moping with intent to gawk...

My first bicycle was a black Huffy with a rounded rectangle for a seat. I guess it was an inexpensive, mass marketed, get on the bmx train, easy for Dad to find, available at K Mart type of deal. I loved that thing and have a clear memory of an impending Minnesota summer storm crackling on the horizon just as I was wobbling out into the street for the very first time. Alone and pedaling. Fucking stoked. Then it started pouring rain.

My next bike was the Huffy Pro Thunder. Heavy as a house and bombproof. Rode that thing into the ground (well, until my lawn mowing money afforded me the Kuwahara pictured below). My friend Jay and I had the same bikes and when we were ready for "real" machines we chose to try and destroy the Pro Thunders.

First we threw them off his balcony, then we stuffed the seat tubes full of firecrackers. Neither option did much damage so we hit em with baseball bats as we ghost-rode them down the hill at each other. The mags stayed intact as did the frame, the only real damage was to the handlebars, forks and seat post. 

And after years of dirt jumping and kick ramp riding and endless nights of sneaking out to literally just ride around, I finally sold the Kuwahara to my little brother's friend Two-Tone Moe.

Fast forward to November 2008. On my way out of downtown one afternoon, I rode by Prestige to see what was up and Paulie had this two-wheeled flashback parked right out front. I seriously got goosebumps as I was hammered straight back to my childhood in a Stryper colored vortex.

A few weeks later the baby was asleep on the couch with us and I heard some footsteps crushing through the leaves out front. The doorbell rang, the dog barked and the baby yelped himself awake. I opened the front door and right there on the stoop stood the Huffy Pro Thunder. I peeked up the street just in time to see Paul peeling around the corner in the dark. A note taped to the seat said: 

"TO: PATTRICK FROM: SANTA" 

Thanks, Paul (I mean SANTA). I'll ride it around once in awhile but instead of trashing this one I can give it to Liam for his second bike.