Owasippe Trail Run

Owasippe Run April 23,2017 from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

I am updating this blog with a old video, but it's been too long since I contributed any content.  I will try to be better about updating with fun adventures.  I recently found some old SAMA posters from when our shirts were for sale.  We need to do another fun of stickers at the very least!  It's been too long!  Thanks for continuing to follow along our adventures.  Since the last update we took a major road trip to Alaska in our truck camper.  I forgot my GoPro ( I know, how could I, right).  But, we have a lot of still photos I will try to put together.  We've of course been continuing our Self Absorbed Michigan Adventures!  SAMA.  

Fat Biking with Baloo from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

I contemplated for many months the purchase of a fat bike, after getting the bike I couldn't be happier!  The Specialized Fat Boy SE has allowed me to ride from the house more times in the past month than I rode my mountain in the past two years!  It's definitely harder to generate speed with the big tire and all the resistance, but most of us buy bikes for exercise in the first place.  So having my legs work harder is just part of the benefit.  The best part about fat biking in Grand Haven is it enables you to ride areas that you can't ride on any other bike.  An added bonus in lean snow years is they perform well on the light crusty snow that makes nordic skiing a real pain.  Plus, when I just want to relax, Baloo loves to pull me around town.  Not saying a fat bike is for everyone, but for me its gotten me back into mountain biking.  The fat bike is truly a year round toy, and you don't need to jump in the car and drive 20 minutes just do a mountain bike loop. 

Lake Huron Love

Surfer magazine found this Brian Tanis shot worthy of reposting on their Facebook page.  I missed this one, but know the guys that didn't miss it.  Much love from Lake Huron.  Set up look pretty all time to me!

Skeetown Session Aug. 2nd 2015

Kitesurf Skeetown 2015 from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

The storm of Aug. 2nd 2015 will long be remembered up north.  We just had a chance to drive through there this weekend and saw all the trees down.  Down here we didn't have near the damage but still has some amazing wind and waves.  Here is a little video from our session at North Muskegon before the wind got really crazy.  Here's to the start of the warm water and wave season!

Leelanau Excursion

SUP Northport July 2015 from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

Anna and I had some fun roaming around the Leelanau Peninsula this past week.  It was fun exploring new places right here at home in the lower peninsula.  This little edit is from a SUP session right at the Northport pier.  

Skijoring with Baloo at Hofma Park - March 2015

Hofma Skijor 2015 from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

Looking back on this day now that the sun is high in the sky and the weather is perfect for kiting. I am excited and reminiscent of all the great activities to do outdoors in Michigan!  I will enjoy the kiting and surfing seasons.  The beautiful spring, summer, and fall.  But, I will be super excited to get Baloo out for her first full year of skijoring and dogsledding when the snow graces our landscape once again!

Grand Haven Life

Grand Haven Life from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

It's been a long time since I have posted a video.  I will be attempting to post more here in the future and get back into the blogging world.  Here's a little short of some random activities this past year!

Big Sky Montana and Nature's Kennel McMillian Michigan

Big Sky Nature's Kennel from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

It's been a long time since I last posted.  I guess my adventures have been shared more with Facebook these days as it seems that is the most common platform.  I digress, however, it's still nice to have a place to visit and write down my thoughts.  It has been one of the most amazing winters I can remember, and although many are ready for it to be over, I am still thinking fondly of all the great times we had during this frozen time of sliding and skidding around.  I can't wait for the next winter.  I hope this little late winter teaser puts you into a positive mindset, remember the snow in April is just as beautiful as the snow in December.  It all depends on your frame of mind.  Enjoy folks!

Marquette Mission and the Marquette Trail 50K Relay

We had a great time in the U.P. once again!  This video shows a few of the highlights of the trip.  We ran the Marquette Trail 50K Relay and came in fastest overall!  Beginner's luck I guess.  We are still waiting on the votes to come in for best dressed team and best baton.  Maybe we'll get a hat trick and pull down all three, although that would be a bit too greedy.  For now, we're just stoked to be the fastest.

Marquette Mission from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

Marquette Trail 50K Relay from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

SAMA Springtime Sessions

SAMA Springtime Session from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

Here's a little flat water session from Spring Break.  The usual suspects were in attendance.  Nice to get back out cruising again, and stoked for some bigger surf to slash again soon.  

Ice Boating on Muskegon Lake with the Whistler Ice Boat

 

While many Michiganders are anxiously awaiting spring weather, a few hardcore ice boaters are reaping the benefits of the cold snowless weather. I was lucky enough to tag along last Saturday.  Look for more action this coming weekend with more cold snow less weather and great ice conditions.  Check out the recent update on   

West Michigan Ice Yacht Club.

