FLATSTATE ALL UP IN YO FACE!!

Moonshine, marriage, swamps, road bikes, and debauchery.

that pretty much sums up florida christmas. i lived on animals from the sea and cheap beer. and i got married, to twins.

yeah, it was good.

dano out.

this is really cool..

looks like fun.

I would like to do something like this in pisgah. who's in?

keller i'm looking at you...

Dano out.

FOUR LOKO

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/114223/

fun,

dano out.

CONGRATULATION'S...

Word on the street is that everyones favorite drunken buffoon Pretty Joe Melvin is graduating today for the University of Florida with a degree in mechanical engineering.





good job buddy!

This is the future of america folks...

And lastly, this is awesome.

we ain't afraid of no ghost!!

Dano out.

It's that time of year again...

stolen from the brother.

nice.

Dano out.

Merry Christmas to me!!

Brapp!!

Dano out.

shady kids

i found this little gem the other day and thought i might share it. we made this on a snowy sunday in october if i remember right. drunk? oh yeah. assholes? most likely. rappers? def not.

all i remember is laughing so hard i couldn't breath while we freestyle battled each other with chris typing furiously to get it all down.

enjoy, or not. some of its pretty horrible.

oh, and we sent this to everyone on our email list- grandparents, employers, everyone.

awesome.

yo im livin in the 307,

as close as you can get to heaven,

i see the tetons when i climb on the roof,

i got pictures cracker if you need the proof,

you think your lifes as good as mine,

you got one bitch i got nine,

drivin here i wrecked my truck,

thought i was fucked,

but thats just my shitluck,

but its cool whe ain't no fools,

we fixed the washing machine using only bike tools,

every day i work demolition,

i tihnk about fishin',

the rich ass girls here got us wishin',

that we could be hittin that ass

brown trout not bass

bustin drywall for cash

another beer?

I won't pass'

yo this is dan,

i drove across the land

with not much of a plan,

but its cool i ain't no fool,

i'm livin in a place now that'll make most of you drool,

yo this is josh

with only one galosh

yeah..my favorite food , it's squash

if you want you can call me mc sasquatch

alex hinton I'm from cackalack

fuck with me I'll put cha on ya back

you just a bitch

remember thisI anin't hte nigga that'll take ya out

I'm the nigga that'll rape ya mouth,

yo dan's out in the west,

pullin' the moves at the park that y'all know best,

360's, turndowns, and all the rest,

i've been here a week and i'm sponsored by the park,

thats kinda weak,but shit, its cool i ain't no fool,

representin' florida an the locals can't speak.

florida rocks, we got the biggest cocks

,south cackalaki masturbates with socks

dan thiks he's cool this is josh and I rule

use the same line again you ain't even useful

the f.l.a crew don't drink beer,

don't smoke weed,

they think they're holy

I smoke so much green I bleed guacamole

dan thinks he's so fuckin cool

his fro looks like little ophan annie the stupid fool,

josh wears a hat from a gas station,

i don't see why he's hatin',

he's drives a stock jeep, thats kinda weak,

my boy mitch put 300 horses to the street,

shit, its all good i guess he's the shit in his hood,

but if he comes down to florida the only ass he's gettin' is gonna have wood,

dan how dare you bust the jeep

what're you drivin...air?

that's weak your bike tires may be 26's

guess what last week I fucked that many bitches

I hear it's been 6 months since you got laid

since then the skin flute is the only instrument you've played

don't hate on south cakalack

if you're a rep for f.l.a... that state's whack

yo josh don't be mad at me that you drive a wrangler,

it ain't my fault that you're a full blown dick strangler,

you know whatever your a lit major,

talkin shit like your some kind of player,

you know i cant deny your good with the ladys,

when it comes to that im kinda shady,

you know i can't help that i'm picky,

i just don't want to wake up that next mornoing felling itchy,

dan can't stand it,

he's an ass bandiit,

show him a hairy butt and with his dick he'll ram it

cause he'll take any man

he's got an ass like quicksand

give him two dicks

he'll jerk em off with both hands

shit thats good but this nigga don't realise i'm from the hood ,

i'm 'bought to give it to him good,

you think you got what it takes but you don't realize the higher stakes,

i got a whole crew that'll do what ever it takes,

chuck, austin, alex, and kevin,

rolling with these fools i think i'm in heaven,

but you know whe're all in the dirty south,

where te best thing is a chick with your dick in her mouth,

so lets put this shit aside an just ride cause after all we are all after the same thing inside.

that's right it's all about the try to get that high from when you get it right

the one that takes your mind and dirves it day and night I climb rocks,

bithches suck my cock

ya'll ride bikes and bitches fuck you by night

we're all equal cause the cause sets us right

my only beef is with the techno kdssc and f.l.a....

unless they're girls, we must get rid

holla shit theres not much more i can say,

alex why arent you here today,

everyone needs to come here one day,

if your not down with wyoming, then your f***ing gay!

Dirty south in the west niggas, Holla!!!

Josh and Dan

oh man,

dano out.

Johnny T

Everyone needs hero's.


Dano out.

haha awesomeness.

Thick as Blood.

