Louie Vito-Sailing Through Qualifiers Despite Injured Ankle

By Kirk Graham
It is Friday morning in Tahoe, CA where the next stop of the Snowboarding Grand Prix is underway. The qualifiers for halfpipe were delayed an hour but Louie Vito proved himself ready to compete following last week’s 2009 Winter X Games where he was boarding on a torn up ankle.

This week Vito is up against many of the same riders from last week’s X Games, along with a long list of other pro riders from all around the world. But don’t think for a moment that Louie is the underdog - He won the Grand Prix title last year and also won the 1st Grand Prix stop at Copper Mountain just a few weeks ago. And though he is dealing with some physical pain, Vito is on the hunt for another win.

Louie’s first run today was solid, proof that he is excited to brush off last week’s finals runs at the X Games and compete strong this weekend. With his signature style, Louie has tons of amplitude on every hit, and is definitely at the top of his game. The judges score his first run at 44.4 which clinched the lead for his heat. In fact, this score will place him in the finals, but Louie isn’t satisfied with just making the finals. His goal is to have two stellar runs and have the highest score of all the heats. This will give him the advantage of being the last rider to drop in the finals (reverse order is used in the finals.)

Louie is a rider that is always working on advancing his skills, knowing that his big air and stylistic execution can always and will always improve. His quest for constant improvement was observed in Louie’s second run where he landed every hit perfectly with ease – and again this is Louie’s style – to make everything look easy. Perhaps this weekend’s competition will be sweet redemption. With a 46.3 in his second run and obtaining his goal of the highest score in the qualifiers, Vito is stoked going into Saturday’s finals. When asked about how his ankle felt after the first two runs, he said, “It’s all sore now.” But, as everyone who knows Louie, come finals time he won’t hold anything back. For Louie Vito, it’s all or nothing – that is why he is currently on top.

The Prison Match

The Prison Match.

If you ever find yourself alone in the woods or if your lighter runs out of fluid and need a light, it is easy to start a fire.

Needed
1. Empty Lighter
2. Cotton socks
3. Kleenex or thin tree bark

Instructions:
You need to take the Kleenex and roll it up. Then, Pull off about a dime sized amount of lint off of your sock and put it at the tip of the rolled up Kleenex. Light a spark to the lint and it should ingnite... Tip the jimmy-rig so the Kleenex is above the lint. And that should do it.



Life application...
Think of the spark like inspiration. Inspiration by itself is nothing, if nothing is done with it. You need to make sure you put yourself in the right position to really set a flame. So get up off the couch... stop complaining. If you are going to make something of yourself it is up to you! Pay attention to those who you look up to, and then put yourself in the position to succeed.

Dream Big, Live Bigger
Kirk

Christmas Break- Starbucks

Ive been in a new book. Its called "Edgar Sawtelle". Its a good book about a farm family in Wisconsin country. It reminded me of the days when our family would travel Montana, where we would spend our vacation, and visit our grandparents on their farm. The author is David Wroblewski and this happens to be his first book, and has done an awesome job. He is able to describe things that everybody notices, but never talk about, probably because they are things that dont need to be talked about. For example, David is describing a trip that the little boy Edgar is taking with his family and Edgar is sitting in the car watching the telephone polls intently, noticing that the sag between the polls. I used to do the same thing on long trips, just watch the telephone lines as they wave up and down.

Ive been in Starbucks everyday this week working on music stuff and reading. Its been a great Christmas break, but I am enthusiastic about returning to school in Minneapolis. Its time, once again, to hit the grind stone. We will be recording our album in the next month or so as well as playing for some churches and the Iowa youth convention.

One year from now I will have traveled to Italy, Austria, and around the United States with music groups, singing in churches and playing for youth bible camps. I am pumped as ever because this is the beginning of a life that is full of traveling and music, two of my biggest passions.

Right now I am listening to Michael W. Smith's- A new Hallelujah
Ben Gowell is my the Worship Arts Director at the church I attend in Woodbury and he does all of the guitar work on this album. Sick!

Ive got nothing else for now...

Dream big, Live bigger
Kirk