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Good times in the backcountry. Some of the crew took their Level 1 Avalanche course, so we set out for a backcountry trip to build a road gap, ride some pillow fields and spend the night in a cool cabin. No roads for hours, no tracks but our own and we were surrounded by huge mountain peaks. After building a nice road gap jump, we hit it until well after sundown. Then we rode back to the front door of the cabin and chilled for the night. Good food, good music and great company. We woke up to about 15cms of fresh snow overnight. After a pretty funny cook up on the stove, we headed out to ride a powder pillow field for the day. Good times, a great crew, amazing powder and funny stories. www.corecamps.com

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Damn... Any harsh bails this season?..... Fractured my arm last weekend. Was damn pissed. Doin' flips are fun.. but sucks to f&%k up. Mind you I was off the snow and in the gym doin them. gimme 2 weeks and ill be back in riding.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

 

Airhole Visit / T.I. Interview / Dave Harris

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

 

Chucky's tattoo

After a short little visit by Chucky and his good buddy Dustin Craven yesterday I learned they picked up some pretty epic impulse tatty's last May.



Under the image of the hand throwing up the peace sign it's written "best summer ever" some how predicting the summer they both eventually experienced. Keep an eye out for the next issue of Updown Magazine for more heart warming stories about friendship in Dustin's "Greasy" little interview by yours truly.

Hey look



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Classic Photo! Last Zeddy Video! JuniorBurger!

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It happened 5 days ago. And now I believe again that the small things in life can make us happy if we have the eyes to see them...

Last Wednesday I was walking on the streets - killing time in the hot weather. I didn't want to eat or drink something, I didn't want to go shopping and I didn't want to sit anywhere. Then what? 2 hours to the meeting... Maybe just walk around? No. I suddenly decided to go to a book shop. I haven't bought a book since long time. When I went inside I look around and choose one new book. Then I look at more books and suddenly I see the time - I was in for about 40 minutes. The problem was that the literature cast a spell on me. The titles, the pages, the words - they were amazing and catching! Finally I took two books and paid for them on the pay-desk. The two stories that I choose were telling about spirituality - life, religion, society. This is just what I need to read about because I like to consider values in life and to question them.

The whole experience made me very happy - going to a book shop, finding something interesting for reading and buying it. I felt ready to recharge and get over the everyday life, the awful problems etc. It appears that happiness can be everywhere and we don't need a whole fortune to get it...

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Daffy Duff hot doggin' on skis / Behind the scenes with Dev

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

 

Who Loves Hot Dogs? / Team News x 2

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

 

Butter!

Monday, July 14, 2008

 

Extreme Party Team / Warehouse Goodies /

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

 

Hump day music video.. Cluster of birds being awesome.. youtube a team rider.. google a team rider....

Friday, July 04, 2008

 

Jack a blog Fridays / wheelies of the week!/ blobbing!

Friday, June 27, 2008

 

Bowl Series

Just look at this beauty of a poster!



How can you not wanna go check it out??

Toilet bong anyone??



No??

Silly Lily's leaving us so we had a donut & mug party.



As you can clearly see, it ruled..

Special Canada Day message from Mr. Walsh:



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So how's life as the new photo editor at SBC?
Life is definitely good working with SBC, Working for a mag is something I've hoped for since I was a wee boy.  When I found out that I did get the job there was a few days of disbelief that it was for real and then my head swelled and I knew I was officially rad.

What was it like when you finally got told that you are now working at SBC?
This season I did the most travelling I have yet for sure.  Being able to travel with your friends and call it work is still kind of strange.  It was a great season and I hope to do it all again next year.

You've been on the road a lot, how's that?
Travelling in India was awe inspiring, anywhere you look there's an epic photo waiting to be taken.  Getting around and communicating is really easy which makes it that much better.

How did you like travelling around in India?
One of the best parts of travelling this year would have to be visiting the Taj Mahal.  It's something that has to be seen in person since no photo or words can do it justice, truly amazing!! 

Do you have any stories about the best and worst moments of travelling this year?
You have to go with the flow when you travel so any bad moments usually turn rad pretty quick.

