My Blog

7 pm..   grounds wet.. A couple of guys.. wakeboarders… try to pretend they know a thing or two about Basketball. We played a little three on three.. embarrassingly, it took like a full 10min before somebody ended the misery and at least scored one…

Man, it has been a long while since i last played ball.. Still remembered back at Michigan. Basketball was the only release.. I played Monday, Wed, Thurs, and Sat, Sun… still, some things you don’t lose, the pick and rolls, the no look bounce pass, behind the back. It was fun..

I really didn’t know that VL is quite a sharp shooter.. At least thing for the upcoming  WBA tourney between Wakenutts and Wake4fun, we hopefully can at least bring a game to them… Harris has the muscles for centre…  Terry ,with his heavy moves seem tailor for Power Forward.. Mikey, automatic choice for small forward, VL at 2 guard and I play point. Seem like a good combination.

Looking forward to the coming NUTT FUN CUP.  if my back can still take it..

Start big, carve hard, focus on speed… as i ride up the wake.. prepare to trip over…  push the hips forwards and look to the sky…..   on landing look up.. don’t focus on water.   These words rang in my mind over and over.. Easier said than done. I tried the tantrum over the weekend. I have been thinking about the tantrum.  Seen enuff DVDs, analysed enuff details.. time to act… First attempt.. no where..  second attempt..  popped too early..  third…  getting there.. last over rotated… The slams are not as bad you you think.. however, the idea of missing the pop… causing an awkward landing, resulting in me blowing my knees still bothered me.

Guess at 33.. you don’t just go out and JUST DO IT.. anymore.. however.. being the late boomer that I am..  if i don’t do it now, i will never do it. and I so wanted to land the sucker.. I was close the last time.. unfortunately time is a real sick comedian and age is the worst prank it can ever play on humans.. Everyday as the clock ticks away, it is another opportunity lost.. the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

Three years ago when i finally mastered a two wake jump, i told myself.. that it would be sweet if I can just land the backroll.. it would have really made everything cent spent worthwhile, my life would have achieved something ..  Well, in Sept 2004, I landed my first backroll in Singapore.. Matthew taped it. .and I could still remember the euphoria..  however, the thing about wakeboarding is that there is always another feat waiting to be conquered… And Now, my next feat is the tantrum.. I wanna get it… nail the sucker so as to speak..  nothing is impossible as i pysched myself up…. The only thing bet me and that achievement is FEAR..

Fear has been the bitch of my life.. Aint gonna get me this time. I dun want to regret anything.. I need to get it down..

The guys have been encouraging me. however, i know i am my own demon and only I can exorsize it. thanks guys esp VL and Mikey for the encouragement.. I know what to do…   

One week… One week of fun and laughter. Well, like all good holidays, it has to come to an end. 2 days in Shanghai with buddies from Michigan, 5 days of snowboarding in Hokkaido and lastly 1 day of solitude in the city of Sapporo as i await for my flight to take me home tomorrow. Thus, a good moment to reflect on the wonderful memories as my bus takes me to the city. Thank god for technology but typing on a blackberry is still a challenge.

Shanghai… It was great to finally spend quality time with Marc and Teck. All the Michigan boys have been jetsetting so much that chilling out over single malt whiskey is a luxury to be cherished. we have all chosen pretty different paths and thus it is great to just pause and hang out a bit before we continue on our way again. Next year, Marc will be back in Harvard again. I don’t know where I will be since in my line of work, I am only as good as my last trade. In the last twelve months, Teck have resided in two different cities and now he jets out of shanghai every week. We hung out at 3 on the bund and enjoyed each other’s company like it was just yesterday when we left New York for Asian. Looking over the city, it brought back bitter sweet memories. There were some memories of the city which still lingered in my mind when i was there during the christmas　of 2004. Shanghai is the city growing out of its capacity. I wonder how it will be like in another 5 years.

Next Stop, Niseko Japan. The annual pilgrimage to seek the softest snow and freshest UNI. Snowboarding and eating sashimi with good friends. A good combination. This is our second year at it. Although not everone of the original kids turned up, there were enuff guys and gals to rekindle the memories which made Niseko special in the hearts of those who came and conquered the slopes. There were new friends too. They came here as individuals but leave this place converted snowboarders.

The weather this year was slightly different. We were probably a little late as it was warmer than i remembered and thus the ground was a little icy from the melting snow. However, the snow deities heard our pleas and on the night of our first day, sent a blistering snowstorm our way. I woke up on the next morning to the scream of Hydie.. the scream of joy. This year we set a new record. Hydie and I  covered all three main slopes in one day. Grand Hirafu, Hagashiyama and Annupuri. Carmen Wong, probably her boldest attempt ever, followed us all the way to the top of the moutain and  rode down like she has done it a thousand times. Mark as usual in his steady self led us all the way down.

