The Push, While Seated. Back Home with Rick Stubblefield
Rick, it’s a pleasure to connect with you. You’re the only one from the Push Relay that I don’t know and I’m very stoked to meet you. Let’s dive in to the world of Rick Stubblefield:
The trip is done and I’m back in beautiful Colorado. First off, I want to say that it was a real pleasure to be included in the Push Relay team. Jack asked me early on if I’d be interested and when I heard who was on board I said WOW! what a crew to be a part of!
Some history about me:
I grew up skateboarding but then fell out of it for a while. In grade school I was always trying to be the fastest runner. And in high school I did track and field. Later I got into canoeing racing and did a bunch of that in Oregon, including winning a couple 20 mile races! Those took a bit under two hours to complete because you could ride the current. I was also a canoe guide and led a bunch of tours on the weekends. In other words, I’ve always been racing something.
How I got into longboarding:
In 2006 or 2007 I got into longboarding when a friend gifted me a board. That was a custom built board and it was a blast. I then got an Eastside Drop Kick, followed by a Longboard Larry Pusher 2.0.
I used that LBL board for my first race, the 2016 Push in the Woods race in Oregon. I grew up in Oregon so it was a great race for me. I got to see family and friends–and of course it rained. I did crash but I survived and kept riding and I was hooked on the race scene. In 2017 I did a majority of the US distance races. Everything aside from the UltraSkate which I finally did in 2019.
Day in, Day out:
My wife Wendy and I moved to Colorado about 20 years ago to escape the Oregon gloom. We love it out here. We’re in Wheat Ridge, which is kind of a suburb of Denver, but it’s got its own little city vibe. It used to be the carnation capital of the world. The bike paths around here are great pretty much year round and I love to skate them.
My day gig is as a steelworker for the Peterson Company. They are super cool and helped sponsor part of the trip. I cut steel using what are effectively super high power table saws. We make stair treads, landings.etc. I’ve done a bunch of different things over the years but I’ve been in steel for a while.
Getting involved in the trip:
I originally connected with Jack online when he was doing his cross country electric skateboard trip. But the first time I met him in person was in Virginia at the beginning of this trip. I’d met Andy at the 2019 Ultrarace and Miles at the 200 mile race in Minnesota. That was a really fun race.. But I had never met Paul or Dylan.
Training:
Jack asked me if I wanted to join back in December or so. I hadn’t been racing competitively in a few years. Because of snow and weather I ended up doing my initial training on an indoor stationary bike. Once the weather got nice I went out and skated a bunch. There’s a great path just outside my door which is perfectly paved with a bunch of hills and views.
A few Reflections on the trip.
We started by dipping our wheels in the Atlantic and then all skated together for the first leg.
The pathway heading out to Richmond was beautiful. I was the 4th rider of the day and once I got started the path just disappeared and I didn’t know where to go. Great, I thought, I’m gonna get lost on my first run! I gave Dylan a call because he was our navigator (I did that a few times and he was amazing as always) and he directed me through a small town. Out of town the trail picked back up and I finally found the van.
Miles rocked going through town in Richmond (which was challenging and impressive). After Richmond it didn’t seem to take too long to get into the sticks. After that I started riding and ended up on a gravel trail which wasn’t too fun but we made it through.
It was pretty incredible on a daily basis. There were plenty of times where things would change dramatically every twenty miles or so. Going from the most serene (beautiful pavement, the smell of flowers, gorgeous views) to the most terrifying (no shoulder, trucks barreling by at breakneck speeds and rouch pavement) and then back to serenity. An ever changing rotation of beautiful scenery and scary traffic.
Of the group I’m the only guy who doesn’t switch feet. I just ride goofy.
Donny from Hamboards donated some skate poles. I used that a ton and it helped me out a bunch. I loved that thing. It was a really impressive tool and I’m a huge advocate.
I kept a journal on the trip. It wasn’t easy. I was beat everyday but I forced myself to sit down and jot my thoughts down. I’ll probably do a reading of it at some point. My wife bought me the journal and snuck in a few motivational notes that actually did help. I’ve done a bunch of trips but nothing this long and I was missing her and kitty cats after a week. Wendy is awesome support and helps me out with the logistics etc. on all my trips.
About the team:
Andy: I’m blown away that I get to ride with someone like this. I still can’t beleive that Jack picked me to be part of this. Andy and I roomed together. He was awesome to have as a buddy. He had supplements which I think really made a difference for me. Fish oil, turmeric, etc. I think they really helped my joints and what not. Especially given how much we were moving. We were roommate buds and he was super supportive.
I took the back seat on the van and had a little bit of personal space. Andy was in front of me.
Miles helped me a ton, especially with implementing new tech and ideas. And he’s just a super positive dude that helped all of us maintain our energy and attitude especially in the face of the daily challenges..
Paul is awesome. If we didn’t have Paul to do the downhill stuff it would have taken us much longer. It was amazing to watch Paul do his thing. It was mind blowing. And he can climb hills as well as he can bomb. He also gave me a bunch of helpful tips for my skating.
It was an amazing crew to be part of. I’m still pinching myself that I was part of this crew.
Other highlights of the trip:
I communed with a deer in Wyoming. Wyoming was cool. The shoulders are wider but the traffic is faster so that was a little nerve wracking. But on the west side it was super beautiful. It’s like you’re in a Clint Eastwood movie and you’re waiting for the spaghetti western music to turn on. We skated over the continental divide and the Tetons in one day. Intense but extremely beautiful.
Something that stood out to me and surprised me was the Great Plains. I thought it would be boring but it was beautiful. Green and hilly. You find yourself imagining the bison and the Indians hunting them. And it was beautiful to see this at skateboard pace. Watching the birds checking us out and tons of deer.
Twice I caused cows to stampede. Coming around a corner and freaking them out. Scary at first but hilarious once it was all done.
It was an honor to have Jack ask me to be part of this. Jack says I set the old guy record, I’m 57.
What I rode:
I’ve rode a Subsonic for most of the trip but I also spent a bunch of time using the Loaded Zee Bracket front with a Rocket Exodus deck, a G/Bomb TTX rear and Orangatang Dad Bods. So I guess I was the first one to ride a Zee bracket extensively. Mark from G/Bomb had gifted me that back in December.
My phrase for the trip: Shred ‘till you’re dead!