A long history of retardation

Because I've gotten this thing going again, I felt the need to take a trip back in time and look at some posts from 2008, when I first started punching the keys for this blog. I was 24, living in Gainesville, FL, failing the shit out of community college for the third time, and averaging probably 25 hrs a week on my bikes, mostly on ratty old singlespeed mountain bikes. I had no money, few goals, zero responsibility and just wanted to ride and party. Life was pretty damn good! Here's a little gem of a post of a typical Sunday for me and my good friend Joe Melvin, who is now a mechanical engineer and doing quite well for himself in Richmond, VA.

Enjoy!

welcome to the pretty and fancy show

Dano out.

Breaking loose with some Big Plans.

I guess its time to crank the engine on this thing for the summer. Here at the bike shop I've been getting questions lately with the sudden appearance of one Nate Wyatt turning wrenches in the repair area. For the few of you that don't know at this point, my time at Sycamore Cycles is coming to a close, almost 5 years after I first got a paycheck. Its been a great time, and I can't thank Wes enough for all the help over the years, especially when I was being a shit, which i most definitely can be. He's a good guy and busts his ass to make his business and more importantly his hometown into a place we all love and are proud of. I've learned a lot from him and probably need to learn a lot more...

So a big THANK YOU to Wes and the rest of the crew and regulars at Sycamore, y'all are awesome!

Who knows, I'll probably end up covered in grease back in the pit in the future, but for now its time for new adventures.

Making changes, saying yes, mixing it up, I decided last summer it was time to do all of it. I went back to school last fall for what feels like the 37th time, and its been great. I fully feel like it was the best decision I've made in a long time. If things stay on track I'll be graduating in exactly one year with a degree in Environmental Studies.

This summer I'll be doing things a little differently than in the past. I've been hanging out in Brevard every summer, racing locally and having a blast because I'm pretty sure Brevard is heaven during the summer. This year though, I'll be heading west, living out of the back of my truck with some bikes, a grimy old dirt bike, and my licky licky brown dog Addie. I'll be following the Big Mountain enduro series, the Utah enduro series, and a lot of one day events. I'll base out of Crested Butte, Colorado with one Gattis Tyler. Hit me up if your coming through. I'm doing a 2 day work week at Big Al's Bicycle Heaven, the rest riding and traveling. I leave Brevard May 15th, and I'll be back mid August.

That's all for now, but stay tuned and I'll try and stay updated regularly throughout the summer.

Dano out.

Home.

So lucky to be from such a beautiful place.

Dano out.

Broken body, 1 year older, not dead yet.

So this summer was the first one in memory that i spent most of off my bike. First the shit (giardia), then i hurt my back, and finally blew up my hand. Not all at once mind you, but one after the other with a week buffer between each. Real nice.

What can you do?

I started thinking about other projects that I'd been putting off for years. I finally put together an alleycat race for Brevard, and it WENT OFF. 70 people showed up out of nowhere to get rowdy and act ridiculous on bikes on a Sunday in July. Shit was awesome.

So I'm doing it again. Better be there, and you better be zombified. Or I'll zombify you personally, and you won't like it.

And picking up where the Fast Times race left off.....

The after party.


Better be there,

Dano out. (but hopefully for not as long this time.)

Welcome Back

Its offical, winter is finally here in Western North Carolina. The snow hasn't really come yet but the 16 degree mornings have. I haven't really minded yet as I've got a handful of indoor projects that I've been spending my time on but I'm sure I'll start to get a bit stir crazy soon. Hopefully I can entertain myself with a few trips, mid day quickie rides, and snowboarding to keep the stoke up this winter. I haven't posted up in a while, I actually needed a break from it and its been good- I've continued to write just in a personal and more focused fashion. As always I'm thinking about goals and dreams for the upcoming year and how to make them a reality. I've realized that I'm in a unique position to do anything I want, and I definitely plan on taking full advantage of this in the near future. Honestly I've been figuring this out for the past 6 months or so and doing whatever I want whenever I want. Hopefully I can strike the balance to continue this while at the same time taking care of the small responsibilities I do have.

This year is quickly coming to a close and with 2012 looming I have to have a little retrospective look at the last year and figure out how to build off whatever accomplishments and/or setbacks I've had over the past years. A whole lot of really good things happened this year and i'm really happy about that.

More as I feel like it,

Dan Ennis

holey moley!!