For me, it was just great to be on the slops again. I had missed it. Think doing it only once a year is definitely insufficient to quash my desire for adrenalin. It is like giving just one pocky stick to a kid. one stick is never enuff. This year my reputation as a  tree killer continued on. I knew charging at full speed on your goofy stance is never the wisest idea. But it was just too tempting. Ever since Mark introduced this game of zigzaggin among trees, I have not been able to stay away from it. Sometimes i made it through unscathed. Other timesI literally became a tree hugger. On day 4, I had a big crash into a slanted trunk and I needed Filson to help me dig out of my own jam. We all had a good laugh. Obviously, I have yet to attain the level of skills that would enable me to dance around the leaveless trees like fishes around  coral rocks… but i will get better.

On the last day, everyone’s sore and tired. My legs were so wobbly, every pace is a half step. Hydie’s (tai lik) left knee is once again swollen to the size of a cantalop while the other heidi ( sai lik) has already left for the city to do her shopping. I said goodbye to the gang as they all hopped onto the bus to take them to the airport. I leave for the city. It wasn’t planned that way but circumstances created a void which I now must venture on my own into Sapporo. Always sad to say goodbye at the end of a good trip. But new adventure awaits.

To take a quote from a new friend( I changed it a little, hope you don’t mind); "When one door closes, another opens but often we look so long at the closed door that we don’t see the one which has been opened for us." our holiday is sadly over. Just remember the good moment (film or no film) and we all be looking forward to next year….. IT IS THE SAME FOR LIFE.

Carpe diem

SNOWNUTTS  thanks and U’re Da Best

"JOHN, YOU ARE A  F**KER, U said 1 hour, we leave… it is almost 6!!!!" VL screamed at me at 5.45 am as we hopped into a taxi to get back to Hong Kong side… It has been a very long time since we partied out all night.. Kinda cool.. The last time, it involved stealing a life-size doll.. and on another time, it involved  industrial cement bag being misplaced…  Everytime, we tell outselves that we are too old for this shit, we would be out again painting the town red… Such is the lifestyle in HK which had captivated many and worn out even more. Nevertheless, the memories’ priceless.

It was a good evening……  The guys from wake4fun hosted a dinner to celebrate the success of their recent wakeboard comp…. I must say their passion for this sport, and the unity of the group is undeniably hard core..  It reminded me of how wakenutts were two, three years ago.. Today wakenutts is stilll wakenutts but we have mellowed and I am just glad that someone else have received the torch of passion and kept the spirit going. I finally got to meet Mr. RIVER G… the man behind the lenses for Wake4fun.. Talkin to him really stoked me up because there is finally another person who share the same passion as I do and we can rely on each other’s experience to take better pictures for all the riders.

It seems like I have been MIA from the wakeboarding scene for a while.. and coming back to it brought a refreshing feel.. It is a good feeling.  In the last three years, I had a lot of transitions and changes be it  career, relationships, and even country of residence.. However, week in, week out i still strap myself up and bunny hop into the water…..   If there is not a definition of  wake-culture, i dunno what is….

Carpe Diem.

Some of my friends, the non-wakenutts, are a little tired of reading just my riding memoirs and so, to add another dimension. Here goes;

Ok! Poker and Mah Jong is a game of calculation, guts and most of all luck. I have not yet to break the incredible roll of BOHE since like 2004.. Well, in poker, he has indeed improve in his breathing techniques so as not get to excited with a hot hand.. Btw, Oh my god! If gaming is sex…this dude would be equivalent to a women having multiple orgasms all night long…..  One night of gaming, he would get full house after full house… Didn’t even need to bluff..

Last weekend in Sillipore, we had a fun playing some poker … Chinese New Yr, the best excuse to let your guard down and gamble away. Even a normal conservative lad like Eugene would be hitting the pot in 10s and 20s.. It is pretty cool..

However, I think I have taken a back seat.. I am not longer the Comando.. The guy that sets the tone in stakes.. I have been dethroned.. About time actually.. I find myself folding half the night away.. Not really me… But guess being unpredictable is a good thing.. But not so good for my wallet as I saw my chips decay away.. Talk about having high Theta ( sorry FX option lingo)..

Well, didn’t know how I used to do it.. but normally pokering till sunrise is not a problem but this last weekend.. I was totally worn.. My flesh was willing, but my mind’s too weak.. Guess it is time to play on better hours.. Late night games eventually will be a thing of a past for me. Esp if there is wakeboarding the next day!!!  ha ha ha

Spent the last two days out at the Seletar Channel in Singapore.. Came back home to clear my head, take a break from my emotional upheavals. And just enjoy the comfort of home when you wake up to the smell of a nice bowl of Mee Rebus as my mum walks into my room with it. Home, nowhere like it.. My bed, my desk, my old t-shirts, my memories. 