Thanks joey, i like this one.

the Internets been giving me some issues lately, hence the previous post of just a map with a magic blue line connecting the two promised lands together. let me explain this.

so christmas, hannukah, kwanza, whatever you celebrate is coming up soon which means i have to make my annual pilgrimage down to the flatstate and drink many many brews with old friends. last year i braved the open road in my trusty old truck, it made it fine. while the clampet does lots of things like start (sometimes) and stop (sometimes), i'm just not sure shes up to the task of 7 pinned hours home anymore. i looked up plane tickets, but quickly realized that was the world of the rich kids.

so whats a poor kid to do?

well, i got a road bike a little bit ago that still needs to be broken in... and it is all downhill home...

google maps let me know that it would be a 387 mile cannonshot through georgia to get home and that i could probably do it in 3 days if i put my mind to it.

looks like im getting my base training done in 3 days this year. fuck yes.

florida folk, i'll see you soon.

HUCKLEBOOYAH,

Dano out.

View Larger Map

wow.

You know what scares me?

Lions.

Dano out.

Lucero tonight.


i'm a happy kid.


dano out.

Tonight it ain't gonna be good,

It’s just a little bit of pain;
you should turn and walk away
You know it ain’t no good
When I, walk through the front door
I stummbled over to the bar,
I could feel the trouble start
You know it aint no good.
Well baby don’t go to the show tonight
Summers winding down, there’s gonna be a fight
I know, I know, I know I ain’t no good

-Lucero



except it was good.


dano out.

Losing all hope is freedom

mmmmm metal.

It's good to be back.


Dano out.

Something wicked this way comes...

I can smell it. the lycra lovers are quivering. somethings in the air. who will be a contender?

this gonna be rad.

Dano out.

p.s.- if you get the chance check out Iced Earth, they're awesome.

"dano, i believe we've found the good life."

-Josh Odom

so life has been awesome lately. seriously, we had some drama in there, and i'm still waiting to get my ass kicked, but shits back on track. and i'm glad. sorry, been gone so long yall. lets catch up.

we haven't had a list in a while, maybe it's cause i dropped out of school, who knows really...

in order from general awesome to mostest awesome, lets do this.

10. dropping out of school. i couldn't afford it, case closed. i thought i was making a really bad decision until the only thing i've missed about school so far is racing bikes. ummmm, i don't need to spend 20 grand to do that shit. later brevard college, don't take it personally, its not you. its me. really.

9. working at sycamore. let me let it be known that Wes is the shit. pretty much he helps me to a ridiculous amount, i can't really explain it. i've never felt like people believed in me till i started racing and workng for this guy. thanks wes, you're the man.

8. racing bikes. yeah i've been doing this for a while (about 20 years) but this year was extra rad, from that college racing that was awesome in the fall (thanks for all the help to thad) all the way through to deciding to focus on gravity events and having some good results, racing has been a good boost to the moral this year. this is great cause it used to get me down, and thats a shitty outlook to have when it comes to something so silly and fun.

7. making it at living in brevard. i was super worried that i'd be back in florida at this point. its not happening, if anything i feel like i've found a place where i fit in. thank god its an amazing spot.

6. my brother joey. we've always been close, but this year i feel like we finally bonded, even living 500 miles away. life hasn't been easy for either of us at times, but we've got each other and that shit is the shit that matters. if yall got a sibling that you need to talk to more, get on it. i love you joey. we got this, nobody's bringing us down.

5. allowing myself to open up and tell people my feelings. i've had to put up walls growing up to survive and this year i've knocked them down a bit. i told someone beside my mother that i loved them. thats huge for me. it didn't really work out but the point is that i put myself out there, and thats good.

4. CATFACE. if you've met her you know, if not get down to 64 stratford asap and prepare to be amazed at this animal. seriously the coolest cat i've ever met.

3. ex's. it was fun, I'm sorry it didn't work.

2. My Florida boys. yall are my boys for life, its funny how sometimes you don't realize how good you have it till you leave it. pretty jo, mitch, and all the rest get your asses up here and lets make it get weird son.

1. GOD. i still don't believe in Church's but theres something out there and it'll take care of you. ride into the woods and tell me i'm wrong.


DANO OUT.

Well I know what's right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin me around
Gonna stand my ground
And I won't back down.




Dano out.

PMA

"Don't care what they may say we got that attitude. Don't care what they may do we got that attitude. Hey we got that PMA (positive mental attitude). Hey we got the PMA. Hey we got the PMA."

-Bad Brains

a mental reconditioning is in order here. somethings gone wrong, somewhere a wire got crossed. don't worry though, i'm working on it. i gotta get back to the PMA. its lost right now, but i'll find it again.

just stick around for a bit.

i've had to make some changes for the better, so if things are different than the way i normally interact with you all i'm sorry, but trust me its probably something i have to do. try not to be offended.

dano out.

