If you had any questions that this years world cup was gonna be freaking awesome, that will all go away as soon as you watch Nike’s new ad which will be live on TV shortly.  Check this out.

A big thank you to fellow blogger Nelson Abalos of Pixelated Geek for sending me the footage on this one.  The footie comes from from Jaws (Pe Ahi) this past week on Maui, Hawaii.  We have shown lots of footage from the Eddie Aikau Classic and the Billabong Pro lately from last week, but what makes this footage different is this.  It’s Hd, shot in slo-mo and more amazingly using a Canon 5d Mark II Digital Still Camera.  Great video from a still camera, set to great music, its pure art.  Check it out.

talk soon,

mat

Well, about a week ago, it was that time of year again. The time of year you long to hear the phrase “So pack up your belongings and move to ___________ because if you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older….when you do.” Man I miss hearing those words and although I live in San Diego now and surf more than I ski, I still long for the mountains every year starting in September and by the time October rolls around, I typically already have my tickets to the New Warren Miller Movie. This year its called Dynasty!

Warren Milers Dynasty

As with all Warren Miller films, you are taken on a trip across the globe, watching some of the worlds best skiers rip it up in waste deep powder getting face shots that make you shift in your seat.  But what you can’t get from watching Warren Miller Dynasty at home on DVD is the experience of seeing on at a screening.  The vibe and energy at a screening itself is what gives the films so much power I believe.  200 people all on the edge of their seat, breathing heavy, excited and all thinking the same thing “I gotta get out there.”  Ha its a great experience.  I took my girlfriend to the screening this year and she loved it so looks like you got another lifer Warren.

As far as the actual film goes, its good.  Not the best Warren Miller I have ever seen (personally I like Freeriders) but its definitely good.  What is very cool about it is that it has old 1950-60’s ski footage mixed in and interlaced throughout the film so that adds an element of yesteryear and some nostalgia to the film and I like that.  The first half of the movie to me was much more interesting and some of the sit ski racers now are just unreal.  Northern China was cool to see as well in the annual Chris Anthony segment and the footage from the Alps in Norway was pretty unreal as well.

All in all its a must see and do try to see it when it comes to your town.

Thanks Warren for 60 Years of making a lot of people happy.

Man, I gotta get out there……

Whoa,

The surf has been unreal on the west coast here for the past few days!  So big in fact that they finally decided to have the “Eddie.”  For those of you not in know the “Eddie” is short for the Eddia Aikau Surf Invitation.  This elite competition is only held in perfect conditions.  The waves have to be over 40 feet for the competition to even happen so you can imagine the quality of riders this attracts.

Greg Long of San Clemente California emerged victorious in the event that saw even the likes of former surf champion Tom Carroll literaly “break a leg” Tom got nailed by some whitewash and it dislocated his ankle from his leg! Yea these are serious waves folks.

To get a more in look at the competition and the results of the 25th Annual Eddie Aikau Surf Classic check out the coverage over at Transworld Surf here.

Hopefully some good video from California soon!

Wow,

I just finished watching Steep and I can absolutely say that it is a soul skiers movie.  It is one of those movies that not only makes you want to go skiing, but also reassess your life to figure out where you went wrong and why you don’t ski 100+ days a year anymore.  Ha, to be more specific it makes you wonder why you ever even actually skied within the confines of a ski resort at all.

Steep Movie Cover

The journey starts with the epic first decent of the majestic Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  From there they proceed to embaress American skiing for awhile by the most ridiculous descents you have ever seen by pioneers Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant in the French Alps around Chamonix and Mount Blanc.  Great old footage from Europe makes you want to drop it all and head across the pond, Chamonix is truly magical and I place I still aspire to visit.

The movie also parallels the life of another pioneer, this time American, Doug Coombs.  If you have ever skied anything over 30 degrees, you know who Doug Coombs is and you have respect for him.  This is a great biography of his skiing life.  As the film continues to hop from mountain range to mountain range and time period to time period, you get a great understanding and view of the people who truly made the sport what it is today.  Folks like Glen Plake, Scott Schmidt, Erick Payota, Shane McConkey and of course my favorite Seth Morrison.

All in all its a great ski film, but not for those looking for the Warren Miller-esq type of light hearted segments.  No No, this movie is all about pushing it to the limits and the consequences that follow.

Good flick, thank you Sony Picture Classics and director Mark Obenhaus

You can watch the trailer here

Every now and then, a movie comes along that you have just gotta see.  I saw a trailer today that prompted me to write this post.

If you don’t know who Jamie O’Brien is then its time you learn.  If you don’t want to watch this movie or go surfing after seeing these trailers, then were not friends.

Hint- Watch these on fullscreen, they are HD….and turn the music up..

