Inspiration Station

Call me a dork, a dweeb, a fan, a freak, a fool---or join me in being completely inspired by the olympics! I don't know about you but I'll take some inspiration where-ever I can get it and the olympics seems like a darn fine place to pick some up. Last nights men's half pipe final was a body buzing high of inspiration. Shaun White. No more needs to be said.
Dude, he sent that thing.
So today I've vowed to stop drinking more coffee and remember that I haven't eaten yet. Scarf some eggs, drink some emergen-C, eat some carbs and go for it.
Today, I'm taking my dog on an hour long snowshoeing adventure to go check out the state of the boulders. Our five foot dump of snow is beginning to melt off so I figure there have to be some dry top-outs out there in the wild!
I'll find some time to do some work before I head over to a friends wall to train before I pick up my daughter from school.
One thing: I'm getting tired of my breakfast routine. Any suggestions?

A Tale of Two Islands

The latest Urban Climber Magazine is OUT! The cover is Kyle's photo of me on Mobeus and it welcomes the reader with an accurate picture of the sloping, powerful and yet graceful problems that await climbers in NZed. Our feature article is my first published work and has ignited an excitement in me to do more! The 10 page spread is, in my opinion, carried by Kyle's stellar photos. As a non-climber, Kyle's eye is honed in a different way and I hope you enjoy his images!
The issue itself seems to give each individual article a cohesive, over-arching theme: classics.
Our article is named for a Tale of Two Cities, another is named for the amazing poem by John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn", which was a poem that resonated with me in high school.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

The quotes that narrate a beautiful photo essay by Andrew Burr range from Mark Twain to Top Gun (One of my favorite movies to quote.) This issue is full of content that transcends the world of climbing and yet it matches so well. I love the play on words. Kudos to Justin Roth.
I have to mention that the juxtaposition of the woman climbing on the rocks (you know which one I'm talk'in about) and the woman flying through the air like super dancer climber is one of my favorite parts of this issue.
Go get it and let me know what you think!

For more about our trip in NZ which spanned 5 months go to:
www.surfandstone.blogspot.com

Fred

A Portrait of Fred Nicole from Prana Living on Vimeo.

Chuck Fryberger shot this well stylied short about Fred. By the way, his camera is so high tech it looks like an underwater boom box. Check it!