You must see a lot of young photographers sending you their photos, any tips for them?
It's been really cool to have young photogs send me there shots and as for tips I just tell them to try new things and be aware of some golden rules.

Anyone this year that is blowing you away behind the lens?
There have been a few photogs that have definitely impressed me this year but you'll have to check out the mag to see their work first hand and judge for yourself.

What new riders do you think are making a big splash in 2008?
Andrew Geeves and Seb Toots have been on a tear this season.  I think they're both going to have a lot coming out next season as far as photos and video parts.

What trend in 2008 do you see us regretting in the future?
All trends are ones that are usually regretted and I try not to pay attention.  Being conscious of Global warming and how you can help out is a trend that won't be regretted though.

What do you think of the Whistler snowboard scene?
The Whistler scene can be like high school if you want it to or it can be amazing.  Depending on the person it can be good or bad.  I've been having a great time here for years and I plan on continuing to do so. Bottom line is that people all end up here for one reason, the mountains not the scene.

Do you still get to go out and shoot as much as you like?
Ya I've been able to shoot as much as I did before so nothing's changed as far as that.

Anything important coming up that we should know about?
I'm turning 29 this summer which should be pretty rad, want to come to my party?

Where can we see your work?
Snowboard Canada is the best place but just check photo credit and it might be mine somewhere else as well

Thanks, any shout outs?
Thanks to my wife Dawn, Family and friends and anyone I've met along the way.  Good times had.

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JumpCamp delivers the latest breaking news and information on the top stories.

Brand new photos from this year's camps up on the photos page of the website. Where else eh?


Myles is still jumping off roofs. He loves them roofs. photo by Ali Parker

Mt.Washed has closed for the season even though there's still 400cms of snow up there so we've taken to the sleds lots more lately.

Triggydog scopes out the lines as ol' man Dan makes his way back to the sled.

Nial and Ole, a couple of colourful sled bros.

The weather's been amazing here on the Island, we rode deep powder twice this last week! We also found ourselves a nice road gap on our travels in the backcountry.

Kitto launchin' over Rocky; Trigg's faithful backcountry furball.

Ole sold his sled so who knows what he'll bring to tow people around for the last camp. Maybe a tractor? You never know.

Bonus Camp April 19, 20! With all the snow we had to throw one more session. Register at Onethirtythree board shop in Courtenay (250) 897-1907, online or call anytime to secure your spot and get your last shred in for the season.

Pick a camp, any camp... No wait, there's only one left! Bye bye.



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Kazu or Zizo, Beardmore and filmer Pat Henery, just generally looking hard If your familiar with famed japanese photographer Kazu then you know how much of an enigma the guy is. His very existence is a mystical feat of nature. Kazu is now staff for Atomic Snowboards so he's been shooting with MATT BEARDMORE a ton as well as Gerg Maxwell who's in town filming for the new Alterna Film. Both Greg and Kazu have been bunking out in the famed Artbarn which has turned into an international hostel these days. The Beards has become some what of a father figure to Kazu (who i'm sure in reality is actually older then mat) and has many a fantastic stories of the little guy that range from a rare bum disease to and rolling deep into Revy's Back-country with only a single frayed snowmobile belt. Rumor has it he even got out shooting with Atomic hopeful and teen heart throb BARRY HARTMAN but the report is still out on that one. When it all comes down to it Kazu is a righteous lens man with a sweet english-canadian vocabulary and just a real treat to be around. Kazu has had multiple international snowboard magazine covers, been a model for AIR blaster, has his own T-shirt designed after him and just generally wows everyone he collides with. In a random move of role reversals i shot this sick sequence of Kazu going from photographer-dude to dude-in-a-pink-shirt-with-his-own-image-on-it, breath taking i know....and your welcome. Piece!

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All my life I had built up a fantasy
of the perfect man.
Countless romance stories and fables
helped make that fantasy a reality in my mind.
Searching for that fantasy lead to many
disappointments.
Reality made it clear that there was no such man.
And as the years went by, the fantasy started
to fade away - until I met you.
I had almost given up on the fantasy until
my fantasy became reality,
that reality became you.

