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From Rick Strahl
(Photoalbum)
 The author hard at work. Yeah, right! |
Welcome to my office... Ahem, this is rather loosely called
an office. Some people prefer to call it a dungeon, because, well, it's a little dark in
here. Most of the time the only illumination that powers the entire operation is the glare
of a few computer screens. You see, I like the dark - fits my mood. Along with dull
thumping in the room from the worn out stereo I can actually feel at home here (in more
ways than one). This is the spot where I get my inspiration for code - in front of the keyboard with nothing but some energy to let out. A few cans of caffeine and I'm ready to go! Ok, so I was born a computer geek. What the hell... |
 Just another day at the office! Living on Maui has its rewards like the afternoon sailing session sessions. When I moved here 3 years ago it was mainly to get my windsurfing fix in the waves. Maui is great in many ways, but the sailing is just plain epic. Now if only I had the balls to sail Ho'okipa more often life would really be good! |
Those who know me or have worked with me have often asked
whether I ever get away from the computer to do something fun. Oh yes, indeed - you just
might not have noticed when I slipped in a blasting sailing, snowboard or mountain
bike session. To prove the point here are a couple of pictures to back up this wild
notion... Who says you have to make waves only on the Internet???
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 Rick enjoying the other side of 400 Morton Road. When not behind the computer you can find him here in the 'back office suite' more often than not! |
Before moving to Maui, I called the Columbia
River Gorge (Hood River, OR) home. Another place chosen for windsurfing
this spot is great for sailing and alternate activities like killer
mountain biking, year round snowboarding and kayaking (something I've been
meaning to get into). Now I spend most of my summers in Oregon and the
rest of the year on Maui.
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| When I moved to the Columbia River Gorge in 1994 it was to get away from
the big city life in San Francisco Bay Area to get into a small town environment with lots
of outdoor activity opportunities within close reach. In the summertime windsurfing is my ticket to unwind. This sport has been my primary hobby for close to 10 years and my move to Hood River was primarily motivated by the awesome sailing conditions the Columbia River can dish up. It's not uncommon to see days when the wind hits 40-50 mph and occasionally higher with the river kicking up swells of 10 feet or more. All the fun of ocean sailing without becoming part of the food chain. |
 Some serious 'unwinding' in progress. Gorge ('95) |
 Which way is up??
This year a bunch of friends also managed to make it down to Baja for a cool sailing trip. Baja is so much fun to get away from it all (no phones, no computer, no NOTHING!) and sports some of the cleanest and longest waves to ride. |
Ok, Ok, so it's not always like that, but here it
actually makes sense to have that gear for those out of control days - they do occur several times per season. You know - the Victory at Sea stories your grandfather told you. That's what it's like!
Then there's the occasional trip to the Oregon Coast. It ain't quite Hawaii at about 55 degrees and Whitey out to snack on unsuspecting surfers. But hey, what's life without a little excitement. When the coast is on there's some excellent wave sailing to be had and it can get big! In the spring and late summer it's not uncommon to hit mast high plus days which really define the word humbling in this cold desparate environment.
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 White fun on Mt. Hood... |
In the wintertime, snowboarding takes the place of
windsurfing. The short drive up Mt. Hood makes it easy for me to get away for a short day
session when the workload is light. With the wet climate and frequent cold storms moving
through Mt. Hood serves up some quality powder boarding (and skiing for those who haven't
tried boarding - you know there's no turning back!). Snowboarding is alright, but the weather kinda gets me. The only time this sport is full on is when the weather is also in full on blizzard mode. Just getting there is an adventure even with a 4x4 (as my insurance agent will readily tell you). But when it's on it's almost up there with a decent day on the water. Heck, a few feet of powder feels like water - and it hurts even less to faceplant a bogus aerial. |
 Who the heck is this guy? You guessed it... |
I thought you might get a kick out of these pictures. Once
upon a time there was this punk rock thing going on and well, that involvement as a bass
player/song writer kept me occupied for a few years. I know the hair doesn't seem to fit
that bill, but I never seemed to fit in, even then. It even paid the bills for a short while and was the start of my programming career as I wrote my first serious business application (a merchandising application) while managing our band's finances. So the burning question is: Who are these bands? Nothing you're likely to ever have
heard of. But in case you're interested and you feel the need to dig for old records/CDs:
Attitude Adjustment, Attitude and Two Bit Thief. Very loud and very angry... Anti-Trust (2000-02) Two Bit Thief (1989-90) Attitude (1986-89) Attitude Adjustment (1984-86) Click here for more band photos. |
 Watch that ceiling! Younger and hairier days where Attitude was everything. |
Contact Information:
Rick Strahl
West Wind Technologies
32 Kaiea Place
Paia, Hawaii 96779
Updated on 12/24/06
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