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Launch
October 9, 1999
Ever notice how in interviews everyone always comments that their favorite thing is just to ride with their friends. I was thinking about that the other day after I�d crashed while snowboarding. The multi-purpose Gerber tool that I always carry had stabbed me in the thigh. My eyes began to tear up a little, but it wasn�t because of the huge bruise forming; I�m way tougher than that. You see, the tool was a gift from my best friend Greg Florkowski, for being in his wedding. Greg and I have been friends since the fifth grade, and we did everything together, including learning how to snowboard. In 1990 I had left Indiana for the last time, when I made it to Oregon, I called Greg. He drove all our stuff and my dog out from Indiana. In the beginning we lived in a house with no water or heat�but it didn�t matter, we were riding every day. Things got better when we moved in with Marc Egge and Chris Owen. Those were probably the best times I�ve ever had, but then Greg went back to Indiana. Not getting to shred every day with Flo was kind of a bummer, but I wasn�t worried. I knew he�d be back. A few seasons later I moved to Vail, and I drove back to Indiana and got Greg. My best friend and I were shredding every day again, and even though it meant we had to live in a one-bedroom apartment with five people, we were stoked. The season ended, and Greg went back to Indiana. Again I was bummed, but not worried. I had already been back in Oregon for a while when Greg called me and told me he was getting married. I started to worry. It had been a while since we had ridden together and even longer since we were roommates. He told me that he and his bride might move to Colorado, so I still had some hope. Around the time of the wedding, when I learned they weren�t going to move out west, I started to panic. At the actual wedding I asked Greg if he was sure this was what he wanted�I even went as far as to say that it wasn�t too late to spilt. I wasn�t scared that I was losing my best friend, I was scared I was losing my favorite person to snowboard with. I was mournful to the point that Kelly (Greg�s wife) had to tell me to smile before I ruined the wedding. In the back of my mind, I still had faith that Greg would smarten up and come back to the mountains. Some time passed. Then he called and told me that Kelly was expecting. Now, I don�t know much, but I know there�s no way snowboarding could ever compete with a child. I�ve never told them, but I am super happy for Greg and Kelly. I�m just bummed that my favorite riding buddy was replaced with this heavy-ass tool. It (literally) hurts!�David "I�ll never grow up" Sypniewski
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