posted Jun 23, 2008 9:30 AM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 23, 2008 10:02 AM
]
Well, yesterday turned out to be one of the best days of the camp weather-wise. One of those perfectly sunny, not too hot, not too cold, days. The snow was a perfect mix of soft and firm. Everything on the mountain was in great condition. The digger crew at HCSC does a really good job of keeping every feature in tip-top shape all day long. HCSC also has a lap-park this summer on which riders can take lift rides instead of hiking. The park has small to medium size features and was a lot of fun. We ended up shutting down the mountain at 3pm and could have kept going. We have never had a camp at which riders stayed on-hill as late everyday as this group of campers. A lot of credit has to go to head coaches Coggin and Adam. These guys are outstanding with kids and understand, very well, the nuances of mixing good training with a lot of fun.
We see several MBSEF friends at HCSC: John Ingersoll, coach Justin Schoonover, and former coach Dave Reynolds, former coach Kim English (along with she and Kevin's adorable 3 month old baby girl Melani (sp?)), former athletes Chris and Brandon Luzier, and Alex Lopez, and several Bend friends who run HCSC (Preston, Kevin, Ami, Megan, etc.). I may be forgetting a couple. All of these friendly faces, who know who we are and what we do at MBSEF, make for a very positive vibe at the camp that makes us all feel welcome.
This was my best summer camp experience at Mt. Hood to-date...despite the carpenter ant invasion (one of them gently woke me up the other night by walking up and down my arm). All of the campers were great to coach. In the past, we haven't had riders from MBSEF's Development Program at summer camps due to the number of riders at the camps. We just couldn't accommodate more people. This summer, we were able to include the Devo riders and it was probably a better camp because of it. For me personally, it was fun having the opportunity to get to know some kids that I don't get to spend time with during the winter training months. Like I said, every camper was great but, having this mix of programs added a new and refreshing energy to the camp.
Our house was pretty messy by the end of the camp. With every day being filled to capacity with snowboarding, skateboarding, and good food, there wasn't much time to deal with cleaning. One of our goals when staying out of town, is to leave our accommodations cleaner than we found them in order to leave a good impression and ensure that we are welcome back the next time. Coggin led the clean-up effort with a mojority of the kids who came down from the hill on the first van. They did a great job and I think we achieved our goal.
We didn't leave town by our planned 6pm departure time but, I don't think anyone was stressed about it. Once the kids finished cleaning the house, they went skateboarding until dinner. Departure day dinner during our first session is always a barbecue. The food was great as usual. We were back in Bend around 9pm. The vans were cleaned and luggage dispersed to parent pick up vehicles.
I'm looking forward to the next camp. Timberline has a ridiculous amount of snow, more than I've ever seen at this time of year. It should be good riding all summer. While we were at Mt. Hood we saw winter friends whom we see at on the road events such as Revolution Tours, US Open, and Grand Prixs. These coaches and athletes travel to Hood from Colorado, Minnesota, Tahoe, New England, etc. Many train at Windell's Snowboard Camp which, quite frankly, isn't the high quality experience that HCSC is. Each time I see them I think of the expense that they must incur getting to and riding at Mt. Hood in the summer. It makes me aware of just how special it is that we have Mt. Hood a short drive away and friends at HCSC.
I have some video and photos from the last day at camp that I will post later just to have them here.
|
posted Jun 22, 2008 9:18 AM by Hans Hibbard
Last day...
It's drizzly here in Government Camp but, the forecast for T-Line is calling for mostly sunny...10 degrees cooler than yesterday though. We're hoping for the best and heading up. For the most part, we've all worked through our soreness and are feeling good today. The plan for the day is to go riding until around 2:00, come down to pack and clean, a little skating if there is time, dinner at 5:30, and leave Govy by 6pm. |
posted Jun 21, 2008 10:43 PM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 22, 2008 9:19 AM
]
We woke up at 7 am bedridden by carpenter ants and got ready to go to breakfast. When we went to the mountain, all of us were exhausted from the previous days. The coaches and the kids split up into separate groups. Coggin and Adam worked with the little kids and Ashley and Hans took Will, JD, and Taylor to the half-pipe.
There was other stuff going on besides JD’s excursions at the half pipe. For instance KC got brave and aired out on the half pipe. Like JD said we went to the half pipe as well. It was great. JD said he was going to make a bug trap later that night, so that’s why Hans and Will decided they were going to pop his bubble. It was hilarious. You should have been there. Eventually the most tired people decided to take the early bus home. I was one of them L. It was worth it though because Ashley ate it on a roller and got a mouthful of spray as KC whizzed by.
After gathering the rest of our group, we headed down from the hill. Most kids left to go skate but Taylor, Ashley, Will, JD, Hans, Adam, Spencer, and Coggin chilled at the hostel. While Hans fell asleep in an uncomfortable chair, Will, JD, Ashley and Taylor all crashed on the couches. Spencer and Coggin chilled up stairs…I think.
Food time came along and we had a Turkey feast. Most people skipped out on the cereal but I still thought it was yummy. Anyway, after dinner a group of people scavenged around looking for huge ants that were infesting the area. The rest of our group went to a skate competition. Unluckily, none of our little shredders, or large shredders, entered the competition. I have a feeling they might have done really well. But Jared Smith placed third in the intermediate division. This girl did a six foot acid drop…but she fell.
There was also a rap battle. Last year, Gus Warbington took home first, but this year it was not one of our own. Some other cool kid won instead.
We came back and instantly changed into the cleaning brigade! We all cleaned up, while Ashley made a bit larger of a mess by spilling water all over Taylor’s sleeping bag. She blow dried it, and now it’s ok.
JD Became a warrior. Against himself.
Today was a good day.
