Live Like Mike

This year the Teva Games Vail Pass Time Trial fell on Mike Janelle’s Birthday. Mike Janelle was a long time pro cyclist who, during his career, raced all kinds of different events. He was best known as a mountain bike racer but was also a member of a winning Race Across America Team and an accomplished road and Cyclocross racer. Mike died in his sleep of heart failure on November, 23, 2007. Mike’s Wife, Maribel, was pregnant with their first child when he died.

Mike was an amazing person. He was the kind of guy that made everything more fun. He is dearly missed at every race. So when I found out that the TT was on his birthday I knew I needed to do something. Without access to a chalkbot, I decided to spray paint 9 portraits of Mike on Vail Pass where the race would be.

Mike’s Team, Tokyo Joe’s, set up a website LiveLikeMike.Org to give friends and family a place to share their memories of Mike and also to raise some money to help Maribel and Mike Jr. For a $40 donation you can help out a friend in need and get some sweet gear.

I had a lot of friends tell me that seeing the painting of Mike helped them to push harder and stay in the big ring up the climb. Mike has given me a lot of inspiration a encourage all of us to Live Like Mike

What the heck is a Chalk-Bot?

For years cycling fans have been painting words of encouragement for their favorite racers on the roads of major races. Nike/LiveStrong have taken this concept to the next level with Chalkbot:

Do you have something to say to Lance to bring him to Paris in yellow? Text LIVESTRONG followed by your message to 36453 or go to wearyellow.com

Tour Time!

As a cyclist I am incredibly excited for the Tour de France. As a artist I am equally excited about Lance Armstrong’s latest Art meets Cycling endeavor: Stages.

Nike Sportswear + Lance Armstrong - “Stages” Touring Art Exhibition Supporting Livestrong from Stephen Wong on Vimeo.

The whole initiative will comprise of over 21 artist’s from all walks of life, each with different backgrounds and disciplines. We are talking about the best artists of a generation. They include KAWS and Barry McGee (who both designed custom bikes) as well as Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, Shepard Fairey (famous for the Obama Hope image), Tom Sachs, Geoff McFetridge, Raymond Pettibon, José Parlá, Ed Ruscha, Christopher Wool, Dzine, Eric White, Kenny Scharf, Os Gêmeos, Marc Newson, Rosson Crow, Taryn Simon, JR, Yoshitomo Nara, Suejin Chung, Lari Pittman, Aaron Young and Jules de Balincourt. The whole effort ultimately benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign. While the artist works inspired by Lance Armstrong are on display now, a special presentation will take place at the world renowned Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris on July 16th, 2009 coinciding with the end of the tour’s 21 stages. Get it? Stages?

Now watch stage 2, then get out and ride!

thanks for reading!

Girl Goes (RED)

For the second year in a row, Girl skateboards has teamed up with (RED) to raise money for AIDS. Check out this video of Mike Carroll:

I still have not out grown skateboarding, or punk rock, or thinking that farts are awesome… but enough about me. (RED) is another great example of the “get what you want, raise money for charity” model that I think is so sweet.

If you need a new board head over the the (RED) shop While you are killing time and letting it kill you at work check out last year’s video with Eric Koston.

Thanks for reading!

mike

Road to Recovery

I first met Tara Llanes in the summer of 2006. I was working as the athlete manager for the Jeep King of the Mountain ski & snowboard series. That summer I also took over the gravity cycling events. My background is in skiing and endurance cycling. I was in way over my head and had no idea what I was doing. Tara was one of the first athletes I met at my first JKOM mountain bike event. She is an amazing person and is one of the best female racers of all time.

On the first of September 2007, Tara’s life would be changed forever. While competing in the Jeep King of the Mountain finale in Beaver Creek Colorado, Tara suffered a horrific crash during the first run of her semi-final heat. Tara was rushed to Vail Valley Hospital, and then airlifted to Denver Health Hospital a short time later. Following seven hours of surgery to the back and spinal cord, it was determined she had no feeling from the waist down.

Tara is working as hard as any champion has ever worked to regain the use of her legs. Life is dangerous and incredibly uncertain, add to that our love of sports and the outdoors and any one of us could end up facing the same challenges that Tara now faces.

One of the central themes to this website is identifying what you have to give and how to give it. Tara was racing Jill Kintner when she was injured. Kintner is an Olympic bronze medalist as well as a 3-Time UCI 4x World Champion, 2-Time UCI World Cup Champion, 3-Time US National Champion and has 13 World Cup Victories to her name. In addition to being a phenomenal bike racers Jill is also a very gifted artist. Jill used her talent as a graphic designer to design a custom labeled Heart of a Champion lip balm. The balm is available on Tara’s website. The purchase goes to funding Tara’s road to recovery.

I am inspired by both of these women and encourage anyone reading this to think about all of their gifts and who they could help by giving them. Thanks for reading!

mike