State Rep Profiles

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999

John Alford

Age: 37

Hometown: Kahala, O'ahu

Music you listen to: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Miles Davis, Santana, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui, and many others.

Favorite book: "Mountain Biking the Hawaiian Islands" not just because I wrote it, but mostly because it gave me the most pleasure of any other book.

Favorite movie: IMAX Hidden Hawaii

Words to live by/ favorite quote: "Aloha" The one word says it all.

Years mountain biking: Riding Hawaiian trails since 1974. Riding same trails today; just much better equipment.

How did you get involved in the sport: I would bike and my dad would hike. It just made more sense to ride and was/is a whole lot more FUN!

What is the most pressing advocacy issue in Hawaii: Educating new and veteran mountain bikers that public multi-use trails require responsible riding and occasional hands-on trail maintenance. This ultimately keeps forestry managers happy and keeps trails from degrading too fast. Trails require maintenance even if nobody uses them.

How can IMBA help: Your Trail Care Crews are fantastic. Most forest managers don't bike and some rarely hike. So, when these forest managers talk about trails, it's hard for users to listen. The TCC's are educated individuals who carry the same book knowledge as many forestry mangers, but also share in day-to-day use of trails and the science and visual aspects. In addition, IMBA's cooperative programs such as industry support of cash and tools help make volunteer programs operate more efficiently and give forest managers more confidence to lend State-owned tools to outside organizations. A big mahalo (thank you) from all of us in Hawaii.

What is the best part of mountain biking in Hawaii: The joy of peace and solitude away from crowded highways and exhaust; the cool crisp air being made fresh daily by the wealth of green vegetation; gliding down trails that are groomed to perfection by our bike clubs and other volunteer agencies (too many to list); the contrast of the deep blue Pacific Ocean and the green lush tropical mountains; the smell of fragrant island pua (flowers); the white splash of nalu (waves) smashing into black lava rock; anuenue (rainbows) that seem to lead to every trailhead; the splash of the Kohola (humpback whales), Nai'a (bottle nosed dolphins) and honu (green sea turtles). No, it's not a dream. It's mountain biking the Hawaiian Islands.

James Buratti

Age: 28

Hometown: Austin, Texas (lived in Columbus, Ohio since 1993)

Music you listen to: All kinds. I don't discriminate.

Favorite book: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leaopold. Anything written by Edward Abbey or Ray Bradbury.

Favorite movie: Anything directed by Terry Gilliam or Kevin Smith (Go rent Brasil and/or Clerks and try to watch them to the end.)

Words to live by/favorite quote: It's by Edward Abbey: "One final word of advice: do not burn yourself out. Be as I am, a reluctant enthusiast, a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventures. ...So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk bound men with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards."

Years mountain biking: 10

How did you get involved in the sport: I had $300 left from a trip I had just taken. Went and bought a Mongoose Alta and started riding the awesome limestone trails around Austin, Texas.

What is the most pressing advocacy issue in Ohio: Lack of trail open to bikes, especially in or around the metro areas of Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. None of these cities have trails open to bikes in their metro parks. That leaves over 4 million people with nowhere to ride legally.

How can IMBA help: IMBA can help educate both the land managers that control access to the parks and the mountain bikers that want access. The idea that mountain biking is a safe, fun, healthy, and environmentally sound activity that people want hasn't caught on. Many managers see lots of riders poaching their trails and make an assumption that all mountain bikers are a bunch of lawbreakers who can't follow the rules. They've yet to ask the important question, "Why are they poaching?" Ask anyone in Cleveland and they'll tell you the answer is they don't have anywhere legal to ride. On the other hand, the riders need to be educated about the negative perception of their poaching and offer to work with the land manager to alleviate the problem. The IMBA Trail Care Crew has been helpful in doing both. Cleveland could easily be one of IMBA's next "Hot Spots."

What is the best part of mountain biking in Ohio: For me, it's been the other riders I've met across the state. There are some great bikers in the flatlands.

