Chris Waker

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Light on set. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Lan's Body Podcast with
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your host Benji Weatherly. It's the
podcast where you learn absolutely nothing. Let's
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Potty with Benji Weatherley. We got
Annie Graziano and uh, we have two
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incredible guests today and called Danny Davis
this morning. He was likedee, what
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is gonna happen when I interviewed this
guy? And he goes, man,
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I'll tell you right now, his
dad drinks more Budweizers than me. Oh
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the first thing he said, and
I was like respect and uh, yeah.
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The history that we're gonna hear of
your family sounds like it's going to
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be incredible. Be on your guys
land for that freaking friendly the gathering I
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went one year, you guys did
a bunch. I went to one year
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where Jake lit fireworks where we left
in the morning. Remember that. So
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our guest today is Chris Waker and
one of the most amazing stories we're gonna
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ever hear on this podcast because I
don't have guests that are this freaking amazing,
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So I can't wait to hear everything. But welcome to Let's Potty.
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That's potty, and we have your
childhood, one of freaking one of my
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good, good, good friends,
and even closer to my heart, he's
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one of the Carpenter's best friends.
And uh yeah, it's just it's what
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you are going through having George have
you to talk to? And I called
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adapt when you guys were there,
and I was like, yeah, I
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got my little brother. George's coming
in and they're like George Carpenter and he's
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here right now with Chris, and
I was like, all right, you
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topper. Okay, yeah, but
I want to hear about so many things.
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There's no right way to start,
because I don't want this always to
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be about interviews. I want this
just to be a conversation between people.
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But I mean, where where can
we start? Because I'd like to hear
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where you're you know, I mean
that you were a pro snowboarder, So
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i'd like to hear the beginning of
when you're a kid. You probably have
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brothers, sisters, one sister,
yep. Okay. I can't wait to
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hear about your parents because I heard
your mom is supposedly the Saint of all
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saints. Yes she is, and
you are the oldest youngest or one year
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Okay, so you got here one
year apart. Yeah, super tight.
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What's growing up in from southern Vermont? Right? So then Vermont? Yep,
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it's you know, it's been my
entire childhood in the outdoors my dad,
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and uh, my dad was always
just very passionate about whatever I wanted
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to do, Like I wanted to
snowboard, I want to ride dirt bikes.
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Got me on motorized vehicles before I
could even walk. And he's like,
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use a logger originally, so he's
a big guy. Yeah, I
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mean yeah, average ever, but
he had always had work logging equipment around,
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so he put me in an excavator, bulldozers. I had built a
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dirt bike track around my yard.
That's what Daddy was saying that you're into
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motorcycles, Yeah, dirt bike,
snowmobiles, you name it. I was
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on it. And my mom's a
saint, she you know, doesn't drink
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do anything. My dad, you
know, grew up always Budweiser in one
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hand, marb light in the other
and just with the chainsaw, carrying around
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the chainsaw through the woods and yeah, pretty amazing childhood. And yeah,
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he taught me how to weld snowboard
rails once I got into snowboarding. He's
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like, all right, let's make
some rails for the backyard. Let's get
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some construction lights so we can light
up the whole whole valley and piss off
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all of our neighbors. So no, that was that didn't come around until
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later around two thousand and that.
So that area, that ski area is
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an abandoned ski area was part of
Magic Mountain originally got abandoned in the eighties.
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That was kind of like the solebrity
side. It was more of like
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the private Timber Ridge was. You
know, we're all like the secret secret
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spot was, but they abandoned it
and ripped it all the lifts. My
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dad bought it super cheap in two
thousand with his plumbing company, and just
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I spent every summer just cutting down
trees, clearing out because it was all
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overgrown. So me and my buddies
just go out there and make little tree
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runs and just start building out.
And then he bought a cheap snow cap
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from Stratt Mountain and so we were
just pushing up little things. It was
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the perfect you've seen it, so, you know, it's just the most
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natural rolling terrains, so you can
just push it up a little bit of
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snow build up a little kicker,
and we're just you know, hugging ourselves
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and having the most amazing time.
It was. And then you know,
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cut forward a couple years later when
you know, I was having a couple
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of Budweisers. It was like the
most perfect spot for us to party.
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It was like this abandoned base launch
all open, you can't really break anything,
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and we owned the access road,
so the cops weren't allowed to come
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up there. And so it was
it was a great, great time.
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And that's American dream. And that's
how everything kind of came to fruition with
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a friendly gathering. I would have
like these amazing parties and you know,
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Jay, you know, brought down
George, and George came all we came
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down from all it from Stowe,
you know, two hours to come party
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at the spot. And that's how
everyone kind of uh you know, found
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out about timber Ridge. And then
once they did the friendly gathering out here,
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originally they were like, let's do
it on Wakers property. We before
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that, we had a couple events
too with like Rome and we did the
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World quarter Pipe Championships. They brought
it back at the spot at Hooter who
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carved out the original US Open pipes
with a with an excavator. He came
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and cut out the quarter pipe and
man, what parties those were? My
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dad, They uh, we're big
pipe guy. Yeah, So I mean
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that's actually grew up just like I
said, riding rails in the backyard,
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and I grew up more of a
slope guy. But then when I went
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to Strat Mountain School, that's kind
of what it was. It was everyone
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you know, Danny Davis, Louis
Vito, you know, the Matrani's.
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Everyone was kind of riding pipe at
that time. It was the only thing
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that was in the Olympics. So
once I went to the to Stratt Mountain
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School, I was like, all
right, gotta focus on pipe. But
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that's where it was. I did
both, though I did, you know,
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Grand Prix's and due towards both slope
and pipe. So it was,
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you know, at that time it
was a little easier to focus in on
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both. But now it's like impossible
to do that. You really see it.
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So the people that don't snowboard out
there. Stratton is where the US
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Open started that Burton created, and
that's how far from where you grew up
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yet twenty minutes. And the original
Burton factory was in London area, which
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is fifteen minutes from my house.
So you come from the mecca of snowboarding.
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Yeah, pretty cool. Yeah.
My dad would bring me up to
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the US Open and just watch the
legends just flying over and I'm like,
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what is this? People throwing beer
cans and snowballs across the pipe? Is
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it blow your mind how different the
pipes are from the beginning to now,
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Like when you see the old Duff
Brushet and those guys and it's like four
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feet mush and now it's thirty feet
all right, thirty foot walls, yeah,
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twenty foot twenty two foot pipe dragons
now, so it's insane in the
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amount of speed. I remember dropping
into my first twenty two foot pipe because
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I grew up on a sixteen foot
pipe, and then it was eighteen foot
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was a super pipe, and then
it jumped up to the twenty two,
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and I remember it was the US
Open, the first time they had the
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twenty two at a competition, and
you're dropping in, You're like going,
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going, going, and then you
just like you think you're hauling ass and
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then you're just do like a two
foot air? What is that? Just
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go up forever? Yeah, but
it was it was sweet because it allowed
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for a lot more margin of air, a lot more transition to land on.
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You know, it's like you know
surfing when you canvas figure canvas and
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stuff and but yeah, so the
and then you know, from when I
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started, it was like going to
Grand Prix in the World Cups, where
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was like back to back nine hundred's
and you know, I'll throw a couple
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of ten eighties in there and you're
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their full lineup of surfboards. Is that
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Ross Powers type Yeah? Yeah,
Ross and Danny Cassy cast that's the one
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Danny casts that kid dominated for a
bit. Yeah, it was really good.
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Yeah, so I went to uh
yeah, I was watching those guys
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rip and that was kind of the
era. And now then when I was
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kind of transitioning out of competing,
that was one of the time when double
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corks were just going off. And
but then also a lot of injuries which
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kind of scare the craft out of
me. It was, you know,
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Kevin Pierce, because Kev's your age, right exactly, Yeah, yeah,
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yeah, pretty much. And yeah, Kevin got his TBI learning the double
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cork. And you know, Luke
Matrani broke his neck, you know,
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luckily not a spar cord injury like
myself. But where did he break in
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his upper it was yeah, it
was see it was I think up in
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the sea collar area. So yeah, luckily, uh, you know,
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he skid out of that one.
But uh, but he doesn't snowboard that
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much anymore, right, No,
not much, right, Yeah, he
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just had a kid, just such
a little nugget of love. Yeah.
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But so we're thirty five, thirty
five, Yeah, that's what I'm not
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David Blaine, but I know him. Yeah, that's cool. So you're
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and Danny Davis went to high school
with you. Yeah, so he was
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a year older, imagined Danny Davis
in high school just for a second think
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and then always it fun or fun. He's in confused the movie, but
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all day, every day. Yeah, he's him and Luke. So I
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don't want to derail the story.
You're now, this is when you're watching
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these events at Stratton. You're a
little kid, right yeah, and then
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when did you start competing? Oh? Right around I know twelve. Maybe
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your dad's psyching He's like, I
mean, oh, let's do this.
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Yeah he like he was, wasn't
those like, I don't know, you
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see some of the dads now they're
kind of agro. He was more of
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like, what are you doing?
You have fun? Sweet, go for
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it. Yeah yeah, we'll send
it and send it. Yeah. So
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it was it was definitely a super
casual, like no pressure at all and
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just having fun. And that's I
think what made me love the sport is
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all me right right. It was
all the passion for the sport that kind
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of drove it. But yeah,
I started off doing you say, say,
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uh did that that whole scene with
the Nationals, which is just like
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the regional series is Danny doing that
at that time, ye bloomer. Well,
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you know, he was kind of
an early bloomer. Danny was already
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doing the Grand Prix, and uh
so I was just like, damn,
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I want to get there. I
was like such a good like role model
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and stuff, and all those cats
were amazing to have on board. Were
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you part of the friends? I
mean I knew him, but I wasn't
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like in that clique per se.
I was living in Colorado. All those
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guys were in Mammoth and stuff like
that, but but really good friends with
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them. Grew up. You're one
of the friends with the Yeah, yeah,
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exactly. I was everything. Yeah, that's cool. Sit to your
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sister get involved in snowboarding or she
did, or her own thing a little
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bit. She she was into you
know, field hockey and soccer and dance
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team and all that. But you
know, it was amazing hav an older
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sister should bring on, bring home
all of her girlfriends and can I hang
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out with you guys? Yeah you
know, but but yeah, she was
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snowboard for fine and stuff and hang
out, which is cool. She was
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always always around with the crew.
We'd always mix ingle friends and hang out,
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so we were tight. It was
it was really cool. Well,
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I'm gonna just throw the best thing
about a podcasts is just like hanging out,
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and that's what we're doing, especially
in if it's our own living room.
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We have one of his best friends
that he grew up with in one
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of our best friends Jays Sailing.
So the sailing now I really hate you
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like this name. Dude, You're
already a yacht club guy that golf's better
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than me. I'm over all of
it. So I was thinking about this
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earlier this morning. I was get
closer a little bit. How do we
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like, like, how did we
actually like become friends and like what's that
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story and so and what age is
this? So I feel like it was
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probably like fifteen sixteen, and so
I I s began my life in New
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York. That's at the Carpenter started
to get exposed to this amazing sport of
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snowboarding, and so I was like, all right, well, you know,
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as a fam we need to kind
of get closer to this. And
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so we end up moving up to
Vermont and I just started high school and
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I was, you know, meeting
some kids. I was like, all
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right, where can we skate?
Like what can we do in one of
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our best friends, Christian Connors.
I go to school with him every day
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and he's like, yo, so
this kid has a mini ramp at his
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house. We gotta go, you
gotta meet him. He's the man,
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and it's called Wakers Acres, and
so he mentioned that he's got he's got
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a dirt bike track there, but
he's also got a mini ramp, and
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we were skating at a bunch and
like never really got to meet him until
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like one day he comes down on
like a little fifty c seed dirt bike.
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He's probably got like a Budweiser and
a doubIe in a hand, and
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he's like, yeah, let's skate. Man, Like, what's your name?
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And it's kind of how we met
and just started cruising. You know,
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you're so young then that every day
you're just like what can we get
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up to? What can we do? And we live we live close enough
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to where I could take a four
wheeler from my house, stop at Christian's
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house, who's our buddy, and
then go over to Wakers Yeah, and
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just hang out skate. I didn't
really do dirt biking, it's not my
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thing, but I watched them.
Got to meet Tyler Emon who's like a
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really good friend of ours too,
and man, just such a cool life
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to get exposed to, like adrenaline
junkie to the max. I mean coming
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from New York too. I love
hearing this because I knew you were from
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Long Island kind of, but now
it's hearing this, it makes way more
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sense. You're so much more New
York than Verm but like, I'm a
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city slick yeah, And then I
where'd you grow up in New York?
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Before we go any further, was
that out by rockaway or I was born
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in the city, born in the
city, So you're a city of bumpkin.
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Yeah. Go out to hang out
with these guys and you're like,
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this is the cool shit. Yeah. And they're like riding dirt bikes,
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going into trails, like going up
into like camp areas, just camping out,
220
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lighting shit on fire, and I'm
like, man, this is like,
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so I just left New York and
this well, still love New York,
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right, but the I've style kind
of left that in the dust.
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And I was like, I'm hanging
out with Yes, you are waker Waker
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Acress. You had like and then
had you have that? Is that the
225
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road where you got that's for the
resort thing. But is there a road
226
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up to your house too that that's
like funny enough. It's actually called Wide
227
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Awake Road and they did not name
that after us My parents moved there,
228
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and it was originally called Wide Awake
Road, which is pretty crazy and man
229
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like his family is so cool too, like that mini ramp. Anyone from
230
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like anywhere in Vermont, if you
could get there, you could go skate
231
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it, and people were just so
cool, like it kind of became this
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legendary like spot because skate parts at
that time in Vermont kind of sucked,
233
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and so you were like trying to
find a cool spot to skate, and
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like you could you can meet so
many cool people, kids to travel for
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hours. It would come kids,
kids would come from like from the Northern
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ran to come skate his ramp,
and it was just such a cool kind
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of like breeding ground of like friendships
and and and also really good skating.
