Ear to the ground:
“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t go out of business.”
– Relieved caller upon finding that the Telegraph’s downed website was not a sign of more serious problems
Stand-up boards
Looking for the perfect, environmentally conscious gift for the paddler in your life, and money’s no object? Look no further than Lyons-based Carve Industries, purveyors of hand-made wood SUPS, paddles and surfboards.
Started by surfers/brothers Jamison and Ryan Witbeck (whose sister, Ashleigh Diaz, is an FLC grad and longtime employee at Four Corners River Sports), Carve offers a sustainable alternative to foam and plastic mass-produced boards. Their boards are made with 96 percent natural fibers and finished in plant-based epoxies. They also come with a 50- to 75-year life expectancy, as compared to 2-7 for the plastic varieties.
“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t go out of business.”
– Relieved caller upon finding that the Telegraph’s downed website was not a sign of more serious problems
Blewgrass
There may be more to life than bikes and bluegrass, but two local events seem to suggest otherwise.
There may be more to life than bikes and bluegrass, but two local events seem to suggest otherwise.
On the heels of the 2012 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic selling out in a record 36 hours, our ritzier neighbors to the north made that pace seem downright glacial. On Dec. 5, four-day passes to the 40th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival sold out in a mere three hours, well before most locals had even rolled out of the sack.
According to the Telluride Daily Planet, even Planet Bluegrass staff were amazed at how fast the passes were snatched up, especially since no acts have been named. Last year, four-day passes sold out in 18 days.
This year’s festival descends on Telluride’s Town Park from June 20-23, which coincides with the summer solstice and a full moon. In honor of next year’s ruby anniversary, Planet Bluegrass got an increase in capacity from 11,500 to 12,000.
Fortunately, all is not lost. Single-day tickets for Thursday, Friday and Sunday were still available on the Planet Bluegrass website for $65. For those willing to cough up some dough on Stubhub, four-day passes were being scalped, er, sold for $340 and tickets for Saturday’s sold-out show were going for $112. In addition, those willing to stock t.p., grope backpacks or direct traffic can volunteer for four hours a day for a free pass.
The preliminary lineup will be released Dec. 21. For more info., go to www.bluegrass.com/telluride.
Stand-up boardsLooking for the perfect, environmentally conscious gift for the paddler in your life, and money’s no object? Look no further than Lyons-based Carve Industries, purveyors of hand-made wood SUPS, paddles and surfboards.
Started by surfers/brothers Jamison and Ryan Witbeck (whose sister, Ashleigh Diaz, is an FLC grad and longtime employee at Four Corners River Sports), Carve offers a sustainable alternative to foam and plastic mass-produced boards. Their boards are made with 96 percent natural fibers and finished in plant-based epoxies. They also come with a 50- to 75-year life expectancy, as compared to 2-7 for the plastic varieties.
But all this craftsmanship does not come cheap. Which is why Carve recently expanded its modest work shanty to a 2,000-sq-ft facility. It is hoped the bigger digs will help lower production costs and put more eco-friendly boards under the feet of the masses. Carve launched a kickstarter campaign with a goal of $30,000 by Jan. 6. For their trouble, investors are rewarded with everything from trucker hats to 10’6” SUPs surely to be the envy of the 32nd Street put in.
To hear the Carve story or donate, go to www.carvesurfboards.com