I'm officially starting winter tonight

Imagine.
The world is warming,
global warming is ruining our winters,
its to warm,
its doesn't rain enough,
where's the snow.

The way I figure it, when I look back on my 58 years and remember the variability of each winter, its always been unpredictable.To say this causes that or to think that when I was young it was colder or snowier, its never the same from one year to the next. I hear people tell me that we have to save the planet, face it, the planet doesn't care about humans. It has been here for a billion plus years and will be for the next billion. The trees will grow back, the oceans will teem with life, all signs of humanity will vanish and the planet will just keep on doing what it does. What we really need is a really cold subzero winter with 30 plus days. Freeze all the stinking bugs, rejuvenate the earth.

So with that phrophetic vision, we are still here on this planet, and winter is just kicking in, don't let your guard down, its going to snow, the resorts will open, the back country will still be a dangerous place and some of you won't make it til spring.

When you are freezing cold and stuck on the side of a mountain because you thought winter was over, remember, Mother Nature is in charge.
JG

Believe it "Winter is coming and its going to hit fast"

Here we are into November of 2016, its been one hell of a year for me, I've been on the roller coast of my life and some of it has been terrific and fun and other parts of it have been pure hell.
Looking the love of your life is tough, meeting a new love of your life and loosing them to is enough to "drain the swamp".
All the old love songs are pretty much the same, man meets woman, life is great until it isn't the the agony of a breakup haunts you every minute.

What does any of this have to do with Snurfari, well it is a part of my journey which will culminate in some great turns ahead. I'm ready to hike, I'm ready to ride lifts, I have an Epic Pass, a mammoth pass and a sierra at tahoe pass and if I have to I can buy a ticket anywhere I go.

Until my next post.

I'm proud to be a republican and that my vote for Donald Trump mean't something, he will be a great President and if you disagree, get over it. All the rhetoric on the campaign trail was in the moment, now its time to get down to business and "Make America Great Again". JG

October is almost gone, soon November and the promise of new snow in the mountains.
Its like a rebirth, a new beginning. I need that in my life.
It was one year ago, October 25th that my loving wife Anne passed away.
I've learned a lot this past year about myself and how I'm supposed to treat others.
While I've been trying to catch up on all the intricacy's of life as a single man, each day I make some sort of progress with a goal of being happy with myself and all those in it.

I am blessed to have a wonderful daughter that loves snow country and her boyfriend that share the same dreams. My mom and Dad are doing well at 88 and 89, I see them once a week.
My dream of building my own boards is real, I have a shop, many molds and sometimes I even have time to make a board, that will bet better, I have to thank all of my friends for their support and understanding as I shift into the next chapter of my life.

All is well.
JG

Its suddenly October 7, 2016, I don't know how to feel about this past year.
I've had an incredible journey and October 25th is the demarcation point.
It will be one years since Anne left me from Cancer, it was a terrible affair, she didn't deserve what she got and the world is worse off without her. For me, loosing my best friend, partner, lover and the mother of my daughter has been a learning experience. Then, I met a new girl, a wonderful and amazing woman, she fulfilled my life and my loss with love and wonder. Now I wonder.
The future looks wonderful, maybe my dreams will come true.

I've decided to move my life forward, I am building boards, working construction, doing real estate, taking care of mom, dad, Jenny, Dog, Cat, chickens and the compound. I was looking a a couple of old photos and thought that  I should share them here.  I'm just getting started. JG

It has been a very different year from what I was supposed to be used to. Anne died 11 months ago and I've been trying to figure out what I am supposed to do for myself.
I've been so blessed, good friends, family and I even managed to meet a new friend that has loved me and with any luck will stay by my side, time will tell.
I've managed to keep building boards, not a full production but still moving forward. The 2016-17 season is upon us and if you were to read this, I suggest that you order a board now as I won't have time to build you a new one during the season. I'm going to spend most if not all my time on the mountains and that is what I was meant to do. Its supposed to snow this weekend, so perhaps we will get an early season and I'm ready to get started.
Have fun out there. JG

So you've never heard of the Grellicopter. 

Every idea has a spin off, every spin off generates new ideas. Never stop dreaming and never think that your ideas are original. A creative mind can accomplish anything it sets out to do and more.

Each day that I get to build an a new board, watch my competition try and copy my design I get stronger.
The is now doubt that the "Grellboards" work the best in most conditions. I won't elaborate on why my competitors board suck, only to say they will try and copy me and that is the ultimate challenge.
I've been at this now since 2007 and have been building boards since 1976. For all the opportunists out there, go fuck yourselves. There is only one brand, Grellboards. My brand will reward all the pioneers in my legacy program that helped me get to this point and with any luck, we all get rich.
JG

Its summer of 2016

Where does the time go? Last time I checked I was on the snow in winter park and before that at Heavenly and Sierra at Tahoe. Now its into the summer season and I for one am enjoying it.
Then comes the sudden realization that Grellboards is a pretty big thing. Since I started this project many years ago, no one was building "modern Snurfers", now it seems everyone is trying to.
Most of what I've seen is being built by people from the snowboarding industry hoping to cash in on the next wave of sales on what is already a small but growing segment.

For all the want to be builders, get it right or don't go out there and build crap boards thinking they will work and our sport will grow. One lousy board looses 10 sales.
One good board gains 10 sales.

all for this installment.
JG

Well we made it to 2016 and life as I knew is, different.
As much as I loved the life I had, I know my future is bright and I still have the support I've always had to do what I love. There has been a lot of adjustments, figuring out all the bills, the stunning amount of passwords and user names. There have been sad and happy moments but overall everything is getting better.

Last night I finally got around to running a full set of rice paper logos for the next round of Grellboards. I also managed to prep on of the G48 molds and cut fiberglass. I ran a new vacuum line for the system and with any luck will layup my first board of the 2016 season.

It rained hard all night, since I've moved out of the main house, almost moved out would be a better way of explaining it. I've slowly been shifting to my new life, scaling things back and focusing on what is important in my life. Snowboard Canada contacted me yesterday about being the Technical Delegate for 8 snowboardcross events at the end of January and beginning of February. So I will be off to Tabor Mountain for just over a week.

Tahoe has lots of Snow and I am going up to spend a few days snowboarding, snurfing and just getting used to spending more time in Tahoe. I'm not scheduling to much as I want to have the freedom to do what is important. For now that includes finishing up projects close to home and shifting resources to where they need to be.

Life is good.
JG