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Like yeah, and even when I
moved out of Vermont, my dad would
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always be down at the ramp shooting
the ship with people hanging out and they're
240
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like you might if we skate,
like no anytime, like just just so
241
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like like the lifestyle man like,
it's like amazing. Yeah. Yeah,
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Jay actually got me was the one
who kind of pushed me into surfing a
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lot. I mean I had I
went a few times before I met him,
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but we would do. We live
like three hours, three and a
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half hours from the beach, New
Hampshire, yeah, the wall, Yeah,
246
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and so we would wake up at
like five in the morning, get
247
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there at nine, we would serve
till noon, grab a burrito, serve
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till like six, seven o'clock at
night, and then just you know,
249
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white knuckling at home, grip and
just like just trying to survive the drive
250
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home after such a beat day of
surfing. H like the like handful of
251
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days that the East Coast gets good
everything. Yeah, we were on it.
252
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Then the hurricane swell would come in. Just scare the crap at him.
253
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We're going out with Kevin Pierce's brother
Adam. It was during like one
254
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of the hurricanes, and we're like, dude, they twelve to fifteen,
255
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let's send it. I had no
business being out there. And I remember
256
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he just like cut his foot in
a rock and before we even got in
257
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the water, he was just like
bleeding and we're like, oh, we
258
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got sucked under like twice, and
we're like, yeah, let's head to
259
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the beach. We're good, We're
good. Sideways so quick and surfing so
260
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funny, humbles you so fast,
it's amazing, Like having an avalanche happened,
261
00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:29.319
no matter what. Yeah, they're
like, let's go snowboarding. It's
262
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gonna be an avalanche. It's gonna
be right on my face. Like all
263
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right, let's go. So what
what brought you to San Diego? Just
264
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the beach, that being around such
warm, killer weather. Yeah, the
265
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warm weather and adapt actually so yeah, my my injury happened three years ago.
266
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And yeah, just freak accident heading
out of the park. I was
267
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actually training one of my athletes.
He's on the US team now, Jake
268
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Canner shut out Jake and guy.
Yeah, I loved him. I just
269
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went to Switzerland on the and trip
it. He's a little I call him
270
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Little Mark and Chloris. He was
like, I got a photo of my
271
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little nugget. He's a little nuggetating
ribs, skating, insane skating, a
272
00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:15.319
little nugget. He's yeah, such
a good human and yeah, just cruising
273
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out of the park. It was
Christmas Eve. He was getting ready for
274
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a World Cup in a couple of
weeks, and we were like, yeah,
275
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let's go take some laps, and
we were lapping all day. Head
276
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.839
out of the park, bombing down
to the lift, went to go do
277
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like a little just high speed maneuver, just super casual, trying to be
278
00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:33.640
all steezy, and then you know, have my hands out behind me and
279
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.119
just let my board down, caught
my toes, drove my neck right into
280
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the ground, couldn't get my hands
down in front of me, and yeah,
281
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I just broke my neck and was
instantly paralyzed from like pretty much the
282
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chest down. So I'm tachnally a
quadriplegic. My arms move, but I've
283
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lost my finger dexterity, and I
have like, you know, loss of
284
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some triceep function and you know my
chest muscles core all that. But I
285
00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.519
do have like sensation stuff. Uh
my spink cord didn't completely sever, which
286
00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:08.839
is what they call an incomplete injury, so I have some sensation and which
287
00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:11.519
was really good at the time to
hear. They were like, you know,
288
00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:18.680
you're an incomplete injury. You could
regain some strength and movement and mobility.
289
00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:19.480
And so when I heard that in
the hospital. I'm like, all
290
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right, I'm walking out of here, like let's send it. And my
291
00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:27.759
buddy, good friend Tyler Emon,
another snowboarder, and uh he moved out
292
00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:32.039
to Colorado with me and lived with
me in the hospital and went to Craigs,
293
00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:33.160
right, Yeah, I went to
Craigs, which is where George went.
294
00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:40.920
Yeah. So just amazing having that
community around me. It shifted,
295
00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.839
It put my recovery in just like
the most amazing. You know, we
296
00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.559
were just laughing and you know,
I would poot my pants and we would
297
00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:52.759
just be you know, laughing and
crying and whatever, just just making the
298
00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:56.720
most fun out of like some dark
moments where I could have easily gone the
299
00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:59.960
other way, you know. So
great to have that community in the snow
300
00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:04.039
community, and my whole community just
rallying behind me, and athletes start gofundmes
301
00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:11.480
and just people sending care packages left
and right. Another bunch of crew of
302
00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:14.960
athletes that I coached, they went
into the they did kind of like the
303
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.079
other direction, not competitive side,
but filming, and they started on their
304
00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:22.079
own film crew. And so they
were sending me like care packages and they
305
00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:26.240
just pretty much sell hoodies and stuff
to fund their their snowboard trips. So
306
00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:30.039
so they sent me a bunch of
stuff and shut out dust Box and and
307
00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:34.920
all that whole crew. But yeah, so definitely an early time. Yeah,
308
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:40.440
the adapt used to be called Project
Walk with one of my best I've
309
00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:45.880
had four best friends paralyzed from surfing. Actually, Barney Miller wasn't wasn't paralyzes
310
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.279
surfing. It was a car accident, but he would go there. And
311
00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:52.839
you know, I went to his
wedding in Australia and his goal was to
312
00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:57.920
walk have a dance with his wife, and he ended up getting to do
313
00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:02.200
it. Because the Project Walk,
you know, he's still going through it.
314
00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.480
It's not like he's healed or anything, but that I felt your muscles
315
00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:07.480
when I hugged you, and it
looks like you're putting it in the work
316
00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:11.480
and it's a lot of work.
And I watched him do it, and
317
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:15.119
I take him surfing. I mean
when he called me to go surf,
318
00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:18.920
I drop everything, no matter what, right and uh we did. We've
319
00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:22.319
done the US Open together, We've
done a bunch of surf contests with Malibu
320
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.079
and uh, Mick Fannings his best
friend too. So we'll go to Australia,
321
00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:30.119
we put a ship in ways a
gold coast and he's the most inspiring
322
00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.480
person. So when I heard George
came was coming here to visit me,
323
00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.079
first thing I thought it was Project
Walk because I want him back here.
324
00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:40.200
I want him back in his house. I want him. I mean,
325
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.079
now that he has you here,
I mean, this is the place for
326
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:45.359
George, you know, and I'm
hoping that that atap place, it seems
327
00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:49.000
like it's better maybe now right,
it's new partnerships and all this stuff.
328
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:52.799
But I saw your video on Instagram
today and the place looks insane. And
329
00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.599
uh, I mean that that work
you guys put in really does show.
330
00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:00.240
I mean when Barney was getting married
and he was standing with her, it
331
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.839
was the most I got chicken skin. It was They did a Willy Wonka
332
00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:07.720
theme, so they had chocolate factory
and they sang that song, you know,
333
00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:11.640
the most beautiful song in that's in
that movie, and he's she's there
334
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:17.039
holding each other dancing and he's standing
it. It literally like it's given me
335
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:21.440
so much chill. He's such an
inspiring person, so adapt it's got to
336
00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:25.720
be just such a life saving you
know, mental capacity people that are there
337
00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:29.000
to help, but just working out
and getting your blood going and stuff must
338
00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:32.400
feel really good for sure. I
Mean I get more sore if I don't
339
00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:36.119
move and if my body just seizes
up. And but yeah, I just
340
00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:40.240
pretty much my whole mindset was every
little fiber, every little muscle that does
341
00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:44.440
work, I'm gonna get that as
strong as I possibly can. And yeah,
342
00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.039
it's helped me a lot. There's
a lot of people with my level
343
00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:49.440
of injury that aren't, you know, in a in a manual wheelchair.
344
00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:53.359
They have a powerchair something like that. And yeah, it's just uh,
345
00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.960
you know, just put in hard
work. And the community there too is
346
00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:00.720
amazing. They you know, I
found out about the surfing around here.
347
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:04.359
There's a I got the board,
I got everything. Yeah, and I've
348
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:07.640
been doing it for twenty years.
Jesse is one of my best friends.
349
00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:10.359
You've heard of him, right,
Oh? Yeah, Yeah. He was
350
00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:12.240
at the surf franch with us the
other day. He was the group in
351
00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.680
front of us, so we watched
him surf and then we got to go
352
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:19.920
the next sash. But you actually
going to Hawaii in h a couple of
353
00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.480
weeks to compete my first amateur is
it? Duke? Is it? The
354
00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:27.200
Duke's festival. No, it's I
do that one with those guys too as
355
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:32.559
I or whatever. But is it
in at Queen's Yeah, Queens, Yeah,
356
00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:33.640
maybe it is. It's a tournament
I do all the time. Oh
357
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.319
sweet, yeah, yeah, Access, I think, yeah, yeah,
358
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.319
that's it. That's I work with
them and I do that tournament and that's
359
00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.240
where I put Barney Miller on it
one. It's insane. You're gonna have
360
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:45.200
so much fun. Queen's is such
a fun wave. It's in Wiki Key,
361
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:51.720
So you're just gonna and everyone's so
fun and friendly and killer you're warm
362
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:53.359
water And I was like, yeah, it's so, it's the nicest place.
363
00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:56.640
It's Wiki Key Man. You're gonna
be like having mimosas on the It's
364
00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:00.799
insane. You're gonna have the best
time ever. And the people that take
365
00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:03.160
the Access crew, you're gonna meet
him. They're so freaking nice and sweet,
366
00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:07.400
and it's kind of just like adapt
they're just as cool. Yeah.
367
00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:10.279
I mean, there's a crew that
goes out the last Sunday of every month
368
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:15.319
here waves for all anyone, any
time. I'll take you surfing. I
369
00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:17.799
don't surf anymore, but I'll take
you surfing every day. You don't surf
370
00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:21.279
anymore. I have a torn ankle. I just went to the ranch.
371
00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:23.359
It hurts so bad to serve.
I'm a I'm an old fat pieces of
372
00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:27.799
stuff. But let's talk about one
thing. I want Jay to tell me
373
00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:32.559
a story that's ridiculous right now,
Like, what, what's what's the most
374
00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:40.319
trouble you two got in you want
to go? I would say, I
375
00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:44.759
mean, look, he mentioned that
when when there was a Wakers Lodge party,
376
00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:48.440
people dropped everything they were doing,
like in all parts of her mind.
377
00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:52.480
I mean, it's just where the
state, that's where the gathering was.
378
00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:56.440
Okay, what is there a dwelling
there? Well, just there's lodge.
379
00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.200
I never saw the lodge. Yeah, okay, so there is a
380
00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:02.559
dwelling. Yeah, and let you
guys just hang out there and yeah,
381
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:04.640
well, I mean like you could. You could he could let the word
382
00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:07.319
out at like ten pm that there
was going to be a party, and
383
00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:12.599
by midnight it was like an absolute
like Vermont style rage, fireworks and all
384
00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:18.240
the crazy shit. But I mean, I don't know, probably like sneaking
385
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:22.880
away from some cops on some like
mountain parties, but that was really you
386
00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:26.000
gotta do. It's like a rite
of passage to like get to do something.
387
00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:29.240
We were always partying out in the
woods. That was like the thing
388
00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:32.400
to do, and yeah, we
would just be yeah, always running.
389
00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:36.720
I remember running away from cops almost
every weekend. And yeah. Then we're
390
00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:38.920
just like who's going to drive tonight? Yeah, yeah, and then just
391
00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:44.480
mingling finding each other in the woods
and then like all right, like get
392
00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.200
any chicks around, let's make out
whatever. That's so fun. That's such
393
00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.839
a fun childhood. It's like the
North Shore where I grew up, it
394
00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:53.880
was like you get a truck,
pull it in, flip the tailgate down,
395
00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:56.960
and put a bunch of beer in
the back, and then that's the
396
00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.440
party. Yeah at night though,
because it was dangerous at night. If
397
00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:03.799
you're a little kid, you know, your friend would throw up. You're
398
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:04.880
like, oh dude, we should
go home. You guys. You know
399
00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:10.119
it's like he had six beers.
You know. That's so fun. Yeah.
400
00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:12.200
I was, yeah, definitely blessed
that we didn't have like my parents
401
00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:15.640
would. I mean, luckily it's
probably uh you know, way past that
402
00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:19.920
time for them to get in trouble
now, but they would they would ran
403
00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:25.039
out. Yeah, right, It's
not like statue limitations or something. Oh
404
00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:27.319
my god, it's so funny because
your mom is such a ye saint saying
405
00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:32.240
okay, let's hear what she did
wrong? Well mom, So yeah,
406
00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:36.759
we would be partying, raging and
be like probably one am twelve and my
407
00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:41.279
parents would just show up and just
check up on things. And my friends
408
00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.400
would just be like, Yo,
your parents are here. I'm like,
409
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.880
yeah, I know, dad's got
more beer. And then like ten minutes
410
00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.160
later like, yo, your dad's
smoking cigarettes inside? Can I smoke a
411
00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:56.599
cigarette inside? I'm like okay,
yeah, sure, Like just so so
412
00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:00.880
much fun. Yeah that's cool parents, Yeah, for sure. And I
413
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.039
feel like that helped me a lot
too. It is just like I've had
414
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:06.680
friends where you had to like hide
it from your parents and they're like the
415
00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:08.480
almost the ones that get the most, you know, messed up in trouble.
416
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:11.839
My parents were like, just we
don't care what you're doing. Just
417
00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:15.920
tell us where you are and you're
not going to drive home, you know.
418
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.839
And I think that helped my childhood
out so much, just being like,
419
00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:22.440
let's just provide a safe place for
kids to hang out and yeah,
420
00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.480
just and what's your sister doing.
She's a year older, what's she doing
421
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:29.400
when you guys are all having these
parties. She's like, you guys are
422
00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:34.480
so young and stupid. Hang out
chill. But funny story, she actually
423
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:38.319
got in trouble, like eighth grade, going into freshman year. She got
424
00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:42.160
injoyed. They were at the rec
center and they had a bottle of vodka.
425
00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:45.839
We were partying the night before kind
of partying. We were like,
426
00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:48.200
you know, twelve thirteen years old
whatever. They had a bottle of Vodko.