CALM LIKE A BOMB

its saturday, i just knoshed down a daggies double deluxe burger (it feels like a cinderblock in my belly), and now i'm ready to once again regal everyone with the inner workings of my life. i've been staying off the blog/diary for a while, mainly cause i've been dealing with real life issues that don't need to be spread around al gores internet. don't worry though, its all good now, or at least getting there. smiles, thats all we really need.

anyhooser, started riding my pedal scooter again recently, which feels good. not good in the sense of bodypain, that hurts, it always does when you first get back on it. its ok though, i'm having fun in the woods again, which makes me happy. the college race season is winding down soon also, which im excited about, if only from the purely selfish standpoint of having all my friends around on the weekends again. naw seriously those kids have been working hard, i wish them the best of luck next weekend out in cali-bro. bring it home to the dirty dirty yall, and then come home so we can ride bikes together.

been lying low a lot lately, needed a break from life. a positive of my ninja activities has been a lot of hangout time with my little cat CATFACE. i think shes got some dog in her cause she follows me around the yard and hangs out next to me while i chop wood. i've never really had my own cat before, but i'm not sure thats normal. she also plays with me like a dog, like jumping up on your leg and running around meowing and shit. i think shes planning on ways to eat me.
basically CATFACE is the shit.

well i better get back at it but rest assured i'll be getting back to regular updates soon.

DANO OUT.

Come out and support Brevard Cycling this weekend at their home race. Saturday is DH, Short Track, and Slalom. Sunday is the XC race. All the events are at Adventure Village out near Rosman, N.C. Support the kids.

dano out.

Johnson City, Tennessee

first off, even though i don't really do much with xc racing these days, Kabush is still awesome.

good beers and world cup wins, who knew? take a gander over there powertappers...



so yesterday i decided to head over to Johnson city and catch the end of the college slalom race ETSU was putting on. i was wondering what the course was going to be like as i drove through endless rain for an hour on the way there, and my assumptions of a greasy shitshow were pretty much dead on. I'd brung the slalom rig thinking I'd get in a few runs after the race, but decided against it after watching racer after racer double pegleg it down the hill. you know its bad when you can have conversations with the people racing, like legit interactions. pretty funny to me, i was glad i didn't have to race, but it was still entertaining to watch. unfortunately i missed the brevard guys racing but i did see Joh and Sarah go head to head, which was cool. both those girls have some skills on a bike, i love riding with those two. Julia was also riding well, taking the conservative approach to the course, which seemed to be the trick when even medusa's and storms were packing up.

afterwards we headed to a pretty sketchy looking pizza joint that turned out to have a damn god pie so i was stoked on that, then i said goodbye to the brevard kids as its was getting late (930) and Thaddeus wanted to put them to bed. worked out well for me as i had old friends to go see. many high fives and a few brews later and i pulled the old man card and quietly snuck out the backdoor for some shuteye. an early morning drive back to brevard on 26 just reminded me how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful place, and now I'm waiting till this afternoon to get a ride in.

just another day in paradise,

dano out.

Dirty Bird and Beyond...

Lets start this off right.

The Dirty Bird was the most fun race I've done all year. I think it might even have taken the Icycle, but i'll have to go back to that one and make sure.

so huge props must be given to all the App St and Hawksnest boys for building a kickass course and then holding a kickass race on it. you guys know who you are, good damn job. i'll def be back for as many races as i can. you really can't go wrong with mtn top camping, whiskey, and one snotty berm-filled roller coaster of a track 10 feet from where you set up your tent.

check it.

So what was the secret to this section? hold it wide ass open...

anyways a damn good time if anyone gets the chance head up for a race and support it so there can be more.

dano out.

"Well i know what's right,

I got just one life. In a world that keeps on pushin me around, But Ill stand my ground and I wont back down"

-Tom Petty

so the last couple of weeks have been hard. i'm not very good at hiding my emotions or burying things deep inside, so a lot of people have been having to hear about my issues. for those of you who have had to listen to me, thank you for your patience and encouraging words. it means a lot to have friends in tough times. yall are all awsome, and i don't notice it enough. thank you.

dano out.

"There better be a bottle or at least a couple beers, cause there ain't no way but up from way down here"

-Whiskey and Co.

my life has been seeming like a bit of an old country song in the last couple of weeks. i guess you can only climb so high before you come tumbling back down eh? i know that life is gonna have its ups and downs but shit man, this is absurd.

first off, i'd been worrying about school and the debt that comes with it until i find out that i actually couldn't go back at all. you ain't got our money? do not pass go, do not collect $200, get your shit and get the hell out.

huh. so that's how it is. i see.

well that bummed me out a good bit but theres other schools and it is nice not to have to pay back a massive shit ton of money and just a regular shit ton. (a shit ton, for those not in the know, is the standard of measurement for student loan debt.)

so whatever i can handle this is, then catface starts coughing. here you go vets take the rest of my money.

ok well money, i can get more of that i can handle this.

then my great aunt dies. i liked her. i am sad, but i can deal, i'm a tough kid.

ok so its bad but not too bad right? i can handle this its cool i'm looking at the bright side of things i still live in pisgah and i've got a beautiful, sweet girlfriend. hey i can deal with this is what i'm thinking. its not so bad, life goes on.

then i get dumped.






seriously?





f my life.

dano out.