There'll be a video and photos from today posted later. For now, we are all tired and going to bed.
Here's some video from yesterday. Altogether, the lift ride probably takes about 45 minutes with lines included. The jumps were still firm in the morning from salting. We took a couple of laps and practiced 180s.
|
posted Jun 20, 2008 10:46 PM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 20, 2008 11:03 PM
]
|
The kids have all been out skating, or watching skating, tonight. There was also some dodgeball action. In case you can't tell, they are the ones who are writing the daily blog entries. We coaches would do it but, we are too sore and tired to lift a finger by the end of the day. We've been lucky, so far, with the weather at this camp. The only complaint might be that it is too hot. There is supposed to be increasing clouds over the next couple of days. Not much chance of rain though so it looks like fun to the very end.
Although I sleep in the same bunkroom with the boys, I always turn left at the top of the stairs toward my bed. Last night, I turned right and saw what is going on over on their side of the room. Check out the video below (I'll post it in a little bit), from this morning, to see what I mean (our video camera is having some issues with focusing...). The kids were really tired this morning. To be really honest, it made me a little bit happy knowing that they were, at least, feeling a fraction of the tiredness and soreness that I'm feeling.
Some footage from today with really lame music (no offense if it's your favorite). Here are a couple more clips:
Will Dennis with a sweet backside 360
And watch the end of this video of Jack Evans. It's pretty funny.
Ashley had her picture taken with professional snowboarder Andreas Wiig
|
posted Jun 19, 2008 7:27 PM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 19, 2008 10:14 PM
]
Every day starts with lunch...
Followed by breakfast...
Then we go on snow...
Check out some raw video from today. There are a lot of falls but, that's what happens when you're pushing yourself. That's just part of it. (There's some bluriness too but, that's the camera's fault)
|
posted Jun 19, 2008 7:12 PM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 19, 2008 7:25 PM
]
6/18/08
So we woke at seven...but really it was about seven eighteen. And then we left the skate lodge (our house) at seven twenty six. Then we scooped food onto our plates and got the Hans scrutiny. A few had to go back and pile more protein filled sides onto our plates. And then we ate.
And we came back and dressed in our gear. Magically everyone was ready on time. Except Coggin. So we were ten minutes late.
Here was Coggin while everyone else was outside ready to go.
Oh yeah...this is what we saw at the end of our driveway at 7:30am. This guy was already having a bad day (he was fine though).
But we got to the hill and got in line. But wow what do you know. We lost a life ticket and had to wait for a bit. It was worth it though because the first run was SWEET. And then the second warm up run was pretty cool too. And then after snapping a sick shot we rode down into the HCSC park. And it was Disneyland on snow.
Ashley didn’t live up to the name Crashley. For once. She landed just about every move of the day.
The little ones all caught some good air with some good grabs. And the BA’s (Will, Oliver, and JD, accompanied by Hans) went over to the large jumps. And they were pretty sick.
Here's a shot of JD. He's the little green dot in the middle. And Oliver did land the move in the photo on the right.
 
Hans coaching.
We had to leave eventually which was kind of a bummer. But it was ok because we were coming back tomorrow.
When we got down from the mountain, everyone went skating besides Coggin, Ashley and Taylor who sat on the couches and didn’t move because we were exhausted after a long first day of riding. It was Coggin’s first day snowboarding in about 6 months so he was stoked. Eventually dinner time came and we all enjoyed some tacos. I have eaten Trix cereal for every meal so far since they are da bomb. After dinner, a couple kids played dodgeball for a few minutes, but were quickly overtaken by the fun of skateboarding and then proceeded to join the majority of us shreddin the bowls. Coggin, Adam, and Spencer went and set up a frolf course by Ski Bowl. After curfew came around, we sat around the television and watched Bulletproof Monk. I have never seen this film before, but so far it is pretty unrealistic but cool I guess. Hans wishes he was the bulletproof monk. Popcorn is presently being passed around the circle of kids as well as Pepsi and Coke. Fortunately, we get to sleep in an extra hour tomorrow, RAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Peace.
|
posted Jun 18, 2008 6:47 PM by Hans Hibbard
[
updated Jun 23, 2008 6:58 PM
]
|
6/17/08 (Day 1 - Arrival Day)
We got to the office and everyone got things packed. We were ready to go until Coggin had to go home and get his hair straightener. We ended up leaving late. We are mobbin van 3 up to Mt. Hood and JD is trying, but failing, to speaking spanish and playing with Hans’ hair. The radio is really sucking and Will’s Itrip is lame and doesn’t work. Hans and Ashley are starving and we want dinner. We just passed a weird motorcycle with two wheels in front and one in back.
But then we were there!!!
And we got to dinner where we had to wait for pizza. That was greasy. It was reminiscent of Pappy’s. And there was some SWEET cereal. But everyone wanted to skate so we chugged down our food and went to Mt Hood Hostel. Apparently that’s not for homeless people in the winter but who really cares. We unloaded the vans, stuck some baby’s in the lockers that the hostel is so adequately equipped with, and then trudged up the stairs to claim our sleeping realms. Of course the boys were stoked…I think. But there were freaking spiders decorating the walls in the girls’ room. And Coggin way loves the Celtics so he wouldn’t go smash them. And Ashely is scared of spiders. But of course KC and Taylor aren’t… J .
PHOTO OP! right before everyone raced off to skate, hans snapped a cute photograph of his lovely boarders. It was great. You should have been there.
Here is a video of the same moment as above. Watch Adam at the end...it's hillarious.
We skated and skated and skated until curfew came along. Then Ashley beat me (JD) in arm wrestling, battleship, and uno, and Coggin forced me to pay for his dr. pepper. We are about to end the first day by watching Follow Me Around (snowboard vid)!
|
|
