GNCC champ Steward Baylor avoids log-meets-noggin crash

This is the other piece I did for Leatt’s newsletter and blog. It’s a quick story based on this picture of GNCC champ Steward Baylor ducking and diving under a fallen tree at the Inyan Kara National Enduro in Upton, Wyoming back in June. It’s a great image and shows that being flexible and staying safe in a Leatt aren’t mutually exclusive. Even better is Baylor’s story about a similar incident a few year’s back that wasn’t such a near miss.

Give it a read: GNCC champ Steward Baylor knows that flexibility and safety go hand-in-hand.

Leatt Protectives: Elizabeth Bash Interview

Here’s a little something I did with off-road racer Elizabeth Bash for Leatt’s newsletter and blog. You’ve got to see the photographs of her crash at the 2011 XGames Endurocross. It’s really hectic and amazing that she got up, dusted off and finished the race. Good stuff and she’s a very interesting interview.

Elizabeth Bash Interview: Leatt Protectives

Graham Jarvis tearing it up in the city

I could watch stuff like this all day.

Extreme Urban Playground

Levitated Mass on the move

Well, it appears that the big rock that caused such a stir in Bixby Knolls is now causing a stir at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The LA Times has covered the grand opening (unveiling?) of Michael Heizer’s “Levitated Mass” sculpture pretty extensively over the past couple days.

Here’s a good crowd reax story: What do museum-goers think of LACMA’s ‘Levitated Mass’ sculpture? and another from the grand opening A monolithic debut for LACMA’s ‘Levitated Mass’ that features this great line, “Sisyphus would be relieved.” The LAT also has a great compilation of photos from across Twitter taken by museum goers. Seems the mania caused by the massive boulder didn’t end here in Long Beach. And yes, there are pictures of people posing as if they were holding the rock above their heads. Probably the first of many thousands to follow. This one https://twitter.com/garybaseman/status/216992088611504128 is from none other than artist Gary Baseman.

I absolutely loved the hub-bub that followed the moving of the rock. Seems there were two schools of thought on the whole thing (and a lot of dumb comments): It was a stupid waste of money or it was a modern engineering marvel that harkened back to monoliths of ancient history. I’m in the latter group and am glad I got up at 4:30 am to go look at the rock — and the custom-built traveling rig — when it was parked on Atlantic Blvd. Yes, I was up early, standing in the cold, staring at a big rock. It was awesome. Not sure what impressed me more, the moving rig or the behemoth itself. Now can’t wait to get over to LACMA to see the installation.

Past pics from El Mirage dry lake bed

Past stuff: Alex Lagger’s sausages from the Daily Breeze

MEATS WITH APPROVAL — COOKING: Alpine Village sausage maker who offers a link with the old country continues to rack up award for his products.

By: Dennis Johnson, Daily Breeze staff writer

There’s a point in the wiener-making process where you’re not too sure that you’re looking at meat anymore.

It’s not disgusting or revolting, nor does it bring to mind a crusading Upton Sinclair, it’s just that after the beef, pork, veal, and spices have gone a few rounds with the bowl chopper, the cuts of meat resemble a thick puree.

Only when the mixture is fed into a casing and the links are twisted, smoked and cooked does the alchemic nature of sausage making take shape. It’s this place, between whole pieces of meat and the familiar form of a frankfurter, where Alex Lagger dwells.

Lagger is Alpine Village’s maestro of meat. Its head sausage master.

“When I go out and people ask me what I do, I say I’m a sausage maker. They ask, `What is that?’ ” said the 40-year-old Lagger, who has been bringing the bratwurst to European expatriates for 13 years.

Rather than explain, Lagger needs only point to the deli case of the Alpine Village market

Ural Motorcycles: Three wheels good

Past stuff: Liveaboard life from the Daily Breeze

By: Dennis Johnson, Daily Breeze staff writer

Tony Heller can pinpoint the moment he saw his future.

Many moons ago, in the Berkeley marina, he had an experience that altered his world and turned him into something of a pirate.

In the area for a trade show, Heller decided to stroll the marina docks while the other conventioneers motored around the San Francisco Bay on a dinner-booze cruise.

Looking out over the inky deep blue, Heller spotted a small trawler bobbing in the dark, a soft glow coming from the boat’s cabin. In the glow he could make out a man sitting, reading a book and smoking a pipe.

It was a sight that spoke of deeper meanings. A sight that told him there was something about the ocean, about boats that he needed to learn.

“I had never seen a more content looking man,” says Heller, stretched out in a plastic chair

Makeover

Wendell Phillips and the Extremely Rapid Transit Sports Touring Machine

A little something-something I did for Galfer brakes. Quick rundown on Lockhart-Phillips impresario Wendell Phillips and his haul-ass Ducati ST4r