Don't Fret! I'm Back!

I am very sorry for my long leave of absence! Its been a rather busy 2 and half months!! You don't believe me do you? Well let me fill you in: I moved, which is always such a joy; I started an internship (i will expand!); I had appendicitis; I've had some weekend get-a-way trips many weekends in row. 


Yes, my appendicitis resulted in surgery. No fun, but all is well. Moving is always just full of joy- too much cleaning and not nearly enough of my deposite back. 


Before I delve into my internship, let me update you on Justin's NW Cup!


I didn't blog about the last 2 races because I was at neither. One race was July 10- my Birthday. Justin did not place at this race unfortunatly. And the last race was August 7, I was not there because I was recovering from my surgery! But Justin placed 3rd there and 2nd overall in the NW CUP!! Congrats to Justin!!


Now for my internship! I got a great social media internship a local start up company Pirq! Its great! I love every minute of it! Pirq is a 100% smarthphone app bringing relevant, local deals in real-time! Its 100% paperless and time sensitive.  
Pirq is the antidote to the maze and craze of dialy deals. Ever feel overwhelmed by all those random deals that clog your inbox such at 38% off your meal at some random restaurant, or buy 3 get 1 free organic windsurfing? Its gets annoying right? So Pirq only gives you deals when you open the app, and you see the deals that are closest to you by using the map function. Or you choose from the list of cities and see the deals, when and where they are! Very cool! 


Follow Pirq on Twitter and Like on Facebook! 

I have the video I promised!!! It was released yesterday, and has been successful! The video features breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and several different shots of all types of riders. Justin Feldhaus (the rider i seem to talk most about) is featured, about midway through the video. The filming and editing was done by both Justin Felhaus and Dale Shahen. A new addition to the filming team, the steady cam, was used also. The steady cam allows the flimers to walk or run and it balances the camera. It definitely adds to the footage.

Take a look!


NW Cup #3 - Mt Hood Oregon on pinkbike.com

NW Cup Round 3: Mt. Hood Oregon!

The third round of NW Cup proved to be just as fun, with a new location and finally a sunny race day (instead of the usual downpour its been in Port Angeles the last 2 rounds). I definitely have to say as purely a spectator, this was the funnest race. I say this mainly due to weather conditions, being able to hike up the course in the sunshine with a beautiful view of Mt. Hood definitely added to the excitement.  Its amazing how much the nice weather actually adds to these events. The parking lot was covered in bikers, and their supporters, friends and family just chilling and hanging out in between practice runs.

I hiked up the trail, not too far, and this what I got to see: The beautiful Mt. Hood.

Gorgeous view of Mt. Hood

Another difference between Mt. Hood and Port Angeles is the chair lift. The riders had to take two chairlifts to reach the top of mountain, which was also the top of their track. While it did not rain, the course conditions had completely changed by race day. With over 200 riders registered for this race completing multiple runs each day, the course started to become rutted out and lines were harder to make. 

This is the view from the base of the mountain.

Not only was the location of the race beautiful, Hood River is only a short drive away. Hood River is beautiful, complete with cute boutiques, multiple breweries, and it is a popular place for wind surfing.

So how did my friends do?

Justin Feldhaus from High Street Collective placed 2nd in category 2!
Nick Marvick placed 3rd in category 1!

2nd Place! Congrats Justin!

Overall this round of the cup was a success!

Very soon, my friends over at High Street Collective will be posting a video of the whole weekend, featuring all sorts of riders from the race day and practice day! Stay tuned, I will post it right when its finished!

NW Cup Round 2!

The second leg of the Northwest Cup went very well for High Street Collective. This race also took place in Port Angeles, Washington. The course was similar to the first one, the beginning was slightly different. The weekend was a rare nice day in the northwest, until race day. It rained all day long!! This was rather annoying to the racers because the rain poured all night completely changing the feel, and pace of the course. All of the practice times had been during a nice, sunny day with a dry course. Each rider was allowed only one practice run before the race. That is not much time to figure out new lines and get a feel for the altered course.

But this didn't stop High Street Collective rider Justin Feldhaus. He placed second!!

All the riders were extremely muddy!!

