Lunatics Invade Austin

Texas 

Do I really want to go there?

I don't think this look suits me very well!

But

Everybody says Austin is different.

Maybe only 75% of the people will be wearing cowboy boots?

I have been to most of the big cities in Texas including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and  El Paso  other than the plethora of Disc golf courses  of  which I've played about 20 in the state (including the 2001 World championships)  I haven't been too impressed.

I got a good feeling about this trip.

I found myself at lax around the crack a dawn and who strolls up behind me? 

The dude from  LAMFO.

The trip hasn't even began yet and things are going well.

I kept looking for the dude who wears the robot box on his head.  Then low and behold  he strolled by  carrying his cardboard headgear at his side.  I initially thought about taking his picture but he has created a persona of anonymity for a reason? Which I  regarded with respect.

Rachel

When I arrived in Austin I was picked up by some random stranger.  Her name was Rachel and she had offered to take care myself  Bft and Luna's PR Monkey Dylan for the weekend.

It was freaking cold!

As I waited for my ride  I stood  shivering with frozen toes wishing I ran for a slipper company. Why don't they hold this expo in the summer. (oh well)

Rachel turned out to be a pretty cool chick with very little persuation I convinced her to go Disc golfing. almost immediately.  She had never played before but knew where a few courses were.

Good thing because I was playing Barefoot.  

Whats with the dog on the bottom it look's he's headed off to the Guillotine.

1st stop Peace Park

All the baskets were gone Odd? (what gives?)

time to go somewhere else I guess.  Luckily Rachel knew about another course near by.

Disc golf take two.

Bartholomew park , I think? 

Rachel was a good sport  and made some sweet shots.

Rachel's home was filled with cool crap

I sat around while she headed to the airport to pick up Dylan and Barefoot Ted.

At dinner we were joined by fellow Mas Loco Josue his wife Paula and our friend from the Born to Run Ultra Ben Morgan.

Later I picked up some Fizzy Yellow Texas stuff from a gas station.

The Lone Star was okay but as the night wore on  I sampled some finer ales while teaching Dylan the intricacies of Monopoly Deal.

There was now 4 of us meaning that someone had to ride in the backseat

This has been outlawed in Cali since the 80's.

I guess I should of mentioned it by now but the reason I was in Texas in the first place was to represent Luna Sandals at the biggest running Expo in the country (I might be making that part up).

The Running Event

Our display was modest compared to the bigger companies 

But I think it got the job done

El Presidente was a little stressed out at first. Our booth was located at the farthest end of the floor and he was eager to engage the consumers.

Ted quickly found his happy place and anyone within an earshot was spellbound by his enthusiasm.

He loved showing off the first page of chapter 25 in Born to Run

I decided to wander the floor, make some connections and maybe pick up some shwag.  It was cocktail hour  and I didn't want to be rude saying no to free drink.

A few booths to our side was  Ink N' Burn.  They are a really cool apparel company from SoCal and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

The next morning The event was sponsoring a 5k.  Running stores from all over the country had brought some speedy  dude's to compete not to mention sponsored athletes working the event for the vendors.  The competition would be tough.

Ted Decided to sleep in

Dylan and  I were ready to represent.
Ben whom would also wear Luna's picked us up well before dawn.

my favorite ad at the whole expo!

I was hoping some of the other sandal vendors would have runners in the event but nobody else had a sandal worthy of racing in. Our closest competition at the expo was  Invisible shoes , they make a decent product but it's more of novelty huearche geared towards people who like to talk about running rather than actually do it.  Once  you run in a Original Luna Sandal it's very evident that they are in another league in respect to comfort, fit, and most important to me the ability to mold to your feet.

It still  astounds me every time I look at my sandal and can see my foot in its shape or when I run through a puddle leaving footprints on ground as if my feet were bare.  It makes me proud of the company I represent

All the top Huarache wearing runners wear skirts

Life's to short not to have a little fun.

A few minutes before the race I was offered a running skirt with built in tights if I wore it while I ran.  They didn't have to ask me twice.  The week prior I was running in the coldest event I had ever participated in and this fwlt like a close 2nd. The race was about to start and I only had time to slip the skirt over my shorts  Although I wished I was shirtless I decided to sport a Luna Tee. I was wearing way to much clothes to be speedy.

The competition was pretty fast I stayed near the front of the pack but never really found a groove.

