MAX & MASSI pt. II

The Ping Pong Show part 2 from Maxim van Helvoort on Vimeo.

MAX AND MASSI

The Ping Pong Show part 1 from Maxim van Helvoort on Vimeo.

REVISITING BEN LECLAIR IN THAILAND

Two Weeks in THAILAND from Johny Bonney on Vimeo.

To celebrate Ben Leclair's "official" signing to Slingshot Wake, thought I'd take a trip down memory lane. Two years ago Ben was fortunate enough to travel to Thai Wake Park with myself and Yan Tibo. We happily took him under our wing on the other side of the world. It was during this trip that I first came to notice the true potential of this kid - especially out of his comfort zone back at the Derome wake park in St-Zotique, QC. Between the three of us, Ben had no troubles logging footy and getting shot after shot! Consistency and style is something rarely a package deal nowadays, luckily this kid has worked hard on both fronts. ENJOY!

Phuket Wakepark by Daniel Grant

Daniel Grant -> Phuket Wakepark from 21Rope.com kimyongil.net on Vimeo.

Thailand's newest cable park with Thailand's best rider: Daniel Grant. Very dirty. Very good. Very good.

Kicker Party w/ Nikita!

Kicker party with Nikita Martyanov from An Vasileva on Vimeo.

STYLE. STYLE. and GOING BIG. These are some core values I discovered in this very talented Russian when we kicked it back in Thailand this time last year. I guess Nikita has made his way back to Thai Wake Park for a few weeks, and so I look forward to more of this stuff in the near future!

All Thai.

all thai from Marvin Kalter on Vimeo.
Put together like an intricate puzzle. I like it. and well hey the riding ain't that bad either eh!

Half Cab'n Thailand!

Last month, my good friend Craig McCallion at Half Cab Productions took the liberty of spending his month-long honeymoon odyssey through the lands of Australia and Thailand. (Editor's note: You know you've scored the right girl when she's cool with spending a few days at a cable park AND has no problem taking over filming duties. Big ups to Nicole!)

Anyways, I was super stoked Craig got the chance to check out Thai Wake Park. He was even lucky enough to shred their newest feature (pictured above). But of course the highlight of the park has got to be the kickers, they are simply the BEST! Check out Craig making good use of them with this Nicholas Muller inspired Japan FS rodeo...

Japan in Thailand from Craig McCallion on Vimeo.

Thailand 2011: the trip that was...

I'm home, well back in Canada anyway...after almost 40 hours in transit, I finally saw a familiar face when my good mate Adam Hicks picked me up at the Ottawa airport on Wednesday afternoon. 

His first question of course was "how was the trip?". "Amazing", I answered. After that, I was almost at a loss of words I thought to myself; unable to define with certainty what I had just experienced. Needless to say I was in shock after 40 hours removed from the pristine beaches of Koh Chang and the everyday routine of having the privilege to ride at one of the world's best cable parks, Thai Wake Park.

Now while I sort through the motions of a reverse culture shock be it resolved that our way of life is no more worse nor superior than that of southeast Asia's, it's just different. But that's not to say we couldn't learn a few things...

The simplicity and pace of life is something we could appreciate here in the hustle and bustle mecca of North America. The genuineness of the people of Thailand is truly amazing; the smiles, cheerfulness, diligence, and selflessness is something that I will miss. Be it of course I will try to carry on this spirit long after I have left Thailand.

But upon further reflection, it's not so much about Thailand anymore as much as it is about the thrill and spills of traveling the world and experiencing another culture first hand. 

For those familiar with Travis Rice's The Art of Flight, in the flim's introduction he talks about how our lives have become digital and that we tend experience things through endless amounts of hallow second hand information. "If we want authenticity, we have to initiate it," he says. That statement basically sums up my whole two weeks in Thailand.

The friendships made, friendships renewed, experiences had, and memories made is what continues to fuel my desire to want to keep travelling the world and seek out authenticity in everything I do. My two weeks in Thailand was not a question of quantity, a measure nor duration of time, no. It was simply something of quality. And to that I say, "hold quality undefined" (Robert M. Pirsig) my friends.

***

All this to say that the next trip can't come soon enough...and thanks for following along!

36 hours of paradise: Koh Chang!

(Lonely Beach @ Koh Chang)

After almost a solid two weeks of riding, my body was in need of a rest. Going to the beach was always a non-negotiable goal from day one of booking this trip. Originally I thought I could visit one of the southern islands (like Koh Phi Phi or Raleigh Beach) but time, nor my budget, would afford such luxury. Instead I decided to take my friend Kanar’s advice and visit the island of Koh Chang which is located about 4 hours south of Bangkok in the Bay of Thailand, near the Cambodian border.

