Ride Utah Blog

I spent a week on the beach in North Carolina at one of the East Coasts best surf spots, Cape Hatteras. I grew up surfing on the Outer Banks every summer and fall so it was a little like being home.  I’m a older now, but, I don’t think I’ll ever get over the excitement of waking with the sun and hearing the waves grinding on the beach.  The sight of  glassy waves stacked to the horizon will always get me running for my board and a bar of wax. The water was warm and we had a good swell coming out of the north east the whole trip. Every morning I’d drive up to the light house in Buxton and paddle out. Most mornings the air temperature was about 75 at 8 am and the water temperature was 73.  Fall is the best time of year to be an east coast surfer in the OBX. Warm water and consistent swell.

Quick shout out to the good folks at Natural Art Surf Shop. They hooked me up with a great board rental (all my boards back east have either been sold or destroyed by myself and my brothers) and they come out to Utah every winter to shred. If you’re on Hatteras Island and need surf related supplies, board rentals, and more stop in at Natural Art in Buxton. They’ll take good care of you.

Well now that I’ve got some surfing out of of my system, it’s time to focus on winter.  I personally can’t wait for that first powder day.  Getting up early, throwing the truck into 4wd and punching up Big Cottonwood for a day of blower snow, fun, adventure, and friends. I’ll trade the warm water for some icy cold face shots, bicep burning paddle outs for high altitude hikes. The seasons change, the stoke remains the same.

Straight off of my facebook, don’t miss this competition on Pioneer Day.  Be there.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANNUAL JULY 24TH CELEBRATION I N COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS!! IT IS USUALLY VERY CROWDED SO GET THERE EARLY!! CALL 801-487-8600 FOR ALL QUESTIONS!  http://www.milosport.com/

Premieres:

Stack Footy @ 9:30pm
Gold Country @ 10:30pm
BozWreck 2 @ 11:30pm

Don’t effing miss this!
Contact Mike with any questions: mike@teamthunderproductions.com

Apparently it’s now illegal to have a mini-ramp in Salt Lake City.  Sign the petition and help keep minis safe, legal, and in the privacy of your backyard.

http://www.slcminiramp.com

On Saturday night I took Jake and Kristian over to the Tower Theater to watch the World Premiere of the new Absinthe flick “Ready”.  By the time the doors opened I was really ready, because we’d been crammed in outside the theater on a hot night for like 45 minutes.  But, all those sweaty teens just made me more ready than ever to watch some cool winter action.

The movie was great. Not too much jibbing, but, what there was was pretty heavy.  Big consequence on some burly rails and wallrides were the order of the day.  But, as usual what really stood out for me was the freeriding.  Lots of big hits, big lines, and deep powder.  Exactly what I’ve come to expect from Absinthe.  The movie was pretty much snow porn with little narrative, but, the action was fierce.  It seemed like Nicolaus Muller was clocking more screentime than anyone, but, he deserved it.  You could tell he was getting after it last season.

My only gripe with the whole thing was the projection.  Who knows what kind of projector the Tower has, but, it was pretty damn fuzzy and I thought my eyes were going to catch on fire after about 20 minutes of squinting at the screen.  I’d like to see a shred movie on the big screen just once with some real stunning projection, that would give the movie the premier that it deserves.

Anyway, the movie really made me yearn for cold snow on my face, down jackets, and squeaky chairlift rides in a whiteout.  With today’s change in weather, it’s raining and even hailing in SLC today, I’m feeling like winter really is right around the corner.  Bring it on.

Guess what?  The new Absinthe film “Ready” is premiering in Utah.  The trailer is linked in a previous post.  This Saturday Night at the illustrious Tower Theatre at 9th and 9th in SLC you can get your first look at the whole film.  The doors open at 8:30, if you want to be sure to get in tickets are available at Milosport and Blindside.

http://www.sphereofinfluencetour.com/

While I was glancing through my emails this fine Monday morning, drinking the strongest cup of coffee and expresso ever (thanks Millcreek Coffee) I found this from Powder Mountain: POWDERZILLA.  Here’s the email:

Powder Mountain mechanics, Roger Arave and Evan Miller, designed and built the off-road vehicle so that it could climb the steep and rocky terrain that serves as ski slopes during the winter months.  42 inch tires, a full roll cage and a canvas top in case of inclement weather provide a comfortable and safe excursion for guests.  Incredible views, conquering steep slopes, and seeing wildlife in their native habitat create a memorable experience.

The guided tours will take guests to spectacular sites with amazing views over the 10,000+ acres within the resort that would otherwise be inaccessible to the public by vehicle.  It is a great excursion to check out fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains.  Each three-hour tour will be custom tailored to meet the desires of the individual guests and to take advantage of the changing scenery, wildlife, and weather.  Typical areas to be explored include Lightning Ridge, Cobabe Canyon and Three Mile Trail to Hidden Lake.   The overlook into Ogden Valley from the south end of the property includes all of Ogden Valley, the Great Salt Lake, Uintah Mountains, Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada. 

Reservations are required and can be made by calling Wolf Creek Adventures at 801-745-2000 or emailing adventures@wolfcreekutah.com