Another New England Trip...

Although I've been up to New England on four occasions in the past year and a half, it continues to have the same magical effect on me. I'm not too fond of it's winters, but summers are simply amazing.
On August 15th, I flew up to providence, RI. to embark on a work trip filming the team. We skirted the rental van up into New Hampshire, down to Connecticut and Massachusetts, and finally back to tiny Rhode Island. The only thing out of the ordinary was the extremely damp weather that reminded me of those storms common in Florida on a summer afternoon--torrential down-pours and lightning galore. Somehow we still made things happen, filmed a bunch, and got to experience a portion of the most rain New England has experienced on record.

Our Posse. Dover New Hampshire right before torrential rains #3.

Hamden, Connecticut. This is my friend Hennessey and me with "Captain peg leg" the 3 footed beagle. I really felt bad for this guy as he hobbled around my friend Matty's yard. Then he playfully attacked "ziggy" and I realized it was all a doggy facade.

Check out the way "Cap's" nub is pinning Ziggy. This is called the "nub choke out."

Some lake outside of Providence. Beautiful, warm and chrystal clear. We had to walk a mile in the woods to get to it. I tried to show off by doggy-paddling out into the center of the lake with my friends' Hennessey and Tony...when I got there, I pannicked and had to have the two of them escort me back. Honestly, it was pretty scary.

In high school I discovered the writings of HP Lovecraft and fell in love with his fictional, creepy stories of the weird and occult. His stories always took place in New England. On the last day of the trip, I took a self guided tour alone, rambling through historic College Hill in hopes to find architecture that inspired his many stories. This is the Lovecraft memorial near Brown University.

The Halsey House, erected in 1801 and thought to be haunted. This was the central location for Lovecraft's story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward."

<Lovecraft's final residence beginning in 1935.


Pawtucket, RI.. After dropping a handful of people off on our journey, this was our group that ended the trip in Providence.

-He Said.

kitty cat

In honor of the 42-pound cat that was found wandering the streets yesterday ...

--She said

Warning, Warning

We have reached the BMX and metal limit. Step away from the computer, him. Step away from the computer.

Life on Mars?

I heard a special report on NPR yesterday announcing the discovery of ice on Mars. I guess that from this discovery they've concluded that life could have possibly existed there.
What I don't understand is why they are re-releasing this information now when I thought the existence of aliens was solidified when David Bowie released himself to the public. Here's Bowie with his band of Martians:



-He Said

Too old for this?

My friend Conall and I have been working on a video project this summer. It's going to be based around the idea of riding in Florida's unbearable summer heat and dealing with our local fickle climate changes: aka, afternoon thunderstorms.
Last Sunday, we met up in downtown Tampa, rode a solid seven hours, filmed for the documentary and shot some photos. Somehow, the impending storms never hovered directly over downtown which kept us partailly shaded in overcast and completely dry.
All photos by Chris Wharton. Matt. Lightning bolt pole ride...two days prior to this, we almost got struck by lightning (literally) a couple blocks away from here.
Matt. Barspin over a handrail in a shady part of downtown.

Counting stairs and getting scared.

A one shot deal. Suicide no hander...I'm happy I pulled this considering I thought for sure it was going to avail a bad wreck.

Conall, Ledge ride. Right after this photo was taken, Conall almost ran me over. His precision paid off for me.

Conall. Turndown with one of the inpending storms in the background.

Matt Arnold, and a grafitti inspired fakie barspin.

I just can't get enough of cabbage palms...or toothpicks by Conall.

Nosepick in front of what used to be a cigar workers front yard. This spot is right outside the cigar city...at the turn of the century, this place was producing the most cigars in the US. Now that this house in particular is gone, we've made good use of its drainage system.

-He Said

Metal Edge Announcement!

Here is a blurb from the September 08 issue of Metal Edge Magazine. Everytime I see a photo of our band in print it makes me laugh. Little do people know that we are a bunch of softies.

The 4th of July in Milwaukee!

Over the 4th of July weekend, I headed up to Milwaukee with the Madera team. Madera is our subsidiary company at Profile, and the team is (like the Profile team) made up of a bunch of my friends...one of the many really rewarding things about being a team manager.

So the trip started pretty rough. I left on a Wednesday, arriving at the airport a couple hours early hoping to get everything checked in and leaving a little time for me to relax.

1st problem: For the first time in 8 years, I was charged for my bike bag, -$80

2nd problem: My flight was delayed.

3rd problem: Once the plane arrived, a storm decided to arrive as well delaying my flight almost another hour and a half.

4th problem: The plane did not have air conditioning.

5th problem: I arrived to my connecting flight an hour after it had taken off.

6th problem: No more connecting flights at that hour, so I had to sleep in the airport.

7th problem: Airtran's staff was really unhelpful and unfriendly.

Verdict: Airtran sucks.

Solution: Don't be cheap, upgrade to an airline that doesn't consistently blow it. So I made it to Milwaukee July 3rd. On the 4th, we celebrated the birth of this great nation by lighting my friend Mike's yard on fire.

On Saturday the 5th, we took a day trip to Chicago. My friend Kevin Porter was our tour guide not only for spots to ride/film, but was our beacon to good food.
Atomic cafe...Vegan Ruben with a vegan chili with cheese!

For some reason I look like a little kid in this photo. Maybe it's because I ride a little kids bike?

Downtown Chicago.

My friend Dave McDermott and me. I've travelled all over with this guy...Chicago skyline.This is a monument/fountain that we found in a suburb of Chicago. We were amazed that someone would contruct this...

Just in case you didn't believe it in the first photo, here it is again. And to highlight its audacity, let me help: "Shit fountain."

Kevin told me about a vegan fast food restaurant. I was in disbelief until we made it there right before closing time. "Veggie bite" is the name, it's by no means healthy food, just decadent vegan junk!

I celebrated with a meatless Philly Cheese Steak and a giant non-dairy ice cream cone.

Back in Milwaukee I had my friend John take this photo in front of 4 Seasons skatepark. The photo turned out crappy, but it was more to create a visual that I was standing in front of the old chocolate factory that Jeffrey Dahmer worked at...Creepy to say the least.

-He Said.

Interview In Ride UK Bmx Magazine...

This photo was taken over two years ago on a work roadtrip to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. It was March, somehow brutally hot. Most of us got sea sick on the 2 hour ferry ride 65 miles off Key West, but it was worth it all. Check out the hallway at historic Fort Jefferson. The brick laying craftsmanship was incredible!
There is no bathroom on this island, and because of my overactive bladder, I was like a dog in an endless field of fire hydrants.

-He Said