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CodyRotten.com - then click blogs. Let me know what you think. You can post comments on all blogs and stories.





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So I moved back to Menomonie for a little while, till like February.
I'm on my way to quit smoking, it's going pretty well. I've started working out. forest(my best friend/roommate) and I go to the gym.
shi*t, I've even cut waaaaaay down on the drinking.... it was getting pretty bad. now, I really only drink when I play beer pong(which is like every friday night or sometimes on saturdays)... I'm still undefeated, so that's good.
I still like my herbs, but even that has been cut way down.

since the ex and I split... shi*t kinda hit the fan for a while and I was mess, but I've got my life back on track. got a new girl... I think she's the tops.

I've got two bands going right now.
the one is like a surf rock/ mellow type acoustic project, and then I've got a metal band called Goat Scroat Gauntlet.

I've started writing stories and comics again as well.


yeah, I'm sure you can tell that I'm trying to stay busy.... if I don't.... I collapse and get into a bunch of shi*t that only brings me down. I am Mr. Selfdestruct, and I'm trying to change that. :) I'm doing pretty good with it too.


oh yeah.. my dad comes out to WI from CA next week, and my girlfriend comes up from Madison at the same time... so I'm super excited for that. Dad and I are going snowboarding at Welch, and I'm going to bring Casie(it's her first time), and my roommate/best friend(forest).

god damn, I can't wait.




TONIGHT, I'm going snowboarding around UW-Stout... there's some pretty rad hand rails, and some gaps and drops and shi*t. I've got an idea for some footy... but it requires a P.O.S. car that I can smash up and land on, and some lights, and somebody with a video camera....


f*ck, I need to find a filmer/photographer... my crew's filmer is lazy, and never wants t go out anymore. damn him


p.s. Bullet for my Vallentine = great music in the morning to get me going. woo!



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Back in Chile for the Burton’s summer photoshoot

Victoria Jealouse, Natasza Zureck and I  are going to Lonquimay which is about 10 hours drive from Santiago.. I love to come down here for the Burton summer photoshoot cause we team up with 2Tiempos, a sled company pull together by Christian Vahrhan.. this guys guys are dope! Los Andes are huge  and deep mountains with Volcanos and the sleds make them easily accessible.. they  avoid extra hiking too.. J

The Orange Truck came to pick us up at Santiago’s airport for a long drive.. we decided to stop at the ocean in Pichilemu on the way after we heard that the waves were huge that day! And they were! Man I had never seen such big waves and by the time we got there, they were much smaller they said! The morning of the same day some Chilean surfers had droped into 12 meters high waves.. one of the surfers even just paddled into it! C R A Z Y !
Last year one of them had won the Billabong XL Award on one of these waves..
I m glad we got to see that! Cause traveling like mad I often don’t get the opportunity to see anything else then mountains..

We got here in Lonquimay which is a very remote place, in poor snow conditions.. the worse snow conditions I had ever seen actually! After a day of scoping and a day of studio shoot we went to the Market waiting for the rain to stop.. that was cool! I got cool bellaclavas for the cold times.. like sledding days or bike missions or anything like that..
Victoria and I were on a mission.. we love south American markets and any cultural shopping days! And we got tons of really cool sick dope earings!

Victoria always has crazy stories to tell.. and this time she came prepared with tons of dvds and printed sheets etc.. she is rad! Finally the weather cleared up for the last day.. all excited and curious on what we would find we first got stuck about in the mud.. but the guys thought they had big muscles and could push us through that crazy f*cked up dirt road..
Only an hour later they admitted we wouldn’t make it.. so we got on the sleds.. crossing the road bank from one side to the other.. trying to find a way through the bush the river the houses and the dirt.. most of the snow had melted and the way was hard to find..

We finally made it to the top of the mountain from where we could see a huge lava river from a volcano that exploded in 88 I think..  C R A Z Y !
we were right next to the crater that exploded.. so I decided to hike and to check what was in there.. it took me quite wild to get to the top.. all rocks were falling under my feet and the heat coming out of the ground didn’t make me feel any more comfortable.. scared that I was gonna blow up the next second.. the crater was cool! The were caves sucked in the snow to deeper level of the earth.. with smoke coming out from time to time..
I felt blessed being up there! First and probably last time I was gonna be on top of a volcano! Then I straped in my Gtwin and rode the dirty black sticky snow down the volcano..
S T O K E D !

