Ross Champion
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09 Freeride Boat is for sale!

11/4/2010

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It is now officially time to move one of my all time favorite boats.  Last years competition ski has been for sale for a while.  But now is the time to make it move.  This boat brought me a lot of success, and has been featured in magazines, videos, and on TV around the world.  It will also be featured in our documentary to be released later this year.


Here is a link to a complete build list.  http://www.blowsion.com/forsale/skis/ross09.pdf
Below are a couple of pictures from Surf Slam this past year.  It was there as a backup for me, and I needed it when I broke my steering nozzle on the new boat.  Another one of my favorite old pics on this boat taken in Franc just after we built it in April of 09.  Then a slide show to give you an idea of what exactly it looks like now.



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JetWaves 2010 in Brazil

10/28/2010

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So far so good...but kinda lonely. And some other random thoughts to kill time.

10/22/2010

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Things have really gone pretty well so far. First flight from San Diego to LA was delayed a little, but you know what...Korean Air knows how much I love them and would not leave with out me. At this point it is a bit of a toss up between Lufthansa and Korean Air for my favorite airline. Lufthansa is the undisputed leader for European travel because of their large downstairs restrooms with mirrors that run the length of the wall, other wise known as the “Mile High Club House” on trans-Atlantic routes. But sadly enough at my advanced age; good food, really nice flight attendants, and a plasma screen that is the size of the whole back of the seat in front of me have a greater appeal than the mile high club...besides with Lizzy at home it is a pretty lonely club up there for me.


I was very happy to get waived through customs without having a bag check upon arrival . Although it is always fun to try and explain to foreign official why exactly I'm carrying enough Blowzionized billet goodies to stock a warehouse, and further why I should not have to pay taxes on all the sparkly new parts that I am (smuggling) legally bringing in to the country...I've already had enough fun on this trip, what with the plasma screen on the back of the seat and all. So I'm happy save the blatant smuggling of goods and lying to officials for another country and time.


Conditions are not looking too promising for this weekend. I'm going to have a great boat prepared by the guys at Jetmotion in Argentina, and I am sure if we have surf I will be in good shape but I'm not too optimistic that we will have any waves. The venue for this year is the same as last year, Picassa. It is a beautiful town on the beach and is where Lenzi has a summer home on the river. But the beach is a protected bay that rarely gets waves. And it is not the place where a world class surf event should be held. But there are a number of rea$on$ why it is held there, and I don't think there is any money to have a contest else where. So if the choice is Picassas or nothing...well Picassas it is. It is just such a shame when the old venue at Pria Brava is such a good wave.

 

Truth be told, the Argentinians are the real reason that I am at the event this year. JetWaves is a great contest and a great time, but it has been a really tough year for me. I was hurt and working on other projects for the first part of this year, and my riding program really suffered as a result. JetWaves was not really high on the list of priorities this year considering I've had some major difficulties down here in years past...actually I'm pretty sure that I vowed never to come back at the end of last year. (But that is another story.) There are 30+ guys coming from Argentina this year, and those guys have become like family to me the past couple of years. The gratitude and hospitality these guys have shown Lizzy and myself is just unreal...and I could not let these guys down by not showing up. I can't wait to see all of them.

 

This year I am fortunate to have a manager of sorts helping me to solicit some sponsorship outside of the industry. I had an agent a couple of years ago who seemed to have some great ideas, but for what ever reason was not able to put anything together...then stopped returning my phone calls. This year though, I have friend and guy that I trust helping me. So we will see what happens. I know there is value to the exposure that we get, but I am not good or comfortable selling myself. Hopefully Glenn will be. We are really getting to crunch time at this point, if I don't have a solid deal lined up by the end of the year it will be time for me to focus on other life goals...which is not entirely a bad thing.


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Pismo Motosurf...and on to Brazil

10/20/2010

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We had a great time at the Pismo Motosurf last weekend.  Pretty fun surf and lots of people from around the country.  Highlight of the weekend for me was watching Taylor Curtis throwing and coming very close to landing all sorts of re-entry variations.  I'm not a huge fan of these really short freestyle hulls in the surf, but Taylor is giving up as far as handling goes he is more than making up for where the technical tricks are concerned. 

Aside from that, it is always fun to camp on the beach with the family and pup.  And it is a really great event to meet people who are enthusiastic about the sport.

Now I'm sitting in the San Diego airport on the way to Brazil.  IFWA events are always a great time, and I'm coming in to this event will basically all the pressure off for the first time in a while.  Since I missed the first stop in France, I'm not in contention as far as point go for the world title.  And I won the last event in Oregon, so I feel like I have proven that I am over my injuries. 



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Surf Slam and IJSBA World Finals

10/20/2010

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  Lots has happened since since the last entry...

I healed up pretty well and was able to get back to training pretty quickly. It is tough to have the down time before a contest. Especially since I had to miss the first event of the year and IFWA World Tour because of my knee issues.

Blowsion Surf Slam wound up going really well. Great conditions, good surf, amazing light for the photo/video guys, and we were lucky enough to win. After the event we stayed for a few days to shoot what I hope will be a great and long lasting Trick Tips DVD project. I basically used the outline from my freeride clinic that teaches everything I do from boat and body prep to how to do every single trick I do. Then for the DVD we have the very best riders in the world explaining and showing how they do everything they do, along with me. I'm super excited about this project...probably more than anything else we've done the past couple of years.

Now we are in Havasu for IJSBA World Finals, with most of the regular Blowsion crew...and things are going as per usual. Pretty wild late night on Thursday at the Hydro-Turf party, then watching Shane and Mike Serlin have a tazer fight when we got back to the house. Tonight the rental mini van is sitting in the parking lot smoking and leaking oil out of the fresh new break in the bottom of the pan...turns out even with 7 guys in the van, it still lands a little nose heavy. Little spot of weld and some fresh oil should be good to go.

