, Thursday shredding. The snow was so deep Wednesday, that it was a constant face shot while sledding. 4+ Feet of fresh and another foot fell while we were out there! Thursday was a day at my fav lil mountain in Utah, Pow Mow. Next to come is the Queen's Cup Open at Park City, Friday and Saturday. Holler!

TIME OF OUR LIVES!

2009-03-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Kristi Leskinen's Homecoming Invitational was hands down the most amazing weekend of our winter. Full of skiing, goodie bags, facials, massages, an am rail jam for local kids, bowling, dance parties and much more!

Seven Springs Resort, PA put together a legit slopestyle setup despite the warm weather and extreme melt that happened only days before our arrival. Three jumps and four rail features.

Roz G, me and Keri Hermoney watching heat 2.

The Homecoming Queen's...

Chanelle Sladics (snowboard)

Kaya Turski (ski)

Kaya's winning run included a switch 9 which of course was grabbed the whole way through! Way to go Kaya Bamba!

A BIG thanks to Kristi for putting on this amazing event!

Kristi's HOMECOMING...

2009-03-12T09:53:00.001-07:00

Flying to PA to attend...

click photo to enlarge.

Shout Out...

2009-03-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I often think about how grateful I am to all those people who add to my life. So, today I decided to post a note to tell you all thanks!

Wither it be friends/family, sponsors, the bank teller who helped me at my bank the other day, the people that comment on my photos and blog and share inspiration with me, even the random people that take the time to smile in passing. Thank you for lighting up my life, teaching me lessons and believing in my dreams.

Update...

2009-03-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

Went on an RV trip with my hometown crew...

Some photos from our travels to the red woods.

Now I am at Baker for a week of powder shredding!

Great adventures are good for the soul.

Ouch my bum!

2009-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today was the Pipe competition at the Aspen Open. The day was going well. I qualified for finals and the weather was holding out nicely with partly blue skies & sun after the weather report predicted snow.

In finals, my first hit of my first run boosted me way higher then anticipated (photo #3)... I spun my 540 mute and then barely clipped the deck with my skis and dove into the flats. It was one of the worst falls I have ever taken. I am happy to report that my shoulder is just fine and I walked away with a huge lump on my bum and some bruised ribs. That is it thank goodness!

I went up for my second run hopeful, but after my first spin in Run 2, I realized my body was not doing ok. I got away with a few tricks and called it quits... I could hardly breath from the pain. That run placed me in 4th and that was that.

It was a great showing of up and coming girls today. I am so very excited to see great things from these lil pipe shredders in the future!

This week is R&R and then to Dew Tour. Although I am hopeful about slopestyle, if I still cannot walk normally by sunday, I gotta pull out. :(

"Sometimes it is just not your day"

Keri wins!

2009-02-05T18:16:00.001-08:00

Keri wins Snood!

SNOOD is taking over!

2009-02-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

I am in Aspen, CO for the Aspen Open. Today was day one of training and the course is super smooth. I am competing in Slopestyle for the first time since last year. So stoked to be hitting jumps and rails again!

I am staying at Meg's mom's house with a few sweet babes...

Here is what they are up to...

This game SNOOD is taking over! Michelle, Keri and Meg are sucked in... all I hear is a ton of trash talking and "tadah, tadah" which means you made a great shot.

Check back later to find out who is crowned Snood champion for the day.

World Cup Halfpipe WIN!

2009-02-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

I competed in my first World Cup Halfpipe event yesterday here in Park City Utah. I ended up taking home the win and having a blast with my friends in the sun.

News Paper article...

Next on my to do's is the Aspen Open next weekend. This will be one of two Open (meaning that anyone can enter) events for slopestyle this season. Other events like Dew Tour and Xgames are invitational only. I am so excited to ski some jumps and rails this week! Been too long!

Xgames 2009!

2009-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Riley Poor

2009-01-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Riley Poor has been on my mind a lot since his accident on Sat of last week. I tend to become recluse when going through rough times... but I finally gathered myself enough to post a quick note about him on my blog.

He is a true friend and one of the most kind and caring people in my life! He has always been there for me and I intend to do all I can to aid him through this tough journey. He is doing well but needs all of our support... check out Rileypoor.com.

Riley is one of those strong people that can do anything... this recovery will be no exception!

Sending all my love to him and his family.

Park City Madness

2009-01-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

I have traveled to Park City for the week to shred some 22 ft. halfpipe madness. It has been balmy weather and the perfect mix of work and fun in the sun!