"who will survive, and what will be left of them?"

i hate hippies.

seriously, take a damn shower and grow the f*&k up.


eating grass and covering yourself in patchouli oil isn't changing a damn thing.


so last night after a day filled up with crap, i headed up to the root for a beer. no big deal, jump on a bike and ride the quarter mile right? so I'm sitting there with some friends when the conversation turns to what I'm doing tomorrow.

"I'm gonna go build some new trail on the dh course"


all of a sudden this hippie starts in on me about how I'm gonna go about doing this, I'm like well I'll crank up the chainsaw and clear it out. she flips her shit about me killing living trees. tells me I'm whats wrong with the world today, my mindset is gonna result in no forest left an all that bullshit.





I'm gonna annihilate the shit out of some trees now, hopefully young ones, with bright futures ahead of them.



Dano out.

"I gave you a quarter, now stay on your side of the street!!"

the truck is filled with shovels and chainsaws, and we've got plans...


don't miss the brevard mtb race this year, it's gonna be sweet.

Dano out.

"A 187's in progress nigga, just as soon as i pull this trigger.."

-Eazy e

now that ive had a few rides on my new fighter jet, i can safely say its a stone cold quiver killer. climbs like an xc race bike, descends like light duty dh rig, kicks ass like rambo in his later films. its also strikingly handsome, helping me pick up the beautiful women that are found all over the trails of pisgah. well, maybe thats a stretch but hey we can all have dreams.

in much more important news, a ropeswing is now functioning in the greater Transylvania county area. its a beautiful thing. from now on ill be doing my interval training on the ropeswing. its coach Thad approved, level 2 USA cycling coaching type stuff. don't worry about it- when your ready you'll know. just keep humping that powertap sucker. I'll be swinging to success.

actually i don't even have to worry about success, what with all the new recruits coming in. they've already laid claim to all the wins this fall, which is great for me. all i gotta do is sit back and relax. its nice having the omnium monkey off your back, but i will say it ain't gonna happen on a khs xc bike. good luck with that.

as for the ongoing saga of CATFACE, shes working on some new moves that aren't quite ready to unveil to the world, as well as doing some max speed catclaw drift-point testing on the hardwood floors around the birdhouse. i can't deny that she's mine after seeing her affinity for a high speed flattrack corner. just wait till she gets in the dirt.

Dano out.

Gangsta's paradise

YEAH!!!!

that's the word that describes life at the present moment... screamed at the top of your lungs from the top of a mountain.

cause that's whats up.

big bird and i got a new roommate in the Birdhouse recently. in addition to the 5 broken lawnmowers and wild rabbit, we've got a tiny orange kitten tentatively and creatively named CAT. she's pretty cool and will go toe to toe with big dogs already despite her 1/2 pound weight. bandit is pretty much completely and totally fucked. when she presses her Y button canines hit the deck, and that's pure and total fact. here's a pic.

other than the looming and eminent violent death of everyone's favorite terrier, not much is happening here in b-town. everyone seems to be too busy enjoying the summer to sit around and type online diary's which is a good thing probably. captain america and i did go race bmx the other night, which was pretty fun but so hard. i never realized. oh and we got beat by a 13 year old. it was sweet.

that's it and that's all,

dano out.

"hold on baby jesus, it's gonna get bumpy..'

Dano out.

YEAH THATS RIGHT

Changed up the header a little bit, the old one was getting a bit stale. also had to remove the racing from the title, cause i felt like it. i'm a big fan of the new pic though, so it's all good.

lets see whats new.

• 1986 ross mountain bikes are sweet.
• leisure suits make terrible riding gear.
• i jumped a river the other day, heard the dukes of hazard song playing.
• jesus built my hotrod.
• lyin low an straight chillin is the theme for the summer.
• there's a sweet new bike on its way from cali with my name on it.
• my head hurts from too much tecate last night, but overall the drinking is down.
• this is a good thing.
• i still watch talledega nights way too much.

go jump in a waterfall,

dano out.

"There I was back in the wild again."

"I felt right at home, where I belong. I had the feeling, coming over me again. Just like it happened so many times before. The Spirit of the Woods is like an old good friend. Makes me feel warm and good inside."

-Ted Nugent

So summer is freaking awesome. good long rides followed by swimming in mountain lakes, can't really complain about that. i got a new wireless powertap on my dh bike and my personal coach is really helping me work on my frontflips into creeks. I'm sure with some more steadystate opener and closers ill be able to pull off a perfect double gainer into courthouse falls by mid-july.

pinned.

we're heading out to work on adventure village this afternoon, so hopefully that place will be functional shortly.

I've also moved out of the old haunted house and into jo's old house, which is now my new house. it sweet- come by and drink a beer with me.

enjoy the chill life,

dano out.

SNAP CRACKLE POP (Tsali 2009)

Oh yeah!!! you can put win #1 of the year in the books for the TSALI DOMINATION SQUAD. shall we continue? naw, i think that's good. its offical, TDS is done. it was fun while it lasted, but always go out on top right? or a least a distant 4th place....

haha so yep SYCAMORE CYCLES showed up in force at the 12 hr with 7 teams and a solo roller. 3 class wins on the day and a 3rd in pro class aint to shabby. congrats to all who rocked out with their cocks out, or jammed out with their clams out, as julia likes to say. good fucking job team.