427
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:52.480
We were making like slushies and stuff. And they go to the rec
428
00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:55.559
center of the day before the rest
of it, and they got the cops
429
00:27:55.599 --> 00:28:00.079
called on them. Then you know, my dad got called and he's like,
430
00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:02.559
Melissa, I heard, just heard. Melissa is drunk. She called
431
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:06.279
my mom obviously, and she picked
her up and was they were like she
432
00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:08.960
went to the convenience store, was
feeding her crackers and all this trying to
433
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.599
sober up and so get my Dad's
like, get Melissa up here right now,
434
00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:18.039
cops are here. She told my
dad was like, yeah, some
435
00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:21.000
guy gave us a bottle, and
he's like, get in the truck.
436
00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:25.319
We're gonna find this guy. They
go downtown like looking for She's bawling her
437
00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:27.319
eyes out, and then she told
him like sorry, like no, we
438
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:30.960
had like liquor or whatever. But
the cops were at my house and so
439
00:28:30.359 --> 00:28:36.559
no guy, no guy. And
so I'm I'm off my room like shitting
440
00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:38.000
bricks. I'm like, oh my
gosh, They're gonna come and rest me.
441
00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:41.799
They found out that I'm drinking the
night before and like I'm freaking out.
442
00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:45.680
But she ended up stopping drinking for
a while a couple of years.
443
00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:48.279
That was like, so, but
she would come and hang out with us
444
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:51.480
and party and we had like,
you know, her birthday party at the
445
00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:53.759
lodge too, at the scar area
and and all that. So yeah,
446
00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:57.599
we were we were super close for
sure. That's so fun. What about
447
00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:02.559
so did your dad have a resort
too, like or is that the resort
448
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:04.799
I heard it you had like that? Okay, so that's the spot that
449
00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:07.559
he on. Okay, and then
what was the name of the mountain?
450
00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:11.559
It's Stratton where you guys grew up. Grew up, Yeah, the resort
451
00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:14.000
Okay, Yeah, Bromley is where
I kind of learned how to snowboard,
452
00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:17.400
which is a little tiny it's called
the Family Mountain that's close by. But
453
00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:21.240
then yes, Strat Mountain School,
Stratton, Killington, No, Chemo mount
454
00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:25.160
Snow is all all right. There
so so many really cool resorts. What
455
00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:29.079
were you on Burton boards when you're
young? Yeah, burn boards for a
456
00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:33.400
while. I was a goat to
flow through them and yeah just uh yeah,
457
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.240
Burton head to toe is awesome.
They made goggles, boots, board
458
00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:41.640
binding. I just got a setup
and I'm like embarrassed, Like it's it's
459
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:47.359
too good. It's so light.
I gotta like a seventy. It's insane.
460
00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:49.359
It's like a long board. I'm
like, I'm going by people going
461
00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:53.079
so fast and I'm I'm sorry,
Like when you're traversing, I'm like,
462
00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:56.039
hands are hand my head like this
and other guys are walking. I'm like
463
00:29:56.119 --> 00:30:02.799
later. But just the just the
fact that Annie always comes up with the
464
00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.359
best questions. I can't wait to
hear this then, because she has a
465
00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:11.519
perspective always that I don't have it. She actually like actually thinks go ahead.
466
00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.119
Yeah. So I'm just really curious, Like I love how much effort
467
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:19.079
you're putting in your mindset with where
you're at now when you're doing your strength
468
00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:22.319
training, Like what does that look
like? Like what kind of circuits do
469
00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:29.119
they have you going through. So
what's amazing about adapt is there. It's
470
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:32.720
all out of pocket, but because
of that, they're not confined by the
471
00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:36.759
restrictions of insurance, so they'll get
you doing whatever you want to do.
472
00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:40.759
If you want to go work on
car transfers, you want to go do
473
00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:44.599
some standing stuff. What's amazing.
They strap our legs to theirs and they
474
00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:48.640
get me standing every day, and
so even though I have no core strength,
475
00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:51.880
they're getting me standing weight bearing on
my bones, which is really good
476
00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:56.519
for bone density circulation. So we'll
do a lot of like standing. We'll
477
00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.519
do like bow ropes while I'm standing. And it's amazing to work on like
478
00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:04.920
breath work too. You have no
idea how much your breath and your diaphragm
479
00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:10.359
helps you balance. And I've been
able to become so much more stable,
480
00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:14.480
and just anything I want to work
on there, it's it's great. I'm
481
00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.519
like, yeah, I want to
work on getting up off the floor,
482
00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.039
and we'll just get on the floor, try and get back up in my
483
00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:23.480
chair, try and figure out little
tips and tricks and yeah, just stuff
484
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.240
like that. That's awesome. It's
kind of like, what's been the best
485
00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:33.079
progress you've seen from doing all that. Yeah, probably independence has been my
486
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:37.039
biggest or that's like, I guess
my biggest goal is trying to become as
487
00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:41.200
independent as I can. I still
have a lot of help throughout my ADL's
488
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.319
my you know, daily living stuff, but that's like my biggest goal.
489
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:49.079
But just it's hard. It's hard
with the spinal cord injury because you see
490
00:31:49.079 --> 00:31:53.240
so much progress those first three to
six months and then it kind of like
491
00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:56.279
tapers off. It's not as linear. It's not like straight up because I
492
00:31:56.279 --> 00:32:00.319
started from nothing. I could barely
move my arms, had just a little
493
00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:02.119
bit of bicep strength. So you
know, when you're in a hospital,
494
00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:05.319
you see that, you're like,
yeah, I'm recovering, I'm doing great,
495
00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:07.680
and then you get out and you're
like, damn, I'm just not
496
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:14.079
not recover Like what's what's going on? But then I think strength training helps
497
00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:16.119
me see those little victories, being
like all right, I up my weight
498
00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:21.440
this week, or you know,
you'll you'll look back at a couple months
499
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:23.720
ago and be like, whoa,
I wasn't transferring like that. I just
500
00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:27.720
I just got out of my buddy's
car in and out without a I usually
501
00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:30.680
have a slide board it's like a
skateboard deck. They put on meath your
502
00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:32.599
butt and you slide in and out. But I just I ditched that the
503
00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:36.359
other day and just hop in and
out of it as an El Camino,
504
00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:38.359
So it's like a little bit lower
and low round, but it was so
505
00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:42.680
it's like sick. I'm like,
damn, this is amazing to So it's
506
00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:46.319
like you have to really kind of
just appreciate and kind of change your perspective
507
00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:51.440
a little bit. And it's hard
sometimes to appreciate those victories. But you
508
00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:54.519
know, once you look back and
it's great about like social media and stuff,
509
00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:58.680
posting stuff from right when I go
to the hospital, it's it's cool
510
00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:00.880
to look back and be like,
damn, you know, I've come a
511
00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:05.000
long long way and it's still not
done. I still see progress. Getting
512
00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:08.319
that blood going to your brain too, is so much more important for your
513
00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:13.799
mental health. Yeah, and just
like surfing to do I got. It's
514
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.160
been since October. It's been since
October since I've been in the water.
515
00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:20.640
It's been a little chilly this winter, so I'm a little chicken and I
516
00:33:20.680 --> 00:33:23.640
don't I don't. I don't acclimate
to the weather that well. Like once
517
00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:28.279
I get cold. I'm freezing for
hours and I don't sweat, so uh,
518
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:31.640
higher level injuries we lose the ability
to sweat, which is crazy.
519
00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:36.079
So yeah, when it's like I
was out at Stagecoach last year it was
520
00:33:36.079 --> 00:33:40.240
one hundred and five degrees, you're
like, yeah, pouring water myself to
521
00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:45.160
trying to cool myself down. Sace. They don't sweat, sweats you down.
522
00:33:45.319 --> 00:33:52.519
Yeah, but it was nerve.
I don't know what nerve it is,
523
00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:55.519
but likes right, Yeah, some
some some nervous spartan nervous system gets
524
00:33:55.799 --> 00:34:00.960
gets cut off. So it's a
trip. Yeah. Just be good though,
525
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.359
to be able to talk to George
about what you're going through so he
526
00:34:02.440 --> 00:34:06.440
knows what it's up, because I
mean, I know when I talk to
527
00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:09.519
him, it's the slow progresses that
get annoying. But if you're not around,
528
00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:14.000
I see him getting you know a
little bit, just little bits.
529
00:34:14.039 --> 00:34:17.840
But I mean just I love having
you with him. It made just my
530
00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:22.480
heart warm because I mean, I
how could I, even though I've been
531
00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:24.320
around it so much, you can't
relate unless you're going through it, you
532
00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:28.199
know. And and I think that's
such a blessing for me as much as
533
00:34:28.199 --> 00:34:31.559
it sucks to get injured. It's
it's I feel like it's a blessing to
534
00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:35.440
be able to give those people that
I don't know, someone to talk to,
535
00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:38.000
someone that knows what you're going through. You know, it's like,
536
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:42.079
no one knows what it's like to
stick a tube up your you know,
537
00:34:42.199 --> 00:34:45.159
to catharize, stick a tube of
your penis to pee, and and you
538
00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:47.880
know, our our morning routines are
totally different, and you know, nerve
539
00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:52.320
pain and muscle spasticity and so much
stuff we have to go through. You
540
00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:54.280
know, you can, you can
try and be there for someone, but
541
00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:59.199
it's so nice to have someone that
knows exactly what you're going through. And
542
00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:02.719
it's crazy to have especially because you
guys are both such big snowboarders too.
543
00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:07.159
Yeah, he has so much in
common du for you guys boys before,
544
00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:12.079
Like, yeah, he's been crushing
it too. He's gone back on snow
545
00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:15.039
ten times. I know at least
talked about that. Yeah, about this
546
00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:17.639
sit schemes. Yeah, because I
saw him do the box the other day
547
00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.360
and I'm like, really really first
time, Like let's come. Yeah,
548
00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:25.639
that's such a jake thing. That's
why I am so I respect that family
549
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:30.320
so much is the determination and the
you know, no pity party with him.
550
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:36.440
And Jake has been through more than
any human ever and he never complained.
551
00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:38.559
I always say that to people when
I say how much I love Jake,
552
00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:42.239
I always say, he never complained. This is a man that could
553
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:45.480
have complained every fucking day. Yeah, and he would never complain. He'd
554
00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:49.000
get up and do the work.
And now seeing Georgie do it, and
555
00:35:49.039 --> 00:35:52.760
George is just He's probably the most
loving creature to ever lived. So to
556
00:35:52.760 --> 00:35:55.360
see him going through it's been heartbreaking. But at the same time, I
557
00:35:55.360 --> 00:36:00.960
think his purpose now is something bigger
and I he he's the only person that
558
00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:06.400
actually I believe could handle that.
Yeah, and it just goes to show
559
00:36:06.440 --> 00:36:07.960
I mean, yeah, she goes
to show who he is as a person,
560
00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:10.840
right, just like getting back after
it and like, no, I'm
561
00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:14.760
not gonna try it once. I'm
gonna keep going. So tell me about
562
00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:16.639
this. Have you been doing sitting
for a while, not a while.
563
00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:22.119
I've only done it twice once,
first time last winter and then I just
564
00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:24.559
went was in Breckenridge a couple of
weeks ago, so, which is where
565
00:36:24.599 --> 00:36:28.760
he's been going to. But it's
a little harder for me, I need
566
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:31.880
a little bit more assistance. But
I mean so good to see Georgie just
567
00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:36.559
like, yeah, I'm just gonna
send it. Like I was trying to
568
00:36:36.599 --> 00:36:38.920
follow him in the beginning that one
clip and he took off and the guy
569
00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:42.880
was supposed to be with him and
he couldn't catch him because George, I'm
570
00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:45.360
out of here and he was flying
on the first round was like, dude,
571
00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:50.000
such a car. Yeah. No, it was scary. It was
572
00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.360
terrifying. The first day I did
it, I was like I just want
573
00:36:52.440 --> 00:36:57.800
My goal was to get it back
on snow, no expectations, and it
574
00:36:57.880 --> 00:37:00.199
was so awkward getting on the lift. I was like sitting up, oh
575
00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:02.679
hi, Like some of the bars
you can't put down. And I had
576
00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:07.519
a terrifying like I had nightmares about
falling off chair lifts. So I'm just
577
00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:10.039
like afraid of heights. I'm not
if I'm not flying through the air,
578
00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:14.199
I'm terrified of heights. So I
was just like, get me off of
579
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:15.800
this thing. Am I strapped in? You got me? I don't know,
580
00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:19.679
like, maybe just find me at
the bar. I'm good. But
581
00:37:19.960 --> 00:37:21.840
I did like three days and then
I was like all right, I can
582
00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:25.280
do this. I can see myself
progressing at this and uh, it's fun.
583
00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:29.760
It's amazing. You just get back
in the mountains because as much as
584
00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:32.360
I love you know, so cal
and being by the beach, the mountains
585
00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:36.199
is where I spent my whole life, you know, so it was a
586
00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.599
big part of me. And it's
definitely an emotional time getting back out there.
587
00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:43.480
But I I love it. I
love the mountains and getting away from
588
00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:49.159
people. It's great. Yeah.
And which is you know, populated area,
589
00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:52.719
Yeah, big populated. Yeah,
And I mean I'm sure George kind
590
00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:53.519
of felt that too when he got
back on the hill. You know.
591
00:37:53.599 --> 00:38:00.440
It's just something that's we're born with
and it's just amazing this technology is that
592
00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:04.719
you can get us back out there
too, and the people in these organizations
593
00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:09.119
and yeah, it's been sounds like
that one in Denver, the city Mountain
594
00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:15.119
City Center. What was the one
that they have Ruby Hill? Not Ruby
595
00:38:15.159 --> 00:38:17.239
Hill, the mountain that takes a
train that goes up there. It's like
596
00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:22.159
the main mountain city City Mountain someone. So I'm so embarrassed, sorry,
597
00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:25.440
but that's where George went up and
did sit scheme for the first time.
598
00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:30.639
The winter park. It was most
simple name is what I was thinking,
599
00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:31.920
like Winter Park, but it takes
from the city. You can take a
600
00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:35.000
train to it, right, I
don't know. Yeah, I heard that,
601
00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:37.400
and I heard that was a really
good one for sits game, that
602
00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:42.480
that mountain was really fun and like
good good workers and they're super sweet.
603
00:38:42.519 --> 00:38:45.280
That's what Georgie was saying. Yeah, you like their ego in there,
604
00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:47.159
and they have so many rigs set
up, so they're just like, yeah,
605
00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:51.360
what level injure you where what are
your goals? And they'll pick out
606
00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:54.480
all these all these rigs and they'll
fit you in Theah, that's super cool.
