I aint no hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Bryson here. So earlier this week I made a new purchase: a fixie road bike. Now, for those of you who might not know what a fixie is, it's a single speed bike without a freewheel- meaning it can't coast and the pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. Kind of a bad idea when you live in the mountains of Utah seeing as you can't shift gears when you head up a 20% graded hill every morning like I do. Or even worse, when I come down that crazy steep hill my pedals turn way faster than my feet ever could and I have to kick my legs out like a "spread eagle" to avoid having them ripped off. But nonetheless, the bike was a great price and I needed a new ride.

So I've been proud of my new ride and have been enjoying it quite nicely. However, there is one side effect I didn't really anticipate: all my friends think I'm turning into a hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that). Hipsters are great and all, but I aint no hipster. My legs are just too long and skinny to look good in those tight pants. Not to mention I prefer my Chacos over Vans any day. But yet everyone "accuses" me of becoming hip (i am, after all, moving to New York City this fall- but that's another story).

No, my Friends, I am not a hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that). In fact, I have absolutely no style whatsoever. I just ride a fixie. And why should hipsters have a monopoly on fixies anyway? Why can't non-hipster folk like myself ride fixies too? Even if it is hugely impractical to ride a fixie in the Wasatch Mountains. Don't I have a right to be impractical?

Black Canyon Fest!

What a great party! The Black Canyon Whitewater Festival was awesome. Great food, beer, music, and prizes. And best of all, the boating was off the hook. The Big Water team represented the rafting community as the only rubber on the water that day. In fact, we may have logged a first full decent (no portaging) in an inflatible. Anyone know for sure?

Here are some pics (for even more pics, click here):

Dropping in to Grace Falls

Andy in the middle of his "huck-off" winning airscrew

Music performed by the Archer's Apple

River quotes and messing about in boats

These past few days I've been working on our website quite a bit (you may have noticed the drastic changes). As I went along I thought it would be cool to add some classic river quotes. Back in the day when I was like 17 and working as a canoe guide for the Boy Scouts, I collected a whole bunch of em. I built a little night stand in my woodshop class and wrote the quotes all over it. I lost the nightstand somewhere in Jackson Hole, but I remembered some of the quotes. My favorite by far is this one by Water Rat from Wind in the Willows: "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Does it get any more profound than this? Messing about in boats? Could it be that this truly is the meaning of life?

Another quote I am rather fond of is from the classic book "A River Runs Through It." You may be familiar with it. Last summer I was at a open-mic poetry reading in Jackson, WY, when my good buddy T-Bone Babcock got up and recited from memory the beautiful closing soliloquy of Norman McClain. These final words have always stirred my soul:

Black Canyon Fest!

We got a new poster for the festival! So I thought I'd make another post about it.

What: Whitewater Festival in Black Canyon of the Bear River
Where: Grace, Idaho
When: Sunday, April 18, 12:00
Why: To kick off the season and help kids in Nepal go to school
What do I get: run the river, compete in the huck off, food, beverage, live music, tons of give aways.

Check out the Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=377720675925&ref=ts

Go Big

We like to go Big here. So in keeping with that spirit, if you haven't yet seen the trailer for the new movie Dream Result, it is a must watch! Especially the play boating on here. These guys are getting some serious air on these waves (Bus Eater in particular) Enjoy!