That’s it for 2007 Chile. Hopefully we ll get better conditions next year!



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If at first you don't succeed then break down and start bitching.

I'm not gonna say anything inspirational; I'm just gonna f*cking swear a lot."
-Billie Joe Armstrong

No reason to live, but we like it that way"
-Bloodhound gang-

lifes a bitch.. then you die.. =)

You Don't have to be faster than the bear, you just have to be faster than the slowest guy running from the bear"
-johnthegreat

You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same

"People learn from their mistakes."

"and the rivers of egypt with flow with milk and honey."

Some dance to remeber - some dance to forget. - Eagles

"It is better to fail in originality then to succed in immatation." "Appearances can be deciving." "Someone who said that sunny days were best, never danced in the rain." "Never let a fool kiss you, never let a kiss fool you."

The sky is the limit if you let it be.
-V
Can you see my heart in this world you have forgotton?
-Ve
Cut the veins around my wrist, take my heart and never part.
-Ve
I spill my blood willingly

To you I might be just a common fool, but to someone, I'm more than meets the eye...
-Rai Sasaki(Dragon's Destiny)

There is no kai in team

You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because your all the same"

I can't reach the sky without being dragged down...
I can't run forever while I try to hold on...
But if you'll be there where I drown, I don't want to hold your hand...
It's quicker than quicksand and you just won't make it...
-[Quicksand] by Lillix

What happened in the past will stay,but what happens now will go on for life.

"Is your brain broken or something? don't drink and drive!!!"

True wisdom exists in knowing that you know nothing

Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?
What's another word for ‘synonym’?
Why is ‘abbreviation’ such a long word?

Things I like and things I hate: I don't really feel like telling you that..."
-Kakashi Hatake

You may see me not crying but in the inside, I'm crying...

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but what does a blind man see?" ????

Everyone has hope, faith,and trust within them. So we all should never just lose any of these traits. Protect them and cherish them, as if they are one of your precious belongings. -AFG316

happy endings are for stories that havent ended yet

Dear God...." "u ass"
"No Trev we will not go bungy jumping without a rope"

Don't you feel it?
The colder your touch
The more it turns me on
And the faster beats my heart
And baby more I love you..."
- "I Love You (prelude to tragedy)" by HIM

Billie Joe Armstrong: My name is George W. Bush. Actually, my name is a**hole.
Tre Cool: Orange mocha frappucino!
Bam Margera: I took H.I.M.'s tour bus!

Look up to the stars, but don't look down on the earth.

Tré Cool: I don't understand a word of what Billie just said, so I will just talk about chickens.”

The eleventh commandment: Thou shall rock hard.

darkness is only the beggning

Accept it. Love it. Have some ramen.

Just cause I'm a witch it doesn't mean I'm a bitch. But I can be if you piss me off. Touch what's mine and you'll truly pay.

"sing like you think no one's listening"
I can almost taste it with my nose. -Falcone aka Dico in Haggard

Some books can be devored easily,while others must be taken in piece by piece and digseted slowly.

were I go I just don't know might as well go somewhere in Mexico I eat fairies

When there's a village angry mob, theres only one thing to do....run like the wind and don't look back!!!"

Don't fight with an idiot because they might make you stoop down to their leval and beet you with experience

Roll, Roll, Roll a joint
Twist it at the ends
Light it up and take a puff
And pass it to your friends!

Dont cry for anyone who wont cry for you...

You were born an individul, don't die a clone" or "Its my f*cking life and you know what nobody invited you...so there's the door...see ya!-Billie Joe Armstrong

Would you like me to discribe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box" -Legolas Greenleaf The Two Towers
"A red sun rises blood has been spilt this night" - Legolas Greenleaf The Two Towers

Today is a good day to die_Worf star trek
'Stop Mocking me!"Stewie Griffin Family Guy
"Got ya ha ha ha!" Jokey smurf Smurfs
Baka, Shut up"Hiei Yu-Yu Hakusho
"Quit yer crying,stupid" Inuyasha Inuyahsa

[.x.She'd Absolutly Kill To Here Him Say She's Beautiful.x.]