I set out early Sunday morning with my French cousins, Mathieu and Estelle (Unfortunately Tibo and Ben couldn’t join me because they were flying out early Monday morning). We were to take the bus to a town called Trat and then ferry over to the island. We decided to first check for a bus at the airport. However we quickly became aware of the textbook play it safe tourist trap and overpriced travel fares. Fuck that.

So we then boarded the city train and headed straight into Bangkok to the main bus terminal. Bangkok is a ginormous city and can be especially intimidating when you factor in the language barrier. But BKK is after all an internationally modern city with a state of the art sky train system that is very easy to navigate. Sure enough we made within 20 minutes of leaving the airport and were able to hop on a bus to Trat as soon as we got there for only 241 Baht, compared to 400 Baht tourist price they wanted at the airport.

(ferry to Koh Chang)

From there it was easy sailing all the way to Koh Chang. We checked in to a cool little tiki hut for only 380 Baht (12$/night) a night at a backpacker spot called Siam Hut, located on Lonely Beach. After that we rented some motorbikes to explore the island at our own leisure for only 200 Baht (6$/day). That night we attended a beach party with good vibes all around and people from all over the world.

The next morning we woke up at a decent hour considering a late/early morning the night before. We first explored where we were on Lonely Beach, and found a cool cliff jumping spot that overlooked the ocean; it was bliss. From there we just spent the day cruising around the island and stopping at various beaches. We stumbled upon a quaint little reggae bar on the southern tip of the island, had a beer, and just took it all in. The scenery, the music, the beer; it was all just too perfect.

(chillin' @ ZION)

Perhaps the only hiccup of the day came when I crashed my motorbike. Nothing serious luckily, but the scooter was damaged enough that I had to pay 2,000 Baht which was a small price to pay for the perfect day I thought.

To finish it all off, the sun disappeared into the ocean as a giant pink and orange fireball. The picturesque sunset was truly the icing on the cake for an amazing day in Koh Chang, and a fitting end to a great two weeks in Thailand…

New edit: One week in Thailand!!!

One Week in THAILAND from Johny Bonney on Vimeo.

We've been here for over a week now and we've managed to film some okay stuff. Here's a little sample of what we got in the first couple of days. The video features myself (Johny Bonney) and my french partners in crime, Yan Tibo and Ben Leclair. 

We've had a lot of fun and plenty of laughs so far in just one week. There's a good crew of riders here from Thailand, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and even Russia. The riding here is second to none, and with Bangkok so close there's never a dull moment. WE LOVE THAILAND!

Rooftop party photos!

Here are a few photos from that rooftop party we attended last Friday in Bangkok. The city skyline provided the perfect backdrop; us and the whole Thai Wake Park crew were surely the life of the party! Thankfully our friend Kanar was there with his camera so we could piece together a great night that started with Tibo buying that ridiculous hawaiian shirt...

Bangkok.

(Bangkok!)

After Friday night's crazy rooftop party (pictures to follow), I took the day off from riding on Saturday and went to visit Bangkok. We spent most of the day just walking around, checking some markets, and sampling some street food. Bangkok is a crazy city! After we finished shopping, we took some tuk-tuks to a bar where our friend Kanar is friends with the owner. 

(the crew)

However we had to stop at a tailoring place on the way because the tuk-tuk driver gets a commission for bringing people to the store. I knew before coming to Thailand that you could get a cheap tailored suit so with that in mind I was stoked to go check this shop out (www.bironibangkok.com). And sure enough I bought a suit for 4,000 Baht (140$) after Kanard bargained a sick deal down from 6,000 Baht. It's 100% silk cashmere custom fit of Gucci or Hugo quality I was told. My second fitting is scheduled for Monday night, I'll make sure to get some pictures. Can't wait, this suit is gonna be pimp!

But perhaps the coolest thing that awaited us on this night was the full moon lunar eclipse! Absolutely epic!!

Anyways here's a few more photos from today's fieldtrip...

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Thailand"

After a 35-hour odyssey that started in Ottawa, Ont., at 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning, I finally arrived at my destination: Thai Wake Park (Bangkok). The long flights are now but a blur, and the sleep on a hard rock mattress was well worth it. My reward? Waking up to a beautiful warm sunny morning! ahhhh....