Couple more days in the desert and about 145 more “world champions” (which is a topic we may visit at some point, but with all due respect to the guys putting in the time and effort to race, it does not sit well with me that winning one race a year in one of 50 possible categories gives the title of “world champion”) I will be back home training for the final stop of the IFWA World Tour in Brazil at the end of the month. But before that we will hit the Pismo Moto Surf next weekend.

That is a really quick wrap-up of a lot of time and work. But will be making a better effort to keep the blog up in the future.

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Funny how a minor back injury has changed the course of my life...

8/22/2010

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Laying here on an ice pack unable to really move too much and with an incredible amount of pain in my lower back...gives me a little time to reflect on how this injury has allowed me to live the incredible life I have over the past several years.  


Going back 10 years, if I had been asked what I would do for the rest of my life the answer would have probably been surf and develop land. Up to that point I had some success in amateur competition and had a pretty significant support from a few companies.  I wasn't even aware what "freeride" was or that anyone rode stand up watercraft in the surf.  But because of a few very frustrating years of dealing with some insane back issues that came as a result of surfing, I went searching for something else...and found freeride. 


Since about 2000 I've had 5 separate "episodes" with my back that leave me more or less unable to move and in tremendous amounts of pain.  The first two times happened the same exact way, backside bottom turn in to a snap off a section.  My back went the instant I hit the section fully twisted, ready to finish the turn.  Those episodes left my back permanently stiff and sore, and made getting out of bed in the morning amazingly painful.  I kept surfing, but that was just a lesson in frustration.  Finally around a year later, my back went again just as I was beginning to stand up. That was pretty much when I figured it was time to focus on something else.  


Over the ensuing 5 or six years, I surfed off and on but not much and my back always got stiff and I paid for it over the next several days.  That was until 2007 when  my back went out for the 4th time at the first stop of the 2007 IFWA World Tour in Portugal. 


After practice on the friday before the event, I tried to help get a 4 wheeler unstuck from the sand and my back went again. Well...after a full night of Liz helping me stretch, some really strong muscle relaxers, 4 pounds of Ibuprofen, and alternating heat and cold therapies...I was able to compete the next day.  


I came back from that event determined to figure out how to fix my back.  Since then, I have totally changed how I workout now a workout is probably 50% stretching, went to see some specialists, and in 2008 started putting some serious miles on the mountain bike which seems to really help keep my back loose.  All of that worked pretty well.  Then  after discovering the severity of my knee and shoulder injuries earlier this year, I decided that I would just lay low for a few months and let my body recover. 


A couple months of nothing more than stretching really did me a lot of good, and for the first time in literally 10 years I was over my back pain.  And I think most of my close friends have heard me say the past couple months, that despite my knee issue, I was healthier than I have been in the past 10 years.  I've felt so good recently that the past couple of months I've been surfing...allot.  To the point that I thought it might be fun to hit up a few of the local WSA  events.  


But today changed all of that again...back side snap to horrendous pain...and here we are.  


I'll recover from this just fine...but this injury really has changed the course of my life.  If not for my back condition, I never would have started riding watercraft...and I certainly would have missed out on some incredible life experiences and an incredible sport.  Indirectly, this injury has lead me to something else that I truly love to do, and because I have a little ability to do it well, I have had the pleasure of traveling the world as a "professional athlete."  I would not change the course of how things have happened...but I for sure would love to be able to get past this.
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New boat is almost done!

8/22/2010

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I just got back from Kommander Ind in Phoenix with my new Super Jet 90% done and this boat is amazing.  I can't wait till we unveil this thing!  The paint from Johnny at Blowsion is never anything short of amazing and this boat is no exception.  Matt and the rest of the composite guys up there really out did themselves this time, there is so much custom composite work on this hull it is unreal.  The new "R Champion" signature series hood kit is great, and there is one more surprise on this hull that you guys will be stoked on!

When I got home, I walked in the door find my new JetPilot gear to match the boat had shown up!  Good times...and in a day or so I will head up to Hydro-Turf then on to Cold Fusion and we 
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Fun Summer Surf in So Cal

8/9/2010

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It has been a fun week or so of surf here in so cal.  The May Gray, June Gloom is pretty much all gone at this point. And the past few days have seen some fun south swell, warm water, and sun.  

The highlight of this morning's ride was Christian Young throwing his first flip attempts.  His goal is to land one before his 13th birthday next Monday.  So long as the surf holds I'm sure he will get it!  H
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Good times...and fun surf

8/8/2010

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Fun little swell this morning with sets in the head high range. Mike Serlin and Eddie Bettencourt came out of retirement for a little ride.  Always fun when those guys make it...makes me push a little harder than I otherwise would and kinda feels like old times.  


At this point I'm feeling pretty good and have had a few really strong weeks in the water, I'd say I'm about 80% ready to compete.  Which is better than almost all of last year.  Still have a few more things I would like to get dialed in before we head to Oregon next month.


Will have to look at surf, but probably will not be riding tomorrow and will be back at it on Tuesday...7am who's in?
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Progression!

8/7/2010

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Great morning in the water today!  Aside from Pierre Maixent, there is no one else in the world that makes me push like Jerry Jones.  This morning was a great example of that.  Jerry has not really been in the water all that much lately, but that did not stop us from coming up with some new variations on one of the tried and true staple freeride tricks.  And there is nothing like progression and learning new tricks to light the fire to learn more.  


The past few weeks of riding and training hard have been well worth it, I'm still dealing with some nagging knee issues.  But overall I'm healthier than I have been in several years.  


We are going to do it again tomorrow at 7am...rumor is some more of the old "O'Side Crew" will be making an appearance.  Who else is in? 
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