AMAZING MEXICO!!
I’m back. This Mexico trip was 48 of the most amazing hours I have ever experienced, including one of the happiest, most purely joyous moments of my life!
I have a massive amount of material I need to sort through.
On Saturday night 4 speedskaters +yours truly were the opening act in a massive gala, we skated in front of 50,000+ people (+???,??? via TV to 3 countries!). We were the first speedskaters EVER to take the ice in Mexico. There were 10-ish acts. Somehow the speedskating was what the newspapers & TV focused on.
An absolutely incredible, unbelievable feeling! I was so awed/amped up/travel-tired I skated like total crap!
(note to self: don’t crash in front of 50,000 people & live TV to 3 countries).
But Sunday was better, we skated in front of 15,000+ and it was 70 degrees!! Short track? Outdoors? In T-Shirt weather? It was HOT & the track had about 3 inches of water on it. I was ON!
Here I am leading Jessica Smith during our relay “race”. Check out the water splooshing off her hand. (technique note, Jessica’s upper body angle is correct, mine is it’s usual incorrect).
But as to that happy moment!
After our final “race” we were doing an easy lap waving to the crowd. I had a moment of insanity/inspiration. I skated to the far end of the rink, waved to the crowd, and then did a full power acceleration that became a deliberate face first slide into the water!
I traveled a good 40 meters through the best, coldest, wettest slip & slide EVER!
15,000 people went nuts. I stood up, water pouring off me & felt all that cosmic YEAH! from all those people electrifying neurons in my brain never before touched (or maybe it was the cold water).
I went to step off the ice, when the PA announcer said “Andrew!! Andrew! Another!!!” He started the crowd chanting.
The other skaters Eric Kraan, Jessica Smith, Chris Creveling & Sebastian Cano all did powerslides too into the water!! It was LOUD!
And I whipped around, picked up more speed, and did another. Now that I knew what it felt like to do this & not paste myself into the wall, I added more speed, + twist & spin.
I had handed my camera to a random spectator before we stepped onto the ice, he started the video literally at the moment this crazy idea occurred to me, whoever you are, THANKS!!
Press play & check it out (or click here for high quality quicktime).
If some measure of weighing one’s life is bringing joy & happiness to as many people as you can touch, then I might never top this moment.
Certainly I will never forget it.
MUCH MORE, VERY SOON!!
Filed under: from the coffee shop
That’s frigging awesome!. Wish I could have been there with you guys. Damn!….How does one get invited to these things. Lol
yeh, how do people get invited to these things, esp. ones who don’t do ST anymore (not incl. you)?
and jessica of course
How does one get invited? Well, it helps to know people.
It was AWESOME to share this moment with all the guys that were there.
THANKS!
Eric.
Well then…. Now that you know me, Lol. perhaps I can be included in the next wave of fun!.
If you invite me, too, I’l show up!
Yeaaaaaaahhh! Only you can make falling (on ice) glorious and desireable… and to think that when I skated short track, I had a phobia of falling…
What a wonderful way to measure your life and happiness!! Great video!!
For the first time in my life, or at least in many, many years, I must admit I am JEALOUS of all four of you for the experience you just had. Of course, your report of the event is the “next best thing” to being there in person!
Hi Punk,
My wife and I put a lot of races, training programs, BBQ’s and other events all year round either on inlines or ice. Not all of them are as exotic as skating in Downtown Mexico city, but all of them have the same spirit… the love for the sport… And we try to make it all fun and exiting for people. HOPE YOU ALL CAN JOIN US!
TheSkateNowShop.com
Los Kraan.
Fun Fun Fun!!!!!!!!! Thats what I’m talkin’ bout
Awesome job (fun) Andrew and Gang!
Great to see this! Belly slides on shorttrack was always fun to do, but doing it in the sun, refreshed by water for such an audience… priceless!
andrew , this is hilarious - the post, the ice, the all american slidings, the movie. You made histery. i practically fell from my chair laughing.
si otro, otro ad infinitum
btw how are your blades
Most kind of you, Los Kraan.
I’ll keep my eyes on your very impressive website.
TheSkateNowShop.com
WOW!!! Dude that’s sooo much water, is there even any ice? LOL
That’s pretty darn sweet!
Hey I’m buddhist buddhistpunk haha.
Watching the movie was a lot to take in:
-Self resurfacing ice rink
-an ice rink in the sun
-skating and swimming at the same time
-an actual crowd
So awesome! Thanks for sharing!
That’s fun to watch, so that’s a lot of happiness for us, too!
Chis güeyes mas locos!
El Andrew parece niño con zapatos nuevos! Ya no le den mas peyote!
Pancho,
I promise I had nothing stronger than Mexican coffee!! (and it was delicious! so I did drink a lot…)
oh, and it’s worth saying that Kim & Eric Kraan are the driving force behind a lot of great stuff in the Salt Lake skate world! Total class acts!
they are excellent coaches for both inline, ice, & Roller Derby as well
LoL! Andrew! Glad you liked our coffee! BTW, I meant to send you and Eric some Colombian Coffee that Sebastian brought me from Colombia he got during Worlds!
Kudos to the Kraans for their support and involvement in skating! I promise one day I’ll show up in SLC to skate on ice!
Viva Los Kraan!
[…] on the stage at a press conference for the closing ceremony of the Pista Del Helio (I think my powerslide last time I was here got me invited […]