As for the not so good, or maybe it was good, i discovered that i am possibly in the worst shape of my life, and rolled a 50 minute lap to prove it. At the level i like to think i can race you should not be granny ringing climbs, period. I think i know why this happened, and changes will be made for the better. that might have been the swift kick in the ass i needed.

oh i also broke my bike, the frame, not some little part like a wheel or fork, but the frame. its done. hopefully Kona will help me out. Anyone wanna flow a mid-pack sport class rider a frame? i used to be fast, i swear...

speaking of fast, i got to roll out for a while with a childhood hero of mine too. Chris "the cat" Brown is from my neck of the woods down in Jacksonville, FL. he worked at the same shop i did growing up, but before me. I've heard stories about the guy my whole life, so getting to ride out with him for a while was really cool for me. its too bad his team didn't win, but at least they had those little bastards shitting their pants until the 11th hour. good job to them.

and one last thing, a huge thanks to WES D for letting me roll out on his S-WORKS hardtail after i cavemanned my bike. that thing is fast, and then i looked up the price when i got home and almost shit my pants. good god, why the hell did he let me ride that? thanks a bunch man.

that'll do,

DANO OUT.

ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

TDS.

"You know I'm born to lose,

and gambling's for fools, But that's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live for ever...."

-Motorhead

The crashing continues. I'm not talking about of darn i slid out crashes either. I'm talking about high speed explosion, face full of dirt crashes. ones with blood, and broken parts. But hey you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs right? I'm not really sure whats going on, but I'm feeling pretty fast right now so i guess crashings no big deal.

the last time i was crashing so hard so often i learned a bunch of shit, so maybe that'll happen again. or maybe I'll wind up with 2 broken wrists again. who knows?

I've started working out at the camp again a bit, just early in the mornings. its sweet- i drive my truck back into the woods an blast ghetto rap at 7 am every morning. oh and i work on some bikes too. regardless its a good way to start the day.

i just ate taco bell too, and it feels like i might shit my pants any second. Mitch would be proud.

everyday I'm hustling,

Dano out.

mmmm tequila.

OK, you win.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER.

thank god. this is gonna be sweet.

so, i feel like now that everything is finalized for the year with my little racing/riding hobby its time for some shout outs/gentle ball fondling (thanks Chris).

First off, a big thanks to Wes and Sycamore Cycles for letting me say I'm on his pedal scooter racing team. its a hell of a pickup line at the bars, man. Also thank you to Specialized tires for their big box of rubber that I'll rip apart on the rocks of Pisgah all summer. And last thank you to Cane Creek for their 110 headset, its very pretty. it doesn't fit on my bike, but we'll work that out soon. until then I'll be wearing it on a string around my neck at all times. gotta rep the products eh?

In other news its been confirmed that I'll be rolling out at ORAMM once again this year with my Florida boys. bets will be made, women will be groped, beers will be consumed heavily. remember, power wheelies make women's pants fall off...

Its nice out, go break something on your bike... i know i will.

Dano out.

it was good while it lasted.

Less than one month.

That's how long the World Cup fork lasted. some people just can't have nice things.

Oh well, at least it wasn't expensive as hell....


I'll be drinking heavily tonight, oh wait no i won't, i spent all my money on that fork.

dammit.

dano out.

you spin me right round baby, right round...

ch ch ch check it...



another devastating blow to the world of electronical training. turns out you can get top twenty at world cups by having fun on your bike. who knew?






in other news,






i just watched NOTORIOUS, which tells the story of Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. that guy did what he had to do to get where he wanted to be, hell yeah.



check it out when you get the chance.







also, school is (almost) over for the summer. all that's left is a few finals tests, the last class was Monday, and now I'm looking into the mouth of a summer in pisgah, which couldn't make me happier. school was good though, I'm proud of myself for sticking with it finally. next year will be even better, just you wait....







one more thing about school that has been bothering me, and it really doesn't affect me at all but its been on my mind. brevard just had their athlete awards ceremony for the year where the various sports coaches all stand up and spin their stats for the season to make it look like they didn't suck and every one pats themselves on the back for "trying real hard". anyways, there is an athlete of the year award for the top male and top female athletes based on what they accomplished over the year. evidently winning two natl championships each isn't enough to win this award. that's all I'm saying about that.





so I've been having a hell of a good time this week riding in the woods, been crashing a lot, which bothers some people but i don't really mind as long as i don't get real wrecked in the process. i did annihilate my front wheel thurs night heading down thrift, but you can only jump into so many berms on an ultralite xc rig before its time to pay the price. eh, I've been storing up on trashcan rims all winter like a squirrel hides nuts so no big deal.





its raining today anyway so nows the time to deal with bike problems before tsali in two weeks.





one last thing TDS has been supercharged. we've got a ringer.....





uh oh,





Dano out.






Go smash a table wwf style.

PMBAR 2009

It all started innocently enough, Sycamore was sponsoring the race and Wes was able to get a few free entries out of the deal. Justin and i said sure months ago, not really thinking about it. little did we know...

5:30 am- Wake up to my alarm blaring before the sun, wonder what the hell is going on for about 10 seconds before the brain starts working and i remember I'm racing my bike today. Crawl toward the shower, flipping the coffee maker on as i pass.

