Hold True

It was a rare treat today to spend a few hours chatting and tearing up the tight twisty stuff with Pauli a.k.a. m.rider. He needed to burn some vacation hours and I didn't have to be at the salt mines until the afternoon so we hooked up bright and early. I finally got to hand out his very own death riders kit and make it official. He threw on the new togs and off to Castlewood we went. I don't think I've ridden with him since a Bonktoberfest some years back... like 8 or 9 years maybe??? 

Can that even be right? Ah whatever it was just great to chat it up and spend some time on two wheels with him again. He can still draw smooth lines and descend strong as ever.
I just hope we can make this a regular type of thing.

Getting to catch up with him today I was reminded yet again how some of my oldest and best friends have come from punk rock, skateboards or both. Mike and I met some twenty plus years ago at all things a Hardcore show.  As luck would have it our girlfriends at the time were close friends and we met via the gals. Our local heroes Short Cut were playing along with some band I knew nothing about from Louisville KY. 

Two awesome things happened that night. 

I got introduced to a band and a guy who as Pauli himself would say are 'solid'

The band would be Endpoint and the 'solid dude' Pauli

I have a pretty good memory for whatever reason and I can remember where I heard certain records for the first time, people I met at which show etc. One of those things that has always stood out about that first meeting was the t-shirt. Pauli was wearing. None other than a  'Wide Awake' shirt. You know, that other Connecticut Straight Edge band. Being a 'youth crew' member myself I was in awe. A great lesser known band of it's day and a pretty rad shirt. So in a fitting tribute to our first meeting.

HOLD TRUE