Hly wow, I ttally forgot about this haha! i guess I've just been busy. first and biggest time bandit has been transforming the front yard into my own personal jump park, sweetness. check the wastespace for pics as I'm way to lazy to upload them twice. its good though, I'm still working out the kinks in the flow but give it a few weeks and we'll be all good. jump jam/BBQ/front yard camping/epic trail rides weekend is coming down the pipes, details on that as soon as Tim (our totally awesome heavy equipment loaning neighbor) fixes the skid steer which in turn lets me fix a few oversites that are holding up this show. it'll be worth the wait...

other shit that's been occupying my time is racing dh bikes a bit, the post below sums it up well. hawksnest number two, mud spikes, air time, good time. thanks as always to the dirty bird crew for another awesome race.

last, i finally got a legit trail bike. well its not in my hands yet but its in fedex's and that's good enough for me. so stoked to bust out some big trail rides. I've already committed to the swank 65 so now my goal is to get the rest of the southern dh guys to do it too. misery loves company, and hell its got some burly ass terrain in it. lets do this.

dano out.

Thanks Ryan!

Dano out.

Key's photo dump

Dano out.

It's been fun

So I still haven't been able to track down the pic uploader so another word filled post, sorry. The weather hasn't really been cooperating, a tropical storm is blowing through which has kept the boat on the dock. I did go do a bunch of snorkeling yesterday and then go out in Key West last night. strange, strange people down here, the sun def does something to you. Fun though, and I might head back tonight if the storms clear up a bit. Its been a good vacation but I'm pretty excited to get back and put some time in on the bikes. This weeks been a really good break and I'm all pumped again to go riding, which is what I was hoping would happen.

Dano out.

Salt Life

Quick update as I shit the bed and didn't bring my adaptor to put up pics. Maybe I'll pick one up in town so I can show y'all this place, its pretty rad. Anyhow, got in yesterday on a little prop plane in some crazy wind, it was a wild ride, stokage. Some Asian lady in the seat behind me threw up, gross. I thought it was a fun ride but evidently I was the only one. We tried to land three times and kept getting bucked around by the wind.

The house is rad, on the water with the boat right there ready to rumble. We went out in some rough water yesterday to Munson rocks but didn't get in cause Joey was pretty sure we'd get washed away. I pretty much do what he says down here cause he lives here half the year working as a fishing and diving guide. Its cool cause he knows all the cool shit that's off the beaten path. After we got behind a few islands and the water calmed down a bit Joey and I jumped in and swam a looonnngg way to a deserted island, which was awesome. I walked across an ocean on a sandbar, similar to what the Jesus did but without the superpowers and general awesomeness associated with that dude. After that we cruised back in a bit and tried to fish, which consisted of me putting food in the water for the fish to eat off my hook and not get caught. I've figured out already that I'm pretty much horrible at fishing, and my family is pretty much awesome at it. I guess it is what they do all the time...

We had to pull up the lines and haul ass though cause a squall was coming that we where trying to outrun, it got us though about a mile from shore. It was the second wild ride of the day for me but this time on the bow with goggles on getting pelted by rain, it was crazy. I couldn't see shit but Joey was just laughing uncontrollably and keeping the boat wide fucking open, I can't lie I was a little nervous but we made it home so it was all good.

Off to day two, Joey's saying something about tarpon hunting-I'm gonna act like I know what he's talking about.

Dano out.

P.S.- update, have a upload card. Pics tonight.

So what if most of my hero's are the losing kind...

continuing with my love affair with Lucero, I just heard a single from their newest album 1372 Overton Park and I'm totally down with it. They've evolved for sure but damn, they still speak my language.

Check it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TALGmlQnDM



Other than that, I'm still getting ready for the trip south, not the big one mind you, that's not for a few months yet, but the little island hop. Should be fun.

One last thing, if anyones looking for a new dh bike, holler at me or my roommate kel, he's trying to unload his SX and its a hell of a deal. Powertwinning ability with willmurrpuss totally included. Help a brother out and get yourself a sweet bike to.

Dano out.

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

5 days till I jump on my private Lear jet and head for the islands. I may update this sorry pile of a site while I'm there or I might just let it continue to rot away into oblivion. Regardless, good times are coming. Not that good times haven't already been had, mind you. I did race this weekend after all and i do have a girl with an accent.

First the Keys trip- Momma Ennis has been trying to pry me away from my mountain outpost for three years now to go sit on an island with her. I've successfully avoided the last two years, but this year she got me with the "grandma might shit the bed at any moment" card. So off I go to fight the kracken and fend off men in the bars of Key West. Should be awesome.

Second, Racing- It went ok. I had fun, which is a given, but didn't ride like I should have. It was just an off weekend I guess, nothing to lose sleep over. Hopefully the next one goes better.