6:00 am- Arrive at sweet lady friends house for breakfast, as discussed the night before. the house is pitch black, and phone calls are not answered. proceed to window and throw empty beer cans at it until she wakes up too. misery loves company, right? Breakfast feast is prepared, truckstop style, and consumed till point of sickness. many thanks are given.

7:10 am- Arrive at race start. Justin is nowhere to be found.

7:26 am- still no Justin, mandatory gear check ends at 7:30. begin to worry.

7:29.6 am- Justin arrives at gear check. sigh of relief is heard.

8:00 am- GO! start out with a peak at the map and then head up black mtn trail, following the KOP and Pinnett, picking off teams the whole way.

8:45 am- Hit turkey pen trail with Wes and Chris, followed by a super serial team proudly rocking flatbars, v-brakes, and ultralite hardtails.

9:15 am- watch hardtail goomba go ass over teakettle on a steep piece of trail. i giggle to myself as i pass. I'm having fun.

9:45 am- hit first checkpoint down in turkey pen. Justin and i decide to take our own route and pickup the squirrel checkpoint later in the day. this may be the start of bad decision making that will haunt us later.

10:15 am- begin the climb up yellow gap to get to the climb up laurel mtn, not realizing we've lined up over 10 continuous miles of climbing at once. complain about ass hurting for the first time.

12:00 pm- get to the top of laurel mtn, run in to Wes and Pinnett. they've just climbed straight up pilot rock and horse cove, two trails that i want to go down. we head down pilot as a group, blasting by rigid 29er riders the whole way. I'm having a lot of fun right now, because we are losing elevation fast.

12:38 pm- climb up funnel top, begin to wonder why everyone is going the opposite direction. stop for food and ponder this.

1:15 pm- head down horse cove. i pretend my 2.5 inch travel kona is a dh bike until Justin yells at me. he says I'm gonna break it. he's probably right. i continue to pretend I'm Sam Hill.

1:45 pm- get to the squirrel checkpoint, after riding the sweetest singletrack of the day. I'm still happy, because the trail is fun. we head towards Daniel ridge, thinking we're almost done. little do we know...

3:00 pm- finally get to club gap and the gravel roads to Daniel. I'm tired, and my knees hurt.

3:45 pm- over it.

4:15 pm- get to Daniel ridge checkpoint. i want to give up and take 276 home, but don't because i don't want to climb up the hill after the turnoff to the horse stables. my mind is cooked at this point. we head towards home on the fire roads.

5:15 pm- begin climbing up Maxwell. Justin is strong, and rides off the front quickly. i get a slow leak in my front tire, but am too tired to stop and fix it so i just slide as far back on my saddle as i can and pedal almost all of Maxwell with a flat front tire. we change it at the top.

6:00 pm- reach the top of hickory knob. its all down to the finish. i take the lead and let it ride down the mtn.

6:15 pm- finish. i will never do this again.

and that's all.

dano out.

ROAD DOMINATION SQUAD

Does Colorado even know whats coming its way? Someone should warn them.....

Dano out.

3 days till total destruction.

put on your lifevests, grab your snorkels, strap on your swim fins. you've got 3 days until TDS unleashes a Tsunami wave of terror on Pisgah Natl Forest.

PMBAR sets off at 8:00 am sat morning. Are you ready?

TDS and Sycamore is...

Dano out.

holy shit.

this is amazing.

that is all.

Dano out.

edit: haha.

"set me off like dynamite strapped tight around my waist,

We are the ones in competition but claim this ain't no race..."

-Rise Against

oh lord, someone's gettin' all aggro up in here. looks like the gauntlet has been thrown down on the SECCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC to me. any answers dirty south?




yeah, i didn't think so.

this might just be the year of Brevard if coach doesn't spend all our money on vests and skinsuits.

at least we'll all look damn good riding around pisgah in October.

dano out.

Confidence.

got any?

being that this is my blog and my outlet for the words clogging up my mind on a daily basis, be prepared for a little bit of word vomit in about 1 second.

deep breath....ok.

So I'm a part of the Brevard College Cycling Team (for the moment at least). everybody that reads this probably already knows that, but just clarifying for those who might live under a rock that has wireless access. There's some great kids on the team, really fast on a pedal scooter and fun to be around off bikes too, which is a great thing. There's one thing that I've been noticing though concerning racing, and its something i think i can help with cause its something I've dealt with a good deal in the past and am by no means an expert on, but i think i have some tips to help.

the mental game.

first off, racing is rad and being fast at it is awesome. all the kids are pretty damn fast at what they do, but could be faster. I'm not talking about everyone on the team, and I'm not talking about just one person either. I've noticed people getting super nervous the night before and morning of a race. like not able to sleep, sitting in a corner shivering, doubting their abilities nervous. being nervous before a race is normal i know, but to the point where it affects your performance is not a good thing, especially if you put in a shit ton of training work and are physically prepared. I've been there, for years i lost races because i psyched myself out, thinking everyone was gonna beat me, that i wouldn't be good enough, that i missed that crucial training ride, or didn't get enough sleep, etc. just little shit that gets in your head you know? i got to the point for me that i hated racing and ended up quitting racing altogether for almost 2 years. i don't think it has to be that way, cause racing is supposed to be fun as hell. we've got enough stressful things in our lives like school, work, and chappet's sweet ass.

