Paso Robles

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Jonny Miller and racers with the Fire Department

The day started early. The BLR crew left the hotel. Breakfast. Coffee. Laughter. The area up here is wild and unattended. Rolling hills and long dried brown grass. The roads curl up the hillsides and run back down the other side like black water. We left Jonny’s place after a riders meeting and the caravan left for the hill.

riders meeting at Toyland

Toyland crew preparations

Caravan

After an hour of vast landscapes and twisting turns, we came to a stop near a fire station on a lone mountain road. Hawks and vultures circled aimlessly in the air above us attesting to the remoteness and isolation of the place. Spirits were high and the energy intoxicating. The racers readied themselves and Jonny drove the first bunch up the mountain. He turned them loose.

barbed-wire start

Greg Fadell and Jason Mitchell

Tahoe longboarder

David Hackett

The riders ran through a few hours of speed racing and then took a break. It was hot. 90′s. Hackett whipped up some PB&J’s. Water. The vultures still circled. It made me smile. “Not today…” I mumbled. Jonny then took the riders up a larger hill and they ran that one out until it gave all it could give. Power slides. Big speed.

PB&J day

Gravity crew loading up…

Daniel Cuervo – power slide

Jason Mitchell

Everyone loaded up and readied thmselves for the mineral springs that Jonny was taking us to. Ahhhh. The place sat there shimmering. A lake. Ducks. An oasis. We pulled down the long dirt road. Paradise in the middle of nowhere.

mineral springs

stoked

mineral bath and heavy duty mud slinging…

It was a beautiful end to a beautiful day. The sun set over the water, BBQ was prepared, music floated up to the sky and smiles were the norm rather than the exception. Grass roots. Skateboarding. Awesome. The BLR crew lit it up all day. They ruled the contest and the event. It was perfection.

Gods way of signing off on our day

the long dark drive home…