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	State Rep Profiles IMBA Trail News Volume 12, Number 4 September 1999 John Alford Age: 37 Hometown: Kahala, O'ahu Music you listen to: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Miles Davis, Santana, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui, and many others. Favorite book: "Mountain Biking the Hawaiian Islands" not just because I wrote it, but mostly because it gave me the most pleasure of any other book. Favorite movie: IMAX Hidden Hawaii Words to live by/ favorite quote: "Aloha" The one word says it all. Years mountain biking: Riding Hawaiian trails since 1974. Riding same trails today; just much better equipment. How did you get involved in the sport: I would bike and my dad would hike. It just made more sense to ride and was/is a whole lot more FUN! What is the most pressing advocacy issue in Hawaii: Educating new and veteran mountain bikers that public multi-use trails require responsible riding and occasional hands-on trail maintenance. This ultimately keeps forestry managers happy and keeps trails from degrading too fast. Trails require maintenance even if nobody uses them. How can IMBA help: Your Trail Care Crews are fantastic. Most forest managers don't bike and some rarely hike. So, when these forest managers talk about trails, it's hard for users to listen. The TCC's are educated individuals who carry the same book knowledge as many forestry mangers, but also share in day-to-day use of trails and the science and visual aspects. In addition, IMBA's cooperative programs such as industry support of cash and tools help make volunteer programs operate more efficiently and give forest managers more confidence to lend State-owned tools to outside organizations. A big mahalo (thank you) from all of us in Hawaii. What is the best part of mountain biking in Hawaii: The joy of peace and solitude away from crowded highways and exhaust; the cool crisp air being made fresh daily by the wealth of green vegetation; gliding down trails that are groomed to perfection by our bike clubs and other volunteer agencies (too many to list); the contrast of the deep blue Pacific Ocean and the green lush tropical mountains; the smell of fragrant island pua (flowers); the white splash of nalu (waves) smashing into black lava rock; anuenue (rainbows) that seem to lead to every trailhead; the splash of the Kohola (humpback whales), Nai'a (bottle nosed dolphins) and honu (green sea turtles). No, it's not a dream. It's mountain biking the Hawaiian Islands. James Buratti Age: 28 Hometown: Austin, Texas (lived in Columbus, Ohio since 1993) Music you listen to: All kinds. I don't discriminate. Favorite book: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leaopold. Anything written by Edward Abbey or Ray Bradbury. Favorite movie: Anything directed by Terry Gilliam or Kevin Smith (Go rent Brasil and/or Clerks and try to watch them to the end.) Words to live by/favorite quote: It's by Edward Abbey: "One final word of advice: do not burn yourself out. Be as I am, a reluctant enthusiast, a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventures. ...So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk bound men with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards." Years mountain biking: 10 How did you get involved in the sport: I had $300 left from a trip I had just taken. Went and bought a Mongoose Alta and started riding the awesome limestone trails around Austin, Texas. What is the most pressing advocacy issue in Ohio: Lack of trail open to bikes, especially in or around the metro areas of Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. None of these cities have trails open to bikes in their metro parks. That leaves over 4 million people with nowhere to ride legally. How can IMBA help: IMBA can help educate both the land managers that control access to the parks and the mountain bikers that want access. The idea that mountain biking is a safe, fun, healthy, and environmentally sound activity that people want hasn't caught on. Many managers see lots of riders poaching their trails and make an assumption that all mountain bikers are a bunch of lawbreakers who can't follow the rules. They've yet to ask the important question, "Why are they poaching?" Ask anyone in Cleveland and they'll tell you the answer is they don't have anywhere legal to ride. On the other hand, the riders need to be educated about the negative perception of their poaching and offer to work with the land manager to alleviate the problem. The IMBA Trail Care Crew has been helpful in doing both. Cleveland could easily be one of IMBA's next "Hot Spots." What is the best part of mountain biking in Ohio: For me, it's been the other riders I've met across the state. There are some great bikers in the flatlands.


Help \| Site Map \| Copyright

State Rep Profiles

IMBA Trail News Volume 12, Number 4 September 1999

John Alford

James Buratti

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999