Sunday, March 31, 2013

The HSA Challenge... What Will You Do?

Graphic by Human Spirit of Adventure
An idea pops in my head every once in awhile that I can't seem to get rid of... I've been thinking about this one for a bit and decided I would throw it out here and see what happens.

The idea is "The HSA Challenge"

What is the HSA Challenge you ask? Well, simply put, We here at Human Spirit of Adventure challenge our blog readers, our Facebook followers, and indeed the world, to put a little adventure into your lives. All too often people are bound to their desks, chained to their cell phones, or glued to the TV. Many of those people say to themselves, "If I only had the time I would do ______." Yet, for some reason, they never do.

In comes the HSA Challenge...

We challenge you, our readers and fans, to add some adventure to your lives and document it for the world to see. Here is the concept...


  • Pick at least one day each week to do something adventurous
  • Document the adventure with photos or video
  • Share the adventure with us on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Humanspiritofadventure)
  • And (most important of all)... HAVE FUN
That all there is to it...

Pics do not have to be professional quality... they can be shot with a cell phone in the crappiest conditions. Vids don't have to be professionally shot or edited... this is NOT an editing contest.

This is about human beings breaking away from self-imposed bondage and servitude by injecting fun and adventure into their lives. It's about rekindling that spark down deep within all of us. It's about showing the world that the human spirit is still alive.

I hope that you will all join us in this endeavor... and I'll kick it off right now with a little MTB vid that I shot yesterday at the end of my ride... Enjoy!




...

Friday, March 29, 2013

REVIEW - Where The Trail Ends...

There are some good mountain bike films out there... Klunkerz is a great one. The "Earthed" series is great too (with 2 being the best). and a few others. Up until now, "Strength In Numbers" had always been my favorite. It was by far the most adventurous of the lot.

Enter "Where The Trail Ends" by Red Bull Media House.

This is a great movie. Some of the worlds best DH/Freeriders set out on an expedition across the globe to find lines and terrain that no one has ever ridden.

This flick follows Darren Berrecloth, Cameron Zink, Kurtis Sorge, James Doerfling, Andreu Lacondeguy and others as they blast down the sides of mountains in Utah, Canada, China, Argentina, and Nepal.

What I really like about this movie (aside from great HD footage and a Berrecloth super slow-mo 360 cliff drop) is that it gives the feeling of true adventure. From sleeping in tents to losing luggage, to trips to hospitals, this movie just crushes it.

My favorite scenes are shot in China's Gobi Desert... There the guys find gold... unlike anything that they've ever ridden before. Of course Utah is great too, and all of the crash scenes, but I don't wanna spoil it for you. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and get it.

Check out the full length trailer right here... Make sure to watch in HD!






Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Adventure Week - Days 4 and 5...

Photo: Human Spirit of Adventure
Days 4 and 5 were spent with a mix of surfing and riding. Spring break was in full effect, there were a lot of kooks in the water, so dawn patrol was about the only good time to catch a few waves. Catch a few thigh high peelers and then get off the island before the mayhem starts.

After surfing, it was back to the trails... Riding and scouting good locations for camera placement for the documentary.

All in all it was a decent week. Not as adventurous as I'd hoped, but I'm not complaining... a decent day of surfing or riding beats a great day at the office anytime...

In June, I will head to the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma for some hiking, backpacking, and a little freshwater snorkeling in a crystal clear river... there will be a little cave exploring too.

Also on tap for the summer is a little trail riding in the Texas Hill Country, filming for the documentary, and shooting videos for HSA's "yet-to-be-named" Survival Series.

Peace out!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Adventure Week - Day 3... MTB on Tap

Photo: Human Spirit of Adventure
Day 3 was mountain biking day. I awoke to a beautiful sunny morning and loaded up the jeep.

I had pondered the night before about which trail I wanted to ride. It was either a basically flat singletrack  trail in Oso Creek Park, or a bandit trail that has some rougher stuff. Ultimately I decided on the bandit trail.

It was a fun day. I rode hard for several hours and then began setting up shots for the documentary. I captured some fairly decent footage on the GoPro Hero3 Black. It was the first footage shot for the film. Eventually I will put some of it together for a quickie YouTube vid.

Day 4 coming up... Peace out!



