America Online has a great little program called AIM or
AOL Instant Messenger. This boss bit 'o code allows people who don't have
AOL to chat online with others who either have AIM or AOL.
Over the past year, I've been stock-piling a list of all the Pros who are online. With AIM
I can watch them sign on and off. Sometimes they're checking their mail from the road, sending in
equipment feedback to their sponsors, or just cruising the web.
Seeing them online and not annoying the hell out of them was just too much for me to pass up. So I thought
it would be fun to ambush them, ask them questions, and then post the results.
My first victim (and hopefully not the last) was K2 rider Chris Engelsman. He was caught online November 15, 1998 at approximately 3 P.M. MST.
SOL: Hey Chris. It's Lee Crane. What's up?
Chris: Hot damn, just answering some K2 "Ask A Pro"
questions? What's going on with you?
SOL: Yee haw. I'm just playing with my Digi cam getting my PowerBook all ready for the season and I was thinking about using you for the first "Caught Online" interview.
Chris: Caught Online interview? Good thing I wasn't in some sleazy web page.
SOL: That would have been better. Why, do you regularly hang at some of those spots?
Chris: Ahh, what I mean is that my friend from Niagara does and he just tells me about it.
SOL: Yeah, right. So. Let's talk about underwear?
Chris: I think that is my roommates you want to talk to.
SOL: No, I want to know why the Tree wasn't droppin' drawers in the Jockey ad?
Guess who is missing from this picture? |
Chris: Man, I got scared. I thought they'd put us up there in banana huggers or something.
SOL: What, you afraid you were just too big?
Chris: Well, you know something like that.
SOL: So seriously, did you bail on the idea?
Chris: Damn, you know how to drive straight to the hard questions.
SOL: (That's my job)
Chris: Yeah, I bailed. I got scared and went to Australia for a jump contest on the beach instead.
SOL: Are you kind of bummed you didn't get to stand around all day in your underwear with Tina Dixon?
Chris: Tina Dixon? Hell, I get to travel with her. I just missed hanging out with all the other models.
Yeah, she'll probably be idolized by tons of little boys because of that ad.
SOL: So you're saying Ms. Dixon is running around in her underwear quite often?
Chris: Isn't that what girls do?
SOL: That's what they're supposed to do.
SOL: So what do you think Brian Savard was packing? Salami or a pair of tube socks?
Chris: Where are you? So Cal? We've been riding Wolf Creek and the snow is super deep and good there. It's like riding in January.
SOL: Chris, are you changing the subject?
Chris: Man, I think you were looking at that billboard way too close.
SOL: (laughing my ass off)
SOL: I guess you're saying you're done talking about Jockey?
Chris: Yeah I guess I'm done talking about Jockey.
SOL: So what's going on?
Chris: I'm sitting at my new desk right now. You know pro snowsnurfers make soo much money. The desk is sick. It's called cardboard and it's one foot by one foot cubed.
SOL: Did you ride today?
Chris: Aaah man. Rode the 'Birds opening day yesterday and it was creamy, not too many rocks and some cliffs to drop. Not Arizona style, but good for Utah. But then Mikey B. threw a party and well, things got a little out of hand.
SOL: So who was out riding?
SOL: Chris you still there?
Chris: I skipped typing class in high school so I could snowboard during the afternoons so I am not too quick.
SOL: What do you know, I skipped snowboard class so I could go typing.
SOL: So who was out riding?
Chris: Pretty much all the Bird locs. The Brighton boys stay too true to Brighton. So let's see, there was Mikey B. Noah B., Zacher, Jeff Jewett, and Brian Botts. Man, do you want the whole list? We'll be here forever.
SOL: No that's cool.
SOL: What do you have planned for the next month or so?
Chris: Well, were heading back towards Wolf Creek tomorrow, the snow is soooooo good; then to the Vans Triple Crown at Breck; then to Crested Butte back country; then to the Snowboarder weekend at Irwin lodge. So I will be here, there, and everywhere. The Grand Prixes and things, X Games, and then shooting and filming.
SOL: So you're doing the contest-o-rama scene this season?
Chris: No, not too many; just December and early January then mellow off to shoot and film. Shooting and filming is way better than contests. You get to ride way more, unless you do a BoarderCross and make it to the finals. Then you are doing more and more laps all the time.
SOL: So what is the weirdest "Ask A Pro" question you've gotten so far this year?
Chris: Nothing too strange. Mostly kids needing help with 360's or wanting stickers. (Like I have a storeroom full of stickers.)
SOL: Are the questions all from the K2 WebPages?
Chris: Yeah, they just started it. It's pretty cool
Chris: I should probably put a 360 trick tip up on the K2 web. That would eliminate a lot of questions.
SOL: Yeah, I know what you're saying. We have one up, but we don't have pictures up with it yet.
Chris: What, no pictures or video clips? Man, get up to date.
SOL: I know, we're having a bit of a technology famine.
Chris: Hey, is banner space super spendy. I've started e-tree clothes again and it is going
to be online mail order. My web site isn't up yet, but hopefully soon.
SOL: I'm sure we can work a deal. So what is E-Tree clothes?
Chris: Right now it is t-shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps, and that's about it. As time goes on and I have more dinero it will grow more into street wear type stuff.
SOL: So no outerwear, huh?
Chris: Nope, K2's got that covered.
SOL: So who does the T-shirt designs? Do you?
Chris: Yup, right now it is me but I'm always open for ideas.
SOL: What kind of designs are they? Kind of trippy, hippy?
Chris: Oh, way far out man. Something you can just look and look and look at.
SOL: Lots o' Rasta colors and dreads and Phish graphics (joking).
Chris: No, really it's just simple two color designs: graphic art type stuff.
SOL: I'm kidding.
Chris: Crackers and cheese is a good snack.
SOL: It's all good baby.
Chris: We'll sell only online and a few select retail shops, but I hope to keep it pretty much all online. You know, keep it modern
SOL: That sounds cool.
Chris: Wow, is this talk fizzing out?
SOL: Cyberlicious.
Chris: Is this an actual interview that you're going to post or simply a friendly conversation
SOL: Well, it's both. I'll trim it down to just the stuff about the underwear and then put it up on the site.
Chris: I see, a little bit of business and pleasure
SOL: (laughing)
Chris: Working hard at hardly working
SOL: Hey, pleasure is my business. Or is it the other way around. I always forget.
Chris: Way to slip that underwear thing in there real quickly like so I wouldn't notice it.
SOL: Hey, I had to do it. I already told Tina that I saw her underwear. But she didn't really want to talk about it. But don't worry she will.
Chris: That a boy, dig deep
Chris: Hey, my legs are cramping working at this little box for a desk. I gotta go stretch my legs
SOL: I'll see you at Breck for the Vans thing. I think I'm going to make it out. You know, kick off the season.
Chris: Sorry, I'm leaving now
SOL: Take care.
Random E-Tree Info:
Computer: Compaq Presario 1610
RAM: A v10 magnum, those are the best engines.
Manditory Bookmarks: www.weather.com,
www.K2snowboards.com,
www.gap.com, www.yahoo.com,
and some fabric suppliers.
E-mail address: K2's Ask A Pro Site