BLOWING IT

Wow. I am one of the worst "bloggers," ever.

A lot has happened since my last post, not much of it dealing with what I'd much rather be writing about, unfortunately.
I had an amazing summer after working at MMC; I did a lot of traveling to Boston to visit one of my best friends and had good times. We did a lot of reminiscing back to college and Killington days, and made plenty of new memories. I also did a lot of traveling down to the DC/N. Virginia area and had some amazing times visiting and sight-seeing. We went to Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia (which has a bunch of really great tracks) to do some autoX-ing and even got to see some bike racing, which is one of my all-time favorite things to watch. Maybe sooommmme day I'll participate, but I doubt my waif-ish body could control even a quarter of the weight of one of those ridiculously awesome race-prepped bikes. Sigh.

In September, I was offered a position at a well-known PR firm at home in NYC, and I jumped at the opportunity, as a career in PR is something I'd like to pursue in the future. Having absolutely no background in public relations has made it a bit difficult, but I hope to learn a lot in my current position and apply my skills as well. My constant research doesn't hurt, either.

Ugh, enough horn-tooting and self-reflection. I even hate myself a little for this post. I hope to make this blog better in the coming months and maybe even one day call myself a "blogger." But for now, I'm content with "occasional blogger who tweets a lot."

MMC NYC

I was lucky enough to get a job working at the first Maloof Money Cup held in New York City a few weekends ago, on June 5th and 6th. I worked at some of the promotional events held during the week leading up to the competition, as well as throughout the actual event where I met some really awesome people and learned new things. The experience also confirmed my passion for the "action sports" industry and I feel as though my desire to make my career in it is not in vain (I hope.)
I was able to be a part of this thanks to Joanne of JSQUARED mag. She is an awesome chickie and is starting her own skate magazine focused on the NJ-NY area. Definitely give it a look-- she has a ton of support from the skate community in the area and I'm excited to see how it will grow.

Peep these pics I managed to take while I was working:
(click to embiggen)

Kids lined up on Saturday morning after they basically flipped security the metaphorical bird and knocked down the gates to the village


Bits and pieces of the course




(I'm pretty sure that's Eric Koston in the striped tee)



My coworker Noelle attempting to ruin my picture, in the skater lounge, after a long day working in the sun


Pro Finals on Sunday, right before the random storm that started just as the competition was over





And here is the crappiest video ever posted in the history of the internet:



(Taken right at the end of Finals)



I feel so lucky to have been involved in this event. It was friggen epic-- dramatic finish and all-- and I got to be around skaters I admire and brands/companies I have been hooked on for years. All that, and I got a behind-the-scenes look at how events like these take shape. What else could a girl ask for?

Protectin' my noggin

I am officially the owner of a brand new helmet! I figure it was about time to think about my own safety and the protection of that disgusting pink blob floating inside my skull. I've heard it's pretty important.
Upon purchase of said helmut, I send my mom texts that said:

You will be very happy to hear that I bought a helmet today
So no head injuries for me

She responded with:

Thank you sweet jesus!


I had always put off buying a helmet due to their high price. My recent college grad budget has determined my spending habits, and a helmet was just not on the shopping list. However-- I've heard about way too many snowboard deaths and injuries from head-impact related accidents this season, and decided that this would be the time to put aside my stingy tendencies (one might called them survival instincts) and purchase a helmet. Even a minor incident can result in major damage, and I do not want to be a part of the statistics. This is something I felt even more strongly about after seeing that even those wearing helmets can be severely injured. I doubt I have to explain the example of rider Kevin Pearce to get this point across.
In a recent study, it was shown that wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding reduces the risk of head injury by 35% ("Helmets on the slopes cut head injury risk," Toronto Globe and Mail.) Of course, these kinds of studies all produce different findings, dependent on the types of helmets and case examples used-- so results can vary greatly. However, there is no doubt that the use of a helmet can greatly decrease the likelihood of serious injury. That's enough for me to blow some of my paycheck on a helmet (with audio, of course.)
So. Next time I complain about an ouchie, it will most likely be due to my clumsiness rather than an attempt at some sick-nasty trick.


For your viewing pleasure, here's my friend Catherine (helmeted) and me, in my un-helmeted state, enjoying a beautiful day on the hill