Anyway, back to the water. It was a good day.. I forget just a week ago i was riding in my wet suit. The water in Sillipore was 25 degree and the day was probably 33 degreee.. well, it was hot.. i was out on Alan Mak’s boat, with my pal Chris.. He and i started the same time but he has not touch a board for like 3 years and so he is starting over.. For me i was starting over too,given that my knee is finally ready to sustain a fair amount of pressure.. The ride was good… I went to work to get my heelside-180 grabs right.. I tried very hard to not make it just a spin grab.. I was ambitious, i want to poke a little or jiggle a tat before the spin….. On most attempts , i ended eating the second wake or clipping over the suface…. It is not easy but it is also not impossible. just needed to break up the motion and do it one at a time…  I used the 137 substance on alpha bindings. . This is my motto for this year… I wanna be able to ride with anything on anything..  big wake , small wake.. long or short boards.. i will ride them .. like i ride my own… that is a true quality… no excuses, just ride..

Today, I went out on a fully loaded X-star, Terry’s, with Yunos who came along to trying a new board., the 141 Double Up coalition.. Riding the 134 Marius  and shuan Murray Bindings, I totally sucked.. The wake was huge, and the board was broad which slows it down..  I had to hold my posture for longer than normal period and thus my poor conditioning couldn’t keep the position and i crashed so often  that i have to apologise to Terry for making him turn around so often…

Still   total backroll count  2lands/3 attempt.. my confidence and slowly gaining strength and so i hope eventually ,i should be bold enuff to go back to the Tantrum.  Yunos, kept asking me to work on the Scarecrow, gave me the tips and I think i will try it on my next ride..

With my brother in town… i probably won’t be able to wakeboard till another 14 days later.. hopefully the weather is warmer.

What a difference 3mths make….

Went to china to ride again.. Back to basics time.. after being away from so long.. I had to relearn the basics and to get my muscles back in shape.. Had a couple of really uncomfortable slams.. One I got winded and so it wasn’t really that fun but no pain no gain.. there was a moment which really gave me a fright… While trying to land a backroll, my board got stuck to surface, the impact jostled my recovered knee and I felt a sharp pain.. Fortunately it was as serious as I feared.. A little sore now, hopefully the tiger balm and sort it out..

I only saw a couple of runs today.. Matthew riding is pretty consistent.. gettting more air than ever. As usual he only like his spins. VL spent the day getting really peeed off by his whirly bird attempts.. if it is not too late to the spin, it would be the inability to swing the handle over. I feel bad that I could not offer him more riding tips since the only whirly bird I know is the spins I do when inside the water after I crashed.

Mikey did good.. His tantrums attempt are closer than effect.. He said Trampoline training has helped him tremendously in keeping his hips strong and relaxed in rotation. it did show.. Kei Kei too… her backroll is getting closer and closer.. She has a legitimate shot to be the first HK gal to backroll and hence claiming the 5000HK Michael promised to the first gal to land it.

Siu Chi unfortunately tasted some real bad slam today. I was on the boat but it was a blind 180 gone wrong.. very wrong.. he land square to his direction of movement and reversed face-planted.. Suffered a slight concussion but he is fine.. It is just water..  however, it did ended his wakeboarding session.

Since I started writing wakenutts journals, I could see the growth in the fellow wakenutts. It makes me proud to be a member of something that is commited and real. Unfortunately, my injury slowed me down and I lagged behind but I can see the wakeboarding spirit is definitely growing big time. There were about 30 people riding in the about 16 degrees water.. Three years ago during CNY.. there were only about 6-8 riders.. Well, water was also 12 degrees.. It is definitely a significant growth.. We not only have beginners, we also have riders trying to pick up the next grab, riders trying a new invert.. It indeed feels good to see the progression…

Ure da Best!!!

a fresh start…. a frest start….

every once in a rare while .. you watch a film, a classic…. even though you have seen it before.. and before that and before that….. watching it again now  still brings so much to the plate..

I have Swingers on DVD playing right in front of me now…  It was when Vince Vaughn didn’t have a double chin and Ron Livingston had high hair do…. 

So many of us has gone through periods where we do not know if there is another low… Unfortunately that is the way life is. You take the highs with the lows. It comes as a package.. So….. tuff..

I guess people tend to forget before they got to that low point.. they ARE so "money" they didn’t even know it.  We all have our charming side and we also have our weak moments… It is which side of the coin we wanna show that makes out how we wanna live it.. 

There is only so much.. how we use it is up to us..   So to all those who have questioned and puzzled and wondered why…. Ask yourself, does it matter in the grand scheme of things… Then you will know if it should matter or not..

The most important is that when a brother is down…. it is up to the rest of the brothers to remind him how money the bro was…..

Someone came up to me recently… Told me all about how much wakeboarding has changed her life. It gave her new energy, a new challenge and zeal for more..  I tell myself… This is what wakeboarding is all about.

It is an like an infectious diease. It gets you and grows in you… Once u accomplish one feat which makes you proud and elevates your ego, their is always another trick right at the corner to slam you humbly back to earth. Nevertheless, there is just something about it that drives you totally insane to land it…

Now, I have been a wakenutt for so long now.. I am so glad that, there is just another wakenutts just yearning to hit the water….

Keep it going.. The passion will never fade…..