Hello!

So basically i was going to do a 'intro' post because Hans and the rest of the Cranky Mafia were nice enough to jump me in and let me post on here. But then I decided that if you don't know me you should just come up and say hi or something.

So...
dude with a beard
celeste bike (peter bundy if you must know) with lots of celeste and black on it
most likely wearing a cycling cap and/white helmet
loud voice

i try to be as nice to strangers as possible... if i'm rude to you, call me out on it. this scene doesnt get any bigger or better if people are rude to one another.

anyways... i decided i'd make this first post about one of my best friends. he is a good example of why you shouldnt judge people based on appearance or first impressions.

To be fair he scared me the first 10 or so times i'd see him at art openings or riding around the street. sure we had some similar friends... but he was 6'4", heavily tattooed (and not so much in a 'fashion' way), looked pretty grimy and generally had this 'dont fuck with me' appearance.

we ended up meeting through some online posts he was making trying to shake up the local fixed gear scene... and then in short order, ended up putting on an event. after i nearly killed him thanks to his short attention span and crazy ideas, and him based on my desire to make sure no-one died or that we made it so that anyone could feel like they could participate our friendship was cemented.

along the way i think he's pissed off more people than i could count in his quest to make vancouver (and the rest of the world) realise the potential of these bikes we misappropriate on the street. a lot of those people are now friends with him and/or give him a heck of a lot of credit for what he ended up doing. he is as stubborn as he is creative...



his lack of deep bike background and a long history of skateboarding/snowboarding/rock climbing/graffiti gave him a different view on where he could go (and a common ground with some of the early big names of our little branch of the game). the fact he wasnt afraid to put his words into action helped a lot. (i have definitely logged some miles with him driving across borders to other cities or riding to new spots)


we were definitely the 'odd couple' of the local scene, but i look back at some of the stuff we put on or got away with and neither of us could have done it alone.

he is now responsible (in some way or another) for the permanent artwork on my legs and lot of really good memories. he is an amazingly kind-hearted person... and actually a total clown.

when i moved out here, he moved to montreal with his wife and despite all common sense (mine at least) he kept messengering. this for a guy that is certified to be a contruction site safety supervisor and an industrial carpenter.

this is a shot he sent out a few weeks ago as he came home from work


apparently this was a -30C day...

so when ive been complaining about the heat, he comes back with the temps in montreal and how he is out there after work still 'getting it done'.

so yeah... heres to riding with the homies, meeting new people and you never know how that next person you end up talking to going to impact your life...

thanks for bearing with me on this one... next few will probably be a collection of online and in-person quotes i've seen and heard. the internet is great for bringing out the idiot in people...