Become a Member

Become a Member

This is such a good deal! This premium movie theater has a bar that I can get drinks at before my movie! And it gets even better! I can take my drinks and food into my movie! The seats are big and plush, and have a large table right next to me to set my drinks and food. At the re-opening there will be some pool tables. This place is definitely a destination hangout!

sign up is free, and you will receive many benefits, such as free passes on your birthday and exclusive deals. Spread the word!

Dogs Point of View

My friends over at High Street Collective film and produce many mountain bike videos as you may know (especially if you have been reading my blog). You may have caught glimpse of the infamous dog, Kahia. She goes up all the time with the riders and runs along. I don't think she has been in many videos but she was most likely right there, just not caught on film. On a rainy day with nothing to do Dale and Justin had a great idea: to film a mountain bike video from Kahia's point of view. They more viewed this as a fun project but this video has started to increase in popularity.

Take a look!

4 paws on pinkbike.com

4 paws on pinkbike.com

HSC update!

Justin soaring by on his first race.

A couple weeks ago Justin competed in his first downhill mountain bike race, located in Spokane Washington. It is the first race, Double Down Ho-down of a series, the All Gravity Series. This race consisted of two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It was very fun to experience the down hill racing culture. Fans are allowed to line up all along the trail, at any point they choose. Many of the fans and fellow riders, had cow bells, megaphones and other loud noise making devices to cheer as the riders soar by. The trails consisted of tricky corners, jumps and even following the path of an old waterfall.

The end section of a trail.

one of the tricky sections of Sunday's trials.

Woah! 3rd place!

Justin is also competing in the Northwest Cup Series. The first race was this last weekend in Port Angeles. This race took place on Dirt Hill, but only has one race on Sunday. Justin performed very well, placing 3rd in class 2!

Justin racing!

There are more races coming up! I will keep you all updated!

Anything but calm

Here it is! High Street Collective's newest video! The one that I had the opportunity to see behind the scenes- but I am not in the any of the shots- so don't get your hopes up. ;) Its currently at 820 views (as of the time of this post), and had 450 views in the first 15 hours. How exciting! Its doing sooo well! If you like it be sure to fave it! Each video HSC (High Street Collective)  produces keeps getting better!



Ridin the storm out on pinkbike.com

A windy day in the woods

High Street Collective has to produce one video a month (at least) for their Demon Dirt Sponsorship. Luckily, I got to tag along and witness greatness in the making. I was of some help, I manned the backpack filled with food and water!

As I have described its a very meticulous process and involves much set up and many retakes. It was a very cold and windy day though, let me tell ya. I got to see Dale set up all the equipment, several times, and I also saw many crashes. Its just part of the process, but man, some look painful!

An object in motion stay in motion- the bike stopped, Justin didn't.

In watching this difficult yet very fulfilling process, I finally was able to see how the 3 poles, and weird platform I was helping to lug around actually set up the dolly. This equipment allows for great shots, where the camera can move smoothly and fluid.

Dale moving the dolly as Justin rides by.

I was also able to experience other methods of attaining unique and creative camera shot. What else, other than climbing trees would be so perfect?! One of High Street Collective's other riders, Garrett, came also to help take some camera shots, and help with the overall process. He also climbed some half fallen trees that were right above the trials and resulted in really cool angles.

A camera shot from above the trail.

The video is not yet edited to its final version. I have seen the rough cut, and it is very good! I will be posting once it is up and running!

all the photography in the post was by Garrett.

High Street Collective Sponsorship!!!

High Street Collective recently received news of Demon Dirt choosing them to be one of 27  out of 200 applicants to be sponsored!!! Congratulations! They really have worked hard and deserve this! Its an exciting step in the right direction, and I am excited to see what comes!!

Stay posted. High Street Collective's first race is the last weekend in March!

Lisa Haagen: Show number 2!

Chuckanut Brewery Show

Lisa Haagen performed her second show in Bellingham, Thursday March 3^rd. this show took place at a venue slightly different than her normal venues. It was at a restaurant during normal dining hours, so her music could be considered “background noise”, that sounds harsher than intended. The dynamics of her music and her discussions in between songs have a different purpose.  While at first the exact dynamics of this tableside show were a little unclear, Lisa quickly realized. The tables closest to her set up which was near the rear of the restaurant were filled with her eager and excited fans.

