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Alright already, I’ll admit it: I was not a fan and did not want to be a fan of blogs. Obviously, blogs are narcissistic by nature with the point being to write about yourself and what’s going on in your life. But, frankly, most blogs that I read early on were too mundane, too whiney, and/or too boring (usually all three). These characteristics can most likely be directly attributed to the blogger, rather than the format. The truth of the matter though is that I have recently and reluctantly come around and am now a fan of the blog. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of mundane, whiney, and boring people out there who should just stop blogging altogether. However, there are some blogs out there that, at times, can be enlightening, inspiring, and interesting on a routine basis. Let me share one such blog with you.
One of the first blogs to earn regular clicks from my mouse was Joe Kinder’s “blogpiece” (his term): http://www.joekindkid.com/. I have known Joe for a long time, and if you know Joe, you know that he is one of the most outrageous, crazy, and fun-loving guys you’ll ever meet. Before blog’s even existed, Joe was well-known for firing off the most insane, not-safe-for-work e-mails to everyone in his address book. Thus, when I first found out Joe had a blog, I knew it was going to be “interesting” but probably not something I should be surfing to at work.
To my surprise, Joe has managed to keep just enough of the crazy while providing interesting insight into the life of a professional climber. Most climbers probably think that being a professional climber is the ultimate “living the dream” scenario. Climb all the days, party all the nights. In his blog, Joe provides a lot of insight into the life of a professional climber and shows that it’s not all climbing and glory. Although Joe does write a lot about the exotic locations he gets to climb at and the high end sport routes that he routinely sends, his writing style never comes off as bragging (an all too common and annoying blogging style). It has been very interesting reading about the process, work, and frustration that precedes the elation of sending a route at your limit. Additionally, Joe lives a nomadic life with lots of travel and moving around and in his blog he does a great job of conveying the sense that although it takes a lot of work to be a pro climber, in the end he knows he is living the dream. Take a look at Joe’s blog and let us know what you think.
Joe Kinder, back in the day, bouldering on the Tombstone at Lincoln Woods, RI. Photograph by Joe McLoughlin.