I never asked for promises. I never wanted anything. I just want you

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." -Maya Angelou

Be your self they can only send you to hell once"

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing

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GERMAN:


Es ist vollbracht. Der Film "Übermovie" ist fertig, eingesperrt in einem stählernen Safe, rund um die Uhr bewacht von einer Snowboard-Franz-Klon-Armee, umringt von einem Becken voller tollwütiger Haie. Ein Film voller Geschichten über Großstädte, Mädchen, Pappschilder und Snowboarden, untermalt mit dem süßesten IndiePopElectroRock seit dem es Snowboardfilme aus Bayern gibt. "Übermovie", die sechste und bisher aufwendigste Produktion von Isenseven, präsentiert die Crew um Basti Kuhn, Michi Zirngibl, Marco Smolla, Chris Patsch, Peter König, Fredrik Evensen, Xaver Hoffmann, Erik Botner, Christophe Schmidt, Tobi Strauss, André Kuhlmann, Fips Strauss, Daniel Ek und Andre Tröltzsch auf turbulenten Reisen zu den schönsten Hügeln dieser Welt. Erst am Abend des 29.Septembers wird der Streifen wieder aus dem Sicherheitstrakt befreit und in der Badeanstalt, Leopoldstr. 250 in München der Öffentlichkeit zum allerersten Male vorgeführt. Ab 21:00 Uhr ist Einlass und wer früh kommt, kann sicher sein, noch einen guten Platz nahe der Hauptleinwand zu ergattern. Diejenigen die Fahrer und Produzenten der Crew aber schon immer mal in echt, in Farbe und nüchtern kennenlernen wollten, seien bereits am Nachmittag des 29.Septembers herzlich zum Isenseven-Kaffeeklatsch im Planet-Sports in der Albert-Roßhaupter-Str. 37 in München-Sendling eingeladen. Für Spätzünder wird dieses Jahr auch noch eine Extra-Leinwand im Außenbereich aufgestellt. Für reichlich Bier ist gesorgt, den Frohsinn dürft ihr selber mitbringen. Und damit der sich auch nach dem Film noch ausleben kann, bedienen die DJs Dominic Holzer vom Helter-Skelter Radio M94.5 und Sir Hannes aus Isen's Lieblingsschuppen, dem Atomic Café in München, eure Ohren mit besten Tanzflächenfüllern, wie man sie aus den Filmen kennt.

BAD GOOGLE ENGLISH ( SORRY; NO TIME FOR TRANSLATION):
It is achieved. The film “Übermovie” is, locked up in a steel Safe, around the clock guarded surrounded by an Snowboard Franz clone army, by a basin of full rabid sharks. A film of full stories over large cities, girls, stick-describe and Snowboarden, under with the sweetest IndiePopElectroRock since that it to Snowboardfilme from Bavaria gives. “Übermovie”, the sixth and most complex production of Isenseven, presents the crew around Basti Kuhn, Michi Zirngibl, Marco Smolla, Chris Patsch, Peter König, Fredrik Evensen, Xaver Hoffmann, Erik Botner, Christophe Schmidt, Tobi bunch, André Kuhlmann, Fips bunch, Daniel Ek and Andre Tröltzsch on turbulent journeys to the most beautiful hills of this world. Only in the evening of the 29.Septembers the strip is released the Sicherheitstrakt and in the public swimming pool, Leopoldstr. 250 in Munich of the public for the all first time demonstrated. Starting from 21:00 clock is inlet and who early comes, can be surely, still another good place close of the main canvas too ergattern. Those the drivers and producers of the crew however always times in genuine, in color and soberly to become acquainted with wanted, are already in the afternoon of the 29.Septembers cordial to the Isenseven Kaffeeklatsch in planet sport in the talking nonsense unit train main he STR. 37 invited into Munich Sendling. For late fuzes this year also still another extra canvas in the external area is set up. For plentifully beer, the sense of glad may you are ensured bring along. And thus also after the film to still live it up, serves the DJs Dominic Holzer of the Helter Skelter radio M94.5 and Sir the Hannes from Isen's favourite shed, the Atomic Café in Munich, your ears with best dance surface fillers, knows how one knows her from the films.