She started off her show with Dancing on the Moon, to get the mood started for a fun and upbeat night. Lisa adapted well to the environment and started to get the flow of things! Another successful show under her belt!

 

Reminder: she had a show tonight at the Honeymoon, hope you all made it! And is playing tomorrow night for open mic J

Show tonight at Chuckanut Brewery

Lisa Haagen!

Since Lisa last show she has continued to play at her usual open mics, Tuesday at the Underground and Wednesday at the Honeymoon. She is still selling her CDs for only $5!!! So are you sitting around on a Thursday wondering what to do? Well Lisa is playing at Chuckanut Brewery tonight at 7 30! Come on down and eat great while listening to the talented Lisa. I will be there!!

Reminder: Lisa has a show at the Honeymoon next Tuesday, March 8^th at 8:30! The Honeymoon is a really relaxed setting, and serves delicious mead and cider.

Lisa Haagen: Another Show!!

Lisa has another show!! She will have a show Thursday, March 3rd, 7:30pm at Chuckanut Brewery.  This venue is open to all ages, and serves great food and beer. Since Lisa's last show she has continued to sell more CDs, and receive much applause for it!


As a reminder, she also has a show on March 9th at the Honeymoon! So many chances to see her perform! Be sure to make it to at least one.

Also, if you have not purchased her CD, she did upload two more songs to her band profile page. Go have a listen!!

Update on High Street Collective video

So yesterday before my post the video a little over 300 views, right now it is at 401 views. Help me and my friends by going clicking this link and watching the video!! This group of riders are very talented and if they were able to get video of the day their fan base and awareness would increase dramatically!!! Spread the link to your friends! Lets see if we can get the views to over 600!!

Fresh Tracks

               My friends mentioned in a previous post, High Street Collective, recently finished a new video last night! This video is even better than their other one! It’s the second film they have published since Dale purchased his new camera, and the increased quality is definitely apparent.  The video captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest, with the clips of beautiful scenery and bald eagles,  while still showcasing  Justin’s talent and the excitement of downhill mountain biking. This edit features some great shots of the Bellingham trials highlighting new fallen snow and the bald eagles. Justin and Dale were the only two on the trial for most of the time laying down fresh tracks.

Justin and Dale at the top of mountain

 The featured rider in this video is Justin Feldhaus. Dale Shahan filmed Justin riding over a period of two days, for about four hours each day. The filming consists of locating the section of the trail desired to film, then setting up the camera and the necessary equipment.  After the camera is meticulously set up, it’s time to ride. But it’s not quite that simple. To get that perfect shot the rider has to climb back up the trial, and ride back down until they are satisfied with the shot.  I’ve seen the raw uncut footage, one of the benefits of being friends with the filmers and editors, and it can take a handful of tries to get that perfect shot. Sometimes, though after five tries, they decide it’s just not meant to be and move one.    

Dale climbing a tree trying to get the right camera angle

  

                Once they are satisfied they got all the shots they need, then it is time to edit.  Editing consisted of approximately five grueling hours of sorting all the shots in a fluid order and placing in transitions. Perhaps the hardest part though was choosing the song. I heard them arguing between a couple different songs, and watched the edit to each song. This is such a hard choice because the songs needs to matches the feel of the edit, and the scenery, and needs to somewhat match the pace of bike. It is nearly impossible to have a song that matches a ride completely. After arguing between two songs for almost a day, they finally settled on was “Mine is Yours”, the Passion Pit remix of the song by Cold War Kids.

                Dale filmed and edited (with some help and input from Justin), this video. Dale has only recently started filming and editing, only since January to be exact. He is very talented for almost no training and previous experience. Dale has also been riding mountain bikes for about nine months. Currently he is not featured in any films because he films all of his videos, but he is hoping to teach some of his skills to his fellow riders so he can be filmed too. Dale has a page on PinkBike and Vimeo. He also is the main contact and creator of High Street Collective. Dale designs t-shirts also, they are quirky and funny, be sure to check them out on their facebook.

                The featured rider, Justin, is the one who got his whole house into mountain biking. Having been riding bikes since he was only four years old, his passion and devotion was transcended onto his curious roommates. He has recently gotten two of his other roommates into riding. After their first ride at Galbraith both these roommates purchased mountain bikes.  Justin has been road biking, and BMX biking since he was young, but only been devoted to mountain biking for five years. His first encounter with mountain biking was with his dad when he was 12.  Justin frequents trials in Bellingham, such as Galbraith, and enjoys taking trips to Seattle to ride Duthie Hill. He loves flying down the trials, it is just him and nature and his bike. Justin favors the fact that mountain is an individual sports, and it is up to you to push yourself as much as choose.

