Aaron Orton BagOfMuscle log

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 12 Jul 2007 00:16

Reviewing the US Open, the first competition I have ever entered, and only the second event I have ever been able to attend.

Right now I sit in my comfortable room with painful legs, a deep dark tan, and more insight on footbag than I have had in a long time. Unlike the majority of the footbag players on this website, I don't have the opportunity to play with many people. I learn more in one day with a new shredder than I do with the same shredder and months of practice. Thus, the US Open footbag championships taught me more than anything I have ever been to. Let me recap.

Friday morning, after a quick gym session in which I puked from lifting too hard, I drove up to Portland from Oregon in my 97' Mitsubishi Eclipse. I had brought what I thought was everything (I forgot my phone charger), and I had a smile on my face. This was the first event I would ever compete in, and the first thing I had been to since CSS6. As I drove toward my destination, I worried about my legs which should have been rested from four days of inactivity. Unfortunately for me, I would find out later that the leg would act up too much for me to really shred this weekend. No matter though, I made the best of it.
After some great directions from Red, I found his house and met a lot of freestylers from various parts of the country. After only a few minutes chatting with them, I had remembered the atmosphere of this community of players that was so unlike anything else I had ever been around. Every footbag player I met was just amazing. Each is multi talented, and everyone seems to get along like they have been friends forever. It really is amazing, considering they only community I can reflect on is the Marine Corps, in which friendliness is not applied, only rank.
The first day began at Pioneer Square with a lot of player introductions. I met Nick Landes there who was awesome and kept telling me to not beat him up. We kicked with my Amaretta Fearless 55's which were the most popular bags at the open by far. Daryl insisted on using them for his competitions, and so did I.

Anyway, after meeting a ton of people and reuniting with even more, I can reflect on a few things. One, don't ever sleep with frozen peas on your legs, because when you wake up, that shit ain't frozen no more. Sorry Red, those things are in the trash now. Secondly, bring a girl with you to tournaments for leg massages, this is a must. I was so stupid to go solo. Third, even if your sore and hurting, make sure your still having fun, you have the opportunity to attend something like this, live it up. So finally, Sunday rolled around and the final part of the competitions took place. By this time I was so tired, worn, beat down, and my legs hate my so much that I .... got used to it. So the sick trick competition came around and first up was Nick Landes. He hit Nuclear Symposium Whirl, which is a really intense move. I don't think I could ever hit that. So right away I thought I wasn't going to place first, and I was up next. My first two attempts for Alpine Blurry Whirl were off so I stopped that so I wouldn't look stupid, plus, that move wouldn't win crap anyway. My third try was Blurry Merlin, which I sealed, but I didn't feel like it was really clean. I decided from then on that I would just try one of my most difficult tricks and attempted Margaritaville (Surging Pdx Blender) which left the bag surging straight into the crowd. I didn't care, I knew right then that I could hit that move, somehow. Which I did. After stepping off of the stage I watched as five other seven adds, and multiple six adds were hit. What surprised me the most was that both Penske and Bevier both missed nemesis, I was like, whoa, wtf. Penske even tried for nemesis rake, which was like on his foot but the seal wasn't intact. It didn't matter regardless though because in my mind I had already lost with all the awesome moves taking place. My move had questionable counterparts, how does Justin Dale's alpine food be questionable.... exactly. That's how I look at it atleast. Regardless, the routines took place and so did the rippin run and I took somewhere near dead last in both. Which is fine, it was my first comp, and it was in Open, and it was for the US Title. (We miss you Clavens) So when the awards ceremony took place and my name was called I was like..... wtf, there is no way. And I still feel that way, but I stepped on stage and received my Blue Ribbon with Giant Medal attatched to it with pride asking Red why Nick wasn't getting it. He didn't reply with anything but, "you deserve it man". The rest is history, we kicked a bit more and hung a bit longer but then it was time for me to depart. I drove back to Eugene just in time to see the sun set, and hang my medal on my wall. Overall I give the event a 9/10, not because of the coordination, but because of the heat. Next time someone set the outdoor thermostat, because playing in Iraq for a second time was gay.

ericksonj · Post by **ericksonj** » 12 Jul 2007 11:48

Jason Mann is in a video on modified, looks like he is shredding in Tenessee!

http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=16683

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 12 Jul 2007 11:52

Good find, I wonder how he is doing. I remember watching him hit ripwalk>sidewalk>repeat and being just blown away.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 13 Jul 2007 10:23

Video Released in the Video Section, watch it, it's coo.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 13 Jul 2007 10:52

I liked the video, Aaron. Although I'm at work so I couldn't listen to music or whatever. The closeup made me realize that you look just like the cop that can read minds from HEROES! Except, that you are buff and skinny, and your super power is way cooler.