Marquette Backcountry Skis

I finally conjured up the duckets and pulled the trigger on some of these locally made and designed backcountry skis.  I have long cross country skied the dune trails around Grand Haven and fantasized about all the powder laiden fall lines through the backdune forest.  Dave Ollila's creation was born from the same exact problem, plenty of powder, steep tree laden fall lines, and a beauty of the winter forest that draws us back time and time again.  He put his ideas to the drawing board and created, what I believe is the perfect solution for those of us who want to access the local tree lines of anyone's home town; whether you live in Montana, or Michigan, we can't always get to the resort, and sometimes it's just a better feeling to earn your turns.  It keeps us healthy, a little more wealthy, and definitely the wiser.  I'll post my videos and reports soon.  But, if you're interested in checking these MBCS out, read up on Dave and his inventions at the link below.

http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/December-2011/Northern-Michigan-Outdoors-David-Ollilas-Rugged-Backcountry-Skis/

Adult Night @ Mulligan's Hollow in Grand Haven

I got a shiny new GoPro HD camera for Christmas, so I had to get out and play with it for a while.  I spent an hour at the Hollow the other night playing around on some rails and boxes.  Super fun, and with all this new snow I need to get back out there.  Winter finally returns!

Surfing the North

Photos from a surf session with familiar faces hours from home.
More photos at... http://www.saltfreesurf.com/Surfing_Great_Lakes/Photos/Pages/Seul_Choix_11_11_12.html

Thanks for sharing Rick!  It was great to see you again, and glad to have some hometown people to run into in the north land  What a great weekend with friends from near and far.  We surfed a beautiful spot on Lake Huron the day before.  This day Shwa turned out to be a lot more fun than we thought it would be.  It must have been the warm air; it wasn't as big and blown out as we expected.  It had some wind on it, but the waves were peeling nicely along that limestone shelf.  Memorable weekend for sure!

Rocktober in the Grand Haven!

This has been one of the most active surf weeks all year.  Solid waves all week, and it looks like the weekend is going to be filled with wind and waves as well!  I love this photo because is shows one our our local breaks from the surfers perspective that is very hard to capture in the lakes.  The gray skies in the background are the October signature of a great day filled with elevator drops and big bottom turns.

10/11/12
Surfer: Matt Smolenski
Photo Credit: Nick Vandersys

SAMA Hits the Shelves at Mackite in Grand Haven

It's official SAMA is now available in stores near you! Pick up your SAMA swag at the two Mackite locations.  The board sports center on the east side of town, and the downtown Grand Haven store.  Join the SAMA nation!

SAMA at Mackite from Ben Braymer on Vimeo.

Summer Solstice Sessions

With the first day of summer upon us, and the wind blowing for days out of the south; the local crew was poised and ready to rally north for a few days of kiting and surfing.  Water temps were in the high 60's and with the air temps in the 80's it made for some amazing mid June Summer Solstice Sessions.  We headed to a buddies place in Onekama for a night, and then up to Frankfort for a long day of kiting, surfing, SUPing, and eventually finished off with a sunset session body surfing.    It's summer time and the livin's so fine!

Superior Spring Time

I often dream of being up north.  I guess the cold weather doesn't bother me that much, especially when I look at pictures like this one.  Snow on the ground in mid April doesn't seem so bad when you look at a line up like this.  Gitchi Gumee once again proving why it's called Superior.

Early March Powder Dump

My last post was titled "End of February Surf", and this one is "Early March Powder Dump" following weekend's massive snow storm up north.  Should be the other way around it seems, but once again life in the Great Lakes Region is, and will continue to be quite difficult to predict.  I am feeling pretty lucky about being in the right place at the right time lately.  I sent a pic to a friend this weekend showing a Jeep buried in snow and the sun shining brightly; his reply was, "It takes a master's degree in timing to be in the right spot around here."  Meteorology has become a second hobby of mine, it's an end to a means to be in the right spot at the right time.  But, I still think it has more to do with luck.  Sure you can give yourself a one up by studying some weather models, but in the end, if you don't go you'll never know.  I have for sure had my share of cruddy sessions, mushy brown waves, bullet proof groomers, and everything in between.  But, like another friend told me once, "every dog has his day."  So, I'll keep searching, and I know with a little homework, and a lot of optimism, we'll score again.  The transition of seasons gives us the opportunity to do all the water and snow sports in the same week.  Just another token of mother natures appreciation for the stoked.

End of February Surf

It's the first year I ever remember scoring waves like this in February!  Normally, there is ice out to the end of the piers.  But this year we are reaping the benefits of a year round surf season in Michigan.  So yesterday after drinking a few cups of coffee and getting highly caffeinated, I loaded the wettie and a couple of my favorite sliding tools; a hand shaped Mini-Simmons, and a factory pumped Firewire Dominator into the Jeep and rolled out to find some icy olas.  The sun was shining, and the wind was southeast telling me this could be an epic late winter score.  I'll let these photos tell the rest of the story, but I had one of the best waves I've ever had on the lakes yesterday.  Thanks to Brian T. for the shots! 

"A wave is where you find it."
                                   -Gerry Lopez