Trishredathon!


It had happened by accident a couple years prior... We had season passes to Mt. Baldy and decided to get one more day in as winter was ending and the little bit of spring Southern California gets was approaching with haste. I grew up riding the icy mountains of North Carolina, but after only two seasons of West Coast powder, had gotten too accustomed to it. That final day in Baldy was a throwback to my roots, which I quickly realized as I tossed myself off of a little kicker into what looked like soft snow, but was anything but soft...
A couple hours later we were exiting the mountain and heading back to town -- Baldy was a bust. It was the first hot day in a while in Los Angeles, and some friends were going to the beach, and that's when it hit me: I could feasibly snowboard, surf and skateboard in one day. God bless California.
I managed all three that day, but only barely, as the skatepark was dark by the time I got to it and I was only able to do a few carves in the bowl to claim completion. And so, a couple years later and just one month before the birth of my first daughter, I decided to pursue the California Trifecta once again, this time for reals.
wavestrom shovel
Mellow wave on a not-so-mellow day.

Months of planning led to a group of guys ready to ride the elements with me, though about a third dropped out the day before. Even I had stayed up too late the night before, and almost tried to eat cereal with sour milk, hardly preparing me for the hardships that lie ahead...
First up, surfing at Hammerland, the northernmost tip of Manhattan Beach. It was a small, but glassy day, which meant the Wavestorm was my board of choice. The rides were long and the camaraderie strong, and so after about two hours of fun in the water (as well as a bonus skimboarding session, so fourth sport), I went home for a snack and then a quick skate at Culver City Skatepark.
fruitybooter
Tim getting air in the best pool I've ever skated.

This park has been one of my favorites for years, mostly due to the perfect pool and drainage ditch-style banks, along with a great kicker-to-flat. Unfortunately, the park was riddled with scooters and skaters, and so there was little room to shred. Still, I got in a few curves and a little street skating with my fruit-booting buddy Tim, before pressing on to the final sport, and the home-stretch.
It was a long ride to Mountain High, complete with good friends, a Chick-fil-A visit and not-a-few punk songs. Needless to say, by the time we arrived I was nearly exhausted, but had come too far to turn back now with the sweet taste of completion wafting on my tongue like the icy fall of artificial snow. All dramatics aside, it was a tough session at Mountain High, and I got a little cranky when I couldn't land the tricks I knew I was capable of. But after a solid four hours of riding, I had done it -- the Day of Boardacalypse had come to a close, and I survived.
tay curve
Taylor was the only one to hit this curved box.

Check out the Trishredathon video below for the full details. A big thanks to Russell, Mitchel, Justin, Tim S., Taylor, Tim J. and Tyler for joining me along the way, and Korey for planning. A special double-thanks to Mitchel for completing two out of the three sports (three out of four, if you include skimboarding). He's been training on the skateboard, and so next time I'm confident we will stand side-by-side as finishers in one of the greatest challenges Southern California board-riders can undertake. We are blessed to live here, and blessed to shred the gnar.

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