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London – We flew into Heathrow and the plan was to catch a train to Jamies grandmothers house in Oxford but her house was flooded.  So we got a tube to Camden & met up with Jamies cousin David who agreed to let us stay for a few days.  The first night in London we met up with some of Jamie’s friends.   We didn’t really want to do any of the touristy stuff in London, but we did go the National Gallery and Trafalger Sqaure. The exchange rate for pounds to Canadian dollars was pretty brutal so we didn’t spend much.  We caught up with a friend from school, Nicole who was in Kensington.  We walked past Hyde Park but we didn’t go check out the Princesss Diana memorial, so I didn’t get the chance to pee in it.  If London wasn’t so ridiculously expensive I would love to live there, going to the pub for a pint is a great way to spend an evening.

Amsterdam – I knew this would be the highlight of the trip, I’d heard a lot of stories about what we should do and where to go in Amsterdam.   To be fair there is a lot of cool stuff to do if sex drugs aren’t your thing …. we did go visit Anne Franks house, and the Rijksmuseum which has about 1000 Van Gogh and Rembrandt paintings.  But my favorite museum was the Heineken Experience which lovingly tells the story of Hollands favorite beer with interactive displays.  As you make your way through the “museum” there are 3 different pubs where you get to sample the beer.  
The nightlife in Amsterdam is amazing, we went to Boom Chicago which is an improv comedy club.  I was surprised how everyone in Holland spoke English, and the Dutch have no accent.  It sounds a bit American and a bit English, but I would have a hard time spotting a Dutchman.
I wanted to check out a coffee house in Amsterdam, but I was not planning on trying any drugs.  We went into a coffee house on the first night & they had a menu of what you could buy – they had cookies and brownies and doughnuts, and hashie milkshakes.   I tried a brownie, it was supposed to be the equivalent of 2 joints.  I think I was more influenced from the jug of beer we had at boom Chicago.   On our second night in Amsterdam we decided to get a gram of marijuana.  I’m not an expert but it was good stuff.  Amsterdam has to be one of the most interesting places, the people dress like Vogue models.  The red light district was not as sleazy as I expected, it seemed pretty touristy actually.   I was surprised when Jamie suggested we go see a live sex show, I was happy to try anything & everything we could on our trip. It was just regular sex, a guy & a girl, 2 lesbians and then a jungle woman with triple-D boobs having sex with a guy in a gorilla suit.  It was something fun to do as a one-off, but I don’t think it would be something you would do every week, like instead of going to the movies you would catch a sex show.
On our last night in Amsterdam we met up with the rest of our Contiki group.  There were 50 people in our group, mostly Australians & New Zealanders and some South Africans, Canadians, Americans.  There were a couple of Brazilians and Tawainese too, so it was a good mix of people.

Munich – we were all pretty hung over when we left Amsterdam at 6am to drive to Munich, Germany.  Our tour guide was Rachel, a cool chick from New Zealand, she basically talked to us like a school teacher & told us we would have to stay with the group & leave when she told us or they’d leave without us.  We arrived in Munich at about 4PM, just in time to go see the Glockinspeil.  Rachel told us it was the highlight of Munich … basically it’s a huge cuckoo clock. It went for 10 minutes, and there were literally 1000s of people watching.  When the clock finally stopped chiming we went for a tour of Munchen.  In the middle of the city is a park where office workers go & sit and eat their lunch and take their clothes off … it was a nudist park!  We went to a beer hall in Munich for dinner, the very one where Hitler used to go to give some of his famous speeches.   German food is pretty good, the main course was literally just a pork leg … no vegetables, no side dish, just meat!  I had 2 steins with my dinner so I don’t remember miuch else happening in Munich, except back at the hotel half the group went to bed & half the group went to the bar for another drink.  Jamie and I met a local Munchen man who offered to buy us a drink, cos he enjoyed speaking English and just wanted to talk to us …. ahh ok we went to bed pretty quickly then.   We drove to Switzerland the next morning, but we did make a stop at the Dacchau concentration camp, they turned the original buildings into a museum. I have to respect Germany for not trying to cover up their darkest chapter in history.

