Rhinestone Shades or Cheap Sunglasses

Hey Everyone,

After 96 hours adrift, the pooch and I made it approximately 410 miles from La Paz, BCS to San Blas, Nayarit.

The plam trees are swaying. I'm no longer in GRINGOLANDIA. This is MEXICO.

I was going to write some big update but the dog is outside barking at a police horse and the chubby tranny running this internet cafe just told me my hour is up.

Gotta go. I'm heading further S this afternoon after exploring an old fort and some "muy tranquilo" swimming hole... we'll see.

Here's some pics.

MAX

La Paz.

Dumb boat. Awesome name.

Way too happy going into a 96 hour sail.

I hope the dog likes sushi. 35? pound WAHOO.

Only Maestra could be this relaxed with 95 hours worth of dookie on deck.

Sunset over Baja as we're bouncing along.

Transcend Something. Anyone want to sponsor this trip?


Sleep deprivation. Four hours in four nights.


Packin' heat at the Birkie. I've lost that old competitive spirit. Good riddance.

CARNIVAL CON COMPUTADORA!

QUE ONDA!

My $300 MALL*WART computer has a webcam. RAD. TRULY.

Many thanks momentarily to the bargains provided by digital supply chain management and infinite growth strategies.

Cuiadado Gringo... especialmente con tu nuevo poder technologia...mente.

Mi viaje a Minnesota fue todo bien. I got 284th in the Birk with a PIG on each foot.

Next year, I will be rejoining the ranks of the elite wave... scouts honor... pending incorrectitude of my prediticions of immient societal collapse.

Keaner will get a kick out of tihs pic being published, so here it is.

Benny had a great race despite having stitches in his abdomen.

Pops won his age group (and almost nicked me).

Sam finished commendably for a guy who hasn't raced skis in a decade.

Mom kept us fed and looked beautiful as usual.

Getting sauced at the SAWMILL and catching up with the long lost was heartwarmingly hilarous.

Hopefully, that little trip ended with the last commercial airtravel of my life. I swore the shit off years ago but keep finding myself nauseatingly lifting off... breathing canned fucking air.

It's good to be back on old SINNY. I arrived in the midst of CARNIVAL... walking from the bus terminal into a pathetic display of colorful consumeristic craziness... at least folks seem to be having a good time with it all.

La clima he cambiado y voy mananita... a la maldrugada si posible.

Fui hablando anoche con el jefe mas inteligente de todo los HOTDOGueros de La Paz. Muy interestante. Gente inteligente con una familia guapita.

Ahorita prefiero pensando en la lengua porque puedo escapar las tempestas inglesas mias.

Cual lengua? Es mio y voy a cambiarlo. Con suerte alguien puede entenderme.

The boat's all set and the weather looks DEEC. I'll be stopping in Balandra at dawn to scrape my bottom. Then it's about 250 miles to mainland Mexico.

And hilariously, now that I can finally get going, I'm sad to leave.

I'll miss this noisy, dirty mess everyone calls TRANQUILO.

Tipico.

SU GRINGO,

MAX

EL GATITO

The other day I LIBERATED an abandoned HOBIE 16 CATAMARAN. The authentic Mexican grafitti makes it uber-dope.

Already mastless, it only took 10 minutes and a hacksaw to make it a BONAFIED KITE CAT.

The La Paz kite crew has been blazing around the bay... poor lighting due to Pineapple Express kept us from getting any action shots. We always forgot a camera. All good, though.

One day, when everyone else was feeling way too responsible, I comandeered MAESTRA and attempted to sail EL GATITO around the hump between La Paz to La Ventana... about 50 miles as the undistracted dolphin swims.


IF you can read dog posture, you can tell MAESTRA held reservations. I convinced her it was all good by bringing along all sorts of "SURVIVAL CRAP".


Cuenta larga corta, we went about 6 miles before the wind got flukey, we got gusted, and both of us went in the drink.

I don't recommend bodydragging with a panicked street-bitch. Chaos.

The loopy run home was a blast, however.

RANDOMONIUM

THE DOG HAS ATTACHMENT ISSUES.

BEFORE.


DURING.

AFTER.
SCHOONER.


"QUEEN WITHOUT A COUNTRY"
Star pupil "CARO-LEENA" medicating a NASTY stingray attack.

FUCK CANNED TUNA. CATCH ME SOME FRESHIES.

I gotta get the hell out of LA PAZ... saliendo manana por la manana.

CIAO.

FINAL COUNTDOWN!

This Satuday the icy hand of fate will pit father against son... brother against brother... man against nature... scantily-clad jewels against biting cold...in the ultimate showdown of spandex-clad manliness.

Ben "DIRTY SVENCHEZ" Mogren is coming off a hernia operation and could be vulnerable as such... one "accidental" groin-poling during the starting maelstrom could penetrate this frost-spewing dragon's otherwise invincible armor.

The Mustache gives him mystical powers. Hopefully he shaved.

Ken "BIG PIMPIN!'" Mogren is having the season of his LIFE, recently winning the overall points title for the Minnesota Nordic Series... the culmination of 40 years of ski racing... and slightly attributable to the juicy handicap offered gents over 60.

Always a threat. Beyond experienced.

Sam "PURPLE REIGN" Mogren is a mild-mannered branch manager by day. By night? The frontman for Phoenix's most sought after PRINCE TRIBUTE BAND. Each performance leaves his audience almost as breathless as Sam himself. If that ain't training, what is?


He can apparently defy gravity. One word... CONTENDER.

Max "RABID PEROXIDE RAVEN" has been running with LA MAESTRA, kiting his face off, slacklining, pulling up, and stretching. Despite having been on XC skis twice in the last two years, he remains undauntedly cockshure.


