LEAKY LANES, SHAPING AND PARTYING

TODAY STARTED EARLY, and ended late.  First, I broke out of San Clemente at 6:25am to get to Redondo Beach and battle the Donut Ride.  Last, I slipped into the South Bay Cycling Awards for tacos and culture.  In between, was unplanned and awesome.

Ah, the Donut Ride… a nice social jaunt through and around the tranquil Palos Verdes hills.  The temperature is always perfect, and the views stunning.  Seth was there early, greeting the fresh faces and handing out stickers honoring Steve Tilford.  Very cool.

In fact, lots of people showed up for the ride…

… it’s definitely not a race… but I think $600 in primes were handed out tonight…

… so many riders were there, not racing,

the group leaked all over the road …

I guess it was fast… but it’s hard to say, I’ve only done it 3 times.  Still, 94 Strava cups is somethin’.

Feeling great after the “ride”, I rode back up Del Monte to Hawthorne.

Feeling hungry, Chipotle was my next stop.

Feeling tired, I crashed on the sand ’till Dan called.

I’m shaping a board.

Cool, I’ll come over.

Dan’s shop is like being inside a beehive.  All these little shaping rooms, belonging to famous surfboard shapers, interconnect with each other and the fin insertion department and the glassing room.  It’s amazing.

After hosing off the ride and beach, I watched Dan work.

Right before my eyes, he released a magical board from it’s foam prison.  No template, no maniacal measuring, just an artist working with his hands and the tools of his trade.  It was truly beautiful.

I love the board Dan made for me, and already want another.  It’s so great to talk to the shaper and describe the waves I like and the way I surf and him make me something that is awesome.

It got me thinking about how awesome a custom bike frame could be.

The day was ending, the night was begging to join the living.

Seth Davidson’s creation, the awards ceremony was just cool.  Cool because it honored and made fun off the South Bay cycling community.  Cool because it was free.  Cool because everybody was there, and everybody knew each other.

The night was dedicated to the life Steve Tilford lead.  His wife and family and friends flew out for the event.  Steve’s blog taught me a ton about racing, and life and blogging.  I read it nearly every day.  I miss Steve’s sense of living life intentionally.

Awards for great riding and great clubs and great recoveries and great ambassadors and great leaders and great promoters and great advocates and great up and coming talent were handed out by Seth and his co-MC Rashaan Bahati.  The sense of love and appreciation for each person in attendance was real and inspiring.

What a great way to bring the local cycling community together… Seth deserves an award!