607
00:38:54.920 --> 00:38:59.079
Shout out to that mountain. Yeah, n s CD, let's go
608
00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:01.519
and Ruby Hill. I went there
too. Yes, I wrote down that
609
00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:05.519
slalom thing and fell on my hip. That didn't hurt. It hurt so
610
00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:08.519
bad. I get there, they're
you're in a contest. In a while,
611
00:39:08.519 --> 00:39:12.280
I was like ha ha, But
it was like this little slom thing,
612
00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:16.280
but yeah, man, this there's
so many more questions that this little
613
00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:20.000
human can always come out with.
Yeah, I mean, And then so
614
00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:22.320
backtracking a little bit, I know
you spent a good amount of time coaching
615
00:39:22.679 --> 00:39:28.199
the guys that are now guys,
so I mean, just how was that,
616
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:31.960
Like, what was your coaching strategy? Like, how is it seeing
617
00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:37.440
that these guys you coached and their
kids like now at the top of their
618
00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:43.320
game and like in the Olympics.
Yeah, so I started coaching. I
619
00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:46.920
was transitioning out of competitive snowboarding,
and my old coach from Stratton Mountain School,
620
00:39:47.159 --> 00:39:52.880
we actually started a program in Breckenridge
together shout out being Kirk, and
621
00:39:52.880 --> 00:39:58.400
it was it was amazing just sharing
that passion with these kids. And we
622
00:39:58.519 --> 00:40:01.800
kind of differed from a lot of
the other organizations we where I had a
623
00:40:01.840 --> 00:40:06.599
camera with me at all times.
I was taking photos, taking videos,
624
00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:09.719
and my goal was just promote these
athletes and give them the tools to kind
625
00:40:09.719 --> 00:40:15.639
of build a career out of it
and promote themselves. I didn't have we'd
626
00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:19.960
have social media, you know when
we're growing up. So I was like,
627
00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:22.440
yeah, let's just let's just get
you some content and have fun and
628
00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:28.559
and just have a good environment and
community for these athletes to succeed. And
629
00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:31.480
yeah, Luke Winkleman, who you
know, you might be talking to you
630
00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:39.440
later today and you know he was
a part He's from North Carolina. Yeah,
631
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:45.079
but yeah, so just an amazing
group of athletes, and uh,
632
00:40:45.159 --> 00:40:49.079
you know, it was cool to
see there's so many different disciplines like surfing,
633
00:40:49.159 --> 00:40:52.400
right, there's the competitive side,
there's the filming side, and it
634
00:40:52.440 --> 00:40:54.880
was cool to see these athletes just
kind of be like, this is my
635
00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:59.679
avenue. This is my avenue.
And we never were like, you have
636
00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:04.320
to do competitions. And it was
a little hard to convince the parents to
637
00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:07.119
be like, hey, your kid
just wants to go film, right,
638
00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:09.199
yeah, when they're like, no, my kid's gonna be in the Olympics.
639
00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:14.920
But it was cool to when we
had these kids be like, we
640
00:41:14.960 --> 00:41:16.320
want to go and hit handrails today. We're like, all right, let's
641
00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:21.360
set up a plan, you know, get some filmers together, we'll we'll
642
00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:23.280
go out and set it up.
I brought kids into the back country,
643
00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:30.639
brought them to and did some AVVY
safety safety courses like now AVVY Heavy ones,
644
00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:35.679
and just got them aware so that
when they were, you know,
645
00:41:35.719 --> 00:41:38.079
with their sponsors and they got out
in the back country, they weren't just
646
00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:42.960
like what does this beacon thing?
Do you know? What's this signal thing?
647
00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:45.760
And it was it was really really
fun and yeah, just blessed to
648
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:51.280
be able to work with so many
amazing, amazing kids. You still still
649
00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:54.000
go to the events and check in
on what's going on. Have you been
650
00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:59.440
around that? Not really around the
events too much. I went to Nationals
651
00:42:00.480 --> 00:42:05.320
last year and did a little public
speaking event out there. I've been sharing
652
00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:08.719
my story for the past year and
a half and just trying to inspire and
653
00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:14.559
share my story, So that's been
super fun. But just kind of staying
654
00:42:14.599 --> 00:42:16.519
in contact with them. And I
love the Snowmak community. I love,
655
00:42:17.119 --> 00:42:21.079
you know, just staying connected with
them because it's brought me so much joy
656
00:42:21.119 --> 00:42:24.679
and happiness throughout my life. So
yeah, coaching has been a huge part
657
00:42:24.719 --> 00:42:28.280
of what I do, and I
feel like it's still a part of my
658
00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:30.559
life. I love connect like,
you know, connecting with people who are
659
00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:37.039
previously injured and trying to mentor people. And even though I'm pretty fresh at
660
00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:40.800
it, I've learned a lot in
this short amount of time you really have.
661
00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:45.800
I can't believe it's only in three
years. Yeah, you have the
662
00:42:45.800 --> 00:42:49.800
mindset of somebody that's been dealing with
it for so long. You very powerful.
663
00:42:50.199 --> 00:42:52.559
I think it's gonna be fun to
see you back out at the pipe
664
00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:55.199
Condest and see what I mean.
Now, what is a pipe five hundred
665
00:42:55.199 --> 00:43:00.880
feet now? I mean, yeah, you sport. It's like those guys
666
00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:02.320
that do the motorcycles and flip and
stuff. It's like, next year,
667
00:43:02.360 --> 00:43:06.840
you got you five flips. It's
like, what exactly what is happening?
668
00:43:07.480 --> 00:43:12.119
Yeah, awesome, you got it
in. Yeah. I mean going off
669
00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:15.559
of you're talking about you're doing all
your public speaking, Now, what's and
670
00:43:15.639 --> 00:43:19.199
what's been your favorite one? Because
I'm sure you go to a lot of
671
00:43:19.239 --> 00:43:22.519
really cool places. Yeah, so
the first one was actually one of the
672
00:43:22.519 --> 00:43:28.239
best. I went to this beauty
esthetician company in Utah. Really one hundred
673
00:43:28.280 --> 00:43:36.159
and forty beautiful women, all right. Yeah, and yeah, shout out
674
00:43:36.239 --> 00:43:40.400
Jamie for for getting me involved with
that one. My this lady who pretty
675
00:43:40.480 --> 00:43:45.519
much just mentored me throughout the whole
public speaking process is here in Utah,
676
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:50.199
Utah. Yeah and yeah, so
that was one of my favorites for sure.
677
00:43:50.239 --> 00:43:54.679
But it's been able to speak to
a couple of hockey teams, solar
678
00:43:54.719 --> 00:44:00.000
companies, wow, just kind of
it all. And it's been a slow
679
00:44:00.039 --> 00:44:04.199
star. I've been just doing word
of mouth so far, and you know,
680
00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:08.880
just reaching out to my local community. But it's it's fun because everyone
681
00:44:08.920 --> 00:44:14.079
has a story, right, and
everyone can relate to something. So I
682
00:44:14.119 --> 00:44:16.559
love just my favorite part about it
is the Q and A afterwards and just
683
00:44:16.599 --> 00:44:21.960
talking to people, learning about you
know, what resonated with them, and
684
00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:23.719
you know what, I can,
you know, maybe elaborate more on in
685
00:44:23.760 --> 00:44:27.920
the future. And I was gonna
ask, has anybody ever come up to
686
00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:30.480
you and said, like, oh, mysis really resonated with me and said
687
00:44:30.599 --> 00:44:35.199
something to you that stuck with you
for sure? You know, family members
688
00:44:35.199 --> 00:44:39.440
that have been going through you know, spinal cord injuries or traumatic events and
689
00:44:40.079 --> 00:44:45.039
just how yeah, just it changes
your perspective. It really truly does about
690
00:44:45.280 --> 00:44:49.480
you know, life and just enjoying
the little things you know, you that
691
00:44:49.679 --> 00:44:52.559
we take for granted every day.
Just being able to wiggle your toes and
692
00:44:52.599 --> 00:44:55.639
wake up in the morning and go
for a run, and just stuff that
693
00:44:55.719 --> 00:45:00.239
you don't you know, you might
be appreciative, but you don't realize you
694
00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:02.159
know, it can be ripped away
from you. But at the other side
695
00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:06.760
of things, you're just grateful to
be alive. And yeah, I always
696
00:45:06.760 --> 00:45:07.960
say it, and it's corny.
I'm writing a book. I know that
697
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:13.559
sounds corny too, Uh, perspective
understanding and love. But it's the other
698
00:45:13.599 --> 00:45:19.480
way around, love perspective and no
understanding and perspective because if you can understand
699
00:45:19.559 --> 00:45:23.679
what's happening and then have the good
perspective, then that's the beauty of life
700
00:45:23.679 --> 00:45:27.920
and if you have love to follow
it or start with it. It's just
701
00:45:27.960 --> 00:45:31.159
like, your perspective is only is
what you think that that moment, right,
702
00:45:31.320 --> 00:45:35.880
that moment is your perspective. Right. So it's like when you hang
703
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:39.920
out and listen to someone's story,
that's a perspective that you couldn't even comprehend.
704
00:45:40.519 --> 00:45:45.760
Then your perspective goes, oh shit, like I'm really complaining about this,
705
00:45:45.960 --> 00:45:47.719
like or you know, there's all
these different moments to have the right
706
00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:52.760
perspective. But the only way to
have perspective is to keep going and keep
707
00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:57.800
going hard, no complaining, work
hard, go hard, and that's when
708
00:45:57.920 --> 00:46:01.920
perspective becomes love because you have a
purpose and you know it's so to see
709
00:46:01.960 --> 00:46:06.840
someone going through what you're going through
after you've had that's what's so cool about
710
00:46:06.880 --> 00:46:10.719
your perspective is you've already had this
amazing life. When a lot of people
711
00:46:12.159 --> 00:46:15.400
maybe are born without being able to
walk and all that stuff, you've had
712
00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:19.719
such an amazing career already, it's
insane. So your story is so different,
713
00:46:19.880 --> 00:46:22.960
Like I'm seeing you have a full
life, full career, and now
714
00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:25.280
you're dealing with something that you can
actually share with people to help them,
715
00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:30.960
and there's so much stuff in your
story. It's it's really it's really inspiring,
716
00:46:31.159 --> 00:46:36.079
and it's cool to see your perspective
how happy and you know you you
717
00:46:36.199 --> 00:46:39.199
enjoy your life, and it's it's
inspiring. Yeah, I think what you
718
00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:45.000
said too. It's about that love
and passion and just staying present, right,
719
00:46:45.199 --> 00:46:47.679
just trying not to think too much
about the past and the future.
720
00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:52.440
Like sometimes I can just I inspire
pretty quick if I want to think about,
721
00:46:52.519 --> 00:46:55.280
you know, what what I was
doing or what I should be doing
722
00:46:55.400 --> 00:46:59.800
or could be doing, and just
thing present, being grateful for me.
723
00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:01.440
I get to live by the beach, I get to surf, I get
724
00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:06.639
to I'm back on snow. I
get to relearn how to do all these
725
00:47:06.679 --> 00:47:09.639
things that gave my life so much
joy. And also when I was faced
726
00:47:09.639 --> 00:47:13.800
down in the snow, my first
initial thought was my life is over.
727
00:47:14.280 --> 00:47:17.280
I'm done. I'm not gonna be
able to snowboard walk, mountain bike,
728
00:47:17.360 --> 00:47:22.079
dirt bike, my life's done,
and so to be able to get back
729
00:47:22.119 --> 00:47:24.920
doing the things I love is such
a blessing. I'm just stoked to be
730
00:47:25.440 --> 00:47:30.119
alive. And you know, I'm
freaking next to Benji, who is one
731
00:47:30.119 --> 00:47:32.960
of the only surfers funny enough,
like I don't know, I didn't know
732
00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:37.800
if that many surfers growing up,
but Fuel TV was on my tv TV
733
00:47:37.199 --> 00:47:42.159
NonStop at home, and this dude
was always on the t like that,
734
00:47:42.239 --> 00:47:47.840
what was it the drive? Yeah, like all just reefy, just like
735
00:47:47.920 --> 00:47:54.159
all the time. And just like
Cate, It's crazy how the synchronicity of
736
00:47:54.239 --> 00:47:59.800
life right, how we just it's
like full circle, just getting back to
737
00:48:00.159 --> 00:48:07.880
like you're I'm sitting here next Toia. But that's what Jake was thinks.
738
00:48:07.320 --> 00:48:13.760
Jake always would say to me,
he goes, nobody cares about what you've
739
00:48:13.800 --> 00:48:16.400
done, and he'd always say,
stop living in the past, and he
740
00:48:16.440 --> 00:48:20.000
would do it. And I always
thought it was because he just hated me
741
00:48:20.039 --> 00:48:24.039
being happy. Right, shout out
to JBC. I got him right here
742
00:48:25.360 --> 00:48:28.639
and he was the greatest man to
ever lived. And he would tell me
743
00:48:28.760 --> 00:48:30.559
and I didn't realize what he's doing. And he always he would always do
744
00:48:30.639 --> 00:48:34.079
these things to me, and I
always thought it was a joke or he
745
00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:36.840
was just trying to make me feel
because he would love to dig I mean,
746
00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:38.639
that's what his whole thing was.
But what he was telling me was
747
00:48:39.599 --> 00:48:45.039
is nothing matters from the past.
Nothing. It doesn't matter like you saying
748
00:48:45.039 --> 00:48:46.599
you saw me on full TV.
That makes me feel so good, and
749
00:48:47.079 --> 00:48:51.280
I mean that's the ego and all
that stuff, But the whole point is
750
00:48:51.280 --> 00:48:53.719
what he was trying to tell me
is look, no one cares about what
751
00:48:53.719 --> 00:48:57.800
he did, and why should they? And that's what really stuck with me,
752
00:48:58.199 --> 00:49:00.440
is like, do you care about
the person that walked by you just
753
00:49:00.480 --> 00:49:02.440
now? Do you really care if
there have enough money to eat tonight?