Watch the video at pinkbike!!!

Lies

The other day I was able to witness an artist in action. I saw a man (I was told to not mention his name) spray painting his signature piece. He spray paints around the Seattle area. I saw him start the small section of the garage, that was originally painted purple. The three others sides of the garage feature murals from various artists who have lived in the house or are friends with someone in the house. To start, he outlines the word "lies" in white, and then continued to fill it in with different colors and add cool effects surrounding it. I definitely like the piece, and I find it to be a good addition to the garage.

First Show? Two Thumbs Up!!

I walk into the Undergound halfway through the opener, Barefoot Brothers, and see the lead singer Alex with his shirt off. They are jamming to their reggae-like tunes and the audience is engaged and listening closely. I browse the audience and see a large amount of people,  a very rough estimate of about 80 people. Barefoot Brothers ends on a cover of “Wagon Wheel”, which they did a terrific cover of. The crowd applauds with much enthusiasm. The mood is set, and the crowd is ready for another round of great music. After Barefoot Brothers clears the stage of their equipment, Lisa starts to set up her keyboard and of course her blue guitar. The blue guitar is quite fitting considering her first album, which her first offering for sales was at this show, is Baby Blue. The time is 8:53 and Lisa is ready to take the stage.

Lisa opens her show with her song “Stars”. She explained she felt it was fitting to open the show with this song since it was the first song that she wrote and actually liked enough to share with friends. For the next hour Lisa plays a couple songs on her keyboard, and many on her guitar. The audience is mesmerized and listing attentively. Being that I am her close friend and attend many of her open mics, I find myself singing along to almost all of her songs, and look around to see her other avid fans mouthing the words. She ends her first performance on Champion. She ends on this song because she says it is her mom’s favorite song. Her parents drove all the way up from Vancouver, Washington to see her show! After she ends the show and leaves us with a few words, she announces she will be selling her album at the front stage. A huge crowd rushes and gathers at the front to get their hands on one of her CDs Lisa estimates she sold a total of 26!


Lisa Haagen’s first show: Great Success!!





Her album Baby Blue features 13 of her original songs.
1. Stars
2. Fall
3. Baby Blue
4. Wasting my Breath
5. Running in the Dark
6. Finally
7. Dancing on the Moon
8. Otherside
9. Want
10. Ode to Being a Prude
11. Over You
12. Sink or Swim
13. Ember


The songs on her album have a slightly different sound because she is able to include drums, piano and bass guitar, usually at open mic she only plays the guitar. Despite this, they all sound amazing and her beautiful voice is showcased in her first album. It is only $5!!

Sink or Swim

Go to Lisa Haagen’s Facebook right now!! Now!!!! Do it! Go to her band profile tab and listen to her song Sink or Swim!!! Just a little preview of her album.


Alrighty, so this is an exciting week!! Open mic at the Underground Coffee House on Tuesday per usual! And Wednesday is Lisa Haagen’s show, with Barefoot Brothers opening!! Barefoot Brothers go on at 8, and Lisa goes on at 9!! Despite that ridiculous amount of awesomeness, Lisa is releasing her album at her concert. Let me remind you that all these shows are free, so there literally is no reason not to go. And if you are thinking that you have too much school work, you are wrong. I will be doing my homework there. So bring your homework, bring your friends, and have a nice Wednesday night.

All right that is all folks. Hope to see ya at the Underground. I will be posting stories and pictures from the show also!!!


As a reminder Lisa also has a show at the Honeymoon March 8th!! So keep your calendars clear for that event as well.

Bellingham Celebrities

Kyle Maltz.