Geneva / Lucerne / Zurich – the trip itinerary was very full, we spent a lot of time each day on the bus traveling to our next destination.  We arrived in Zurich at lunch time, it’s the one city in Europe that looked exactly how I expected & was looking forward to explore it.  Too bad Rachel gave us 30 minutes to see the city & have lunch …. just enough time to grab a McSwiss burger.  The Swiss Alps were beautiful and I definitely want to go back with my snowboard.  It was funny seeing the Australians and South Africans get excited about seeing snow for the first time.  In Lucerne we saw a yodeling demonstration and had a traditional Swiss dinner.  But the highlight of Lucerne was the hotel, which was basically overtaken by our group.  It’s where the group really bonded, and I leant heaps of new drinking games.

Cannes / Nice / Monaco – it was a long drive from Lucerne to Cannes, with a short stop in Zurich.  When Rachel gave the group the choice of having a quiet night at the camping grounds or going to Monaco we unanimously voted for Monaco.  Jamie & I were dressed up to hit the Grand Royale casino …. I wanted to order a vodka martini, Jamie wanted to bet 10∍ on black.  There was a 20∍ cover charge to enter the Grand Royale, so we hit the mini-casino next door.  Jamie was insistent that he was going to gamble in Monaco so he put 10∍ in the giant slot machine … and won 950∍! Back in Antibes we got a bottle of vodka to celebrate.  The funniest moment of the trip was in Monaco when Rachel pointed out Prinicess Stephanie’s palace to us, and Aussie Dave yelled out ‘jeez its bloody nice hey, I thought my house was nice but this is bloody beautiful!’.  We got to spend the next day in Cannes, you feel like a schmuck seeing all the sports cars and huge yachts and villas.  The only other interesting thing that happened in Cannes was a guy in our group nearly got arrested for taking photos of topless women on the beach.  There was a circus with lots of carnival rides next to the campgrounds where we were staying.  After a few beers a bunch of us went on the giant drop, it wasn’t until we got to the top when Derrick reminded everyone about the 13 year old girl who lost her feet on the same ride.  But we survived and went back to the huts for more beer and card games.

Barcelona  -  Spain was the last stop on our contiki trip.  I’ve always thought that Italy has the worlds most beautiful women, but Spain is a serious challenger to the title.  The architecture in Spain was amazing.   It was the groups last night & we went to a flamenco demonstration & to a nightclub which was I was looking forward to doing for the whole trip.  I tried Sangria in Barcelona, which was pretty smooth so I drank more and more.  Maybe it was the alcohol but everybody was pretty emotional about it being our last night, a bunch of us are planning on reuniting for another contiki trip next year.

Paris – Jamie & I flew to Paris the next morning .  Air travel in Europe is realy cheap, our tickets were $30, the same that it costs me to get a train to Toronto!  I’d been to Paris twice before & Jamie had been a bunch of times before too. We had 3 nights in Paris and Jamiie said he wanted to blow his 950 winnings from Monaco on a fancy hotel, but we eventually decided to stay at a hostel.  We got a room at the Woodstock, a pretty famous hotel near the Sacre de Couer.  We’d planned on doing a lot in Paris,, but we were both pretty knackered, so we ended up going to the Louvre and Les Invalides.  We met a Scottish guy at the Woodstock who spoke fluent French and he & Jamie explored the Latin Quarter.  I thought the Parisiens were pretty rude, but I would have been disappointed if they weren’t.  We got kicked out of out hotel room at 10:30 (they have a rule you’re not allowed in your room between 10:30 and 5), and our room got flooded from the sun roof that was left open.   Our last night in Paris was the best night of the trip, we were planning on a having a few quiet beers at the Woodstock, but the bar was full of tourists participating in a drinking Olympics.  

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