BALLS TO THE WALL FISHING

The only place to stay current on the latest manic ramblings from the Florida Panhandle.

CHEEKY FLY REELS, THE OFFICIAL REEL OF BALLS TO THE WALL FISHING

Thursday, March 28, 2013

JONOPOLOUS CONSTRUCTION PRESENTS TO CULT CROSS

Jono Ridler and Marcus Georgopolous have constructed what is sure to be an adventure at Cult Cross 2013. You will have two options at the "air or scare" barrier. You can either gap jump, or take the slower alternate bypass....here we go.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

THERE IS A VERY LONG STORY HERE....

A very long story. This is just part of a story that took place in the late 90's when corporate America was blowing money like a fat ugly guy in a titty bar. This photo was taken by Wade Shultz who was one of seven fishing guides on this long strange trip. This photo is from one of the premier bone fishing resorts south of Cancun in Ascension Bay. That is a real scorpion, and somewhere out there is a sequence of photos that shows me actually eating this scorpion. The scorpion had been soaking in tequila for over a year, and the tradition was to eat the scorpion and drink a shot of the tequila on your last night of your stay at "this place". Seven rebel fishing guides had been invited to Mexico for ten days of fishing and touring the Yucatan by some incredibly wealthy people, every expense paid, and we went. We fished, drank heavily, traveled in small private planes, ate like kings, danced, fought, drank more, got fired, got rehired, got driven around in private vehicles to ancient ruins, stayed in stupidly fine accommodations including two destination haciendas you could not believe the fineness and gluttony of. in general, we had an amazing time, Seven really good friends at the start of the trip ended up polarized and wanting to smack each other upside their heads. Some remain very good friends today, some do not. I'm going to write a book one day and this trip story will be a part of it, and it will all be true and none of it will be believable, but it happened. The bottom line of the entire ten days is this, don't ever eat the fucking scorpions.

This blog has gotten tired lately, I'm simply too busy to keep it rolling right now. Cult Cross, work and skiing have me buried in work and planning, and then there is this little thing called announcing that keeps me busy as well....things should get better soon, and to tell you the truth, they can't get any better than this picture above, because this story is better than the Motorcycle Diaries.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

IT WAS AN HONOR PINK VAIL....

Yesterday I got to participate in one amazing day at Vail. I was honored and humbled to be asked to host and MC the Pink Vail event at Vail ski Resort as a last minute replacement for the original host who had a family issue and had to leave town. Me, Elgee, hosting a huge cancer benefit for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center in Edwards, Colorado. It was an empowering day, and I nearly got through it all without shedding a tear, but I did not. This is a special day, and if you get the chance to participate in the future, you will never be more grateful for being a part of something in your life. Get a team together or go individual to raise some money for this incredible cause. Powerful is the moment when thousands of survivors, friends of those inflicted, the inflicted and just plain old supporters ski down Simba at Vail at the end of the day to celebrate life. What a day, a great day full of great people and stories....they raised nearly $340,000. Good on all of ya.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

HERE WE GO CULT CROSSERS

A quick visit to the venue this mornings looking really good for March 31st...

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

SO I GOT TO THINKING...

Last night was kind of weird. I woke up thinking about this year's Pro Cycling Challenge which is Colorado's premier professional cycling event. After two years of being involved with the race here in the Vail Valley I decided to walk away from this incredibly time consuming "volunteer" position on the local organizing committee and spectate most of the race. I rarely drink anymore these days, and I was guessing that after a couple of cocktails after work this eve, compliments of the BC Lodge staff as appreciation for taking care of them with ski gear all winter, that the alcohol may have been what was actually keeping me awake. I was thinking about how busy my announcing career has gotten, all the work left to get my race Cult Cross together at the end of the month, how good the skiing has been the past month, and curiously enough, where this year's USA Pro Cycling Challenge would be settled. Last year I watched Jens Voigt solo to victory literally right out the window of where I work in the winter at Beaver Creek's Christy Sports location. I thought about this years race and exactly where it might get decided. Besides the Vail time trial, which will be absolute mayhem again this year, I choose Wolcott pass on the Steamboat to Beaver Creek stage to be decisive. The climb from State Bridge to the top of the pass could turn out to be the deal breaker for an eventual winner, and I plan on being up there leading the cheers.... 


Sunday, March 3, 2013

SO FUCKING PSYCHED...

I have been looking for this photo for a very long time. Buried in a box of piles of my crap I've hauled around since birth, this photo from 1984 was finally uncovered from it's musty smelling grail of a card board box. I moved to Colorado in the winter of 1983/84. The next summer I sold my Opel station wagon in Gunnison and bought a bike. It was this bike, and it was a TREK 890 hybrid road/trail bike which I thrashed until I broke the frame a couple of years later while riding in SoCal. This is how we rocked it back in 1984, no helmet, flannel shirt, canvas shorts, white socks, hiking boots, clipless pedals, weird mustache...bar end mirror. Bottom line, I found the photo, and that is fucking cool.