754
00:49:02.480 --> 00:49:07.199
And all that stuff? And I
was like no, and he's like,
755
00:49:07.239 --> 00:49:09.039
well, then why should someone care
about you? And I'm like, what
756
00:49:09.079 --> 00:49:14.119
the fuck? I hate you because
it was so right, it was so
757
00:49:14.280 --> 00:49:16.239
right, and it was so important
for me to hear because I try to
758
00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:21.920
make everybody happy in my life and
I'm I'm definitely a weirdo, but I've
759
00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:24.519
learned so much for the fact that
the past, what I've done is not
760
00:49:24.599 --> 00:49:29.239
important. It's today, it's now, it's perspective, it's the moment present
761
00:49:29.360 --> 00:49:32.440
everything. And when you get that
it wait and you always would say keep
762
00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:36.840
moving, keep moving when you're scared, when you're stressed, when you're don't
763
00:49:36.880 --> 00:49:39.159
you're lazy, don't want to work
out, you keep going just and then
764
00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:43.239
it goes away. That goes away. But if you sit there and then
765
00:49:43.280 --> 00:49:45.880
you feel bad or sad for yourself, that's when all the shit starts coming
766
00:49:45.880 --> 00:49:50.599
in on it, right, And
so to see you keep going and that's
767
00:49:50.599 --> 00:49:53.119
what you're doing at three years into
the one of the most tragic things that
768
00:49:53.159 --> 00:49:59.960
can happen. Is the most powerful
Jake quote of all time. And that's
769
00:50:00.079 --> 00:50:01.679
the reason why I wake up every
day going I'm good as long as I
770
00:50:01.760 --> 00:50:05.840
have Jake talking to me, and
he never goes away. He's in my
771
00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:08.119
head every fucking day. It's like, I'm so stoked that I was a
772
00:50:08.159 --> 00:50:12.159
pro serfer for twenty eight years.
But that's the past. Now, it's
773
00:50:12.199 --> 00:50:15.519
the what can we do now?
And it's sitting in here with you is
774
00:50:15.159 --> 00:50:19.760
the most important thing I could be
doing. And that's the whole reason why
775
00:50:19.800 --> 00:50:22.440
we do these podcasts. Every time
we do it, we're like, what
776
00:50:22.760 --> 00:50:24.880
just happened? Like we even sat
with Jagger you're eating last couple of weeks
777
00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:29.639
ago, and what a little nugget
of freaking power. And this little kid
778
00:50:29.679 --> 00:50:32.119
wants to do push ups all day
long and we're just like hearing his stories.
779
00:50:32.239 --> 00:50:37.039
Parents are gymnastics and stuff. But
you being here, right, wouldn't
780
00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:40.559
George was just here and it's that
it's not a fluke. You know,
781
00:50:40.840 --> 00:50:45.960
it happened for a reason, and
really grateful you're here. And she's going
782
00:50:46.039 --> 00:50:52.159
to ask you if you're like girls
or something. No. I mean,
783
00:50:52.400 --> 00:50:57.079
so I'm I didn't grow up around
snowboarding a ton, so my knowledge of
784
00:50:57.119 --> 00:50:59.719
the sport, besides what I see
in Big Beerry, is pretty minimal.
785
00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:01.639
So I would love to hear from
you, like take me through your career
786
00:51:01.880 --> 00:51:05.760
too, because yeah, we haven't
even talked about it, like we touched
787
00:51:05.760 --> 00:51:07.880
on we did childhood and you running
from the console time, which is love
788
00:51:07.960 --> 00:51:12.320
that for you. We've gone through
your injury, we've gone through what you're
789
00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:15.519
doing now, so like I want
to know, Yeah, what was that
790
00:51:15.679 --> 00:51:19.400
time of your life like for you, like as a pro snowboarder. So
791
00:51:19.880 --> 00:51:22.880
I was never like the best,
right, I never like won a bunch
792
00:51:22.880 --> 00:51:27.320
of events and was like some world
renow and snowboarder. But I did pretty
793
00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:30.039
well. I got some top tens
that you know, world Cups and do
794
00:51:30.199 --> 00:51:35.199
tour events. But it was just
an amazing experience to be able to travel
795
00:51:35.239 --> 00:51:38.159
the world see so much culture.
Uh, go to New Zealand, which
796
00:51:38.199 --> 00:51:42.239
you know, and these are all
you're doing slope and pipe when you're doing
797
00:51:42.280 --> 00:51:45.840
competing, right yeah, yeah,
for everyone out there, slope is the
798
00:51:45.960 --> 00:51:50.920
park that goes down a mountain with
giant jumps and like it's I think it's
799
00:51:50.920 --> 00:51:54.280
the coolest thing in snowboarding because you
get rails, you get everything in one
800
00:51:54.599 --> 00:51:58.400
and then the pipe obviously, So
you did both, which is kind of
801
00:51:59.039 --> 00:52:01.360
unheard of really. I mean even
Sean White couldn't hold his own beer and
802
00:52:01.360 --> 00:52:05.400
that shit. Like you eventually could
do one or the other. So for
803
00:52:05.440 --> 00:52:07.840
you to be doing both must have
been kind of a lot, right.
804
00:52:07.920 --> 00:52:12.239
Yeah. Yeah, it was funny
because I was able to get better results
805
00:52:12.239 --> 00:52:15.519
in halfpipe, but I love slope, like that's what I grew up on,
806
00:52:15.840 --> 00:52:17.079
So I loved doing both. You
know, slope was kind of like
807
00:52:17.119 --> 00:52:21.519
my home. I trained slope more, but then would just you know,
808
00:52:21.639 --> 00:52:25.639
have better results in the halfpipe.
But yeah, I think just experiencing all
809
00:52:25.639 --> 00:52:29.960
the different places, you know,
went to South Korea for the World Snowboard
810
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:35.119
Championships and just expiring thing that and
eating all the crazy food over there,
811
00:52:35.599 --> 00:52:37.719
which was a trip. But yeah, man, all the I mean,
812
00:52:37.960 --> 00:52:42.159
what a time to be alive.
When snowburn was all about, you know,
813
00:52:42.239 --> 00:52:47.480
the parties and the competitions, and
it was it was crazy. Getting
814
00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:53.039
sprayed in the face with fire extinguishers
and just the crazy stuff that we were
815
00:52:53.079 --> 00:52:59.559
able to get away with was was
pretty wild. But yeah, that was
816
00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:04.320
kind of started. Did my first
professional event when I was seventeen, and
817
00:53:04.360 --> 00:53:09.000
then right around twenty three is when
I started getting into coaching. After really
818
00:53:09.039 --> 00:53:14.760
twenty ten Olympic qualifiers, I got
injured a little bit and I was just
819
00:53:14.800 --> 00:53:17.119
kind of over. It wasn't really
making that much money. I was moving
820
00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:22.360
back home to Vermont for the summers
working for my dad doing plumbing and having
821
00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:25.440
the best life skating my ramp every
day, and and then moved to Colorado
822
00:53:25.480 --> 00:53:30.719
for the winters to train, travel
and compete, and I almost just give
823
00:53:30.760 --> 00:53:31.400
it up. I was like,
all right, I'm gonna become a plumber
824
00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:35.920
and work for my dad and then
you know this coaching job, just laying
825
00:53:35.960 --> 00:53:39.119
into my lap and and hit the
ground running, which was amazing. But
826
00:53:39.559 --> 00:53:44.000
yeah, it's been a little bit
hard transitioning from that like work mentality I
827
00:53:44.039 --> 00:53:45.920
was doing, Like when I was
coaching, I was doing excavation in the
828
00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:50.079
summertime too. But going from I
was always a laborist worker. Took it
829
00:53:50.079 --> 00:53:53.360
after my dad and just always like
excavating with the big bulldozer machine moving.
830
00:53:53.559 --> 00:53:59.239
You're moving dirt moving. Yeah,
well you can make mean ramps probably exactly.
831
00:53:59.360 --> 00:54:04.039
Yeah, yeah. Or other guests
was Colby Raja, Yeah, and
832
00:54:04.119 --> 00:54:07.800
he he was He did that before
he became one of the best motorcrafs guys.
833
00:54:07.800 --> 00:54:08.960
So he got in. He's like, I'll just build my own ship,
834
00:54:09.519 --> 00:54:13.239
right, Yeah, he too.
That was around my property. My
835
00:54:13.320 --> 00:54:15.599
dad had like he was a lugger, so he had all that equipment.
836
00:54:15.880 --> 00:54:17.559
So I built, you know,
the ramps and stuff all around my my
837
00:54:17.679 --> 00:54:23.639
property. It's funny my dad cleared
this huge plot of land and no one
838
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:28.400
knew it, but there was an
amazing view of all these mountains and some
839
00:54:28.599 --> 00:54:31.599
guy from No Offense from New York
was like, hey, hey, how
840
00:54:31.679 --> 00:54:35.719
much you want from this property.
He's like, that's not for sale.
841
00:54:35.719 --> 00:54:37.800
I was like, come on,
I'll give you a million bucks. Right
842
00:54:37.880 --> 00:54:40.079
now. My dad's you know,
sitting there with Budweiser and a cigarette.
843
00:54:40.079 --> 00:54:43.920
He's like, now, he's like, what are you gonna do with it?
844
00:54:44.000 --> 00:54:49.039
He's like, my boy wants to
build a dirt bike track just his
845
00:54:49.159 --> 00:54:52.559
dad. Ever. Yeah, so
a million sounds good, but I want
846
00:54:52.559 --> 00:54:54.320
my kid to jump in the air. Yeah. Yeah, it was so
847
00:54:54.440 --> 00:54:58.960
cool. Yeah, it goes to
show who pops. Was your pops into
848
00:54:59.480 --> 00:55:01.639
nowboarding, skiing, dirt biking or
was he just love to watch you do
849
00:55:01.679 --> 00:55:07.360
it? Skiing? For sure?
Yeah, he actually made snow for a
850
00:55:07.360 --> 00:55:13.000
little resort down in Connecticut. I
went to school for some scary management stuff
851
00:55:13.159 --> 00:55:15.440
and actually that was probably why he
bought the abandoned scary It was his dream
852
00:55:15.599 --> 00:55:20.440
was to own a ski resort and
man of ski resort. So fulfilled his
853
00:55:20.519 --> 00:55:23.599
childhood dream. But yeah, so
just amazing. I have my mom and
854
00:55:23.679 --> 00:55:28.800
dad. My mom was just like, you know, just a big supporter
855
00:55:28.920 --> 00:55:30.679
too. She would always I was
a shit show growing up. I would
856
00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:35.079
forget my boots like every day and
I call my mom, Mom, run
857
00:55:35.119 --> 00:55:38.199
my boots up to the mountain,
like and just yeah, their love and
858
00:55:38.519 --> 00:55:44.000
the no pressure environment. Competing was
so so huge for me. It's just
859
00:55:44.360 --> 00:55:46.360
all about my passion love for the
sport, which kind of gets I mean,
860
00:55:46.400 --> 00:55:50.719
I see a lot of crazy stuff
in so Cal There's like ten year
861
00:55:50.760 --> 00:55:53.079
olds and their parents like you gotta
go bigger, like come on, Like
862
00:55:53.480 --> 00:55:58.960
going down to poods is terrifying.
Sometimes it's like, are these kids having
863
00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:01.880
fun? I know? Right?
Because your mom was very standoffice because she's
864
00:56:01.880 --> 00:56:06.000
so mellow and sweet. Yea,
she was watched on the side, watch
865
00:56:06.079 --> 00:56:09.519
on the side, and didn't ski. She you know, jump on a
866
00:56:09.559 --> 00:56:14.599
snowmobile every once in a while.
But she was always like you know,
867
00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:20.920
always feeding the boys after the skate
the skate sessions and snowboard sashions. Cooked.
868
00:56:21.159 --> 00:56:27.360
Yeah, she's a good cook the
bugs. Yeah, she sent me
869
00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:31.840
out some cookies and my uh my
cousins. I grew up making maple syrup
870
00:56:32.239 --> 00:56:36.880
so Vermont, Land of the of
the Liquid Gold. So I grew up
871
00:56:36.880 --> 00:56:39.360
in the woods tapping trees, and
my cousins just actually sent me out some
872
00:56:39.440 --> 00:56:43.559
maple syrup. But yeah, I
grew up, grew up just you know,
873
00:56:43.599 --> 00:56:45.639
in the sugar houses. It's so
cool. This is the most amazing
874
00:56:46.159 --> 00:56:51.760
child yeah, And is your sister
still back in Vermont or she's in upstate
875
00:56:51.800 --> 00:56:55.760
New York? Now New Yorker,
New Yorker, Now, yeah she a
876
00:56:55.840 --> 00:57:00.400
hockey player. Oh wow, that's
in New Yorker for sure? Have they
877
00:57:00.400 --> 00:57:02.960
got too? Two nephews of five
and a three and a half year old
878
00:57:04.239 --> 00:57:07.079
a little soon to be hockey players. But it's funny. They go to
879
00:57:07.239 --> 00:57:12.440
grandma and Grandpa's house, and my
dad's already getting like the electric little dirt
880
00:57:12.440 --> 00:57:15.199
bikes and and all this stuff,
and they just your dad's going coming back
881
00:57:15.239 --> 00:57:19.920
to life again. He's like,
here we go, munchkins right around to
882
00:57:20.280 --> 00:57:22.559
break back to the excavator and some
ramps, got to build a new skateboard
883
00:57:22.639 --> 00:57:27.280
ramp and all this stuff. Yeah, is it? Is it still the
884
00:57:27.320 --> 00:57:31.000
same house? Same house? The
ramp brought it away? It was waker
885
00:57:31.599 --> 00:57:37.360
acres. You got you have to
have shirts, right, you got shirt
886
00:57:37.840 --> 00:57:40.920
some shirts for sure. Yeah.
That's so fun. So what's the next
887
00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:45.920
year? Like we're talking about the
present and the future, what's the future
888
00:57:45.920 --> 00:57:47.159
hold? Like, are you going
to be in San Diego for a while
889
00:57:47.320 --> 00:57:51.119
or you got some traveling coming up
and you're going to go home? What
890
00:57:51.239 --> 00:57:52.760
you got? I like to go
back to Vermont every once in a while,
891
00:57:52.880 --> 00:57:57.320
but my goal is to stay here
for a little bit. For sure.
