Maui
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MAUI
What a trip we had. Even the way our travel started was unique. Our first flight was cancelled so we were upgraded on our long flight to Hawaii where we sat right in front of Woody Haralson. He was very chill and kind. The first 5 days we stayed in Kaanapali with our friend Sally. That is in the middle of the tourist part of the island next to black rock, but the beaches are killer. When it is raining on the island it is still sunny in there. We just chilled and snorkeled every day.
The last 7 days we stayed in Haiku with our new friends Amber and Darby. They lived up on the hill a bit, but had the most beautiful landscape of tropical plants. Our whole trip we really nailed the weather.
Darby lent us his spare car that was a island beater. Now when I say island beater, I mean running on two cylinders, don’t sneeze or it won’t start, and don’t worry about the paint. It got us everywhere all week, but the last day we got pulled over for expired tags and our friend Ryan who was driving, did not have his drivers license and we did not have insurance on the car. The sheriff let us off if we would drive it straight home and park it. So that’s what we did. Need to mention the roof was caving in with 4 massive boards on top.
Darby also lent us 3 long boards which we used everyday. Mark from Kihei also let us use his huge stand up paddle board. That was great for me because of my recent surgery I couldn’t quite paddle on a surf board, but I could surf on the standup board. So that really made my trip being able to surf. Kind of hooked on stand up boards now. Need one to surf Lake Tahoe.
We also spent a day in driving to Hana. We had 7 people in the car on a whindy road. Me being the smallest and I don’t get carsick, I rode in the back where the dog usually sits. Nothing new for me. We tried to go to the 7 pools, but what we didn’t know is the locals had closed it off to fight the tourism. Even though that is the only way they get money on that side of the island I guess the feel a little over run. We still got to jump off a 30 ft. spire into the ocean, check out a rad waterfall and hike through the bamboo forest. Killer day.
Enjoy the photos and video.
water world
surfing
cliff jump
beach chair`
back yard pool
beach action
yes, very hot
Grenade Games
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Grenade Games
Good to be back in Whistler. This is my first time to the Grenade Games and everyone is having a great time, maybe some too much of a good time. Not your usual contest of strict rules and time schedule, or even your typical event. Our first day was the Poker run. We would free ride around the mountain as one big crew, just taking over the run as we pointed to our next hip or trany. What a mountain to freeride! There was 5 stations where we would pick up a card to make a full hand.
Other events were the Dual Slalom, mogul race (on gnarly ice), halfpipe jam and Big Air. The halfpipe I ended up being the judge since I could not ride due to my recent shoulder surgery 8 weeks ago. I did have to take a couple runs in the pipe with my sling. TJ Shinder won the pipe with a crazy corked out 10 and big! Thanks Monster for the love up in Whistler!
My Dad Rides Again
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What a incredible week with my father Cliff at the Aspen/Snowmass Disabled Veterans Snow Clinic! I witnessed many guys overcoming major health and physical abilities and enjoy what God and the mountains have to offer.
My father was back on a snowboard for the first time since his accident. With his right side paralyzed and a bullet still lodged in his C1, Bobby and Lucas where able to take 5 runs with him the first day. The second day he took 2 long runs through 8 inches of Fresh fallen snow. My father was hootin and hollering for joy. Many prayers were answered for me and my family this week. One that my father even survived and two that he was able to get back on a snowboard! Praise God!
Reconstruction
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El numero 7. I have had a few surgeries in my days and this one just ads to the count. I had my left one done 6 years ago and it is all good. I hurt my right one this season and was trying to ride with my arm strapped to my body, but I kept getting other injuries and my riding was not up to Par being the one winged bandit. Pulled the plug on my season a little early to get it fixed so that i can get an early start on next season going into the Olympics. Enjoy the pics. J Foley up here in Tahoe is the MAN!
This is the last photo taken with out a big scar on my right shoulder to match the one on my left shoulder.
I don’t think I had to shave part of my chest last time I had shoulder surgery? Dangit!
Killer!
That looks like that might hurt a little! Nope, thanks to NORCO!
