So I have to admit that I haven’t be on a bike since I was probably 12 years old, but when we inherited slightly used hand-me-downs from Shawn’s parents I was pretty stoked. I was finally going to be one of those wicked cool people that ride around town all Lance Armstrong like with their tight clothes and aerodynamicness. I’m such a wannabe. Too bad I have no idea what I’m doing. Read the rest of this entry »
Wannabe Biker Janet White, Part 1
July 27th, 2010Wannabe Geocacher Jamie Knebel
July 27th, 2010
Geocaching is something that a lot of people are doing nowadays. It’s easy, it gets you outside, you can pick your skill level, and its family friendly. You simply need a GPS, access to a website such as www.geocaching.com, and off you go on mystery adventure. Once on a geocaching website you select a location and then the level of difficulty and whala, endless X marks the spots. Just download the coordinates into your GPS (pedestrian mode) and take off. Level of difficulty can range from leisurely hike to terrain necessitating climbing skills. Sounds easy enough. I wannabe a geocacher. Read the rest of this entry »
Spook Cave, McGregor
July 14th, 2010Caves have intrigued me since seeing the movie “The Descent” a few years ago. Minus the murderous humanoid creatures, I was equal parts fascinated and creeped out by the idea of walking, crawling, climbing or wading through underground caverns built by nature over a ridiculous amount of centuries, in what would basically be complete darkness. It’s primal. It’s raw. It’s scary. Read the rest of this entry »
Trail Mix of the Angels
July 14th, 2010Those of you who know anything about Live Action Sports headquarters knows that its stocked with (too much) crap from Sam’s Club, thanks to Shawn. Amidst the toilet paper and tuna, Shawn tends to stumble on some incredible finds. This week Shawn’s instincts brought home Mareblu Naturals’ Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch. Read the rest of this entry »
Anatomy of Wonderboy
July 9th, 2010
I met Cole Chapman in 2006 at the Des Moines Skydiver’s Dollar Daze Boogie in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He was introduced to me as Wonderboy; which apparently was an endearing nickname given to him by his instructors at Tri-State Skydive. My initial thoughts about Wonderboy were that he barely looked 13 years old and that he had a permanent Cheshire grin on his face like he was enjoying a joke you weren’t privy to. In the years following I saw Cole at the occasional dropzone or skydive event (I specifically remember the Dubuque Boogie where he bought one of Live Action Sports’ radical shirts). Knowing I should keep tabs on Cole but not knowing why, I followed his adventures, or at least the ones he posted on Facebook. Finally, when he road tripped to California to surf, I insisted I get a first-hand account of the escapade to post on Live Action Sports’ website. To accompany the account, I also requested a brief biography so readers could get to know a little about the Wonderboy. Read the rest of this entry »
The Search for Zero Funk Factor
July 9th, 2010There is a movement that has been gaining energy for awhile now concerned about the chemicals, poisons, preservatives, and other unnecessary crap that we are putting into our bodies on a daily basis. The people interested in more natural products and foods that are good for our health are still struggling to overcome the stereotype of the Smelly Hippy status. But look at us, we’re gaining ground here. Let me share with you what has been my philosophy for over a decade now: I don’t want to live forever, I just want to avoid the need of someone wiping my rear for me when I’m only 80 years old. In other words I am striving to achieve quality and not quantity in my years on earth. If I make it to 80 no matter how I live, I’d prefer to be a healthy 80 as opposed to sick if I can help it. No thank you to medical marvels that keep people alive, albeit in pain, for as long as possible. If there are debates in the medical community about the dangers of aluminum chlorohydrate or parabens, yet still no official proof that they cause Alzheimer’s Disease or breast cancer, I’m still going to err on the safe side and ditch the controversy. Read the rest of this entry »
The Birth of Silo Ice Climbing In Iowa
July 7th, 2010Don Briggs is so committed to sharing silo ice climbing with the world that he actually wrote a book in 2003 called, Silo Ice Climbing. I selected the preface of the book to post here to serve as one more example of why Don Briggs is such a Live Action stud. Read the rest of this entry »
Don Briggs
July 6th, 2010Mother Nature didn’t exactly bless Iowa with a topographic playground now did she? It’s flat. It’s farmy. It’s boring. But that’s what makes Iowans more creative and inventive than anyone else out there. What we lack in environment we make up for, with style. Enter Don Briggs. For those of you who already know him (which is more people that know you and me put together) let’s admit it, he doesn’t look like much. His crotchety exterior coupled with that sly smile eternally etched on his face makes you wonder if he’s that nutty guy that lives in every neighborhood or the devil in disguise. But spend two minutes with Briggs and you’ll find he is truly a treasure trove of adventure, kindness, and generosity (okay with a bit of nutty and devily mixed in). And although I’ll deny it if you tell him, Briggs is one of my heroes. Read the rest of this entry »
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