892
00:57:57.360 --> 00:58:00.400
There's a you know, a great
community is the huge thing is,
893
00:58:00.960 --> 00:58:05.159
like we were talking about before,
having a bunch of people in wheelchairs and
894
00:58:05.159 --> 00:58:07.159
and to talk to, to hang
out with is a great community. I
895
00:58:07.159 --> 00:58:12.239
still have, you know, my
Vermont boys here, and you guys kind
896
00:58:12.239 --> 00:58:14.719
of took over over here then I
don't I don't like it at all.
897
00:58:14.960 --> 00:58:16.920
I mean we had Taylor Carpenter taking
over this town and then he took off.
898
00:58:17.159 --> 00:58:22.880
Yeah. Yeah, so hang out
here and travel around, get into
899
00:58:22.119 --> 00:58:27.320
maybe some surf competitions. I want
to help out with that or just let
900
00:58:27.360 --> 00:58:30.119
me know. I've been I've been
involved for so long with that, it's
901
00:58:30.119 --> 00:58:32.880
almost like my second nature. Yeah, and I can get the board made.
902
00:58:34.119 --> 00:58:36.760
I mean, it's it's way better
to have the elbow straps, you
903
00:58:36.760 --> 00:58:38.199
know, where you put your elbows
in. Let me show you my board.
904
00:58:38.400 --> 00:58:40.519
You already have it. I got
I got a corky, so it's
905
00:58:40.559 --> 00:58:45.079
wrapped in cork and it's super grippy
for my elbows. Okay, oh,
906
00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:47.800
but you don't have the elbow strap
things, so you have one hook in
907
00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:52.199
the center that I wrapped my arms
under it. And that's kind of like
908
00:58:52.239 --> 00:58:55.280
my reason why I the strap on
the corner straps like this is because when
909
00:58:55.320 --> 00:59:00.400
you lean, because you're obviously leaning
to turn your elbow, it's in there
910
00:59:00.480 --> 00:59:04.599
locked in. So like when Jesse
does it, he's in the barrel.
911
00:59:04.639 --> 00:59:07.000
You can lock on the rail,
you know. And so do you want
912
00:59:07.000 --> 00:59:08.039
to get those straps? Let me
know, I could get everything for you.
913
00:59:08.800 --> 00:59:17.199
How big is it night? And
it's the seven seven eight? Yeah,
914
00:59:19.800 --> 00:59:22.360
and it's cork like meaning like the
like a wine cork. Yeah,
915
00:59:22.400 --> 00:59:27.079
so it's a glass super light,
Yeah, glass in her court in her
916
00:59:27.119 --> 00:59:30.079
shell, but then it's wrapped in
cork. So it's yeah, it's light
917
00:59:30.199 --> 00:59:34.880
and very buoyant. Yeah. I'm
like, I'm excited to work on getting
918
00:59:35.239 --> 00:59:37.360
you know, shorter boards and more. This one's great that I can catch
919
00:59:37.440 --> 00:59:40.599
kind of Cardiff Reef's a good way
too. Was there last week? Yeah,
920
00:59:40.639 --> 00:59:44.880
that's the spot where'll go if you
want to surf. Yeah, that's
921
00:59:44.960 --> 00:59:49.119
been a pretty big learning curve too. I I wasn't able to right myself,
922
00:59:49.199 --> 00:59:52.400
like flip myself. That's over.
The thing, right is if you
923
00:59:52.480 --> 00:59:54.159
don't know how to flip right yourself. It's terrifying. That's why I've been
924
00:59:54.239 --> 00:59:57.880
with a couple of guys where I
had to follow him and if they fall,
925
00:59:57.960 --> 01:00:00.360
if I'm not there, she could
go side. Yeah, and it's
926
01:00:00.440 --> 01:00:04.760
Jesse. Right when Jesse got his
injury. We're on the big on It's
927
01:00:04.760 --> 01:00:08.079
a place called Banions, it's dry
reef, and I'm behind him on a
928
01:00:08.159 --> 01:00:12.360
short because this is when I actually
serve. My board is so thin and
929
01:00:12.440 --> 01:00:15.679
he's on this giant board and he's
going towards that reef and I'm the only
930
01:00:15.719 --> 01:00:19.800
guy in the wave, so it's
my responsibility to stop him from going headfirst
931
01:00:19.880 --> 01:00:23.159
in front of crowds, dude,
hundreds of people, and I'm my ward
932
01:00:23.239 --> 01:00:27.639
is so little. I'm trying to
get the reform with him and he's flying
933
01:00:28.320 --> 01:00:31.440
and I dive in front of all
the I'm literally like a ten yards from
934
01:00:31.519 --> 01:00:36.320
him being bloody on the reef,
and I jump off my board in the
935
01:00:36.400 --> 01:00:38.679
air and I grab his tail and
I stop him right before it hits the
936
01:00:38.719 --> 01:00:42.000
reef. And I was like,
I never want to do this again.
937
01:00:42.440 --> 01:00:45.400
It was the worst feeling in my
life. And it's always me being that
938
01:00:45.559 --> 01:00:47.159
guy, Like if it was Kelly
or Rob that was with us. They
939
01:00:47.159 --> 01:00:50.000
would have got him, it would
have been no problem. But of course
940
01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:52.599
I fuck it up. And I
was so like all the times, like
941
01:00:52.679 --> 01:00:55.920
you said, there was another time
where and they The funny thing about Jesse
942
01:00:57.079 --> 01:00:59.800
is he always is laughing when I
get him. He's always like ah,
943
01:01:00.320 --> 01:01:04.519
and I'm like, like, don't
laughing. But yeah, writing yourself up
944
01:01:04.639 --> 01:01:07.920
is if you want to surf,
that's the most important. Because when you
945
01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:09.480
were doing that in the beginning,
was it tough to get all around?
946
01:01:09.719 --> 01:01:14.800
Yeah? So I had no idea. I couldn't until one day there was
947
01:01:14.880 --> 01:01:17.840
a new pusher and yeah, the
water safety people on the beach call me
948
01:01:17.880 --> 01:01:22.480
a push. Yeah. Yeah,
I'm a facilitator of fun facilitator. So
949
01:01:22.639 --> 01:01:28.079
the facilitator pushed me away. And
I remember the water safety people on the
950
01:01:28.119 --> 01:01:30.719
beach. Yeah, they were just
chit chatting, and I caught this sick
951
01:01:30.920 --> 01:01:34.559
right, And I was so stoked
going down the line just forever. I
952
01:01:34.639 --> 01:01:37.639
was up an ocean side and then
I get towards the beach and I just
953
01:01:37.679 --> 01:01:39.760
get knocked off the wave and I'm
like, oh, I'm face down,
954
01:01:40.159 --> 01:01:45.360
just go and try and roll over
nothing. Oh no, like hut nothing,
955
01:01:45.400 --> 01:01:47.079
And I didn't know the proper way
to like kind of you can't have
956
01:01:47.159 --> 01:01:51.760
to scoop your hand and do a
little back can maneuver. But yeah,
957
01:01:51.800 --> 01:01:54.280
so the pusher actually had to swim
all the way in. I was like
958
01:01:54.559 --> 01:02:00.360
forty five seconds face down in the
water. Yeah, so everyone was like
959
01:02:00.320 --> 01:02:02.639
I just went. It was crazy
because I was doing some like whim Hoff
960
01:02:02.679 --> 01:02:06.480
ship before and I was just like
calm. I was just like, all
961
01:02:06.559 --> 01:02:08.559
right, I just calm. I
just heard his voice and just went to
962
01:02:08.639 --> 01:02:15.119
this like very meditative dreamy state,
which was actually very euphoric, and it
963
01:02:15.239 --> 01:02:19.119
was like it was a trip.
It almost felt like good, almost too
964
01:02:19.199 --> 01:02:22.840
good. And yeah, they got
me up and I was just smiling like
965
01:02:23.480 --> 01:02:27.599
oh my gosh, you know,
like are you okay? But yeah,
966
01:02:27.679 --> 01:02:30.480
so then I ended up learning how
to write myself. Then I got this
967
01:02:30.679 --> 01:02:36.079
life jacket and it was a little
bit bigger off life jacket at that suit
968
01:02:36.480 --> 01:02:39.000
what Yeah, yeah, okay,
now you're crazy. Well I'm pretty buoyant.
969
01:02:39.320 --> 01:02:44.159
Yeah, you're pretty boyant. But
that's that's I don't wear a west
970
01:02:44.159 --> 01:02:45.800
suit now because get this, I
got a I got a life jacket.
971
01:02:45.840 --> 01:02:51.079
I'm like, sweet, it'll help
me and help me float and write myself.
972
01:02:51.440 --> 01:02:52.280
And it was a little bit bigger
day. It was like four to
973
01:02:52.400 --> 01:02:55.599
five feet back up in the ocean
side, and I was confident with the
974
01:02:55.599 --> 01:02:58.960
boys because I learned how to roll. So I'm like, yeah, we'll
975
01:02:59.119 --> 01:03:02.079
get one person out there with me. Caught this big left and I'm so
976
01:03:02.400 --> 01:03:06.639
hyped. Best wave of causted since, you know, after my injury.
977
01:03:07.239 --> 01:03:10.400
And then again like get off the
board. The white water catches up to
978
01:03:10.480 --> 01:03:15.039
me, throws throws me off,
and I'm like, all right, took
979
01:03:15.079 --> 01:03:16.639
me under a little bit. I
found my way to the surface, and
980
01:03:16.679 --> 01:03:20.559
then the white water kind of flipping
back to my stomach and I was like,
981
01:03:20.599 --> 01:03:22.840
all right, you know what to
do. Just then I'm like,
982
01:03:22.960 --> 01:03:27.599
oh, no, life jacket.
So a third try and I'm like,
983
01:03:27.760 --> 01:03:30.719
dude, this life jacket's not gonna
let me flip. And my buddy,
984
01:03:30.880 --> 01:03:35.119
who had not done water safety yet, he was there watching the homie that
985
01:03:35.280 --> 01:03:37.079
was Tyler, who was in the
hospital with me. He was watching me,
986
01:03:37.320 --> 01:03:39.639
like move, trying to rent myself, and then all of a sudden
987
01:03:39.639 --> 01:03:44.480
I just went limp and he thought
I was dead. He was like like,
988
01:03:45.440 --> 01:03:50.599
like you were saying like you were
saying with Jesse right, just traumatized
989
01:03:50.639 --> 01:03:52.559
you. And he's like, dude, I'm never going out with you ever
990
01:03:52.679 --> 01:03:59.199
again. This sucks over it?
Yeah, and it Barney and we had
991
01:03:59.480 --> 01:04:02.960
like foot waves at Huntington Beach the
US. It was. It was actually
992
01:04:03.199 --> 01:04:05.559
like real ten foot too. We
had jet skis to help us because we
993
01:04:05.599 --> 01:04:09.639
went into the pier. It was
nuts and the heavy thing was We're like,
994
01:04:09.760 --> 01:04:11.639
me and mc fanny were like,
hey, we shouldn't go out,
995
01:04:11.679 --> 01:04:14.159
like this is way too big.
And Taylor Knox was there too, and
996
01:04:14.239 --> 01:04:16.320
I'm like this is way too big
and shout out to Dana too. Dana
997
01:04:16.400 --> 01:04:19.199
Beret was there and we get out
to the outside just clean up. Set
998
01:04:19.239 --> 01:04:24.440
comes and we're getting smoked and he's
laughing. He's like yeah, he's like
999
01:04:24.519 --> 01:04:27.280
having the best time. And me
and mcfann are looking like we're going into
1000
01:04:27.320 --> 01:04:30.480
the pier right now, like this
could get really bad. And then nothing
1001
01:04:30.559 --> 01:04:33.199
happened. Funniest thing ever. But
when you're the pusher, that's a little
1002
01:04:33.440 --> 01:04:36.239
I don't know if I like that
still, but when you're the pusher,
1003
01:04:36.760 --> 01:04:41.760
it's terrifying because if something goes wrong, it's on you. Like you're like
1004
01:04:42.280 --> 01:04:45.559
I just pushed him right into the
pier, like this is ridiculous, but
1005
01:04:45.840 --> 01:04:49.440
it always works out. It's just
there's so much pressure on the whole situation.
1006
01:04:49.639 --> 01:04:53.320
And every time I take my friends, they're the ones laughing at me.
1007
01:04:53.480 --> 01:04:56.280
They're like bad, I'm just so
fun. Who cares when I'm like
1008
01:04:56.440 --> 01:04:59.400
tuck. Oh, that's the thing. It's so it's scary, terrifying,
1009
01:04:59.519 --> 01:05:02.800
right getting it not being able to
swim and not being in control. Is
1010
01:05:03.440 --> 01:05:06.480
if you go on the pool,
now, can you what do you call
1011
01:05:06.480 --> 01:05:11.280
it? Stuff? Stay afloat.
I can move your arms and keep you
1012
01:05:11.280 --> 01:05:13.880
a float without a vest or yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, as
1013
01:05:13.920 --> 01:05:16.239
long as sometimes it gets a little
make sure I have a deep breath in,
1014
01:05:16.719 --> 01:05:20.239
just breathe and just kind of yeah, float and stuff. It feels
1015
01:05:20.280 --> 01:05:23.400
good, It feels great. It
feels great. Yeah. And that's the
1016
01:05:23.440 --> 01:05:25.960
thing, Like it's terrifying to get
out in the ocean every time. And
1017
01:05:26.239 --> 01:05:28.039
it's a process, right, trying
to get a wet suit on. It
1018
01:05:28.119 --> 01:05:31.519
takes four people wrangling my legs and
legs are flying all over the place.
1019
01:05:32.199 --> 01:05:35.400
And but it's it's one of those
things where I'm always sit on the beach
1020
01:05:35.440 --> 01:05:36.719
like do I want to go out. Do I want to go out,
1021
01:05:36.719 --> 01:05:41.559
but then when I do it and
I'm just I'm freaking out the rest of
1022
01:05:41.599 --> 01:05:44.400
the day. That was the most
amazing thing ever that that was. That
1023
01:05:44.559 --> 01:05:47.960
was like, just it's good.
