Faster than we thought we'd go

"The closest we've ever come to realizing everything we wanted"

Fancy Dress Ball

A moment before my patent leather shoes had galled me, the heavily scented air disgusted me, and the heat undone me. Now on my winged feet I nimbly one-stepped through every room on the way to hell. The very air had a charm. the warmth embedded me and wafted me on, and so no less did the riotous music, the intoxication of colors, the perfume of women's shoulders, the clamor of the hundred tounges, the laughter, the rhythm of the dance, and the glances of all the kindled eyes. A Spanish dancing girll flung herself into my arms: "Dance with me!" "Can't," said I. "I'm bound for hell. But I'll gladly take a kiss with me."

The Latenight System

I often think about things not in terms of specific details, but in terms of a broader view, which I think can best be described as an aesthetic. Basically the way something feels, which can range anywhere from "pretty heinous/unchill to "chill" to "the chillest". With things like bands and sports teams and other things that I like to think I know more about than I do, I often find myself more attracted to this idea than the actual band/team in question. This is the reason I like the Utah Jazz better than the Houston rockets, even though I have barely seen anything but highlights of either team. I just like the entire idea of the Utah Jazz more than the idea of the Houston Rockets, so I tell myself to root for Utah. If my likes and dislikes are somewhat arbitrary, at least I am usually decisive.


Tonight I was walking home from work when I found myself in the midst of a particularly chill aesthetic. I had just worked a long and hectic shift, after which I was exhausted. While walking home, looked around and thought about, thought about myself, thought about a girl (more than I have in a while), and thought about how much I love everything about Oregon and the UO. It was raining the perfect amount, just enough to make noise on my hood. The rain combined nicely with the way campus is lit at night. There were ducks in the puddle that I alway have to get by on the path. I have always loved ducks. Feeding them with my grandpa when I was young. Seeing them in my backyard. Being talked about on ESPN as the Oregon ducks, with the flashiest uniforms in the country.

I felt the exact same way yesterday while I was driving home from the beach. The weather was typical Oregon spring, sun for a minute then hail for 20. Rural Oregon has such a good aesthetic. The way the railroad runs right along the road, the way the road runs right along the river, the way old lumber towns are shitty and poor and abandoned, it just all fits perfectly in my mind and seems so real. Other places are cool, but Oregon is impeccable.

I haven't been reading anything lately other than nonfiction (and not even very much of that). I feel like I'm not as good at expressing myself as I used to be. I just read Kevin's blog for the first time in a while and was genuinely impressed, both by his writing and by his story.

I need to start trying to write again, I forgot what it feels like. Less is more.

Black and white and sepia. I swear thats in a death cab song but I've spent the past half hour on google trying to figure out which one. Its not easy being green.

Bustin christ airs until we get to heaven

Christian Hosoi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Christian Rosha Hosoi (born October 5, 1967) is an American professional skateboarder. He was also known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes". Hosoi, along with Tony Hawk, were the most popular skateboarders for the better part of the 1980's.

Biography

Early skateboard career

Hosoi started skating at six years old with veterans such as Shogo Kubo, Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams as models. For a time in the late '70's he attended Play Mountain Place alternative school in Culver City, CA. His father, Ivan "Pops" Hosoi became the manager of the Marina Del Ray Skatepark, and Christian quit school and spent his time at the skatepark where he quickly developed his skateboarding talent. In 1979 Hosoi was sponsored by Powell Peralta. He left a year later when Powell Peralta would not turn him pro, and he joined Dogtown Skateboards which went out of business shortly thereafter. He turned pro at the age of 14 with Sims Skateboards.

Hosoi emerged as one of the top competitors of vert riding alongside such pros as Steve Caballero, Mike McGill, Lester Kasai, and Mark "Gator" Rogowski with an eventual rivalry developing with Tony Hawk with contrasting styles in both skateboarding and lifestyles —Hosoi, known for his flair and graceful style, and Hawk raising the bar with his technical ability and difficult tricks. Hosoi invented the Christ Air and Rocket Air, and was renowned for pulling huge aerials; at one point holding the world record. Vertical skateboarding grew in spectator popularity with prize money to match. This, combined with major endorsements with Converse, Swatch, and Jimmy'Z, as well as receiving a pro model wheel, the OJ II Hosoi Rocket through Santa Cruz Speed Wheels, earned Hosoi more money than he'd ever dreamed of.

