A night on the town

My sister had a play last night in Des Moines and I convinced Mom to come back to Ames for the night. We went out to the bars, and I think she upheld my reputation well...

First times

There's nothing like the first time. I so enjoy the rush of excitement that accompanies trying something new for the first time. A sudden rush of new experiences. Wakeboarding for the first time was just as such.

I've had the opportunity over the last year to spend time getting to know the wakeboarding community. After attending the Blackout movie shoot last fall in Okoboji I was exposed to a whole new world of people involved with the sport. The cinematographer, photographers, enthusiasts, and even some professional riders. Since then I've continued to watch the movies and stay current with the Standerd. I've been waiting for months for the opportunity to give wakeboarding a try myself. This weekend I got what I had been waiting for. Enjoy.


My first time wakeboarding from Nick Olson on Vimeo.

I made it eight seconds, that's a full ride in the rodeo!

Beautiful View

The view this evening from my 7th story backyard

Red Bull Air Race

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend Red Bull Air Race in Detroit, MI. These pilots are really something to admire, and arguably the best in their craft. Each one must prove himself as one of the best aerobatics pilots in the world before they're even eligible to compete in the Air Race World Series. Alongside the races there were performances by the Red Bull Air Force and Chuck Aaron put on a show his unique ability to maneuver a helicopter like no one else. While the races were a truly great sight to see, the weekend was full of interesting things to do and people to meet.

While road tripping to Chicago on spring break we took part in a photo contest to win a free road trip provided by Red Bull. We won the trip so Brian, Grant, Joe, Curt, and Hanish were able to accompany me to Detroit to join in the festivities. I flew out early Friday morning for some meetings for my new job and the rest of the guys left late Friday night to arrive Saturday afternoon. Hanish is staying with his sister in San Diego this summer, but decided to buy himself a ticket to fly into Detroit and join us for the weekend. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

2008 Winter X Games Male Athlete Levi LaVallee

Chuck Aaron Aerobatic Helicopter Pilot


At the collegiate viewing area

A view of the race track (Photo by J Spur)

The guys

All in all it was a fantastic trip! Definitely one to remember. A great big thanks to Red Bull!