Yeah. And also they make wet suits
1024
01:05:48.000 --> 01:05:54.119
too. They have zippers right here
and get one of those. It's life
1025
01:05:54.199 --> 01:05:57.159
changing. Like it's so much easier, just slide them on. Tell the
1026
01:05:57.239 --> 01:06:00.840
homies that. Yeah, they usually
all them for scuba diving and stuff for
1027
01:06:01.000 --> 01:06:06.400
like lazy rich people. But it's
gonna be fun, man. I can't
1028
01:06:06.400 --> 01:06:10.039
wait to take you surfing. It's
fun. And I don't serve until summer
1029
01:06:10.119 --> 01:06:13.199
too. I'm like, you like
bird, I mean, even if there's
1030
01:06:13.239 --> 01:06:18.280
a cloud, I'm like, it's
that would that would be a dream come
1031
01:06:18.360 --> 01:06:20.599
true. If I had Benji pushing
me into it. Oh dude, I
1032
01:06:20.800 --> 01:06:26.039
trust me, insane. We'll have
some water safety people so you don't get
1033
01:06:26.079 --> 01:06:29.159
trying. I'll have j Boy with
me. I'm like, Jay, where
1034
01:06:29.199 --> 01:06:30.000
were you on that one? You're
like, I wasn't even in the water.
1035
01:06:30.079 --> 01:06:34.000
I don't know what you're talking about. It was on you. It's
1036
01:06:34.079 --> 01:06:36.880
gonna be so fun to watch this
next few years, and I can't wait
1037
01:06:36.920 --> 01:06:41.960
for George to come home and spend
more time and adapt. And I mean
1038
01:06:42.519 --> 01:06:45.519
the cool part is is we could
shred together. We'll get Georgia over here.
1039
01:06:45.639 --> 01:06:47.519
George loves the ocean. That was
the reason he moved here, you
1040
01:06:47.599 --> 01:06:51.000
know. And uh, you can
still surf just like he said, skis,
1041
01:06:51.039 --> 01:06:54.039
but we'll do it way better.
I'm gonna get him at the ranch.
1042
01:06:54.840 --> 01:06:56.880
Let's go to the ranch. Me
I can get you and him in
1043
01:06:56.960 --> 01:07:00.719
there, and we're gonna get shocked. We're gonna get That's good. I
1044
01:07:00.760 --> 01:07:05.480
mean, Jesse was good that there's
no safety. It's just on like Donkey
1045
01:07:05.599 --> 01:07:08.880
Kong. Right when you're on the
wave, it's on. There's a jet
1046
01:07:08.960 --> 01:07:11.519
ski that will pick you up right
if you fall. Come on, it's
1047
01:07:11.599 --> 01:07:15.159
so much fun. It's bougie.
You get out, they have a towel,
1048
01:07:15.559 --> 01:07:20.880
and then some vegan. No hot
tub, for sure. You can't
1049
01:07:20.880 --> 01:07:27.239
get out of Kelly Slatter's waypool without
a hot tub. Oh but you got
1050
01:07:27.320 --> 01:07:32.519
anything. I just your whole story
is so inspiring and I can't wait to
1051
01:07:32.519 --> 01:07:35.960
see, Like, I think you
have a really solid career coming up as
1052
01:07:36.000 --> 01:07:42.960
like a motivational speaker. Your mindset
is just so incredible, Like everything you're
1053
01:07:42.960 --> 01:07:45.719
talking about with like staying in the
moment and not like thinking back to like,
1054
01:07:45.840 --> 01:07:48.840
oh, like what if I did
this differently, or like really spiraling
1055
01:07:48.920 --> 01:07:53.280
down that way, like obviously I
haven't been there anything even close to what
1056
01:07:53.320 --> 01:07:56.079
you've been through. And that is
so hard for me to not do like
1057
01:07:56.159 --> 01:07:58.559
focus on this one thing and be
like, well if I didn't do that
1058
01:07:58.599 --> 01:08:00.599
one thing, all this stuff wouldn't
have happened. Then, you know,
1059
01:08:00.920 --> 01:08:04.719
like like my life could have been
more blah blah. But I just how
1060
01:08:04.760 --> 01:08:08.920
do you, like, how do
you do that? Well? Everyone,
1061
01:08:09.119 --> 01:08:12.360
that's the thing. Everyone's you say, you know, I haven't been through
1062
01:08:12.480 --> 01:08:15.800
something like that, but everyone's been
going through something, right, And I
1063
01:08:15.880 --> 01:08:18.640
think that's like the biggest thing is
I love when people tell me their stories
1064
01:08:18.720 --> 01:08:23.279
because everyone's gone through some shit,
whether you can see it or not.
1065
01:08:23.399 --> 01:08:25.800
Right, this disability you can see, but there's so many people out there
1066
01:08:25.880 --> 01:08:29.319
that are going through stuff that you
can't see. And I love just connecting
1067
01:08:29.359 --> 01:08:31.039
the people. And uh, you
know, as far as what I do
1068
01:08:31.319 --> 01:08:34.600
is, you know, I think
it's okay to feel the bad stuff,
1069
01:08:34.720 --> 01:08:38.840
right, and but just trying not
to sit in it. And I like
1070
01:08:39.000 --> 01:08:42.920
to when I during my speeches,
I like to tell people to if you
1071
01:08:42.960 --> 01:08:45.479
have a negative thought, focus on
three positive things. So I feel like
1072
01:08:45.520 --> 01:08:49.760
it's a good like ratio positivity ratio. So you know, if I'm feeling
1073
01:08:49.840 --> 01:08:54.079
down, I'll acknowledge it and be
like, yep, that sucked. But
1074
01:08:54.880 --> 01:08:57.119
what can I focus on? What? What can I focus on? That's
1075
01:08:57.600 --> 01:09:04.439
you know, little little affirmations or
meditating, just some good mindset stuff and
1076
01:09:04.880 --> 01:09:08.520
having good people around you too.
I talk you a lot about community,
1077
01:09:08.840 --> 01:09:12.319
and that's the whole thing about coaching
is I had all these amazing athletes I
1078
01:09:12.479 --> 01:09:14.399
was. I was a coach,
and I told them what to do and
1079
01:09:14.520 --> 01:09:17.960
every once in a while, But
what gave these kids true progression was that
1080
01:09:18.079 --> 01:09:21.920
peer to peer camaraderie. No one's
gonna push your homie or push you more
1081
01:09:23.359 --> 01:09:27.640
than your best friend telling you you
got this. So just having good people
1082
01:09:27.680 --> 01:09:31.439
around you is so important. And
you know, like I said before,
1083
01:09:31.439 --> 01:09:38.079
I appreciate like those little victories.
Just it's all about perspective and you know,
1084
01:09:38.359 --> 01:09:42.159
looking back at things and being present
and just enjoying where you're at now.
1085
01:09:42.880 --> 01:09:46.359
And yeah, I think all of
that combined and it's it's a continuous
1086
01:09:46.399 --> 01:09:51.000
work in progress. Our mind is
such a powerful muscle. It can send
1087
01:09:51.039 --> 01:09:54.600
you in a good direction or it
can send you in a bad direction.
1088
01:09:54.760 --> 01:09:59.720
But knowing that you're in control of
your thoughts and just to focus on the
1089
01:09:59.800 --> 01:10:04.399
good stuff in life. Yeah,
and you know the did we have to
1090
01:10:04.439 --> 01:10:06.880
keep talking about Jake? I mean, let's give you real not little Jake
1091
01:10:06.920 --> 01:10:12.159
either, big Jake. Yeah.
He said one of his first jobs was
1092
01:10:12.279 --> 01:10:15.920
being a dishwasher, right, And
he goes, because I started a restaurant
1093
01:10:15.920 --> 01:10:18.000
after I was a pro surfer,
So I was like, he knew I
1094
01:10:18.079 --> 01:10:21.760
needed to hear stuff. But he
had even more to say that stuck with
1095
01:10:21.880 --> 01:10:26.359
me even more. And he said, I was a dishwasher for a little
1096
01:10:26.359 --> 01:10:29.199
while in the beginning, and he
goes, I was the best fucking dishwasher.
1097
01:10:29.399 --> 01:10:32.600
He goes, there's no one that
washed dishes better than me. He's
1098
01:10:32.720 --> 01:10:36.039
like so proud of it, right, And I didn't take it for what
1099
01:10:36.119 --> 01:10:39.760
it was at the moment, but
then I realized what it actually meant.
1100
01:10:40.279 --> 01:10:45.159
And like I had to work on
the construction where they pave freeways and stuff
1101
01:10:45.159 --> 01:10:46.800
for a while. And this is
five years ago, right when I quit
1102
01:10:46.880 --> 01:10:51.640
serving at Quit whatever, and I
had the restaurant. I was taking care
1103
01:10:51.680 --> 01:10:55.439
of my mom and I needed extra
money, so I started doing these roads.
1104
01:10:55.479 --> 01:10:57.880
And I started at seven pm at
night and i'd end at four am,
1105
01:10:58.479 --> 01:11:00.680
and I'd be out there pouring and
swim with this construction gear on,
1106
01:11:00.840 --> 01:11:03.119
and I didn't know what I was
doing. They gave me a really big
1107
01:11:03.239 --> 01:11:05.319
job too, out of nowhere,
and I've never had a job. I
1108
01:11:05.399 --> 01:11:08.840
was like, what the fuck is
going? Cops would come up because they
1109
01:11:09.079 --> 01:11:11.960
block the freeway and be like,
hey, sir, and then call me
1110
01:11:12.000 --> 01:11:13.920
all these things, and then the
other guy would be like what do I
1111
01:11:14.000 --> 01:11:15.439
do? And I'm like his first
night, something breaks and I'm supposed to
1112
01:11:15.439 --> 01:11:17.760
fix it. It was not it
was out of control. But the whole
1113
01:11:17.840 --> 01:11:23.359
time I kept hearing Jake over and
over, I was the best at doing
1114
01:11:23.640 --> 01:11:27.720
this, this, this whatever.
So without now I'm into culinary. I
1115
01:11:27.960 --> 01:11:30.600
love podcasting, I'd love doing stand
up comedy. I'd like doing things,
1116
01:11:30.680 --> 01:11:35.039
but I want to do them with
so much passion and purpose, because if
1117
01:11:35.079 --> 01:11:40.279
you're going to do anything, it's
it's not shitty if you care about being
1118
01:11:40.359 --> 01:11:43.479
good at it, and so like
if you have a shitty job, as
1119
01:11:43.520 --> 01:11:45.640
long as you want to be good
at that job. It takes away from
1120
01:11:45.760 --> 01:11:49.800
being bummed at that job. It
takes forever that day and all those things.
1121
01:11:49.920 --> 01:11:55.720
If you're focusing on being really good
at that task, then purpose comes
1122
01:11:55.760 --> 01:11:59.199
in and then something greater comes out
of it. So like when you want
1123
01:11:59.239 --> 01:12:00.880
to be a dishwash and you wanna
be the best dish rusher, you're gonna
1124
01:12:00.880 --> 01:12:03.880
be the manager of that restaurant in
ten years, I mean ten months,
1125
01:12:03.920 --> 01:12:08.680
excuse me. You know it'll happen
so fast if you care about every position
1126
01:12:08.840 --> 01:12:12.560
the way bosses or people that got
to the top see and they're like,
1127
01:12:12.640 --> 01:12:15.000
oh shit, this guy's not joking
around. That goes so far. So
1128
01:12:15.119 --> 01:12:19.760
it's like, now you your new
purpose. You're taking it so seriously that
1129
01:12:20.000 --> 01:12:24.039
it's gonna go and then this bigger
thing's coming and bigger, and it's just
1130
01:12:24.119 --> 01:12:26.960
never gonna end. And that's what
the whole thing I learned from Jake is
1131
01:12:27.479 --> 01:12:29.800
as long as you have purpose,
as long as you keep going, and
1132
01:12:29.880 --> 01:12:32.159
as long as you care about what
you do, and this time that we
1133
01:12:32.319 --> 01:12:36.039
get. And that's why Jake was
so great. He literally spent every day
1134
01:12:36.199 --> 01:12:40.399
trying to do the best thing that's
ever happened on this planet. That day,
1135
01:12:40.840 --> 01:12:43.640
right it was like, I'm going
to design the best snowboard today and
1136
01:12:43.800 --> 01:12:45.760
every one of the people in the
world are going to know it. And
1137
01:12:45.800 --> 01:12:46.720
then I'm gonna do this, I'm
gonna do that. And it was always
1138
01:12:46.800 --> 01:12:49.239
it was every day it was a
challenge. It wasn't like he woke up
1139
01:12:49.319 --> 01:12:53.239
like I did it. Fuck,
it's done, you know. It was
1140
01:12:53.319 --> 01:12:58.119
always like the challenge of every day
becoming a better character builder for people around
1141
01:12:58.199 --> 01:13:00.000
him. So not to go in
to a tangent about Jake, but I'm
1142
01:13:00.039 --> 01:13:04.720
saying in his baby's house and I
got you here and it's called snowboard Week
1143
01:13:04.800 --> 01:13:10.239
on Poleetz's body. But yeah,
I think that's where you're at right now.
1144
01:13:10.920 --> 01:13:13.520
You're living through Jake's words and I
love it. I love that.
1145
01:13:13.680 --> 01:13:16.439
Yeah, It's like not caring about
the outcome too. It's like if you
1146
01:13:16.600 --> 01:13:21.479
just put as much your whole heart
into something like, don't worry about it's
1147
01:13:21.479 --> 01:13:25.600
gonna come, is gonna come,
don't focus on you know. I think
1148
01:13:25.640 --> 01:13:28.960
that's a hard thing about me with
these new ventures, is like I want
1149
01:13:29.000 --> 01:13:31.159
to be the best at this,
you know, but don't worry about it.
1150
01:13:31.159 --> 01:13:34.399
If you just put your heart and
soul into something. Good things are
1151
01:13:34.439 --> 01:13:39.720
gonna come exactly those little achievements or
what you get a big one on a
1152
01:13:39.800 --> 01:13:44.239
lot of people's people that don't succeed
want that given to them in the beginning.
1153
01:13:44.319 --> 01:13:46.119
The first day. They're like,
I should have everything entitlement. Yeah,
1154
01:13:46.239 --> 01:13:48.720
entitlement, And that's a real problem. The boss doesn't know what he's
1155
01:13:48.760 --> 01:13:53.359
talking about, right, or that
was my idea, and that's how I'm
1156
01:13:53.359 --> 01:13:56.600
when to get in this company.