In 1984 he formed his own company Hosoi Skates, first through Skull Skates, then through NHS/Santa Cruz, and released his signature and iconic Hammerhead model, with the shape inspired by the namesake shark, which proved so popular it was counterfeited.^[1] When street skating began to emerge in the mid-to-late 80s, Hosoi proved a threat as well, winning both the vert and street contests at the Lotte Cup contest in Japan in 1989.^[2]

Incarceration

Hosoi's skateboard career began to falter as a recession hit the US in the early 1990s, and skateboarding underwent a revolution with street skating becoming the dominant discipline, overshadowing the superstars of the previous decade and ushering in a new generation of pros, with dwindling coverage of vertical riding in magazines and videos. Hosoi faced bankruptcy after financial difficulties with a series of failed skateboard companies; Tuff Sk8s, Sk8 Kultur, Milk Skate Goods, and Focus, in addition to a growing addiction to drugs. Hosoi had been evading the law, with two minor offenses and a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear in court while on bail since 1995. This further pushed Christian into obscurity, as he avoided competitions and demos, including declining an invitation to the first X Games (then the Extreme Games), which was going to be marketed as a renewed rivalry between Hawk and Hosoi. The X Games would prove to be a turning point for Hawk —it revived the interest in vert skateboarding (and skateboarding in general) and he would go on to achieve some of his greatest skateboarding accomplishments as well as international fame and fortune unlike any other point in his career.

Christian was finally captured in January 2000 at the Honolulu airport. He was apprehended while attempting to transport 1½ pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Hawaii. He was charged with trafficking with the intent to distribute, a federal crime, and Hosoi's third strike. Hosoi was incarcerated at the San Bernadino Central Detention Center. In 2004, a judge reduced his sentence by more than half and released him later that year. In OPM's music video "Heaven is a Halfpipe", one of the members of the crowd can be seen wearing a T-shirt that reads "Free Christian Hosoi".

Christianity

While in prison, Hosoi married girlfriend Jennifer Lee, became a born again Christian through the urging of his wife and her uncle Christopher Swain, a pastor, as well as earning his high school diploma. He was supported by the skate industry while in prison, receiving a pro model deck though the Red Kross/Emergency division of Black Label Skateboards, as well a tribute deck by Shorty's and Chad Muska featuring an homage to Hosoi's first pro model deck on Sims with the Rising Sun graphic, and guest decks through Mark Gonzales' Krooked Skateboards and Pocket Pistols Skateboards, the latter two releasing decks in the famous Hammerhead shape. In June 2004 Hosoi's sentence was reduced for good behavior and he was released on parole. Hosoi continues to be open about his newfound faith, having become ordained as an associate pastor at The Sanctuary of Huntington Beach, California, and has resumed his skateboarding career.

Post-prison

Hosoi was back on a skateboard within two weeks of his release, having not stepped on one during his five years in prison.^[3] He quickly demonstrated his innate skateboard talent, pulling off big airs with the style and grace he was revered for.

In 2006 Christian launched a new skateboard company, Hosoi Skateboards, which has developed a large range of decks, including a re-issue of the classic 80's Hammerhead shape as well as several modernized updates of this classic, the Hammerhead '06 and '07 versions. Most of the new Hosoi decks feature variations of the 'rising sun' graphic that has become his signature. The company has several team riders including Richard Mulder, Andre Genovesi, Daniel Cardone, Sergi Ventura and Jay Alabamy and several signature decks from these riders.

He has appeared in Stephen Baldwin's Livin' It LA a Christian-themed skateboard DVD. In 2006 he signed with Vans, receiving a pro model shoe, the Hosoi Sk8-Hi^[4] featuring the Rising Sun graphic that adorned his debut pro model deck with Sims. A documentary titled Rising Son: The Legend of Christian Hosoi directed by longtime friend Cesario "Block" Montaňo was released in limited screenings in August, September, and October 2006, with the DVD released in November.

Hosoi is married to Jennifer Lee and has two sons, Rhythm (from a previous relationship) and Classic.^[5] Hosoi currently resides in Huntington Beach, California.

It goes dark, it goes darker still

"Im coming to find you if it takes me all night
A witch hunt for another girl
For always and ever is always for you
Your trust
The most gorgeously stupid thing I ever cut in the world"