Nowhere to go but down, V.4.

toilet_flushing_5

After several really good posts recently, and just a smidge more kinda mediocre ones in a row, I wonder if I’ve hit my stride.

A 49% success rate, still leaves room for 51% failure.

I think. Math was never my strong suit.

Let’s get right now to business with a story about a bag.

This is not just any bag, mind you. This is a bag that I saw with my own two eyes on the back of this fellow;
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Basically, it’s a photography backpack suitable for action sports (and also horseshoes, darts, and other various of non-action types of sports).

The magic to its madness is a little garage the bag has in its base for your camera equipment;
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I imagined that there must be some akwardness when fumbling around behind you (unless you’re super good at patting yourself on the back), but when trying it on and playing with some of the bells and whistles, I noted that the camera bag glides smoothly into its home, and a magnetic catch guides the clasp together, securing your payload.

I’ve long been enamored with the idea of getting a proper camera with which to document the documentable on this here site, but fear of risking the health and well being of such an investment within the confines of a standard backpack didn’t appeal to me.

I also couldn’t afford one, because of like, taxes, and groceries and water bills and junk.

But now that all of the components have presented themselves, and as soon as I can find a local bike swap, I have stuff to sell and a carrot to chase.

If this looks like an item that you might have some non gender specific wood for, the bag is called the Rotation180° Panorama from a company called Mind Shift Gear.

If you make contact with them, tell them you saw it here, and the person to whom you’re speaking will most likely make an audible fart sound with their mouths.

In other news not relating to bags in any way, shape or form, Maximo Supremo residents New Belgium recently released a number of video spots here, the most notable of which is probably the following;

It did my heart good, and I appreciated the (probably unintentional) tip ‘o the hat to my dfL compatriots here;
dflmuch
And the tip o’ the hat to their lawyers here;
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From my perspective, drinking responsibly is a contradiction, but perspectives are like elbows and assholes in that everyone has some/is one, to varying degrees.

While we’re on the topic of drinking responsibly, photos from this past Saturday’s W.S.A.T.U. celebration have started to trickle in, and it seems as though with the exception of a few small bouts of barfing, everyone emerged from the day relatively unscathed.

Like for example in Minnesota;
Minnesota
Pic by Landon Bouma
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1smlps
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Ohio;
Ohio
Pic by Frank Miller
Florida;
Florida
North Carolina;
nc
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Illinois;
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Alaska;
Alaska
Montana;
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Kentucky;
Kentucky
Massachusetts;
Massachusetts.
Vancouver, BC;
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Scotland;
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And my own, right here in California;
California
Certainly, if you dear reader, have a photo or two you’d like to contribute to the Flickr collection, by all means, please do.

stevil(at)allhailtheblackmarket(dot)com is the fast track to infamy.

Only eleven months and three weeks until we never do it again.

In news of friends helping friends help friends- This here is Ezra;
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Ezra was one of the OG-est OG Nor Cal one speeders before such a thing even existed. He is a jack of all trades as well as a master at most, and is just about one of the nicest fellows you could ever hope to meet.

He is also currently in the process of kicking the crap out of some cancer.

As I’m sure you are well aware, this fight doesn’t come for cheap and we’re doing what we can to ensure he doesn’t have to sell everything he owns to cover the ever mounting costs.

If you have a five, ten, or twenty spot you could throw towards the cause, and help a grandfather of the dirtbag bike derelicts, then I’d like to please direct you to this fund raiser page that’s been established for him.

As I’ve said before, it breaks my heart that here in ‘Mericuh, the greatest country on earth®, its own citizens have to turn to the generosity of others for health care, while our own government is simultaneously embroiled in a war which has at this point has cost trillions of dollars, but it is what it is. At least we have each other, which is still a lot.

One gear, one brain, and one heart, or something.

Finally, I’ll remind each and every one of yinz, that everything Los Angeles Swimmin does is awesome;

After many years of near misses, the impresario of Los Angeles Swimmin, (pictured here, looking particularly majestic);
brettwLAS
-and I have hatched an informal plan to finally meet up next month and go toe to toe in a battle against gravity.

For my part, one of my (almost) greatest hits was the following shot on the Umpqua River in 2007.

Please take notice of the rock jutting out from the bottom of this cliff and understand that upon entry, my spine was less than a foot from an unscheduled meeting with it and being turned into vapor;
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Fingers crossed that upon my meeting with L.A.S., the only near misses we’ll have will be hot dogs into our mouths and drunken high fives.

It’s with that, that today’s post has circled the bowl for the final time, and has readied it for a whole new batch of waste.
newlittleskull

Spread this like it's sick

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19 Responses to “Nowhere to go but down, V.4.”

  1. Largo June 27, 2014 at 5:41 am #

    3.2 beers in Wizard Staffs? Those Scottish lads have it right methinks.

  2. trama June 27, 2014 at 9:14 am #

    the pair of wizards in NC look chill. what I find worrisome is the smeared blood on the garage floor.