So my friend, Kyle, well he is talented, talented in a different arena. Perhaps the arena of having a fun and exciting life. Ha. Well he is talented at making movies of his fun adventures, such as mountain biking, skiing, cliff jumping and playing with his dog. He has a YouTube channel with all his videos there and Facebook Fan Page, for him. Pretty darn cool. He also graduated from WWU last spring, and recently got a job!!! good job!! So basically he wants to be a Paris Hilton… sorta…. He doesn’t want to be annoying and rich for no reason, and he didn’t inherit some ridiculous lump sum of cash because of his last name. But he basically just wants to be known for being him, so perhaps the Bellingham version Paris Hilton- sorta. Maybe make an empire out of his name…. ha not exactly.


He is in the works of developing a Groupon-like website. It offers one hot deal of the day, every day! The difference is these coupons are centered around universities and businesses that college students frequent. The website if CampusPinch, it is not up and running yet, be will be soon!!! Spread the word, these deals are going to be awesome!


Here is a cool video:

Awesome Video

My friends that I was bragging about in my previous past, the High Street Collective, just posted a new video. Take a look!




Becuase I have hunch the video may not post here is the link

Bellingham's Hidden Adventures

Bellingham is known for its avid snowboarders and skiers who religiously frequent Mt. Baker during the winter. It comes as no surprise that Mt. Baker draws many of Western’s students there. But one extreme sport that I didn’t know about, and often goes unnoticed is mountain biking. Bellingham is home to many trails, people travel from Vancouver, BC and Seattle to ride the trails. Mountain biking is an intense sport, that involves fast downhill peddling, and bravely going off jumps, and weaving in out of trees. Some trials even have narrow wood bridges, which involve skill and precise navigation to not fall off. The trails in the Pacific Northwest are beautiful and can be treacherous especially when it rains, leaving behind muddy trails and slippery wood



Here is what a trial typicaly looks like




 So how do I know so much? My neighbors and good friends are avid mountain bikers, and I have gone along with them a few times to “shuttle them”. I should also mention being that these are trials, it often involves hiking up these trials, while pushing their 50-something pound bikes. A few trails, such as those at Northfork, do have gravel roads leading up to the start, thus there is a designated shuttler. This Shuttler drives the bikers to the top and then meets them down at the end of the trail. So not only are my friends extremely talented at riding these trails, they also have a start up group to produce short mountain biking videos. Their business is called High Street Collective (they live on high street). This business is also involved in beer brewing, and clothing- such as graphic tees. High Street Collective is at the very early stages, but with time and experience will hopefully grow. And I do hope my blog post will drive some traffic to their Facebook! and increase awareness! So be sure to check out their Facebook. In attempts to increase your knowledge of mountain and its awesomeness and to display their talent, I want to include a video .

 






I will have more posting on events and other films they will be producing shortly!


Check out this short video!

check High Street Collective Facebook!


here is another short video




Drum Roll Please!!

This post comes bearing gifts!! One that I have been waiting for for 3 years!!! Lisa Haagen has an actual date for the release of her CD. Drum roll please……….. February 9th! The day of her show at the Undergound Coffee House! It will be sold for $5 (estimated price, subject to change). All the more reason to go see her show! Lisa has been able to record and edit her music without the help of a recording label. A pretty huge feat, I have personally seen her struggle and work hard for years at this. Perhaps it is her role model, Ingrid Michealson, which has helped to keep her inspired and excited. Ingred has been able to perform, and record all her music without the help of label, which is one reasons Lisa looks up to her.

What does this mean for Lisa?

This means that Lisa’s efforts she has had for the past 3 years will finally be realized and her singing career has a real chance to take off. Interestingly though, Lisa has only been performing for three years. She says she took so long to perform because she was very shy about her music and doubted her talents. All of Lisa’s music is original, perhaps why laying it all out on the line may seem so daunting. But her friends have encouraged and motivated her to play. Within a few performances the crowds were responding positively and remembering her name. Her favorite part about performing is “People!! It is really cool to play and see reactions on peoples face when they start connecting with it”. And where the road may take her from here, who knows? But if you want to see her talent, be sure to come to the Underground Coffee House February 9th to see her play! I’ll be there!

** the event is listed on her Facebook also**

CD release?!?!?!