A handful of X-games Superpipe athletes are here dialing in the new size and shape of pipe. This is the first year the X-games will have a pipe this large. Most halfpipes are around 18 ft. So, you can imagine the possibility for amplitude in a 22 footer!

Today Dumont was going huge! Tanner looked so comfortable and smooth as always and Dorey was doing down the pipe flatspins! I started spinning today and my tricks came right back. I don't feel like I have been out for a month, and that is a fabulous feeling!

More to come...

The Comeback...

2009-01-10T00:57:00.001-08:00

Angimal is BACK in action!

Here I am at my winter home Breckenridge!

More photos and Meg, Angi comeback updates to come...

Meaningful conversations...

2009-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

I had a great conversation with a friend last night, and it reminded me of a goal I had made for this winter.

This a an excerpt from a Redbullskiing.com interview done this fall:

"Have you ever noticed how disconnected people are these days? We beat around the bush and settle of safe topics of conversation... what ever happened to talking about stuff that mattered? I am guilty of this as all of us are. I am taking notice and excited to start more real conversations with people in my life! And by real I don't mean serious or depressing. Talking about new music I found the other day is real to me. I guess when I use "real", I mean something that's inspiring. I think people sharing inspiration is where every great idea comes to life. Our world can use all the great ideas we can give!"

In a nutshull, thinking outside ourselves and getting involved, is the inspiration I gained from my chat with Tony. I want to pass it on to you by sending you to check out Alpine Initiatives!

One life, fill it up!

I'm BACK!!

2009-01-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

I had my follow up appointment today with Dr. Millett and it was all good news! My Xrays show that my collarbone is doing so well that I can go skiing tomorrow! As you can imagine I was jumping up and down all over the doctors office. I am so excited to go ski, the weeks went fast but it still feels like ages since I got to play in the snow.

Photo gifts...

2008-12-26T20:20:00.000-08:00

I know I said that "Uno Attack" was the best gift of Christmas... but I got two more that surely rival for first.

I could just say, they are all on the podium together.

My photo gifts are above in no particular order:

My friend from home took this photo of a tile mosaic piece I did at a skate spot in Glacier. This time of year I'm especially missing Baker so, it was fabulous to have a piece sent to me in a photo. Thanks Adam!

Another friend of mine gave me a face shot for Christmas! At the top of the picture, you can see a puff of snow, that's him lost in the pow. Since I haven't been able to ski during the last few weeks of endless snow, this one really meant a lot! Sean is permanently on my hit list. Thanks a million and with the photo I really feel like I was there!

UNO CHAMP!

2008-12-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here and the best gift of the day was "Uno Attack!"...

It's like Uno, but with a battery powered machine that spits out cards randomly to those who have to push the "uno" button. Also, there are new cards added to the game... it makes the game move really fast with unknown twists. AMAZING!

My family has been having "Uno Attack!" tournaments since 4pm today... nonstop!

People win rounds here and there, but I have absolutely dominated todays competition!

I'm the overall CHAMP, with one tournament ending in a complete shutout!

Check out the score sheet from my epic win...

Thank you to Cachaulo and Tommy for such a great gift!

I am sure my house will get plenty of use out of this game.

The past month...

2008-12-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

It has been a wild few weeks and I have some catching up to do on the blog...

This photo journal should fill in the blanks.

MP came to visit...

and so did a gaggle of guys!

I broke my left clavical and a week later to the day Meg broke her right one! We both had surgery right away... same doc, same deal! We're planning an EPIC comeback for Xgames...

Dew Tour came to Breck and so did everybody and their mom!

Tom decided to join the club... December became the month of the collarbone!

Our girl Spencer won Woman's Slopestyle at Dew! This babe not only kills it on the slopes, I'd like to add that she is killing it at life. No one was around for my surgery, so spencer stayed to help me out at home. Couldn't have done it without you and your tiramisu Spence! XOXO

And much more...

Big thanks to all my friends for all the support... 2 weeks down and 2 more to go before I can shred on snow!

Happy Holidays and a white Christmas to all!

Thoughts...

2008-12-22T22:05:00.001-08:00

My thoughts...

Authenticity is the ultimate prize. To find ones true self in a sea of mayhem, is life's challenge.

Get out of merely surviving, and be truly living.

Messages...

"So hold nice and close

Once you get to your soul

So that when it is cold

You won't feel so alone

'Cause the roads that you take

May just crack and break

With the changes you will confront

With each gift that you share

You may heal and repair

With each choice you make

You may help someone's day

Well I know you are strong

May your journey be long

and now I wish you the best of luck

Well I know you are strong

May your journey be long

And I wish you the best of luck."

-Xavier Rudd