Gipsy feet

What a year!
My updates here get rare with a remarkable increase of my CO2 foot print… my gipsy feet took me to the Greener Pastures film trip, Japan, to North America twice and all around Europe again.

New people became friends, old friends were visited.
The mountains and the ocean filled my heart with impressions. Never was the mood between the ladies racing so positive and motivating as this year.

Life goes away from the rhythm of the gipsy for a little bit now.
Sleeping on wonderful memories, preparing the next adventure.

kody and the dragonfly Kopie

Fuji at night Kopie

Endless Corner Kopie

IMG_2962 Kopie

IMG_2990 Kopie

IMG_3023 Kopie

IMG_3104 Kopie

IMG_3263 Kopie

IMG_3466 Kopie

IMG_3525 Kopie

IMG_8431 Kopie

Photos by tamara prader & patrick switzer

 

Catalina Island Classic 2012

LAX
Catalina

Avalon
Catalina Island – the view from the startline, Photo Tamara Prader

I got to Los Angeles, straight to the Newport Beach Film Festival, picking up my brand new NJK leather suit and then heading out to Catalina Island!
What a start!

its a squirrel
Fitting at NKJ, Photo Pat Switzer
We were convinced, the race action would start with some freeriding on saturday. After we had found out that we’d only get one day on the hill, the party became a lot better.
And the Mexican guy behind the bar made some very generous Margheritas! …guess I should have gone for one more Dollar Taco.
The Catalina Island Classic was held back in 1977 the last time. It was a great pleasure to meet one of the ladies competing in the race back than! She and her sister both did race and they still enjoy the island life, getting Sophia, Karens daughter, ready for some downhill action.

flying sesh with graham

Flying away with Graham, Photo Pat Switzer

rider meeting
Rider meeting! Photo Tamara Prader

It is about an hour from Los Angeles to Avalon, the tiny capital of Catalina. Avalon is a very pretty place where skaters usually wouldn’t spend too much time. Only one funny story about this place, they have buffalos there because a film crew simply left them on the Island after they were done filming.

The race day started early and on time. Three runs, that was it for practice on a pretty technical hill. The heats were set. No qualifying.
There were six ladies at the start line! We got to do an awesome amount of runs thanks to the point system we ran the race on. Thank you Dubes!
The guys had some gnarly heats down the narrow race track! James Kelly won the race, Patrick Switzer came in 2nd and Alex Tongue took 3rd. Pam Diaz took 3rd in the womens division, Christine was in 2nd and I won my first race! Whoopwhoop!

Prader Catalina 3

CheckCheck

…for some more skating!

We had to leave this extraordinary place on monday to go back to Los Angeles and a different scale of city again. Seeking for some more and different adventures!