Surprisingly the trip over here was pretty uneventful to say the least. But I mean let's be honest, flying commercially from North America to Bangkok is pretty tame by today's standards. Perhaps the biggest adventure at this point would have been deciding what movie to watch or whether to eat the airplane food.

It was not until I landed in Bangkok and stepped out of the comfort realm of an international airport did I feel as though my trip had finally started. Needless to say that it took me over two hours to leave the airport after waiting for Yan Tibo and Benjamin Leclair who were flying in from Montreal, Qué. As it turned out they arrived an hour earlier than anticipated and decided to forgo the one hour and a half wait for my ass.

So anyways with the boys MIA at Thailand customs and immigration, I decided to grab a cab to TWP. I thought for sure by having a map the cab driver would know where to go. Hmm yeah, not so simple. 

For those who don't know, Thailand is coming off some of the worst flooding the country has seen in decades so getting around Bangkok is not a given. Luckily for us the floodwaters have receded considerably, but the aftermath is clearly visible and to see it first hand was pretty heavy to say the least.

After much convincing, the cab driver finally agreed to take me. After taking a little detour to avoid a washed out road, my dude pulled up to TWP and I couldn't have been more relieved. I was greeted by a sweet lady "Canada? Yan? ya ya, here here," she said. 

Sure enough I find them in a room no bigger than a janitor's closet, two bunk beds, and my mattress on the floor. Still running on North America time, figured I'd pop a gravol to help the transition. At last I was comfortably asleep before I could even begin decipher exactly where I was in the world and how I ever got here.

worth a repost!

I've already posted this video on this site back in May, but considering I will be in Thailand this time next week I couldn't help but watch this video again, and again. As I understand it, Nico is actually at Thai Wake Park right now which is amazing. Having the opportunity to ride with this kid will be a privilege, and possibly quite fun.

Notes from Thailand from Andy Kolb on Vimeo.

straight Coastin'

In less than a week I'll be straight coastin' to Thailand!! Got this song on repeat nahmsayin' b!?

Rumours with Oli Derome.

Rumour has it that Slingshot's poster boy Oli Derome will be in the Phillies while Yan Tibo, Benjamin Leclair, and myself will be in Thailand next week. Will he be joining the  Thai party!? We can only hope so.


In the meantime, check this video of Oli and Mike Ennen doing what they do best: riding, smiling, and straight killing.

Oli and Mike from Aacadia.com on Vimeo.

"Got my ticket sonnnnn"

Looks as though Tibo and I won't be alone on our trip to Thailand next Monday. Benjamin Leclair a.k.a. Ti-Ben has decided as of today that he is coming too. For those who don't know Ben, he is an 18-year old up and comer riding for Slingshot wakeboards out of Valleyfiedl, Qué., who has just made the best decision of his young life! 

I'm also gonna be meeting up with a buddy who's been in Australia for the past year. I first met Ted Beadle a few years back when I was living in Australia. The wakeboarding world can be very small sometimes. 

Bonus is that there's a good group of riders already at Thai Wake Park right now. Tibo and I have a mutual friend from France named Kanard/Frenchie who I first met at the CWC during my second trip there. 

"Attache ta tuque!"

Ben Leclair september sesh 2011 from ben leclair on Vimeo.

I'm a be a "travellin man"

This time in two weeks I'll be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on a transcontinental flight to Thailand...shits getting real! Thought this Mos Def track would be most appropriate, enjoy!

Thailand just got better!

Next month's trip to Thailand just got better for two reasons:

1. my new Slingshot Shredtown edition setup!!

2. My dude Yan Tibo has finally decided to tag along, this will be fun...

Untitled from still not famous on Vimeo.

King of Kicker!

Think I'm finally ready to leave the country! It's been a weird year for me after deciding not to travel last spring. It's the first time in four years I didn't make a trip back to the Phillies. Instead I decided to focus on the local scene and spend my time and money criss crossing through Ontario, Québec, and Manitoba. Believe me, no regrets on that tip.

However, the time has come to go exploring again. Back in the spring of 2010, I was on a trip to the CWC with my bro which originally was supposed to involve a visit to Thai Wake Park. Unfortunately due to political and social unrest in Bangkok there came an official travel advisory from the government of Canada, and so we were forced to cancel. 

Luckily Bangkok is back to normal for the most part, and Thai Wake Park is hosting the 7th annual Billabong King of Kicker on December 17th, 2011. What better time to test out my new 2012 Slingshot gear ay!? So that's it I guess; by me writing this and you reading it, there's no backing out. 

Now it's onto flights, accommodations, budget, travel itinerary, and training...shiiiit, I'll keep you posted.

...stay tuned...