Seeing someone wholly and perfectly in their element is beautiful. My brother Stephen has loved dirt, speed, motorcycles, and adrenaline for as long as I can remember. He was and has always been a free spirit, sometimes bucking authority and absolutely constant in living by his own rules. I greatly admire that he would not allow others to squash the essence of who he was. I admire that he works hard and plays even harder. He seems to have found the ability to suck the absolute marrow out of life and it really is an inspiring thing to behold.
This last weekend, I traveled with my parents and my sister Kristen to Ontario, Oregon to see him compete on a pro level hill climb event called the "Big Nasty"--nasty because of the treacherousness of the hill. I am not lying when I say that just trying to climb this hill that looked like it was at a 90 degree angle would have reduced me to gripping fear and tears. But he managed to climb the hill at probably 70 miles per hour with keen ability and no fear. Wow. AND he made it into the finals. I am so incredibly proud of my brother.
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| Proud to be a Brinkman |
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| My mom and Stephen's daughter Charlotte |
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| Stephen right after his first ride |
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| Eat My Dirt |
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| Me, Stephen, and my Mom at his trailer before a race |
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| Yes, it really is called the "Big Nasty" |
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| Me on his bike. I look like I'm going to burst with happiness. Strange, I know. |
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| Stephen and his baby girl |
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This picture is not being uploaded with very high quality
to my blog. It's much better on my computer. This is right
before he made it over the hill. |
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| Awesome stunt show between races |
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| Samara, my sister in law with Brooklyn |
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| We drove past this amazing field of zinnias |
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| My Mom, me, and Krissy |
6 comments:
Awesome post Sandy! I LOVE it! I agree with everything you said. So proud that Stephen has always been true to his DNA. How totally awesome it is to have a brother who has found such a cool niche to belong to. Thanks so much for documenting this- I wish I could have been there. Oh, and as usual, you got some totally gnarly shots! Wahoooo!!!!!!
Rebecca Curtis
You captured the very essence of my favorite son, Stephen. Those pictures were so great. So glad Stephen is in this family because he adds excitement and fulfillment. What an example to us all- to follow our dreams no matter what they are. Thank you so much for documentating this huge event!
Stephen-Beeven. Gotta love that boy.
Wish I could have been there. Maybe I should buy a motorbike?
This is amazing, Sandy. What an awesome thing to be a part of. I really admire Stephen for so many reasons and I'm so proud of him for pursuing this talent of his. I would love to go to one of his races sometime!! Looks like it's a blast!
Good times at the Big Nasty!
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