Hello blog, my old friend.
Lots to talk about.
First off, Ken made a FB post asking who were the top 5 US players.
Ken Somolinos wrote:5 best freestylers in the USA, ranked in order. Go.
I had many thoughts that I didn't feel comfortable sharing on FB. I agree with the general consensus that came out for the top 5, but I couldn't believe how few people had Jim #1. Most people had Evan #1 and only 2 people had Jim #1 and one of those was his brother. Many cited Evan's World Championship but are we sure he would have won if Jim was there? I digress that's not my main argument.
Evan is turning out some amazing combos right now. Very technical and very dense but all of a similar nature. Ripstein, double blender, blurriest, blurrier, blurry drifter, flurry, swifters and sweeps, along with reverse swirling variety tricks etc. While all those are amazing, there hasn't been anything he's done recently that I don't think Jim couldn't hit within a couple tries. On the other hand, I don't recall ever seeing Evan put 20 fearless on video, or be able to do a combo like stepping torque>blurry torque rpt, or go for 10 beastly, or put down a 200 contact guiltless string, or any of the insane sick tricks on the latest Boise video (open quantum double down rake-4 dex 7 add TOE to TOE move).
While Evan is playing at his best I think his proximity to Jim has pushed Jim to another level and deserves #1. My rank would be Jim, Evan, Lon/Nick (tie for third), Ken and Pipenberg to round out 5. Pipenberg is so good he deserves to be in the top 5. I'm not including Dave because he's no longer relevant. He could be number 1 with ease but he's disqualified due to inactivity.
Onto my next gripe. Some of the knuckleheads put Mark in their top 5.
Nothing against Mark, he's a great player putting out great videos. But he's a one trick pony compared to the guys who deserve to be in the 6-10 spots. I would argue he doesn't crack the top 10. Mark is great at his swirl moves and the concepts he has mastered but he doesn't have the form or the consistency to be considered. I would put Bevier, Polini, Hogan and Bonslaver all above Mark. If those 5 were all to compete in circle against one another I don't think Mark could keep up with the consistency of the 40 contact strings those guys would be laying down every turn.
I don't know where I fit into all that, I don't think that's my place to say. But I do know I was in the top 10 knocking on the door of the top 5 by 2013. Between 2011 and 2013 I beat Jim, Nick, Lon, and Bevier in various competitions. I never could beat Ken (you jerk
), and in all those competitions I learned it really comes down to consistency. I may not have been better than those guys I beat, but on any given day, in order for them to beat me, they had to bring it. I was going to force them to lay down what they are capable of. They weren't always able and I was right there when they didn't rise to the challenge.
I'd like to think I could get back to a level that would put me in the top 10. I think I'm capable, but these days it's very hard to compare people from different eras.
On to my own footbag journey. My back has been taking a heavy toll the last few sessions and I'm not sure what that's about. I decided to take a week off after my last session. I didn't play again until Wed.
On Tuesday morning I woke up with the weirdest sensation, no back pain. I don't think I experience much pain per se but a constant mild discomfort, to the extent that it's always there but I don't notice it. Or I didn't notice until it was gone. I woke up like a fog had cleared, a heavy weight had been lifted, it was refreshing and liberating. While I enjoyed it, I also gained some perspective. The toll I pay to play footbag. It's the price I pay to play, but I think it's worth it and I appreciate it all the more.
Over the last week and a half not playing and in light of the FB post asking who the top 5 US player are, I've been thinking a lot about my current slow mo project. I think phase 1 is ready to wrap but I'd like to get 2 last combos before I put together a best of. On Wednesday I kept it light and played mostly so I don't regress. I wanted to hit flip blurriest>flip swifter and flip blurriest>flip flurry to finish the video.
I got the 1st combo relatively easily and I was hitting the second combo with more consistency than ever but it was never clean. Every barrage dex out of the blurriest was the. I want it undeniably clean. Hope to get it next time and need to continue to work on cleaning up my flip flurry. The video has some good tries I can learn from and improve upon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7qaSdvhFsE
If you've read this, thanks. Here's another "Greta bad at catching food" video as your consolation prize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvahe7wYdjw
First and foremost, congratulations on getting married! I know the hardest part is finding the right person, but the actual logistics and pressure of getting married is nothing to sneeze at either. I know what a relief it can be to have that in the rear view mirror. Your trip looks like an amazing way to *officially* start your journey together.
It's like your playing in a postcard or something. While I get that the heat is probably killer, at least you remembered your equipment and got to document yourself playing on your honeymoon. I went through a lot of trouble to find shoes for my honeymoon that I could hike in, walk in, and shred in so I could pack light. It wasn't until we arrived on our honeymoon that I realized I forgot to pack a footbag. 
