Timekillers

In May, mountainbike freerider Aaron Chase broke his back at a contest in England. We find out what he's doing until he can climb back on the bike again and he takes the time to reflect on some of the odditites in life including those weird Myspace comments and favorite YouTube videos.

Being injured is never a good thing, but if you had to find something good about it, you could argue that the downtime brings much-needed rest from a hectic contest schedule and some free time to cross a few things off your to-do list. That's not much consolation to most athletes, however; their to-do list only has one item: Run it wide open, all the time.

Aaron Chase knows this all too well; back in May, he broke his back at a contest in England, and has had to watch his bike gather dust while he recovers. He's not one to sit idle, though. AC's been working on his new web site, doing some yoga, and staying up on his Myspace updates. We had him put together a few lists concerning his time off the bike; see what he's been doing with his time, and expect him to be tearing it up on two wheels again soon!

Top 5 YouTube time-wasting videos
1. Aaron Chase and Razor Scooters 1
You can build a ramp in your kitchen too! You won't be sorry.

2. Aaron Chase + Razor Scooters 2
More sick scooter action and some step-up jumps thrown in.

3. Lincoln car jump
A dude back in the late '70s jumps a rocket-powered Lincoln off the biggest ramp you have ever seen.

4. Guitar Hero - Rush XYZ
This guy slays it.

5. Human slingshot
Yee-ouch!


Five hardest things about recovering from an injury:
1. Not being able to ride.
2. Not being comfortable.
3. Losing muscle mass, then trying to rebuild it.
4. Having to take 10 gross supplements/vitamins each day.
5. Telling the same “So how did this happen?” story over and over again.


Five things you've been able to get done with the extra time you have right now:
1. See Skid Row and Vince Neil in concert
2. Design a new top-secret Cannondale bike
3. Fix my ’66 Honda Trail 90 (a real gem)
4. Judge some comps
5. REST!


Five weirdest/funniest questions or comments you've received on your Myspace page:
1. "I am such a big fan, I love everything you do, and your video parts are awesome. What kind of dirt-jump hard tail should I get?"
-- Hmm, how about a Cannondale Chase model?

2. "Hey Chase, thanks for the add. Please write back."
-- Ahh… What do you want me to say?

3. "Hi Aaron. This is (fill in the blank) from (fill in with some random country). I am a big fan. You are a good biker. Sorry my English is so bad. Write back."
-- Perfect English and probably speaks better than most of us.

4. "Hey Aaron, sorry to hear about your back. I just dislocated my big toe so I know how you’re feeling."
-- I know they are trying to be nice, but NOT the same.

5. I even got a comment from a girl in New Hampshire who currently lives in the house I grew up in; my dad built it back in ’88.
-- Myspace is one of the coolest things. I think it's rad that people can reach out to me directly to ask questions or just to say what's up. Keep it coming, Myspacers.


Top 10 Music Playlist
1. Scorpions: The Zoo.
I learned how to play this one on the guitar!

2. NoFx: Bob.
I used to listen to this tape non-stop in high school.

3. Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath.
Ozzy's dad heard this track and asked the band, “You sure you guys are only drinking beer?”

4. Coheed and Cambria: Delirium Trigger.
The more I listen to these guys, the more they kick ass!

5. Anthrax: Remember Tomorrow.
Iron Maiden cover; I like it better than the original.

6. Billy Talent: Devil in a Midnight Mass.
Sick guitar riff.

7. Atmosphere: The day the Music Died in Albuquerque.
Sad story, sick song.

8. Queens of the Stone Age: Little Sister.
I love riding to this song.

9. Rush: Subdivisions. Go get the Rush DVD, Live in Rio. So sick.

10. Trivium: Suffocating Sight.
These guys slay nasty Dean guitars.