Sunday, March 10, 2013

Adventure Week - Day 2... VAS

Courtesy - PeriscopeFilm.com
So I awoke on Sunday morning in hopes of good surf, but I knew the moment I stepped outside that there would be too much onshore winds for anything good. But alas, Texan surfers have a saying... "You won't know if you don't go", so I went.
I loaded up the jeep with my surf gear, called up a buddy, and tried to hit up a dawn patrol. My friend who arrived before me called as I was nearing the beach saying it was total choof, but a few guys were giving it a go.

Being like I thought, I decided I was in no hurry and stopped for a cup of coffee, then pulled onto the beach. I took a stroll down the jetty to find my friend looking sad. The surf was big, choppy, and wind-blown... and the cold front hadn't even arrived yet. Most of the better shortboarders were getting a drop and maybe a turn before the wave totally closed out.

Since my friend hadn't paddled out in a while, we thought we'd give it a go anyway. It was for naught. Being a longboarder makes for real difficulty in that kind of wind. Not to mention the steepness of the waves. I pearled the first two tries, stood up finally on the third wave which closed out as I hit the bottom. This went on for an hour or so before I said "Screw it" and went on in. It was a good thing too because not fifteen minutes later the from hit, kicking winds up to about 45mph.

I spent the rest of the day hiking a bandit biking trail, searching for good camera placement spots for the documentary.

Such is life as a Texan surfer...

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Adventure Week - Day 1... The Preparation

Saturday - Day 1

As expected, the winds are howling, so I'm glad that I planned this day for preparation. I was able to accomplish the things I needed to begin my adventure week and start the documentary.

First, I tuned up my bike. I tweaked the brakes, lubed the chain, made some small adjustments to the derailleur, and repaired a flat tire. I also packed up my biking gear so everything is ready to go.

Next I stripped the old wax from my good old Dewey Weber longboard and laid a fresh base coat, followed by a couple of layers of cool water wax. In Texas, the water temp is still 65 degrees so I also packed up the wetsuit. With surfing in Texas, you never know what you're gonna get... the forecast may call for waves, but you are skunked when you arrive; so I also pack my fins and snorkel, just in case. I also bring my handplane... I never miss an opportunity for a little body surfing as well.

Once my biking gear and surfing gear were ready to go, I sat about the task of learning to use the GoPro. That was an adventure all it's own, but I got it figured out, updated, and charged. I shot some test video just for good measure. I also placed the mounts on my bike helmet for some good POV stuff.

Surf is on the agenda for tomorrow... Peace out!


Friday, March 8, 2013

Adventure Week - 5 Days of Fun

Photo: Human Spirit of Adventure
Friday - The Day Before...

After the last 9 months of working my butt off with only Saturdays to find adventure, I am looking forward to five glorious days off.

The Big Bend expedition that was planned late last year fell through due to various circumstances. First, I was unable to get as many days off from work as I had hoped. That kind of put a bummer on what I was wanting to do. It's a rare trip for me and my family and if I'm going to spend the money to go, then I want to be able to get the full experience. Second, I was unable to secure reservations as the park was already full with Spring Breakers. The rafting tours were full as well. So the trip has to be put on hold.

Still wanting adventure, I decided to take what is available in my own backyard... surfing, mountain biking, hiking and kayaking. With crappy weather in the forecast, I refuse to be defeated... I will find adventure.

So I picked up a GoPro Hero3 Black edition. It was the missing piece of the puzzle for beginning the Human Spirit of Adventure documentary that has been in the works. Several months of planning can now begin to take form and get the shooting underway.

Well, I better get some sleep. I have a lot of prep work to do tomorrow. Peace out!


Monday, March 4, 2013

Water... The Most Precious Resource

Photo: People Are Awesome

What is the world’s most precious resource?

Some might say oil. Others might tell you that it is energy. But the cold hard truth is that water is the world’s most precious resource… and we are in danger of losing it.

How can we be in danger of losing it when the earth is 70% water?

The truth is we are nearing a point of no return. Oceans, rivers, and lakes are contaminated every day. Many nations around the world struggle to find clean drinking water. The ocean has become a dumping ground for toxic waste, trash, and plastic.

Consider this… [READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP]