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Project Eric
Have you ever met someone who is naturally gifted on a mountain bike, someone who shows up to a local Downhill race, enters the Hardtail division, but ends up pulling a time that fits more with the top 5 over all? You look at the person's smiling face, then you look down at their bike, and you see something a D9 eats for breakfast at your local dump. Both stanchions on the fork are rusted more than Metallica's "Black" album, tires balder than a...well...let's just say they're bald...welcome to Project Eric.I never really understood what the "Aloha Spirit" meant until i googled it, here..
"The Aloha Spirit is a well known reference to the attitude of friendly acceptance for which the Hawaiian Islands are so famous. However, it also refers to a powerful way to resolve any problem, accomplish any goal, and also to achieve any state of mind or body that you desire." by Serge Kahili King -- copyright ©
My understanding of it was giving way to someone stuck in an intersection.. then followed by a "shaka" or a kind wave and a smile from your vehicle.
i grew up on the GC Australia Where you'd get something more like the "a$$hole spirit", where they'd give way to you only if you were in an ambulance and if you weren't, you'd get something like "ay mate!, you been to india?" then before you could answer.."well get this india"
In the 5 years i have lived on Oahu..i've noticed the riding scene here isn't rich in numbers, (although our local website has some 687 registered users) but rich in Friendship, love and bromance that runs deeper than Oprah winfreys pocket, and so naturally when our local star freerider Jason Sessums calls me up, "oi dingo, i wanna give my Versus blitz away to someone who deserves it" the first person that came to my mind was Eric.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/CIMG0337.jpgBorn and raised here, at 22.. eric's life is just beginning, unfortunately after graduating high school, so far in this economy the only job he's been able to acquire is stocking shelves at times supermaket.. which is super awesome high paying, he bathes only in bottled evian and his golden grill chews only the finest caviar. the cost of living in hawaii is enough to make you choke bra, and the minimum wage is... well.. mini and mums cooking.
Eric really is a nice guy who wants to get into our sport but will never really have the cash to put up for a sweet ride, so we wanted to HABO (help a brother out)
so Mike Rogers and i decided to post up on Dhhawaii.com "project Eric" asking people for help.
Mike works at the local pizza shop and when he's not spilling pizza on the floor (pictured) and picking it back up to make it look like nothing happened, he's hooking us up with fresh pizza, all the time.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0370.jpg
a day later we pretty much had all of our parts.. between myself,mike,scotty,joey,Kendall,Glenn,sam and joe.. we had parts, mechanics, and a place to execute the build.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0385.jpgwe started at 8pm, monday night.. i have no idea why monday.. we knew most of us had to work early but i guess there was a bit of a buzz in the air to really get this thing happening.
the first thing we noticed when pulling out the old bottom bracket was the threads were stripped! omg omg omg
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0373.jpgluckily our Awesome Glenn came with his tool to Save the day!
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0374.jpgafter about 10mins our sour faces turned to smiles once again when we saw this..
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0377.jpgand on with the fork! minus the Mud flap please, thank you.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0364.jpgnext step was to WHAT THE HELL?! Rev Joey?! we had no idea you sneaky little wedding vow reader you.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0382.jpgwe worked on into the night
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0395.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0400.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0408.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0407.jpgstopping only for power naps
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0411.jpglike almost every build, we ran into something.. and in our case it was the Chainguide/bottom bracket/crank Bull$hit, i'm pretty sure we pulled the the crank arm and chainguide off 10 times or so.. that ate up a good couple hours for sure..
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0367.jpgand finally at 12:30am she was ready for the final part, Kendalls fluffy dice.. lol
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0412.jpg
and so out into the downtown Honolulu night, Eric went for the first test ride.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0427.jpgapart from the chain skipping like a little school girl, and no front brake.. she worked awesome. Eric was so Excited and grateful all in one.. and so were we.. since it was now 1am and we were pooped.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0442.jpgi'd like to Thank everyone, Joey,Joe,Mike,Glenn,Kendall,Scotty,sam.. you guys are Awesome.
