Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Craig Kelly
One of the first major influences in snowboarding was Craig Kelly. He was one of those people that is always one step ahead of everyone else; he didn’t follow snowboarding, snowboarding followed him. Jake Burton said in the article “Craig Kelly, 36; Helped Refine Snowboarding as Sport and Art” in the New York Times that “ ‘He took the sport from competition into freestyle only, and the whole industry basically followed him […] then he took it to freeriding, which isn’t competition, and the industry followed him there.” Kelly went professional when he was only 18 and first rode for Sims, one of the first snowboard companies, owned by Tom Sims, another influential figure in the sport. Then, in 1987, according to the “20 years” issue Transworld Snowboarding Kelly left Sims after the World’s at Breckinridge because Burton offered him “a bigger number than had ever been seen before in the sport.” So, not only was Craig Kelly an influence on the style of snowboarding, he was practically the start of professional riding, which in itself has its pros and cons. Sadly, Craig Kelly is not alive to continue exerting his influence the sport today, even though he had stopped competing before his death. He was killed on January 20, 2003 in an avalanche at Revelstoke, BC. There is no denying that Craig Kelly revolutionized the sport of snowboarding, and he will always be one of the best snowboarders of all time. If it were not for Craig Kelly, who knows where we would be today?
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I have an idea. I read both of your first two posts but decided to comment on this one because nobody had yet :) and here's what I think: Way to go. You picked a topic you are obviously very passionate about and that was an excellent move. Now here's where I suggest you go from there: Ask yourself why snowboarding is your passion. Why was it the passion of the men you discussed above? Why did it grow and develop the way it did? And above all else, why does it matter to you? Discussing the development of snowboarding as a professional sport is a great idea, because its success must be based upon certain factors that make people love it. Why do you love it? How does it stir your heart and soul? Is it the adrenaline rush as you fly down the mountain? Is it the feel of the snow or the sharpness of the air or a way to believe that you're on top of the world? Is it your escape? Is it all of the above? This could be an absolutely brilliant paper. I highly recommend using your research to unravel the mysteries snowboarding presents: Why is it so glorious, and what has it done to you?
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely passionate about your topic, the only problem is how to how to avoid going to large with the topic. Though, what i have learned is that as long as you research the main questions thoroughly, if the original gets to big, it will have already given you a question that will allow you to focus and get the necessary info into the allotted area.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments guys, they were actually a big help because I knew the general direction of where I wanted to go, but not exactly. Thanks for the ideas.
ReplyDeleteI second everything that A. said, otherwise, the essay is just a report about snowboarding as opposed to an exploration, an attempt to asnwer something deeper as it relates to snowboarding.
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