Aloha

On the Coconut Wireless good news travels quickly across the island. Bad news travels quicker. When I got the news, we were standing on Kahili Ridge. From there you can watch the island stretch out East to Wailua and South to Kalaheo. The ridge is home to many native species of plants that are not easy to find anymore. Maybe ironic isn't the right word, but I can't pick another to describe it. The last time we spoke, I had just come back from Kahili Ridge, and you had told me how special that hike was. Though nobody was ready to hear the news of your passing, I'm glad I was there when I received it. I didn't spend nearly as much time with you as I would have liked, but in the short time that I knew you I cannot remember an instance in which you showed anything but the raw spirit of Aloha. You embodied that philosophy Corey. You spread the joy and Aloha everywhere you went and to everyone you met. I miss you brother, and countless others feel the same way. Keep an eye out for us and I'll see you soon.

We all know what you would like to see us do with this news; celebrate your life and celebrate all life. We will try to carry the torch that you effortlessly held. Thank you for everything Corey Clifford. Aloha

Going in Circles

The phrase has a negative connotation. Wasting time is a sin in a fast pace society. "Forward" is the battle cry.

If you want to see what progress looks like, just give shovels and beer to 15 dudes and sick them on a pile of dirt. With a concept in mind, we began reshaping the backyard. Now we go in circles all day, erday. Its all we do.

Kyle Lovelady

Adam Moore

Mike Lee

(Camera: Adam Moore)

Your's truly. (Camera: Adam Moore)

Again & Again

Why am I on this road? What am I looking for? Quality; undefinable without the context of form. You can't know it until you know it. Even when you do know it, you know there is still more out there. Quality is the goal that all walks of life share in common.

Kyle and I spent a few days in Upper Bidwell and we found a lot of quality. We got some really nice clips and I was able to learn a lot through trial and error. Kyle cranked out a sick edit (check it here) but I wanted to put something together as well. Here is what I came up with, enjoy:

Kyle Warner - Bidwell South Rim from Charles Finlay on Vimeo.

Bike Lee

Towns like Corning, CA are like grains of sand in a dessert. Paying no regard to posted signs or road etiquette; burning up miles on I-5 North, you could blow right by a town without giving a though or noting the name. So easy to disregard the fact that lives begin and end right here - right now. But by simply scratching the surface it becomes impossible to ignore a culture, character, or lack there-of. Either way you choose to see it, turn down a side road and look at the faces of the residents. Realize that the person looking back at you may never leave that town, never know the struggle or joy of life on the road.

Corning has a new skate park and Mike Lee ripped it on Halloween. 

Have a look:

The Riders' Digest | Ep2

By now I'm sure that my millions of followers are well aware of the ongoing pilot project The Riders' Digest. Recently, we dropped Episode 2, which has got to be blowing your mind, even after watching it 20 times in a row. But now its time to clue all of you in on whats going on here.

The Riders' Digest is an ongoing pilot video project that allows the audience a rare, uncensored  glimpse into our amazing lives. Using every asset in our arsenal, we strive to bring you some of the more tasty morsels of our misadventures, both on and off the bike.

Episode 2 is all about being stranded in San Diego. Which sucks, but not really. Enjoy.

PS don't take this seriously. 

We're out.

Silver Dollars

Life is full of surprises. One minute you are ripping it with your buds, the next minute you're in the ER with doctors looking at an X-ray of your fractured clavicle. Thats how it goes. Its not about what life hands you, its about how you play the hand you're dealt. When you live life to the fullest, recovery is just another part of the game, and recovery takes time. In the meantime, while you're down and out, I have found that its best to stay busy and to stay focused on the long term objectives. After all, time is only an illusion.

Last weekend I found some time to make it out to the Silver Dollar Raceway with the Greenline BMX Race Team and a few of my good friends Mike Lee, Kyle Warner, and Dax Downey. Greenline was able to rent out the track for the whole afternoon. Strapped up with my broken collar bone, I was able to get some great pictures for the team. These are a few of the sicker shots with Mike, Kyle, and Dax. Enjoy.

Greenline Cycles BMX Team

Kyle boosting. Dax staying low.

Then Kyle, Mike and Dax started to transfer the berms

Kyle Warner

Bike Lee

Dax

Dax and his fam. So presh.

Chico, CA

When they hear where I'm from, people always ask why I left. To me, the decision to leave home seems so natural that I never saw it as a decision. I see life as a series of experiences and a collection of stories. To stay put, regardless of how much I love it, would inherently place severe limitations on my goals to experience as much as I can. I try to remind myself of this as often as I can, both in favorable and unfavorable circumstances.

While leaving Hawaii for another adventure hardly felt like a decision, taking time off from school to pursue photography and writing was a stressful choice. Yet the past few months have been some of the most exciting and liberating times of my life. I've found that few things help me to appreciate life as much as traveling does, and life on the road seems to suit me well.

Right now I am in Chico, CA taking pictures between trying to make money. Wish me luck.

North Rim, Upper Bidwell
My friend Katie and her roommate's dog.

The House, Chico CA
Kyle Warner's thoughts on yard work: "I bet, if we rut it out a little deeper, we can do some bar drags"

Horseshoe Lake, Upper Bidwell

Adam Moore burning the midnight oil. I wanted to do some evening shots but poor planning had us showing up at twilight. No matter; I got to practice some low light shots and Adam got real sick off this rock ledge.

Leave your thoughts. All the best, CF