Aloha and Mahalo.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0439.jpg
"The Aloha Spirit is a well known reference to the attitude of friendly acceptance for which the Hawaiian Islands are so famous. However, it also refers to a powerful way to resolve any problem, accomplish any goal, and also to achieve any state of mind or body that you desire." by Serge Kahili King -- copyright ©
My understanding of it was giving way to someone stuck in an intersection.. then followed by a "shaka" or a kind wave and a smile from your vehicle.
i grew up on the GC Australia Where you'd get something more like the "a$$hole spirit", where they'd give way to you only if you were in an ambulance and if you weren't, you'd get something like "ay mate!, you been to india?" then before you could answer.."well get this india"
In the 5 years i have lived on Oahu..i've noticed the riding scene here isn't rich in numbers, (although our local website has some 687 registered users) but rich in Friendship, love and bromance that runs deeper than Oprah winfreys pocket, and so naturally when our local star freerider Jason Sessums calls me up, "oi dingo, i wanna give my Versus blitz away to someone who deserves it" the first person that came to my mind was Eric.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/CIMG0337.jpgBorn and raised here, at 22.. eric's life is just beginning, unfortunately after graduating high school, so far in this economy the only job he's been able to acquire is stocking shelves at times supermaket.. which is super awesome high paying, he bathes only in bottled evian and his golden grill chews only the finest caviar. the cost of living in hawaii is enough to make you choke bra, and the minimum wage is... well.. mini and mums cooking.
Eric really is a nice guy who wants to get into our sport but will never really have the cash to put up for a sweet ride, so we wanted to HABO (help a brother out)
so Mike Rogers and i decided to post up on Dhhawaii.com "project Eric" asking people for help.
Mike works at the local pizza shop and when he's not spilling pizza on the floor (pictured) and picking it back up to make it look like nothing happened, he's hooking us up with fresh pizza, all the time.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0370.jpg
a day later we pretty much had all of our parts.. between myself,mike,scotty,joey,Kendall,Glenn,sam and joe.. we had parts, mechanics, and a place to execute the build.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0385.jpgwe started at 8pm, monday night.. i have no idea why monday.. we knew most of us had to work early but i guess there was a bit of a buzz in the air to really get this thing happening.
the first thing we noticed when pulling out the old bottom bracket was the threads were stripped! omg omg omg
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0373.jpgluckily our Awesome Glenn came with his tool to Save the day!
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0374.jpgafter about 10mins our sour faces turned to smiles once again when we saw this..
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0377.jpgand on with the fork! minus the Mud flap please, thank you.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0364.jpgnext step was to WHAT THE HELL?! Rev Joey?! we had no idea you sneaky little wedding vow reader you.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0382.jpgwe worked on into the night
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0395.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0400.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0408.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0407.jpgstopping only for power naps
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0411.jpglike almost every build, we ran into something.. and in our case it was the Chainguide/bottom bracket/crank Bull$hit, i'm pretty sure we pulled the the crank arm and chainguide off 10 times or so.. that ate up a good couple hours for sure..
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0367.jpgand finally at 12:30am she was ready for the final part, Kendalls fluffy dice.. lol
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0412.jpg
and so out into the downtown Honolulu night, Eric went for the first test ride.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0427.jpgapart from the chain skipping like a little school girl, and no front brake.. she worked awesome. Eric was so Excited and grateful all in one.. and so were we.. since it was now 1am and we were pooped.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0442.jpgi'd like to Thank everyone, Joey,Joe,Mike,Glenn,Kendall,Scotty,sam.. you guys are Awesome.
Aloha and Mahalo.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/thevish/Project%20eric/CIMG0439.jpg
Author Info:
Kailua, HI, United States
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2 Comments
- 10
mattmatthew
(Sep 22, 2022 at 16:09)
it would be so rad to see this blog post updated with refreshed links to the original images. i know a lot of these folks and sadly many of them don't live here anymore.
- 10
Hammerschmidt
(Apr 1, 2013 at 2:49)
That's a great write up Vish!
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