Third- Accents are hot haha. That's all you get...

Dano out.

I hope I see this while I'm down.

I (heart) Camping.

Little bro and co. have been in my neck of the woods this week. Naturally we've been living in the woods and only coming out to refuel the cooler.

Good times,

Dano out.

The Daily Grind

Its been a good week.

Got to go to an awesome race last weekend and laugh my way down the track for 2 days straight, so massive props to the dirty bird crew for an awesome event. Too much fun, I'll ride that place whenever the opportunity arises. I went on a pretty fun ride tues too, where there were way more 29ers than 26ers... I'm def curious, especially seeing Wes D. on his and actually ripping some downhills. I may try to steal his and do one of the Triple Crown slalom races on it, seems like it would rail pretty hard. Interesting concept...

Been working a bunch out at the camp, going in super early (for me) and actually enjoying being up at dawn. weird, but whatever works. At least it keeps me out of the bars haha!

Yesterday, i went hiking in Dupont for a lonnggg time yesterday looking at waterfalls. It was sweet, but hiking wore me out, i had to take a nap afterwards. Like Wes says, "hikings for poor people".

Last, Its the weekend!! I'm heading out to Fight Club to build a wallride, cut out some stumps, build some drainage, and patch up some berms. hopefully We'll have a BIG finish line step-up done in the next couple of weeks to so we can get our moto whips on, haha yes!!

Get out and ride something sweet,

Dano out.

Dirty Bird Race #1

That'll do,

Dano out.

You better check yourself before you wreck yourself....

"Cause shotgun bullets are bad for your health."



The classic hip hop station playing at the shop right now is defiantly making me stoked. Life is good in the 828 these days with plenty of bikes, Genesse beers, and pretty foreign women to play with. The school year ending and camp season starting has been good, with some old faces clearing out and new faces rolling in. Its been a breath of freshish air. haha freshish, true.



anyhow, I got a bit of sad news for yall, Im not going to be able to go to natls this year. Im pretty bummed about it but such is life, it'll keep you down if you let it. I do however have a really nice new (to me) truck, so next year i won't get stuck in the snow. yep, the clampett died finally. It was a good run for the S 1.0, 3 years for 200 bucks, but all good things come to an end. pour out a beer for my dead homie.



Oh well.



I'll just have to race local stuff and finally get out to windrock haha.



listen to biggie,



"got a gun up in your waist please don't shoot up the place WHY, cause i see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby, baby..."



Dano out







Those new kits look good by the way.

CRAIG SQUATS!

Revolutionary.

Dano out.

Another Trainwreck night

I try to be good, i swear.

I guess it's just how it goes. Every time i think i may be getting on the high road, some situation comes along and drags me back down. Its pretty much totally my doing too. sometimes i think it may be the Florida raising, i just can't escape it because its me. I was raised that way i guess. Maybe not, who knows. I thought i might grow out of the rowdy side of things but I'm not so sure anymore. if anything its accelerating- that worries me a little bit. My boys are settling down, moving in with steady's, buying houses, getting real jobs, etc. I'm going the opposite. I own less, care less, and want less than 5 years ago. its a weird backpedal for sure. not really sure what to make of it.

So anyone got any solutions here? i kinda feel like I'm spiraling and i can't stop.

I'm worried.

Dano out.

Race Days

Mass day 1 Practice, epic T-Shirt Shreddage

Racing. It's awesome this year, I'm having way to much fun. I've got some rad new bikes to ride and am able to to actually get to a few races, so life's pretty good. Had a pretty good couple of weekends starting off with ETSU Weekend World Champs 2 weeks ago and then the first round of the Gravity East series at Massanutten this past weekend.

ETSU was sweet, with a DH race, slalom race, and 4x race all in one weekend. I had some good results and got myself qualified for natls, which was the main goal of the weekend for me. I also managed to tick off a few personal goals haha. if you know you know.... Good races, Sorry for landing on you in the 4x thomas, my b.


Peter Mills, skinsuit root blasting. Also Epic.

Me and Joe Haley on the slalom track at ETSU.



Second weekend was Massanutten Gravity East race number 1. I'm gonna try to hit up a few of these races cause their one of the biggest series in the USA and are really well run. I was pretty happy with my race, just a little bummed for my buddy Peter who got hosed by the timing. Hopefully it works out.

Here's a vid of the race, check the third rider. Maximum Rock Shreddage.

http://www.skitheeast.net/uploaded_media/video/536566114/default




I think that'll do for now,

Dano out.

Race update coming soon. promise.


listen to slayer,

dano out