After a couple of years of attempts and frustrations of recording her CD, Lisa Haagen is almost ready to release her very first album!!! It was not until college that Lisa got into writing and singing songs. Interestingly, her whole family is musically talented, and they all used to participate in band very similar to the Jackson 5. The process of recording a CD is a lot more work than one might imagine. She writes all her songs, and plays all the instruments, a one women show! The release date is not determined, but it is very soon! And I can personally testify that it will be full over amazing songs!!!! I like them all! Though, I am guilty of having favorites. My favorite song by far is “Running in the Dark”. My second favorite is “Baby Blue”, this song can be heard on her Facebook actually. If you go to her Facebook page, then under her videos, you can find Baby Blue! I encourage you to go listen to it right now!! It’s a great song! Oh and I love her blue guitar! As I mentioned in an earlier post, Lisa can a multitude of instruments, including the piano, drums, and guitar, maybe the banjo one day. Once I know the release date I shall inform you, and where to purchase.

Remember her shows:
February 9th (underground) And March 8th (at honeymoon).

AS Undergound Concert Series

Lisa Haagen's First Show at WWU



Everybody check your calendars! Lisa has her first show at WWU February 9th!! The Barefoot Brothers start at 8 pm, and Lisa takes the stage at 9 pm! The show is located in the Underground Coffee House. For those who don’t know where that may be, it’s the 3rd floor of the Viking Union Building at WWU. The show is free to attend! So come! Bring homework, bring friends, drinks some delicious coffee and hear some good music.

Who are the Barefoot Brothers? Well, they are a popular reggae-like local band! They have had several shows at local venues in Bellingham. The band is composed of Alex Campos, the lead vocalist and guitar player, Kalan Hatton, back-up vocalist and bass player, and Taylor, the drummer. They will be playing before Lisa on February 9th, come to underground to hear this talented band also.

Many artists and bands are playing in the Underground Concert Series. The Underground Series features a different bank or musician every Wednesday of this quarter!

Check out Barefoot Brothers Facebook!!

Check out the myspace page!

Bellingham's Hidden Talents

So, you may be asking what is the purpose of this blog? To tell ya the truth, I have no clue…… alright so that was a little white lie. Don’t worry; the purpose of this blog is not for me post my online diary of all my inner fears and hopes and dreams, and detail out every minute of every day! Yuck! Despite the therapeutic benefits of a personal diary, no, this is not a diary. Alright, glad that is settled. This blog is for me to express my passions and perhaps concerns, in a manner that is similar to how a blog would be used for a company. I am a marketing major, so I do find much interest in social media and the power of blogging. My main concern is I am not a English major, my grammar may not be exactly perfect. I am experimenting in writing styles and topics, and how to attract or detract followers. But I do have another purpose, to promote my talented friends!!



I would like to introduce you to Lisa Haagen, (pronounced like the store but spelt like the ice cream). Lisa is one my best friends, and she writes her own music and can play the guitar, drums, and piano. She is very talented you should check out her Facebook!! Her style is similar to Missy Higgens. Her songs are all originals, and have a compelling nature that draws you in and steals all your attention. Sometimes I swear she reads my mind, but was able to chose and arrange words that sound much more poetic then I could ever say. She plays at the Underground Coffee House at Western almost every Tuesday, and at the Honeymoon almost every Wendesday! She also has shows coming up!!!

Shows:
February 9 at the Underground @ 9 pm
March 8 at the HoneyMoon (time will be announced soon)


I aim to provide further information and details about Lisa Haagen and her shows. Talent like hers should not go unheard and unnoticed

Check out Lisa's Facebook!

what to blog?

Greetings!!



My name is Nicki, and I am currently a senior at Western Washington University. I am majoring in marketing with a minor in communication. I am not quite sure what I will be blogging about. I tend to acquire random obsessions that fade fast. So one week it may be about music and the next it may about some cool new purse at the mall. Well, not exactly like that. But as a senior, graduating a quarter early, I am in dire need to get a grip on what’s next… a job?! I need to get on that.




It snowed last night!! It snowed a lot!! At 2 am there was at least a couple inches of snow but by 6am it had rained long enough to make it all slush! This meant that classes weren’t cancelled! Yuck! But playing in the snow was a fun way to spend my, what would otherwise be boring, Tuesday evening!! Unfortunately I didn’t get to build a snowman! Sheeesh! I have been dreaming of building a snowman since November! My heart is crushed right now. 



I do in fact have the intention of actually making this blog interesting, my creative juices seem to be running low today.

random fact: there are approximately 9,000 taste buds on the tongue.

quote: "Goodness is the only investment that never fails" french proverb