Official Trailer

Trailer I

Trailer II

Yes, that was a rodeo flip on a surf board, a two person barrel and a great piece of…….surf footage.

gonna be a sick movie.

Ha, ok so if you know me at all you know that I have a tendency to get injured.

I will contend that no one else is playing hard enough, but whatever.

So I am making this post to fill you in on my most recent injury, which happened to be a facial injury.  Let me set the stage for you….

Its a gorgeous day in San Diego and you guessed it, I am Surfing.  Now the waves are small today, very small about 1 foot or shin high.  I am out with 2 buddies, Casey and Luke at our favorite hidden spot.  So when the waves are this small, really you do whatever you can to entertain yourself and get even a little ride.  That being said, I was ecstatic when I finally did ride a wave into shore.

Finally the wave died and i fell off the board.  As i was standing up, I felt someone hit me with a baseball bat in the face.  Only it wasn’t a baseball bat, it was the butt end of my board, which just so happens to have 2 points on it.  Dazed and confused, I stumbled to shore and my buddies followed as the look on my face instantly said something was wrong.

Now I could feel it starting to swell, but wasn’t sure how bad it was until I asked my buddy Luke “How does it look?” and he just kind of turned around and walked away.  Ha, so its back to Scripps Green Hospital for me, situated nicely on the 11th Hole at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Long story short, I did not fracture my face(this time), but it swelled up……..a lot, check it out.

BEFORE

AFTER

Which one looks happier?

Ha and no I am not a Boston fan, its just all i could find at the time, I was dissoriented!

Ok, so I have drug this out long enough, I am fine, back surfing and my face might get back to normal one of these days.

To address the title of the blog post.  I AM the reason your medical premiums keep going up, so thank you for helping me split all my medical bills.

I am 27 years old, and after this trip I wonder why I waited so long to finally go to Yosemite.

The place is awesome and the whole valley looks like a postcard.  You can literally see exactly where the Glacier came through and carved out the valley.  Yosemite is also home to 3 famous mountains.  El Capitan and The Sentinel are great mountains, but we were here to conquer none other than The Half Dome.

Now most people will start around 6 am and hike through the day to summit and then come back down in the afternoon/evening.  We decided to take a little different approach.  We started just after 9 pm and got to the base of Half Dome around 3am.

We camped out below the dome until we couldn’t take it anymore and finally scaled the remaining thousand feet or so by cable to get to the top just before sunrise.

It was definitely a surreal moment looking down a vertical mile to the valley floor on either side of you as you hold on to an old steel cable attached to the top of a rock.  Its a rush and even more so at night, but absolutely worth it when you get to the top and look around a gorgeous valley below as the sun starts to peak over the eastern mountains.  I highly recommend it.

I usually try to tie all my adventures and trips into business somehow, but for this post I think I will just leave it at this.

Go see some damn nature, you’ll feel better.

Mat

Okay, so quick story.

I spent all day today surfing a huge summer swell in San Diego.  These waves were generated by an earthquake off the coast of New Zealand about a week or so ago.  74 degree water, sunny, 8-12+ foot waves and just a great day to be out at Blacks Beach in La Jolla, Ca.

Blacks Beach

So your probably wondering how I am gonna tie this in to business and life and so on and so forth so here is the ah-ha moment.

When your paddling out in 8-12+ foot waves its easy to get a little nervous, especially if you have not done it in awhile.  You can begin to doubt yourself and even sometimes hesitate to take action.

Same as life, if you have fear or apprehension about something, the only way to get rid of that fear or apprehension is to “drop in.”  Start that business you have always wanted to start.  Begin writing that book you have always wanted to write.  Paddle into that perfect 12 foot barreling left hand wave and get after it and something very interesting will happen almost immediately.  Your fear will DISAPEAR.

Its amazing, fear fades with action.  Even if you fall on the wave or have to rewrite that chapter in your book, the fear will be gone.  You will realize that it was not so hard and wonder why you ever hesitated in the first place.  That’s why marathon runners always say that the hardest step in a marathon is not the last step, its the first one.  That is also the reason that so many people will never reach their dreams, because they are too scared to take that first step.

So today, after you read this, look at your life and figure out what you have been putting off because you were too scared to act.  Suck it up, take a deep breath and take that first step.  Put the first words down to your book.  Incorporate that business you have always wanted and drop into that perfect left and then paddle back out to your buddies with a huge smile on your face, because you know they are all jealous!

Good luck out there, go make it happen.

I always respect people who are out there on the edge pushing the limits.  Whether it be in business, politics or sport, I think its great to realign the social norms every now and then.

Today I am going to give you a true example of some folks pushing the limits of what was thought possible.

If you thought kayaking was for old folks in the calm ocean, time to realign your thoughts…..