SHRED OR DEAD

From the office of a job site somewhere on West Pender in Vancouver. I say somewhere, because there is a good chance that construction dudes don’t like their photos being taken. I know this because when I worked construction my bosses did not like cameras around unless they were doing something really impressive. I always figured they didn’t like cameras just in case they were doing something illegal.

So last week I was track standing waiting to cross Howe to get to 700 W Georgia (I was on the South West corner of Georgia and Howe), and as I started to go forward my handlebars split in twain, the left side of my bullhorns coming off in my hand.

This is actually something that is pretty hilarious to have happened, but only because I wasn’t moving. Imagine this happened when I started to hammer up a hill? or even worse tried to get into a skid? Yeah, bummer that I’m using bars that I don’t really want to work with right now, but stoked that I didn’t really fuck myself up. And I am glad that I had those extra drop bars, and while I like them, I don’t really like working with them all that much; I can’t lock up into long skids on them, it just kind of sketches me out. So now I have yet another item to add to the growing list of things which I seem to think I need or want. Well I have two things now as of this week. See not only do I want a new set of bull horns, but I also really want a tiny U-Lock now.

You see on Wednesday the Family hosted another race before a monthly forum for us couriers. The race was a “Where’s Waldo”. Basically Hooper dressed up like Waldo, and rode around on his cargo bike, the front of which was loaded up with two mail bins full of things you would normally search for in Waldo pictures (glasses, books, frying pans, scrolls). He was restricted to biking between Howe and Thurlow East to West, and Hastings to Georgia North to South; which if you know Vancouver is a 4×4 grid, or 16 square blocks. He wasn’t going fast by any means, but searching for a moving target like that is more difficult than you would think. It was a super good time, it’s not often I’m going balls out fast around downtown without bag or lock.

And without lock, is why I want a small one now. You see I managed to forget my lock in the grass at the park the race was run from (which because the couriers are rad, was returned to me, along with my sunglasses that were with said lock). And the next day I borrowed Yvonne’s small lock for Slurgi. I never realized how long I actually take to lock and unlock my massive chain. And don’t get me wrong, I love the chain lock, I can lock to just about anything or lock up like three bikes at once. But I guess it is kindof inconvenient while working sometimes. Oh well.

Well. I really need to make some time to skate. I’m getting pretty bummed at the lack of time I’ve spent on the board this year. I guess there are other things that have taken priority. On top of that list is probably the imaginary portfolio that I’m supposed to be actualizing in the next month (if I want to have a physical portfolio at least, I need to print while I still have darkroom access), making prints (over the next three days) that I owe to my brother and family and trying to get rid of unnecessary things I seem excellent at accumulating. Anyways. I need to finish closing up the photo department, and get my ass over to some delicious nachos. In the mean time, there is a new Murder of Couriers trailer up, and apparently a website.

That one above was taken by the one and only Jason R Edwards. Summertime park adventures. You can expect to see a kind of joint effort developing this summer with Jason, myself and a handful of other pals. To say the least there will be some hooliganisism now that Yvonne’s video camera has found its way into our hands.

The stuff below is more from the sprint races from last month. Well I guess I can’t really say more unless I actually put some of my own things in the last post. Anyways, here is a few that I decided were neat and quickly scanned up. I need to spend a lot of time in the darkroom working on some things, after I spend some time in the darkroom printing wedding pictures. AHHH WORK WORK WORK.

Oh, a few things happening this week.. Wednesday night if you’re in Vancouver, feel like drinkin’ come by Pub 340 (on Cambie just North of Hastings street) for the Gastown roller sprints. I’ll be there to race because it’s fun. And you should be there to get drunk and cheer me on, or as some people are planning you could throw things at me while sprinting.

And on Friday, there is Night Vision. This is a totally sweet, one night only show that my friend Natasha is putting on. She was kind enough to ask for some of my work to put into the show, and I’m pretty stoked about it. She will be projecting work in Strathcona Park starting at dusk.

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So go out! Bring friends, meet new friends, get outside and see some lovely photographs. And you should go early and bring your skate, because there is a sweet looking street park with a really mellow hip. Though I’ve never skated it, for some stupid reason. WELL I’LL FIX THAT.