I'm gonna I'm gonna someone stealing my ideas
1157
01:13:56.600 --> 01:13:59.119
and all those things. It's not
about ideas or any of that. It's
1158
01:13:59.119 --> 01:14:02.479
about hard work, about showing that
you're the best at that thing right and
1159
01:14:02.880 --> 01:14:06.840
and you're the best right now at
three years into the your you know your
1160
01:14:06.960 --> 01:14:11.760
dilemma. But it's not a dilemma. It's a character builder. And it's
1161
01:14:11.840 --> 01:14:15.800
so fun to watch your character grow
even more from even when you're a pro
1162
01:14:15.920 --> 01:14:19.439
snowboarder. And that's pretty impressive.
Man, it's exciting. It's exciting me
1163
01:14:19.479 --> 01:14:23.119
because now you're my friend and you're
going to be around and we're going to
1164
01:14:23.199 --> 01:14:25.359
hang out and I'm going to make
dinners for you and we're going to party.
1165
01:14:25.600 --> 01:14:28.159
I'm so high, man, it's
give me so fun. Yeah,
1166
01:14:28.199 --> 01:14:31.159
I think that this injury is just
I've learned so much in these past three
1167
01:14:31.239 --> 01:14:39.119
years about myself and emotions and just
life in general that I did not learn
1168
01:14:39.439 --> 01:14:44.000
thirty three years before my accident.
It's taught me so much about yeah,
1169
01:14:44.079 --> 01:14:49.600
living in friendship and community. And
it's it's crazy because as much as an
1170
01:14:49.640 --> 01:14:54.880
amazing life that I was living before, I feel like it wasn't, you
1171
01:14:54.960 --> 01:14:57.960
know, my true path And you
know, it's I think it's just in
1172
01:14:58.479 --> 01:15:00.880
it's not the easiest way to see
look at it. What I think is
1173
01:15:01.239 --> 01:15:04.880
just the healthiest way to be,
like, Yeah, now I'm put on
1174
01:15:05.000 --> 01:15:11.199
this earth to to do something else
and just but just like you said,
1175
01:15:11.520 --> 01:15:15.119
keep that passion alive and just whatever
you do, just love it and just
1176
01:15:15.199 --> 01:15:18.840
give it your all. The two
things that we respect the most about humans
1177
01:15:19.039 --> 01:15:24.119
is love and your soul. That's
what you only talk about and that doesn't
1178
01:15:24.800 --> 01:15:29.159
have any attachment to legs, arms
or anything. No limbs are your love
1179
01:15:29.199 --> 01:15:32.119
and soul, right, So as
long as as long as you have your
1180
01:15:32.159 --> 01:15:36.079
love and soul, it's not about
if I you know, walk or run
1181
01:15:36.279 --> 01:15:40.479
or throw things or any of that. It's about how much love and how
1182
01:15:40.520 --> 01:15:44.960
big is your soul of what you're
doing and I see it and you're you
1183
01:15:45.039 --> 01:15:47.880
know, it's so fun. I
I'm so excited to see what's gonna happen,
1184
01:15:48.439 --> 01:15:53.000
especially because one of my favorite people
that's ever walked on this planet is
1185
01:15:53.079 --> 01:15:55.920
going through the same thing you're going
through. And I know you're going to
1186
01:15:55.960 --> 01:15:59.520
help him, and that warms me
up. It's amazing. We're gonna help
1187
01:15:59.520 --> 01:16:01.920
each other, like, no,
totally watching him progress, Gonna be dope,
1188
01:16:01.960 --> 01:16:04.960
take balthy guy's surfings, gonna be
sick. We canna have the braddest
1189
01:16:05.039 --> 01:16:09.439
days at the beach, chill cooler. I'll make smoked aw hee dip,
1190
01:16:10.000 --> 01:16:13.640
We'll freaking I want to get him
out here bronzing because he's Denver has the
1191
01:16:13.640 --> 01:16:15.079
best hospital in the world, but
they don't got this. Oh they do
1192
01:16:15.199 --> 01:16:17.920
have a lot of sun, but
come on, we're in socals. Let's
1193
01:16:17.960 --> 01:16:24.000
go. I feel like you burn
a lot more in Colorado culture. No
1194
01:16:24.119 --> 01:16:27.920
bronzing there, you just get fried
love. It is there anything else?
1195
01:16:28.079 --> 01:16:31.279
I mean, the best podcast.
I feel like I've learned so much from
1196
01:16:31.319 --> 01:16:36.479
you in this what hour fifteen come. It's been so valuable. Thank you
1197
01:16:38.199 --> 01:16:40.840
thank you. Yeah, you guys
are amazing. I can't wait to see
1198
01:16:40.840 --> 01:16:45.399
your Ted talk because I know that's
coming, and uh yeah, I'm going
1199
01:16:45.439 --> 01:16:48.239
to get so many people on this
podcast that are going to be inspired by
1200
01:16:48.279 --> 01:16:51.199
you. Obviously, Luke, I
can't wait to talk to him about you.
1201
01:16:51.439 --> 01:16:54.760
I didn't wait, I didn't know
you were his coach. That's like,
1202
01:16:55.199 --> 01:16:58.359
of course you are. It's so
sick. He doesn't even know.
1203
01:16:58.920 --> 01:17:00.439
Luke doesn't know that you're here.
So it's gonna be so fun to talk
1204
01:17:00.439 --> 01:17:03.560
to him about you. So cool. I'm such a good kid. He's
1205
01:17:03.560 --> 01:17:08.039
such a good kid. He's a
good skateboarder too, good skateboarders, good
1206
01:17:08.079 --> 01:17:12.039
everything. Yeah, and yeah,
just fellow East Coaster. Get the East
1207
01:17:12.039 --> 01:17:15.000
Coast five North Carolina is there's snow
and north ude. Not really what but
1208
01:17:15.279 --> 01:17:17.560
something that I mean, you can
maybe talk about this with him, but
1209
01:17:17.640 --> 01:17:21.119
I think something that helped his snowbury
out so much is they have these dry
1210
01:17:21.199 --> 01:17:26.680
slopes out there, which is a
trip to starboard. You can tell me,
1211
01:17:26.840 --> 01:17:30.880
like astro turf. It's like turf, Yeah, just go on green
1212
01:17:30.199 --> 01:17:34.520
grass, just kind of grass.
Yeah, like if burns a hell burns
1213
01:17:34.560 --> 01:17:38.199
the cap out of you. But
I think it gave him some like great
1214
01:17:38.319 --> 01:17:41.119
fundamentals. That's why he's a part
of what do you call gibber right,
1215
01:17:41.199 --> 01:17:44.159
is that what you call well jibber
slope style guy? Oh, I didn't
1216
01:17:44.159 --> 01:17:46.920
know he was rails and stuff.
Dude, he is rails, but he's
1217
01:17:47.000 --> 01:17:53.640
uh, he's does both, which
is amazing and and win and and you
1218
01:17:53.720 --> 01:17:57.399
know, make finals at a World
Cup slopestyle event and then I'll go win
1219
01:17:57.479 --> 01:18:01.560
a street street contest. So it's
amazing seem to see him just progress and
1220
01:18:01.760 --> 01:18:04.920
like it's not like that, you
know, pipe and slope thing for me.
1221
01:18:05.359 --> 01:18:11.000
He's killing at both worlds and he's
putting out film parts that are next
1222
01:18:11.119 --> 01:18:15.159
level. And it's like when you're
telling about all the disciplines that they choose
1223
01:18:15.199 --> 01:18:17.439
and they find their alley, they're
a spot. And he's like telling his
1224
01:18:17.520 --> 01:18:21.039
parents, I'm just gonna do like
urban like street whatever, and they're like,
1225
01:18:21.199 --> 01:18:24.600
no, You're going to the Olympics, like what and you're like no,
1226
01:18:24.720 --> 01:18:29.800
actually, Winkleman means rails, like
let's go. But he did need
1227
01:18:29.800 --> 01:18:31.880
to do both. Whatever movie,
I hate to say, the Burton one
1228
01:18:31.920 --> 01:18:35.319
when they just had all the rail
things they just released and it's him and
1229
01:18:35.399 --> 01:18:40.840
his girlfriend, and wow, I
do not like that kind of snowboarding at
1230
01:18:40.920 --> 01:18:45.119
all. I'll interview him and say
at school, but no thanks. Every
1231
01:18:45.199 --> 01:18:46.800
time I've ever been near one of
those little boxes and stuff, I get
1232
01:18:46.880 --> 01:18:53.279
hurt. It's so sketchy. Did
you like rails? Oh? Yeah,
1233
01:18:53.720 --> 01:18:57.319
my dad stuff. My dad taught
me how to weld, so I was
1234
01:18:57.399 --> 01:19:01.399
making my own rails in the backyard
and yeah, just I love reels for
1235
01:19:01.479 --> 01:19:04.279
sure. Actually not towards like towards
the end of my career, when I
1236
01:19:04.319 --> 01:19:08.279
was coaching and stuff, I backed
up. I mean a little bit,
1237
01:19:08.359 --> 01:19:12.399
but I would always everyone they always
called me the stunt coach. So they
1238
01:19:12.439 --> 01:19:14.439
would be like, you know,
wakers, a stunt coach, you'll learn
1239
01:19:14.479 --> 01:19:15.239
how to do a trick. Just
ask him how to do that. And
1240
01:19:15.640 --> 01:19:17.880
I'd be like, all right,
I'll just send it right. I just
1241
01:19:18.119 --> 01:19:20.199
you know, you had to do
it. I learned. I learned a
1242
01:19:20.239 --> 01:19:25.920
double cork. After I retired from
competing snowboarding and started coaching. I was
1243
01:19:26.000 --> 01:19:29.319
like a bunch of kids. We
were chucking one day it was spring riding,
1244
01:19:29.359 --> 01:19:30.399
and I was like, all right, I'm explaining it to her because
1245
01:19:30.399 --> 01:19:33.560
she doesn't know what that is.
Double cork in the pipe, which is
1246
01:19:34.079 --> 01:19:36.560
no no, no, okay,
slip style. Yeah, so yeah,
1247
01:19:36.800 --> 01:19:41.880
I was terrified to doing the pipe
way smaller margin. Yeah, but double
1248
01:19:41.960 --> 01:19:45.000
cork is just multiple flips and multiple
spins at the same time, flying through
1249
01:19:45.039 --> 01:19:49.960
the air. It's two road three
sixties and to to get kind of off
1250
01:19:50.039 --> 01:19:55.640
acts at the same time, which
now it's nothing. They're doing quadruple corks.
1251
01:19:56.239 --> 01:20:00.720
Really yeah, it's crazy, it's
wild, quadruple so creepy. But
1252
01:20:01.079 --> 01:20:04.319
yeah, it's cool to see people
like you know, throwing style back into
1253
01:20:04.399 --> 01:20:10.680
it, and so yeah, I
love it. Well, hey, I
1254
01:20:10.760 --> 01:20:13.279
can't thank you enough for coming on, and we're gonna have this again,
1255
01:20:13.720 --> 01:20:15.920
I think next season or the season
after whatever they go. I don't even
1256
01:20:15.960 --> 01:20:20.039
know how longer seasons are for you
hours or something, but yeah, we'll
1257
01:20:20.039 --> 01:20:23.399
bring you back in and we'll talk
about more of the surf stuff that we're
1258
01:20:23.439 --> 01:20:25.319
going to go through, because we're
gonna probably go on a surf trip,
1259
01:20:25.359 --> 01:20:27.800
I would think, because I want
I want Georgia to move back, and
1260
01:20:27.840 --> 01:20:30.680
then we should go down to Cabo
or something. It wouldn't be the worst
1261
01:20:30.680 --> 01:20:33.680
thing to be warm. Screw that
wet suit thing. I feel that okay,
1262
01:20:34.279 --> 01:20:38.520
and uh yeah, thank you so
much for having me. I'm so
1263
01:20:38.640 --> 01:20:41.199
happy you came on. And uh
yeah, I can't wait to see the
1264
01:20:41.239 --> 01:20:44.960
rest of this and tell your mom
I'm coming for it. Sounds like she
1265
01:20:45.199 --> 01:20:47.079
needs to hang out and laugh with
me and stuff and she could be my
1266
01:20:47.159 --> 01:20:50.159
designated driver. Let's do it.
Yeah, do it, and I want
1267
01:20:50.199 --> 01:20:55.119
to freaking drink Budweiser with pots.
What's dad's name and mom's name? O
1268
01:20:55.399 --> 01:21:00.720
Tim? Tim? And Sue Tim
and Sue Melissa's Melissa's your sister. Gosh,
1269
01:21:00.840 --> 01:21:02.760
your guys family seems pretty insane,
and that's probably helped a lot,
1270
01:21:02.840 --> 01:21:05.720
right, I mean, has your
sister been by your side? And she's
1271
01:21:05.800 --> 01:21:09.920
amazing and she probably looks like you. Yep, guys, they are similar.
1272
01:21:10.079 --> 01:21:14.039
Yep for sure. Cool. Shout
out to sisn screw it up.
1273
01:21:14.239 --> 01:21:15.880
I know your kids are probably gonna
be punching people in the face with hockey
1274
01:21:15.960 --> 01:21:20.960
masks. But she describes every day
as categories of hurricane. Today was a
1275
01:21:21.079 --> 01:21:26.760
category five catastrophic, went up to
go to the bathroom and they're running on
1276
01:21:26.800 --> 01:21:30.399
the walls. But yeah, the
little munchkins are crazy. I love it.
1277
01:21:31.239 --> 01:21:34.800
Hopefully they're going to be out here
this summer get together. I want
1278
01:21:34.840 --> 01:21:39.199
to see the rat pack in Melissa's
so good. That's cool. Well,
1279
01:21:39.239 --> 01:21:42.920
hey, I have a have a
good rest of your year and I'll see
1280
01:21:42.920 --> 01:21:44.920
you soon. But you guys aren't
going to see him. For a minute,
1281
01:21:45.079 --> 01:21:50.920
and shout out to Chris and everyone
else, Annie cheers, peace, Thanks,