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This past summer has been full of fun opportunities with work and barefoot waterski trips. I have also been able to explore new places around the bay for the first time on weekends, including places like Santa Rosa, Fairfield, Napa, and Sonoma. With all this exploration, I figure it is about time for an update!

In April I made a trip over a long weekend to Florida for the Waterski Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Rachel George, a fellow barefoot waterskier originally from Ohio. It was great to see her and her family and many other barefooters! Since the event happened to be at Epcot I was also able to make my first visit to Disney World, visiting a couple of the parks with waterski friends. I was also able to do some professional “research” while there as I had been working on the revamp of “Mission: Space” at Epcot since the fall, and I was able to visit the previous version of the ride while I was in Florida.
The April trip would prove to be a nice precursor to a return trip to Orlando in August for a waterski competition and vacation with part of my family. After the competition we were able to spend a few days at Disney World together as well.
In early June I skied a local competition in central California, the first “local” barefoot competition in California in a number of years. The event was well attended with skiers from not only California, but Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, and Oregon as well. It was over the weekend, but I was still able to enjoy a couple of nights of camping out for the trip.
July saw the delivery of my first project while coordinating, coinciding with the formal announcement of the new “Mission: Space” experience at Disney’s D23 conference. I am honored to have worked with such an experienced and talented team at ILM on the ride, and I hope to be able to work with the crew again in the future. Also in July was the Western Barefoot Regional Competition in southern Washington state. I was able to get some camping in at this event too, spending a long weekend with some great skiers and all-around fun people to be with. You can read my recap of the event here.
As mentioned previously, August took me to Florida again, as well as onto a new project which is set for a 2018 release. I continue to learn more and more about the production process and the film industry in general, making new friends and gaining new insight with each team I am a part of. There is still plenty left to learn!
This summer has allowed me to catch up on a number of small projects I have been putting off for awhile which, in turn, has encouraged me to be a little more conscientious of what I now add to my plate moving forward. I hope to pick up writing as well as reading more regularly again, especially as outdoor activities dwindle a little.