I liked your write-up too. Tournaments are the best! I think Worlds is going to blow us away. And, wait, so you won US Open sick 1 with gyro food processor? Props, if so.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 13 Jul 2007 11:16

Oh no, the music is key!

Zeb Jackson · Post by **Zeb Jackson** » 13 Jul 2007 11:23

hey aaron

it was cool chillin with you at the uso, nice video as well, i liked the music!

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 17 Jul 2007 11:03

Thanks man, my next will have to be the Eugene guys, cuz we so good, haha.

Hit a cool string in the grass and an old abshire at the hippy fair for alex zerbe, blurriest>barrage>paradon>blur>smear>parkwalk>blurrywhirl

ericksonj · Post by **ericksonj** » 23 Jul 2007 09:29

How is the alaskan shred going? You freeze your feet off yet?

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 24 Jul 2007 20:43

I played a total of 11 hours of footbag in the grass on saturday/sunday. The only way I accomplished that was all the canadians buying me beer. I've never kicked drinking before, but damn it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Plus the brew made the exhaustion and leg pain go away. Oh yeah, and the two girls that gave me an oil massage, that helped the pain really go away.

I think I pulled my right trapezius muscle this weekend kicking so much, off a duck none the less. What the hell, I've never pulled anything playing, and a trap? WTF.

I kicked one last time today with the Alaskan kid named Taylor. He's really good, the best one in this town easily. I taught him whirl, wauxpin, and zoom set. He hit them all within the hour. He also had double spinning clipper off his foot, freaking amazing. Watch a video of him on YouTube under the tags Alaska and Footbag.

Lastly, my dad just told me that my flight is throughout tonight. It begins at midnight and I don't get home until nine in the morning. This is going to suck, especially because it's leg day at the gym tomorrow and I'm not going to have much rest.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 24 Jul 2007 21:38

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 24 Jul 2007 22:21

i would like to purchase some tickets to
THE GUN SHOW

worlds is seven kinds of juicy...
like a slice of cantelope

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 03 Aug 2007 12:14

Here's you go:

I'm smiling really "cool" too.

Oh yeah, hit reverse swirling symp whirl the other day, now for the other side.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 03 Aug 2007 12:16

lol is that a sheep in the background?

Probably a dog.

I hope it's a sheep though. lol.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 11 May 2008 21:56

So the green cup is comming up and I have been practicing a little more. It's fun to do small jams like this and help out the sport. I hope I can bring a few more with me to this one. See you west coast people there.

New link:
Frog Master > Symple Swirl

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 12 May 2008 09:05

heh. Small jams. This will be the largest net event outside of Worlds this year, and it will definitely have the highest level of competition. There will be at least 9 past doubles world champs competing:

PT Lovern (Chaos)
Alexis Deschenes (Montreal/Chaos)
Yvez Archambeault (Montreal)
Manu Bouchard (Montreal)
Flo Goetze (Germany)
Patrick Shrickel (Germany/Chaos)
Kenny Shultz (Sole Purpose)
Randy Mulder (Colorado)
John Leys (Chaos)

The freestyle portion may be small, but probably not. I'm guessing there will be 30 players or so, that's not too small.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 12 May 2008 09:51

I really don't know too many people on the net side of this sport. So not only is this the first time I am attending this event, but also hearing of it. In addition, the last two events I went to were SJFF and Worlds, then after this, the US Open. So the green cup isn't exactly a big thing for me, but whatever. I'm mostly going to try and get Shawnell out there to meet the rest of the shredita group on the west coast, and also wipe off some rust competing in time for the open.

I got to get to class, I'll see you in two weeks there Mirkenator.

shreddaily · Post by **shreddaily** » 31 May 2008 07:29

Moxie wrote: -Seeing people get too stoned to be able to function or hang out

sounds like someone was too generous with the desserts

See you tonight

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 31 May 2008 23:19

Whoa green cup was awesome. I didn't play too well but it really woke me up to get ready for the US open. I think it's time for more shred, less bodybuilding for just th summer. It should be fun.

Hit spinning pdx whirl > stepping ss barrage

james · Post by **james** » 01 Jun 2008 01:10

that's a sick link.

besides the fact that stepping barrage is SICK

hope to shred with you one day