Ultimate Chilli Cook-Off
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Chili is a pretty simple concept right? You throw some beans, meat and chili sauce into crock pot, let it sit for a few hours and voila. At least I thought it was that simple, until I was entered into the first ever Colorado Mountain College Chili Cook-off. Having never made chili before I had no idea what my friend Justin and I were in for. Turns out it takes a couple hours of preparation including onion chopping, pepper slicing and lots of cooking. With about twelve entrants and plenty of hungry taste testers the event was an overall success. We had everything from Vegetable Chili to Homemade Elk Chili. Joe's Green Chili came out on top which wasn't too surprising considering he was the winner of Steamboat's summer chili-cook off. Congrats Joe!
Nut Up or Shut Up
Monday, October 19, 2009
It seems that Travis Pastrana had a lasting impact on some of the students at Colorado Mountain College. After the extreme sports enthusiast left town he inspired one student, Vince to make the ultimate jump. Amazed by his feat I asked him for an interview and he agreed. Here’s what he had to say:
Name: Vince
Major: Associates of Arts
Hometown: Sonora, CA
Age: 21
How long have you been mountain biking?
I started around seventh grade with a really crappy Wal-Mart bike. I kept breaking bikes and returning them and realized it wasn’t what I needed. Eventually I made a trip to the bike shop and got one that stood up to what I needed. From there I began doing stair gaps and jumps with my friends. I also rode with the local bike shop crew taking really long night rides and weekend trips.
What is your favorite part about the sport?
I think one of the coolest things about any action sport is riding with people better than yourself because you can learn so much from them.
How did you come up with the idea of gapping 25 feet of stairs?
When you do an action sport for a certain period of time you start to see the world differently. You look at something and think wow that looks like something I can do on my bike, where ordinary people would think nothing of it. We were training for ski racing on the soccer field when I first saw the gap. It got into my head and I began contemplating it every day.
Did you have any reservations?
I told a few people about it and they thought it was a really cool idea but there was a huge fear factor involved. I got really scared because I knew I could seriously hurt myself.
What inspired you to finally make the jump?
When Rally America came to town I got a chance to interview Travis Pastrana. One of the coolest things he said was, “Everybody has pain, everybody has fear. But it’s how we deal with fear that sets us apart”. As soon as I heard him say that I knew I needed to do the jump.
What kind of planning was involved?
It’s about being a calculated person. Day after day I would sit at the jump and think about how fast and how big I’d have to go. I checked out the landing to make sure it was safe-- which it really wasn’t-- and built a ramp for the take off.
There were a lot of kids watching you. Did you feel any pressure?
There was a skate comp at the school and I was practicing the run up to see how much speed I’d need. People started gathering around and I didn’t really have a choice. I either needed to do it or stop talking like I was going to. As the movie Zombie Land put it, “nut up or shut up.”
What were the very last thoughts running through your head before you did it?
“God, I hope this works…”
Do you have any regrets?
I guess if I had one regret it would be that I didn’t pursue mountain biking harder when I was younger.
What’s next?
Ski racing is something I love and have a really big passion for. I’d like to pursue it for a few years assuming I can stay injury free. I’d also like to continue to pursue mountain biking. The fact that I successfully made the jump made me realize some things are not as hard as they seem. If I see something bigger I’d like to do it. The future is very unpredictable. Hell, I’m in Colorado now!
Name: Vince
Major: Associates of Arts
Hometown: Sonora, CA
Age: 21
How long have you been mountain biking?
I started around seventh grade with a really crappy Wal-Mart bike. I kept breaking bikes and returning them and realized it wasn’t what I needed. Eventually I made a trip to the bike shop and got one that stood up to what I needed. From there I began doing stair gaps and jumps with my friends. I also rode with the local bike shop crew taking really long night rides and weekend trips.
What is your favorite part about the sport?
I think one of the coolest things about any action sport is riding with people better than yourself because you can learn so much from them.
How did you come up with the idea of gapping 25 feet of stairs?
When you do an action sport for a certain period of time you start to see the world differently. You look at something and think wow that looks like something I can do on my bike, where ordinary people would think nothing of it. We were training for ski racing on the soccer field when I first saw the gap. It got into my head and I began contemplating it every day.
Did you have any reservations?
I told a few people about it and they thought it was a really cool idea but there was a huge fear factor involved. I got really scared because I knew I could seriously hurt myself.
What inspired you to finally make the jump?
When Rally America came to town I got a chance to interview Travis Pastrana. One of the coolest things he said was, “Everybody has pain, everybody has fear. But it’s how we deal with fear that sets us apart”. As soon as I heard him say that I knew I needed to do the jump.
What kind of planning was involved?
It’s about being a calculated person. Day after day I would sit at the jump and think about how fast and how big I’d have to go. I checked out the landing to make sure it was safe-- which it really wasn’t-- and built a ramp for the take off.
There were a lot of kids watching you. Did you feel any pressure?
There was a skate comp at the school and I was practicing the run up to see how much speed I’d need. People started gathering around and I didn’t really have a choice. I either needed to do it or stop talking like I was going to. As the movie Zombie Land put it, “nut up or shut up.”
What were the very last thoughts running through your head before you did it?
“God, I hope this works…”
Do you have any regrets?
I guess if I had one regret it would be that I didn’t pursue mountain biking harder when I was younger.
What’s next?
Ski racing is something I love and have a really big passion for. I’d like to pursue it for a few years assuming I can stay injury free. I’d also like to continue to pursue mountain biking. The fact that I successfully made the jump made me realize some things are not as hard as they seem. If I see something bigger I’d like to do it. The future is very unpredictable. Hell, I’m in Colorado now!
Endless Opportunities
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I am going to college in one of the most beautiful towns I've ever seen while living within walking distance of a major ski resort, and the best part is I'm not being sold short on my education. The classes offered at this school are mind opening and, obviously, educational. In fact I fear going to a larger university because I'm not sure I'll have the same opportunities as I have here. I just wanted to take this time to share a very exciting class that is being offered next semester. It's a six credit class that is split into 3 Poli Sci credits and 3 Art credits. There are a few lecture classes that lead up to a nine day trip through Guatemala. Throughout the trip the class will be visiting art museums, meeting with political figures and visiting Mayan ruins. I'm planning on taking the class because it will be a great follow up to my Intro to Political Science. Rather than sitting in the classroom learning about political issues we are going to explore and see the effects of US policies first hand. Not to mention this would be my first time traveling outside of the United States (Canada not included, I used to live by the border). I also think getting to see the Mayan ruins will be awesome after spending time learning about the Mayans in my Philosophy and Lit classes.
The class has limited availability so if you're interested be sure to pre-register! For more info check out the CMC website: http://www.coloradomtn.edu/cms/one.aspx?pageId=3447601
The class has limited availability so if you're interested be sure to pre-register! For more info check out the CMC website: http://www.coloradomtn.edu/cms/one.aspx?pageId=3447601
"New" Car
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
After living in Steamboat for over a year I've decided to purchase a car. It's not that you actually need one in this town but it does make things more convenient, I was really starting to dread the half hour bike ride to work at 5:30am. Thankfully, my friends Jordan and Mike accompanied me to check out vehicles listed in the classifieds for under $2000. Without them I would have been lost due to my limited knowledge of anything automobile. Jordan and I wound up finding a 91 Honda Accord Station Wagon. It's old and defiantly screams "college student" but I love it. The seats fold down which will be great for taking skis and boards to the mountain and the previous owner gave me snow tires. It might not be the ideal "new" car, but it if it gets my from point A to point B that's all that really matters!
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