Some folks wake up and head off to a daily routine and find themselves content with the same ole same ole. I suppose there need to be folk who are content with retirmenet being an account you will leave your kin as you pass on from boredom at 64 and a half. I dont mean to be harsh; but I pretty much know that the folks who are reaidng this are not only NOT those folks but are diametrically opposed to that idea. Over the Edge is a place that we gather people who choose to live now and wander the world and explore life in exciting ways. Often on a bike or with the bike as an excuse to travel or merely as a way to see new places. whatever the description that fits you; I know who reads this and I know that you, as I, want a little more from today and are active in pursuing life and adventure as a daily routine. Welcome my kindred spirits…
In the past few weeks I have been really fortunate to explore the "Over the Edge" life in a wonderful way. From my April wanderings in California before the Fruita Fat Tire and the 18 hours of Fruita. Then it was a trip with Paul A to Apt France and northern Italy and switzerland with the mountain bike. Then in June it was off to Melrose South Australia for the Melrose Fat Tyre Festival and some great riding in the green damp environs of the Southern Flinders MOuntains and Melrose / Bartagunya Singletrack. It was upon return from that trip that I started a trip that will change a lifetime as my beautoful wife and friend of 20 years… we decided to seperate our marraige and seek a more positive effect in each others lives. As we sorted out our lives I felt reluctant to travel again; but my trip with Brad and Gordon loomed ahead and I questions whether I should go but knew that I must, I’m sure glad I did.
We landed in Bilbao Spain with the purpose of seeing the wonders of the Basque region and riding mountain bikes in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. We wnadered beaches and bars and explored the Gugenheim Museum in Bilbao as well as unleashed our urban assualt skills on the unsuspecting spanish town, We moved on to San Sebastian where we rode with Doug (a MTB guide and serious good rider form Scottland – who has the wisdom to follow a Basque girl whenevr given the chance and now lives anf guides in San Seb Spain). We rode awesome singletrack, I stressed a bit, we sweated like I never knew humanly posible and we put our bikes throuhg some real challenges in the spanish hills just barely on the western edge of the Pyrenees. Doug was a sick rider and a great guide. We loved the new feel of the riding there and we thouroughly enjoyed our time in San Sebastian.
From there we fought off the "no no no" of the french train folks and actually got our bikes to Paris where we finished off 4 days of crazy goods french food and I put the fear of god in a bout 100 asian tourists and few scofing french folks as I urbaned the sein and the louve and the eifel tower and the palace and the fountains and… well… about everything. It was a four day fest of great people and amazing food and some really fun exploration in a beautiful city ona wonderful mountain bike (thanks knolly). Special Thanks to all my friends old and new who made not only my time there wonderful but ventured to share in the wanderings of my life path and the wonder of Over the Edge living… thank you
So I came back with a new peace; I came home with a clear understanding of how it is to travel and ride. I had a new appreciation for all of you who travel and ride in my towns at Over the Edge stores in Fruita or HUrricane or Melrose. I understood why we are good at this; becasue we do it too and we understand how wonderful it is to have someone share in your adventur and how lame it is to have someone look at you like a dumbass when you ask about "where to ride". Most of all it helped me see my life and where OTE was born from and why "who I am" is such an integral part of "what I am and what I do" in mountain biking and my carreer. I love to ride, I love to meet people who ride and I love to share that passion. The overflowing pasion for new adventure, new trails and new life adventures is what brings us all togehter at a trail head or an Over the Edge or at an italian cucina somehwere in the world. I share your passion and I appreciate your passion and I am honored to have the chance to share in it. Thanks
I am also so proud to have shared in the passion for life of so many people. I adore that above all things; the love of living and the willingness to take a chance to actually live exceptionally. I applaud it and thank you all for sharing it with me. I raise a toast to all of you; I raise a toast to Sarah Rarick and thank her for sharing in the passion of Fruita from day one and for being so wonderfully passionate about the future of that tradition and even greater things to come for all of us. Cheers to Sarah, cheers to all of you who share in the OTE passionor the passion for riding or travel or great living. Cheers, Thanks, I love you all for the life energy you bring into my world.
It’s almost fall… lets ride… Lets raise a toast together to life… I cant wait