anyhow, enough rambling. basically what i had to do was just sit down and tell myself that i can ride like hell and that I'm the one to be scared of when i go to a race. i visualize the win and what its going to take to accomplish it, whether its the crucial break or the fastest line down the course. then, i take a huge breath and fill my lungs with the negative thoughts and blow it all out. once I'm at the race i don't think about everyone else, i don't think about the people watching, i think about my lines and getting my practice/warm up in. i have to make a conscious effort to focus my thoughts but it seems to be worth it. i know that sounds like some hippie bullshit, but its what works for me. that, and falling asleep every night to metal in my ears.

so yeah, just a random passing thought that i hope helps with nervousness, because we all want each other to succeed when its comes down to it.

feel free to call me an idiot because of this post,

dano out.

p.s.-

i want this.

ATTENTION LADIES

The Mini-Bear is offically back on the market.

Get some while its hot.

Dano out.

"i got my hater blockers on..

step out my way cause you all in my zone."

yeaahhh!! that is the new black mtn jam..

so the new weapon is working out nicely, if you aint in the know, sid world cups are the new pink. and my bike is a pound lighter than T. Cowies...... ah skeet skeet!!! yep so that fork is offically flattrack worthy and derby approved. badass. all in a light ass hell, stiff package.

maybe it'll even get me to race a little xc this summer.

it was good to see most of the team out last night, in a non bike related, social setting. way to go kids. keep up the good work.

drifting is the new sprinting,

Dano out.

p.s.- go huck something this weekend.

Good Luck at Sea Otter!!

This one's for you Old Man Balls, get some in cali!!

Dano out.

On the Hunt

Thats right.




I'm going hunting.


we need a back story on this one so here goes...

I'm moving into a new place in a few months and its pretty awesome. currently its occupado by one johanne tuttle, so I'm hoping by sleeping in the same place she has I'll gain some sort of edge or motivation. i doubt it but we'll see. so yep moving. its gonna be good, but theres a catch- besides Jo and timmay theres one more member of the house. he's small, black, and bearded. yep, dick bandit is there. every time i see ol' DB he's straight pinned, ape shit crazy, and nonstop 24/7. i appreciate the energy, but if I'm living with this animal, we're gonna have to take it down a notch once in a while. I've been trying to figure out the best way to do this, and i think I've got it. bandit needs a nemesis. bandit needs a cat, a big old mean one that'll kick his ass once in a while.

I believe I've found this cat. after the ride last night, i was talking with a dude that works at Appletree, and he was telling me about all these wild cats behind their business.

dude: "we've got like ten wild cats behind work."

dano: "oh yeah? sweet I'll come get one tomorrow"

dude: "you better bring a cat trap cause they ain't just gonna jump into your lap"

Cat trap eh? what is a cat trap? i had to google...

so there it is. it looks like I'll need a lobster trap, a rock, an empty case of beer, and some scrap wood.

Bandit is going down.

dano out.

I (heart) racing.

race season is officially upon us kids. the first races of the mtb season have started and you can see who's been doing the work and who's been knocking back grandes all winter. I've been doing a little bit of both and I'm cool with it.

Austin, J. Anglemeier, Irby , and i went down to Clemson yesterday for a little dh racing action. it was a lot bigger turnout than we expected with over 100 racers all trying to beat Chris Herndon. (kidding Chris). i was pretty excited to see how i was gonna stack up against a pretty strong field of riders, some with pretty intimidating looking pits and kits. luckily the KOP came through for me with a sweet-ass SYCAMORE CYCLES shirt and virgin white dh shorts so i could intimidate right back at em...

anyhow, the course was awesome huge props to the Clemson Freeride crew, they put in massive amounts of work to make sure that the course was in prime shape for some racing, and then they put on a very well run event, seriously great job guys! it was sweet.

the top pedally section was once again taken out for the race, the course was basically the same as the fall with some new berms and a big ass table top put in that was super fun to boost to the moon. i was stoked with the course setup, it meant i didn't have to race in the devils pedals, which I've ridden xc with for years but for some reason when i put on a dh bike i lose any and all skill. weird but not a big deal really. i didn't feel too fit racing honestly, but luckily the skills were feeling good and i was able to pull off a third place behind Herndon and Ryan Taylor and also beat my time from the fall race, which was my only goal coming in. I'm honestly way more stoked on that than getting on the podium because it means that I'm getting faster. its gonna be a good summer of racing.

also, props to Jo for killing it in the women's race, jumping everything and making it look good too. Irby, heal up quick buddy, we've got snowshoe coming up...

whatever races your getting into this weekend, get some!!!!!!

Dano out!!

What the hell happened?

Where did this train get off the tracks?

Who stole the soul?

Maybe (probably) I'm being whiny on this issue, but seriously? does anyone ride bikes for fun anymore?