    • Stevil June 27, 2014 at 10:10 am #

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

    • JonDangerFTW June 27, 2014 at 10:26 am #

      Yes we are chill as fuck. And thanks for pointing out my blood pile. I had completely forgotten about bleeding all over everything that night.

  3. JoshRVA June 27, 2014 at 10:33 am #

    Two words in regard to your search for a camera: factory reconditioned. Usually the same warranty but way cheaper.

  4. Knuckler June 27, 2014 at 10:54 am #

    Kentucky, why are the bottom of your pants all wet? Good on ya though, for holding up that wall like a champ.

    • ManwolfCX June 29, 2014 at 3:17 am #

      We had all the beer iced down in baby pools in back of the shop that night. She and others got lost in the dream of wading through hundreds of chilled beers ripe for the drinking.

  5. simon June 27, 2014 at 12:17 pm #

    It wouldn’t be so bad if new belgium had mentioned Bilenky Cycle Works just once, or supported the race in the past, or even done one thing in Philadelphia, but no, they just ripped them off completely. Recreating a ‘junk yard race’ in LA with paid ‘actors’ is just bullshit corporate co-opting. Interesting that the post is next to their sponsored add on your blog, Stevil calling out the bicycle industry for their bullshit, unless its bullshit that he is getting paid for?

    • Stevil June 28, 2014 at 4:25 am #

      Simon-

      No, when I first heard that this had happened, it was my understanding that Stephen was brought to LA and/or at the very least enlisted as creative in the project. As I was told, it was fully done in cooperation with all who founded it and with respect to the actual race. (This is correct. Stephen was, as I’ve just been notified, on set and actually brought along real live components from his own course to include in the ad.) I appreciate your support of his bike brand, and calling me out where you felt I needed to be, but in this instance, it’s not nearly as nefarious as you imagine. And secondly, nothing was deleted. Your comment was held for moderation, and I hadn’t looked in the back end yesterday because my bookkeeper was on my computer all day.

      As I noted to you in a direct email- what most bothers me about your comment is that regardless of everything that I have always asserted, it was just that quickly that someone would immediately assume I’m little more than a shill.

      I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.

      Anyway, as I said twice in the email, and to anyone who might feel similarly, I hope this clears any misunderstandings up.

      • Simon June 28, 2014 at 3:49 pm #

        Thanks for the reply & sorry for the ‘delete’ comment, but let me clarify. I worked with Steve for over 15 years & was the guy that came up with the idea for the junkyard race, built it & organized it as the BCW holiday party for many years & lost a toe setting it up in 2010 so I am a little protective of it, to say the least, so after all the years I’ve been doing this some big corp takes our idea without any acknowledgement I call bullshit. The race was a fun party for the ‘friends & family’ of BCW & we had a lot of fun over the years & a lot of people supported it with prizes & beer (never new Belgium) In 2013 it was used as a side event for the sscxwc & I guess that’s when it jumped the shark, red bull showed up! I was happy to let it die it’s natural death, but these adds just pissed me off. Steve was not in LA, that was Dave Pryor (who did an amazing job of the sscxwc in Philly) & Steve was not employed as a creative, he asked but they said no, I don’t know who told you he was but he wasn’t, Dave did take some stuff to LA but there is no mention of BCW in this add , they have never been involved in anything in Philly & have not been in touch to do anything in Philly. They could have filmed it in Philly & got the Philly crew involved but they didn’t. I do know Steve got a shitty Chinese beach cruiser with new Belgium stickers on it, just what he needs!!
        Also, beer & bikes are good, beer & the internet, not so much! & Wanker is an old English word for esteemed cycling commentator, we call Phil Ligget a wanker all the time!
        I hope my reply clears things up too,
        Simon

        • Stevil June 28, 2014 at 4:07 pm #

          Absolutely. I look forward to a time that we can meet, and high five any residual bad vapors away. I understand your perspective absolutely and completely, and would never knowingly promote or support any brand I knew to be stepping on the toes of the little guy. Thank you for your insight, understanding, and holding it down in some trenches which I have never been involved, but only from a distance.

          • Simon June 28, 2014 at 4:43 pm #

            Haha, stepping on toes!!

          • Fuzzy July 3, 2014 at 3:25 am #

            as long as it isnt Simon’s other big toe!

  6. SweetCheetah June 27, 2014 at 1:23 pm #

    They still make Hamms?!?

  7. Simon June 27, 2014 at 6:50 pm #

    Of course, delete delete delete, wanker!

    • Simon June 28, 2014 at 3:02 pm #

      Oops, over reacted there

      • Stevil June 28, 2014 at 3:23 pm #

        Apology accepted.

  8. scooper June 28, 2014 at 4:51 pm #

    raddest pix ever!

  9. Simon September 25, 2014 at 6:32 pm #

    Glad you like the Panorama backpack! That sure is some epic WizardStaffary….!! —Sime