coastal british columbia  

Mike O'Neill ekim llieno

3112202 waiting

3112203 First runs

3112204 Harry: invert

3112205 Sean: b/s feeble grind

As time annually ticks forward, everybody experiences it: The birthday. On the day in question there’s an odd sense of accomplishment, newfound wisdom and a slight maturing of perspective. This year I felt something new: a partial state of dumbfound coupled with impending anxiety. I found myself swimming within an abyssal pool of thought and reflection, internally asking myself various deeply-seeded questions. In essence it was a strong re-evaluation of time-passed and a re-hashing of hearsay achievement(s). Heavy stuff.

3112206 Jimmy: b/s boardslide to fakie

3112207 Bail

3112208 Jimmy: f/s nosegrind

3112209 Lauren's Tooth hunt

3112210 Ricky: b/s carve, beamin'

WMVideo 5.1megs

3112221 The invite flyer

3112211 Harry: f/s tuck-knee

My haze of preoccupation needed to get pushed aside pronto. I made a decision that this year my celebration would not end up on the floor of my kitchen, disoriented, tipsy, and full of the worst drinks that others had purchased in my honor just hours beforehand (thanks again guys). Enter my three passions: skateboarding, kinship, and playing tourist, all entwined into one mission: The skate road-trip.

3112212 Harry: b/s air

3112213 Harry: b/s air

3112214 On deck profiles

3112215 Jimmy : b/s drifter to fakie

The concept of a skateboard road-trip with buddies is not a new idea. Its social, political, and adventurous trappings have been performed and documented countless times, within tones of skate-magazines, with varying degrees of success. However, the thought of a voyage where all attendees were of like-mind, of strong skill, pre-selected (drafted?), numerous at twenty-four, eager to shred, and promised a full day of skateboard indulgence….

…. Now that’s a great idea!

3112216 Sean: handplant

3112217 Fraser: f/s 50-50

3112218 Sean: handplant

3112219 Unkown local: f/s 5-0 grind

There’s limited destinations, as far as weather-friendly-skate facilities go, so I decided to make our trek to The Big House Indoor Skatepark located in Courtenay. Seeing as I had stoked vert-skaters in attendance the destination seemed most ideal (no offence meant Flipside, you’re next on the hit-list!). I was fortunate with the tools that I had at my disposal to accomplish my days activities. I rented a bus from my place of employment (wazzup Oaklands!), charged attendees a minimal fee, and acquired prize-support from some of my personal sponsors (see invite-flyer for the downlow). All in all, I felt that all bases were covered and that we were ready to go on our mutual adventure.

3112220 Geoff: switch k-grind

3112222 Hendrik @ the wheel

3112223 # 1

3112224 Street course overview # 2

What you see here are the visual records of our day spent. Even with the day of documentation deemed a success, the optical treats don’t tell the whole story… those memories are shared by the chosen bunch of participants. I could not have asked for a better bunch of buddies to bring along. The coolness and diversity of all of the attendees breached style, age, and generational boundaries. Cheers to the lot of em’!

3112225 # 3

3112226 Lanny: Front board

3112227 Jimmy Miller

3112228 360° flip to fakie

3112229 Doug hardy - frontside smith on the vert

3112230 Cheers to the completed skate-sesh

3112231 Deanna, Brian & Harry

3112232 Ricky, Mike & Jay

3112233 Hendrik, Lanny, Lauren & Doug

3112234 Ander & Neal

3112235 Cam, Kale, Geoff & Marina

As the time ticks annually forward, and my next birthday rears its head, no doubt I’ll be feeling just as uneasy and just as anxious… except this time it’ll be because I know that a small tradition has been established. Look out!

Jimmy Miller

P.S.Feel free to use my aforementioned adventure-methodology as a template… just be sure to invite me!

3112236 Jesse, Trevor, Fraser & Sean

3112237 Trev & Dirt

3112238 video time

3112239 Mike: Snarl

3112240 Take-over

the Big House has been permanently closed