I have found in my experience that the feeling of ‘stoked’ comes in a range and degree of exhilarating excitement.  There is being stoked about your untracked blower pow run, there is being stoked because you conquered your fears and overcame daunting anticipation, and then there is being stoked for someone else, which I have found to be the best kind of stoke-ness.

This past week, I’ve gotten less than ten hours of sleep due to watching the Olympics.  Every night, I joined my friends in the apartment above me with a case of beer and my comfiest sweats.  The time difference between Sochi, Russia and Park City, Utah is 11 hours… and there was NO chance any of us were going to wait for the following day to find out our friends scores.  We huddle around the T.V. where it is being streamed live from one of our laptops.  All of us are friends, if not fellow competitors of, the Sochi Olympic Slopestyle and Half Pipe athletes.  We all snowboard, ski, and live for the adrenalin these sports provide us.  It was Wednesday morning, when I got to watch one of my best friends, Kaitlyn Farrington, win the Gold Medal.  That feeling, the stokeness of being that happy and that proud, was an over whelming experience in itself.  It was a collaborative stoke, because everyone that is a part of my life was just as excited as I was. Our girl, a bad-ass, humble, beautiful human being… simply slayed it. Under pressure & full of grace.

Photo from Kaitlyn’s instagram: @kaitlynfarr

After 14 hours of pure amazement, it was time to watch the Men’s Slopestyle Skiing.  This time we were cheering on a fellow Park City kid, someone whom we are all close to… Joss Christensen.  I had his older brother, Chuck, one of my oldest friends, on speed dial with a clenched fist.  The competition was at an all-time high, and after several stunning performances by all the skiers, Joss righteously won the Gold Medal.  In fact, the U.S.A swept the podium and for the next hour, apartment E8 was screaming, dancing, hugging, crying, taking shots, instagramming, tweeting, snapchatting, more screaming, more shots, and eventually, Kimmy and Jessie Sharp made this (yes after everyone else passed out):

For how stoked we were, I can’t imagine actually being the one standing on the podium, woah!

I am so proud to be from this town, Park City, Utah, and seeing those around you grow up and represent this community’s incredible lifestyle, in front of the whole world.

Mad Kudos to all the Olympic athletes, and a massive shout-out to Devin Logan for taking Silver in Women’s Slopestyle! You kick ass!!!!!