Example:

(timmay walks into the shop at 3:00 on a beautiful day, the only sunny day so far this week)
Me: "what up timmay! man you headed out on a ride?"
Timmay: "Naw man its my off day in my training program"
Me: "Really? its beautiful out dude"
Timmay: "yeah i'd really like to ride but my plan says i can't"
Me: "uhhhh, ok."

There you have it. the thing is, i have this conversation repeatedly with different people on a regular basis. How did this happen? When did people stop riding for the fun of it? This mindset of riding for training has got to be stopped at all costs.

Remember when you were a kid? Remember that first bike and how awesome it was to just get on it and pedal as hard as you could? I do. I remember going to the bmx track with my old man when i was 7 and ripping around trying to jump everything. i also remember when i lost that first race and started crying because i wanted to win. i had the wrong mindset about it and luckily my old man set me straight right quick. its a lesson that i remember to this day.

first a little background on Bruce "the menace" Ennis. Raised in Jacksonville, Fl, my dad found water skiing early on when his family would go down to a lake house for vacations. At age 20 he moved from a nice house in town to a single wide trailer on doctors lake so he could ski everyday after work. Over the next few years he won pretty much everything there was to win in competitive water skiing. slalom, long jump, trick ski- he got natl champ in all of them. He got sponsored by Ski Nautique and got free boats every year. His long jump record stood for almost ten years. After his knees both blew out he was instrumental in starting up the Cypress Gardens ski show. He was also a grade A jackass, partying hard, driving sweet ass shitty muscle trucks and buggies and generally living the dream. One story he tells for instance was when he went out partying the night before a huge meet in Orlando. he showed up the next day at the venue in the back of a truck with nothing but the clothes on his back. He then walked around the pits and managed to borrow two mismatched old skis and a women's life jacket. He then proceeded to kick everyone's ass and win all three events. he told me that because one ski was longer than the other he had to lift up the shorter one right before he hit the ramp and jump one footed then correct in the air so he didn't eat shit. PURE AMERICAN AWESOMENESS.

so yeah i look up to the old man. He taught me that having fun is most important in life and that you'll be better at whatever you want to do because of it. he also taught me about how a positive attitude and believing in yourself is much more important than the best training and equipment.
to this day if my old man shows up to a race i will ride 90% harder just because my hero is watching.

So back to that bmx track years ago... I'm crying, pissed that i lost when the old man says "what are you crying about? its just a race, if its not fun why bother?" the rest of the day we rode the track and had a blast jumping shit and roasting corners/ it made a lasting impression on me. the race didn't matter. learning something new was more important. riding a fun track was more important. HAVING FUN WAS MORE IMPORTANT.

so that's where i come from. That's what this riding is to me. unfortunately i feel like I'm a minority in this sport today. all i can do is fade out of the picture. the soul is gone. riding is a bout skin suits and numbers now. its about training plans and goals. fun has been kicked out of the picture.

no thanks,

Dano out.

ITS OFFICAL

this shit has gone stale.


goodbye blog.


its time for a break.


dano out.

THIS JUST IN!!

Mitch replies with devastating rhyme power.....


Flying in a cloud,
Wrapped like a pork burrito,
about to devour

You, mountain man Dan,
Get turned on by Peter Pan,
Ohh Ohh Neverland

Dano out.

i'm building a dream with elevators in it.

I'm all about this right now.

Rick Ross. oh shit!!

drifting corners is the new black.

which was the old pink.


that makes no sense.

sassmouth and i have been in a haiku shit talk Battle lately over trash, very stimulating i know.

here are some beauties...

Sassmouth:

Manbearpig likes trash
You only shoot guns inside
How does that scare him?

Dano:

maybe he'll be scared
by religious waterworks
you could piss on him

Mitch:

I like your Haiku
Did you know, Dan is Half Jew
I believe I'm through

Dano:

mitch had a girlfriend
now he jerks off in the tub
poor mitch cant get laid


dano out.

ah finally,

the cobwebs have been shaken off.

this weekend was the first since the fall that i felt like i was fast riding down a hill. i did basically take the winter off, which i needed. i knew ive been slower though cause xc guys have been keeping up with me lately. ouch.

no more.

we've re-soldered the connections, the coordination is coming back, the reflexes are feeling good again.

dano out.

i wanna go to college for the rest of my life..

sip Banker's Club and drink Miller Lite. On Thirsty Thursday and Tuesday Night Ice, And I can get pizza a dollar a slice..

-asher roth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43pkqeamXe8

yeah i know its not that great of a jam, but it's been pointed out to me by multiple people multiple times that it pretty much sums me up. i have to agree, five years in and still a sophomore. but really if all you wanna do is ride bikes, drink beer, hit on girls, and dance, college is perfect.

in other news, a few of my boys are in town for the next week so I'm looking forward to riding with dudes who don't even know what a training plan is. we'll be around, come out for a ride and a laugh.

also, there are some races coming up that people should come on out to, mainly Clemson is having a dh race April 4th and red bull is putting on an event at windrock the tenth. i think that's also the weekend of the Brevard road race, so pick your poison and come race a bike. that's all for now, go ride a bike-the weather kicks ass these days.

"pass out at three, wake up at ten, go out to eat, then do it again."

Dano out.