The running skirt was really comfortable and superbly constructed.  My buddy Chris Hawsen wore one at the NYCBR.  They were also a sponsor of the Krispy Kreme Challenge I did a few weeks prior. This won't be the last time you see me wearing it.  

I didn't win the men's division (some Kenyan did) but I was able to fend off all the women runners (sadly I'm good at that). I was however the first person to finish in sandal's and also 1st in the skirt division.

After the race we got cleaned up and headed back to the expo

Barefoot Ted showing off Luna Sandals to Bryon Powell of Irunfar.com.  He has probally the best Ultrarunning website on the web and rock his bumper sticker on the back of my car.

Lunch

That night we headed down to 6th St. to catch some live music and have a little fun. It had been along day so we didn't stay out real late.  While there I heard a really sweet  reggae version of Don't Worry be Happy  by a local country band that was way better than the link I provided.  

The Austin Music scene rocks!

Up early the next morning for the final day of the expo

That back seat of the truck was pretty chilly so Dylan to dressed a little spiffier.

We were working really hard  

Everybody we came across loved Luna sandals. Even Cyclops.

Posing with some friends we made from the next booth over.

The morning went by pretty fast and before we new it we were packing up.  The show was over.

After meeting up with Josue and his wife for lunch. I was talked into going for trail run with him and Ben.

Hanging out with Ben really made me feel like I was in Texas He's a good old boy, who likes blast country music while riding around in his jeep.  From his backyard balcony he tossed out some corn and with in minutes few deer came up to chow down.

As for the trail run by the time we got there it was pretty much dark.  Lucky for me I had picked up a headlamp at the running event.  Josue said his belly was full and asked if I would take it easy on him out on the trail.  "Nice bluff dude!" within a few minutes he was flying and I was left in the dust.  The dude is quite the trail runner and has won some of Texas's toughest Ultras.  I was just trying not to hurt myself in the dark.

Texas sharks

After the run Ben, his lady, Rachel, Dylan and I headed back down to 6th st. for some billiards and shuffleboard.

The competition was fierce

I had to channel my inner monkey.

After awhile we decided to hit the streets and make some friends.

Merry X-mas from Luna Sandals and the rest of the gang

(Who the rest of the gang is I have no freaking clue!)

I proformed my best dance moves in the middle of street In hopes of courtship with a beautiful lady.

My dance moves worked a little too well!

  The X-mas tree even gave me a tootsie pop which I forked over to some homeless dude playing the guitar.

As the night wore on things got a little weird

In Austin it seems the weirder  you get the better looking women you score?

Rachel was the only one of us to get any action.

 We came across this  soldier and I totally caught her playing with his light up dingaling.

We decided to call in a night before any of us got into trouble.

Rachel's dog Baxter saying goodbye

After posing for a pictures with Rachel's chickens we decided to spend our final morning in Austin Dillydallying downtown.

I snapped this photo from the back of the Pick Up truck.  The taggers In Austin are pretty awesome.

The Capital Building

Dumb ass is front of the capital

We were able to sneak in and take some photo's before they realized a bunch sandal wearing hippies had infiltrated their inner sanctum.

We were promptly looked up.

Lucky for us that Monkey necklace Barefoot Ted always wears around his neck is really a lock pick and we were able to make are get away because the security guards were all wearing cowboys boots and were no match for the awesome speed we possessed in our Luna Sandals

Dylan decided to wear the capital as a hat.

I am great, and how are you Mr. space frog?

After Lunch we met up with Josue and Ben one last time at  this really amazing pole.

Still relegated to the back of the pick up I built me some socks.

Warming the hands and chilling the buns.

We eneded up running along the same trail I had ran the night before in the dark

Rachel was digging her new Luna's

After fooling around for a little too long we hurried back to the car so that we could catch are flights back home.

Austin was a pretty cool place.

The running Event was total success for Luna Sandals.  Ted and Dylan were awesome to work with.

I had great time in Austin and look forward to returning some day.  (preferably in the summer)

Special thanks to fellow Lunatic's Ben and Rachel for carting us around you really made me feel at home and if you are ever in L.A. you are welcome in my home.

And thanks to all the vendors who filled my suitcase with cool stuff

Especially the Trigger Point Grid (foam roller) Which lead my flight attendant to believe i train attack dogs for a living.