Why the beard?

What started out as conformity to an honored Iceman tradition seems to be transforming into a symbolic icon for monkhood. What is monkhood you may ask? Monkhood is the nirvana embodiment of the “Who Cares I’m Flying” mentality, or the highest level of W.C.I.F. status achievable.

Based on a snap decision judgment by Angela presented just two weeks prior to Iceman, I had decided to quit shaving with the intentions of cleaning myself up promptly post race. However, as my face grew more scraggily, itchy, and somewhat of an annoyance to people I found that it started to serve as a motivational reminder of what is to come next season, The World 24 hour Elite Solo Championships.

In Rocky II, Mickey states that it takes 45,000 minutes of devote training just for 45 minutes of fighting. This quote resonated in my mind after hearing it. As my facial fur grew and I looked in the mirror I started to recollect what is quite possibly the greatest training montages ever, Rocky in IV training deep in the snow-scaped mountains of Russia in preparation for his match with Ivan Drago. It quickly became apparent that Rocky was clearly exhibiting to me what it takes to go into complete and total monkhood in preparation for such a life-defining event.

As you watch this rich and compelling sequence, simply substitute Rocky for myself, Adriane for Angela, Pauli with Kroske, the black trainer with Big Dybo and Alan Smith, and Ivan Drago with the four Australians that sweeped 1st-4th in the 2007 World event.


So alas…this is why my face continues to grow on, even after Iceman. In recent discussion with family and friends, I decided that I am going to attempt to refrain from shaving/trimming (with the exception of the neck and moustache) until March 3rd of 2009; the day of commemoration of 30 years of the Finkelstein.

I realize that this most likely will lead to me looking like a scraggily wooly bushman mess, but who cares, I’ll be flying!