He found some lunchmoney. With the magical power of CALORIES, anything is possible.

I'll be in MN Thursday through Sunday. Anyone in Winona who wants to meet up, lets do it Friday morning. Anyone in TC, lets do it Sunday noon.

Gotta go work on my boat and pamper my perrita.

MAX

Matando Tiempo

I'm wasting time in a cafe called AFRICA in MEXICO.

The boss lets me use her computer... I am always the only customer.

Tourism is currently lacking.

Google Earthing Tehuantepec and Papagayo just isn't the same as actually being there.

As soon as I get back from MN the trip continues.

I will be in Winona from the 18th until the 22nd of Feb... with a short stint at the Birkie in scenic Hayward Wisconsin... where I will be representing MEXICO in the coveted ELITE WAVE.

Last year I could bluff my way through with daily backcountry touring in the bank... this year will be interesting. I am relatively weak.

The pooch and I have been climbing hills and stretching to get ready.

Anyone who wants to see the MOG should throw him a fundraising party. He will definitely show up for that.

I fly out of MPLS at 4pm on SUNDAY the 22nd... maybe a LUNCHEON is in order.

LA PAZ PHOTO OP

BIENVENIDOS!

I pitched a photo op to some pros when they were in town. Unfortunately it didn't blow much in La Ventana or La Paz during KITEEXPO.

Anyone looking to take some mag quality kite pics in Baja should hit La Paz during a NORTE... wind usually peaks about 3pm but it blows all day... and into the night.

Steady reliable 9m wind when folks are flying 7s in LV... the sensor reads low in La Paz.

Getting here is easy and the launch is right out of the car. Just head to the MALECON... the main waterfront. These pics are all of the TOURIST PIER.

Sandbars block chop and offer pockets of perfect flatwater.

Hit the tide right and you're on a upwind treadmill like the GORGE. The water is cleaner than expected and warmer than LV. You can ride in boardies for an hour before you're cold.

This is the spot at SUNRISE. A SUNSET SESSION could yield some of the prettiest flatwater freestyle pics imaginable.

The sun sets right over the water and INCREDIBLY.

The statues are pretty cool too.

As are the buildings and trees.

Getting here is about a 30 minute drive from LV. You could session LV in the AM and take pics here at sunset.

This info is offered free to anyone except Aaron Mack. I expect the $500 he owes me before he can take any further advantage of my assistance.

I am happy to answer any questions.

maxmogren@yahoo.com

Maestra's Escuela De Papalote

GRITTY LOC-DOG SHREDDER BROTHA TAKING A SIESTA. HE KITED 5 HOURS THAT DAY.

HEADING HOME FROM SCHOOL. GET ON THE BUS. TWO DINKS. TWO MILES. 20 MINUTES. FOUR PEOPLE. ONE DOG. ONE KITE.

I AM TEACHING REAL LIVE MEXICANOS TO KITE. THIS ISN'T ONE OF THEM BUT HE LOOKS MORE MEXICAN THAN ANY MEXICAN I HAVE YET TO MEET. J IS FROM MN.

MAESTRA LEARNING HOW TO SWIM. SHE IS WARMING TO THE IDEA.

ROAD TO KNOWHERE.

I'll be in La Paz until I leave. Gotta stack some cash. Everything's a hustle.

SIN FIN LOONEY BIN

Game on.

Game CHINGANDO on.

I'm sniping Marina space again cause PANGUERO "fishermen" are eyeing my shit hard... and anything stolen is essential gear LOST.

Fuck! Shit!

I'm running free? I'm running scared? I'm getting soft?

Thanks Clint and Will and Corinne.

Baja California?

Never been there. Never checked in anyway.

All my CDs are SCRATCHED.

I got "CLASSIC ROCK 4" from Kevin... who also saved my life with free muffins and burritos... it's nice to know you have a friend.

I got BOB DYLAN... six SCRATCHFREE tracks anyway.

I got a blangin' digicam... down there at the PAWNSHOP... it even does borders... see?

I came backa few days later to sell my spare stereo deck... they wouldn't buy it... I think they think I am CIA or some such shit.

Sick graffiti...

The big QUOTE around the central figure is from GOYA... roughly translated...

THERE ARE HEADS SO FILLED WITH EXPLOSIVE VAPORS
THAT THEY DON'T NEED CRYSTAL BALLS NOR WITCHES
TO FLY.

Computer? BUSTED.

And any money that finds my pocket just fLies the fuck out.

IF I had $170 dollars I'd be underway. Instead I'm trying to sell kites and a motor.

I got Maestra dozing through my PULLUPS, TEARS, and RANTS. See?


Smart Fucking Dog.

I got a sunset to catch... HOLD ON...

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Avoid christian missionary CHIROPRACTORS...

They'll FUCK yer neck and back up so bad that only months of treatment and CONVER-SAT(A)ION will set ya BENT.

No offense, GOOD NEWS, but THANKS. I have an interesting set of musculoskeletal issues.

If I have any advice, garnered from my time in MEXICO it is this...

EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THE GOOD FRESH NATURAL SHIT.

Whatcha got?

Whatcha got?

Whatcha got?

Que tienes, PUTITO?!

Nada en realidad.

De nada a nada.

I've got mucho gratitude for all the friends new and old who are offering support.

I've got mucho disgust for the fairweather friends who've lit some crucial shit.

I skipped LV KITEEXPO for wind elsewhere and went sailing with Keel.



It was either SUNSETS and COCKTAILS or some intentional line tangles and aquatic LUCHA LIBRE.


I'm a lover not a fighter. I'm just built for SPEED.

Stay Sane... everything could be much worse... and it'll go there long before it gets better.

MAX