Layed out! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Bend, OR/ Super Awesome Rad Camp
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After a few hours at home i hit the road again. Charging the back roads all the way up to Bachelor in a little front wheel drive rental car while it was dumping snow and the hand brake worked perfectly! We only got passed by one car while my wife was driving and about 10 minutes later that car was about 200 yards off the road upside down. So yes, new snow, made it safely with a little fun on the way was making our weekend look pretty promising. Nations Foundation helped put on the camp and after a couple hard days of shreding pow and park, they put on a premier of OneYear in Downtown Bend in the main Theater. Sold out to the point of people being turned away, the house was packed.
Brian Jennings (pro surfer) also made it up for the premier of his new movie Walking On Water. Crowd was amped, pizza was killer and the whole trip, camp, and premier was a sucess.
Finch Update
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What an incredible last few days. Fall is here and it means only one thing to me. REALLY GOOD SURF. Mainly the off shore winds are what make california so good this time of year, but it is also when we start seeing some decent NW swells. The swell this week wasn’t quite all it was cracked up to be, but did produce many head high waves and just a couple overhead ones too. My buddy james, who put me up for a couple weeks in El Salvador was on the trip with me. I am introducing him to cold water and COLD it was! The days were getting up to 80 and I never saw a cloud the whole 3 days. I did see a lot of shooting stars. One morning while we were on a dawn patrol mission, I saw 3 shooting stars within 5 seconds. That was a first for me. This is the best way for me to start my winter!
-Finch
Somewhere in El Salvador……..
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Arriving in San Salvador with no baggage claim ticket to my surfboard bag, soon to find out I would not have any surfboards either. Desperate to get my boards we post up in San Salvador for a little local crazy driving experience in hopes to pick up my boards the next day. With no such luck we head to surf destination to get wet. Swell report calling for a 12foot swell in a couple days. My buddy Santiago (James) was putting my wife and I up for 2 weeks in his newly built home with a 2 minute walk to the wave. May I remind you this is more camping than anything, except we did have running water and electricity when it wasn’t storming. I should mention the shopping experience for fruits in veggies in a small town with a big market. Lots of bargaining for some killer deals, we filled up the back of our small pickup, with bags, chairs and ourselves. Finally on the wave which was a super fun right hand point break that was a 30 second ride and very consistent. Due to a local surf resort a ways away, 3 or 4 boats would roll in a day loaded with surfers, but due to our epic location, we would just get out of the water then get back in when they left. Averaged 3 to 5 hours a day in the water except for the day I had the runs, the day I had a ear infection and the day I had a sinus infection too. We cut one other day short too cause conditions were questionable, but more so because the jellyfish were thick and we were getting stung constantly! I was hitting one every paddle. But by the next day there were only a couple left and than completely gone the next. Boards showed up 4 days after arrival, just in time for the peak of the big swell. Double overhead sets coming in and we were all loving it. Second week, got all the bugs out of my system and was finally adjusted to the heat. We filled the down time with horseshoes, darts, making salsa, jumping on the trampoline, playing soccer with the local neighbors, and my favorite was skating the mini ramp in the back yard that Santiago made with rocks stacked for walls with a semi-smooth layer of concrete over it. The ramp reminded me of skating a canal, super fun! Finished the trip with a 3 hour session to ourselves before I jumped on the plane. Spent the night in the San Fran baggage claim sleeping on my surfboard bag (comfortably). Now home just enjoying the photos looking back on how awesome the trip was. |
Mt Hood
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Finally a good snow year for the summer camps. Middle of July and we can still ride all the way to the parking lots. Half way through my trip and it already feels like a full week. Body is filling it for sure. Ride for 5 hours, skate till dinner and wake up early to do it again!
Windell’s has it going on right now with a massive step up looking jump (really a table), but super lofty and no compression. Got in a sunset session with a skier film crew that
was gracious enough to let me join them. Little tail wind, clear skies with some California smoke to give a little color. With some shots in the bag, I now can cruise the rest of the week and just feed off the energy from the mini shreds.
Nations Foundation crew is up here too. We are getting some of the last shots and interviews for the movie “ONEYEAR”. Also making plans for the following movie, keeping it a surprise. Gonna be a good vibe!
