User:Lakes

From Niftytricks

Jesse Lakes

Jesse's page to talk about stuff --

My Story

From the first day I tried learned how to link turns and surf waves I knew I was addicted. At the age of ten it was a weird concept to be 'addicted' but that is what I was. I always wanted more. Faster, bigger more technical. Only by pushing myself was I able to feel like I wasn't wasting away my time playing.

After three years of skiing I traded it in for a snowboard. That transition was easy and after a handful more years I started finding some support for my addiction. A local shop believed in me enough that as a high school student I wasn't limited to what my allowance could get me in gear, lift tickets and competition entrance fees. About the same time my whitewater kayaking started turning some heads. Needless to say the last few years of high school and the first few of college were an incredible experience. I had never had so much freedom and finally the resources (Thank you Ride Snowboards, Anon Goggles and Board of Missoula) to pursue my addictions as more then a hobby.

Things were kicking ass until that fateful night one winter... After a good session on a handrail at the Universities football stadium we decided to step it up a bit. We moved from jibbing a nice 15 foot rail to a long, tight and technical 30 footer high up in the stadium. Wether it was my fate or a mere wrinkle in the universe my first hit on the new rail ended up with my head bouncing off of the concrete curb at the bottom with enough force to shatter my helmet. The second bounce then the impact was enough for an emergency room visit and a realization that I am not invincible. Needless to say I would not be here today if I had not been wearing a helmet and I still can't recite any nursery rhymes due to my head injury.

The years following were ones that I finally realized that school was important and should be balanced with skateboarding, snowboarding and kayaking. It was hard transition but one that ultimately lead to the creation of this site and curiosity in the arcane world of online ventures.

Eight years later I am still pursuing my dreams but in a slightly different route. I spend more days on the river then anyone I know, this winter my pass will rack up more days then all my friends combined. My sponsors have long left but that just means now I don't have to stress myself out every time my number is coming up to compete.

So this is my new dream, create something to give back to the sports that helped define who I am today, in hopes that the next person that feels the stoke from day one can too live their dream.

My Endeavors

Niftytricks.com
Ski Movie Music
Rider Tunes
Surfer Tunes

My Sports

Whitewater Kayaking
Skateboarding
Snowboarding
Skiing

My Links

My Ventures

My Clients

My Media

My promo video. circa 1999/2000

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