From Reno to Bend,

is a nice guy.

Remember when just about everyone that snowboarded wore blade style sunglasses and skiers wore gators over their blue jeans? Remember those synthetic courduroy stretch pants (often found on the racks of any Salvation Army)? Think those days are over? Think again. Just truck up to good old Mt. Rose ski area, home mountain of Kevin McGuire. Kevin has left "The Biggest Little City," of Reno, Nevada and retro hill Mt. Rose for Bend, Oregon and the computerized lift tickets of Mt. Bachelor. Kevin's move reminds me of my move: I left Dodge Ridge, California where the market for specialty ski items such as Circle K blades and Wranglers is still booming. I caught up with Kevin mid-session at Winter Wave skatepark (in Bend). I got him to take a break from smithgrinds and frontside alley-oop ollies to answer a few questions.

Travis Yamada: What hobbies do you have besides skating and snowboarding?
Kevin McGuire: Playing bass guitar.

Travis: Weren't you in a band?
Kevin: Yeah, Psychiatric Petting Zoo.

Travis: Did you have any gigs?
Kevin: Oh yeah, we played the hell out of some places. Like the Ice House in Reno, we almost overplayed it. We played in Berkeley once, that was fun.

Travis: Gilman?
Kevin: Yeah.

Travis: Who did you play with?
Kevin: This crazy band, The Insaints, that got naked and did rad sex stuff on stage, 49 Reasons and Knapsack

Travis: Did people like you guys?
Kevin: I don't know, there was only about ten people there when we played. One guy said, "Yeah, you guys are good."

Travis: Were you the very opening band?
Kevin: The very, very opening band. Total out of towners.

Travis: Did they put you on at ten o'clock in the morning or something?
Kevin: Fully, I think we had to pay to play or something (laughs).

Travis: You guys didn't make any money?
Kevin: We each made six dollars.

Travis: What's the most you've made?
Kevin: Six bucks.

Travis: What's the best thing about Reno?
Kevin: Getting a cheeseburger, fries and a shake for $1.87 at the Pioneer Casino at any time of the night.

Travis: Do you go there with Chris Carnel?
Kevin: He only goes to Jimboys.

Travis: Have you ever been beat up?
Kevin: Once when I was in middle school. He was a big Tongan dude, a mean motherfucker. I backed into him after shooting a basketball. He grabbed me and shoved my head into his knee.

Travis: Did you cry?
Kevin: No way, I'm tough! No, I probably did, I was a wuss.

Travis: What do you watch on T.V.? I know you have cable.
Kevin: Sounds lame but The Learning Channel has killer archeology. The Sci-Fi Channel is good. And I like cheesy old shows like Chips and Charlie's Angels.

Travis: You don't watch The Simpsons?
Kevin: Yeah, full Simpsons!

Travis: Better half?
Kevin: She's pretty better. Dionne Stevens. She is without a doubt one of my best friends. It's rad to have a girlfriend you can go snowboarding with that is totally stoked on riding. She doesn't like to come to the skatepark though because she feels like one of those groupie chicks (Note: In Bend the eleventeen year old, cigarette suckin,' Mickies sippin' groupie chicks swarm to the skatepark, parties or where ever the cool guys hang out.) I love her.

Travis: What bums you out about snowboarding and life in general?
Kevin: People that have superiority complexes. Like in snowboarding.. Well, Chris Carnel told me this story about some guy, I don't know who it was. Chris asked him, "What's up?" And the guy replied, "Just tryin' to make it in this sport (referring to snowboarding)." Seems like it's not even fun for the guy. A few months ago the guy was into mountain biking, but couldn't make it, so now he's trying snowboarding.

Travis: So you're an Aqua Chef (dishwasher)?
Kevin: Yeah, it's gotta be the worst thing you can do. Well, not true. working for U.P.S. was like being in the Army. I was a loader, I had to load boxes super fast while this guy would be yelling at me.

Travis: Kind of like an urban haybailer.
Kevin: Fully, a perfect description.

Travis: O.K. here's your chance to bag on anybody you want.
Kevin: Nah, nobody.

Travis: Thank you's?
Kevin: Chris Carnel, Dionne, Jon `Norse' North, My family, Rod Dawson(we used to butt board on our Nash Executioners together). Adrian Vaughan, Jim and everyone at Excell Skates. Hank Castillo and Lori, they were like my second parents and all my friends.

Last words:Don't let shit get you down.