Dark Days, Bright Nights

Back in Independence after 8 years!!!

2010-08-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, after 8 years I finally returned to Independence with my own rig! For the past two years I have been working on my Suzuki Samurai and during that time I got to take her on a few easy local runs. This summer the Zuk is finally ready for some real rock crawlin'! This trip to Indy was a blast. I brought along a close friend of mine Caroline. She has never experienced rock crawling of any kind! She had no idea what she was in for! lol! My best friend Chris and his family joined up for the carnage! Chris' wife Candice did all of the camera work! Thanks Candice for the great pics! We entered via the easy trail Liberty and went out via the hard trail Patriot! Enjoy the pics!I just felt giddy piloting my own rig through Indy again after so many years!
When there just ain't enough rocks.

I just love this pic! Good Job Candice! You could work for CRAWL Magazine :)

There goes some more sheet metal!

Indy makes my 37's look small!

Chris' little bro Princess driving the buggy up Coffin Rock! Yeah, up the "impossible right line"!!!

The notorious Exit of Patriot!

My whip on the left line of Coffin Rock!

Look at this motley crew.

I actually utilize my bead locks unlike so many other "rock crawlers" that run bead locks and hardly air down at all. lol! Dumb ass posers! I think most guys run bead locks just cause some salesman at 4 Wheel Parts told them that they look cool! lol!

Some pics of the Zuk at the house :P

2009-06-24T01:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! Yeah buddy!

2009-06-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know really where to start. I don't think anyone really looks at my blog anyway, lol. So, out of boredom I am going to give a quick update to anyone who cares. I have been pretty busy with work and never really had time to update a lot of my online stuff, until just recently when Chrysler announced that they were going to close the dealership that I work at. Now I am unemployed! The upside is that I do get unemployment and I have had a ton of time to work on the Zuk. I am currently pulling the old stock Samurai axles and installing Toyota half ton axles! The Sammy axles have really been great and I can't believe the abuse that they have taken. But, they have seen better days and now that I have a bigger power plant it's time to put in something that I can give the union to without cringing :) So, lately there has been lots of beer drinking and fabrication (sometimes at the same time, lol). My brother from another mother has been helping me out here and there with his facility (Shadow Crawlers). I just have a few small things to get finished then I can pretty much bolt on the Toylet axles! Once she is done I will be posting a lot of wheelin' pics and updates :)

Winter = Night Runs

2009-01-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

Eagle Rock and Saran Wrap, Colorado Springs, CO.

Here is the link to my myspace.

2008-02-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

myspace.com/jonnyjackhammer

It's been quite in these here parts.

2008-02-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

Just posting to say that there really hasn't been much going on. Lots of training, recovering, yoga, eating, and sleeping. Riding has been better than expected for the middle of winter. As long as the trails are snow packed and not melting too much the riding is very nice. I have switched teams for the 2008 season. I will be riding for a local bike shop called Procycling. Through Procycling I will be riding (to victory, I hope) on an Orbea Oiz. I have already been riding one since November of 2007. I love it! I am truely happy with the way the Oiz handles, and I am very excited to race on one for the 2008 season. I am very happy with my trianing this off season, just half to wait and see if it is actually going to work. My goals for 2008 insist of the overall in the Mountain States Cup Series and to pickup most if not all of the National Series as well. It's a lot to bite off, but I definitely think it is possible. I will drop back in a couple of days and update ya'll with pics and info on my steed for the 08' season, she is already at the shop gettin built, so it will be soon.

I did have a little family trip down to Arizona and while I was there I checked out the course and riding area for the NOVA Classic Race in McDowell Mountain Park just outside of Fountain Hills, AZ. It was really nice to actually ride in dirt and 65 degree weather. The type of riding out there was absolutely awsome! Really fast and smooth winding single track through groves of HUGE cactus. It was a memorable experience on the bike. The NOVA Classic is the second stop in the National Series. I think it would be a really fun race, although it definitely doesn't favor my type of riding, this course is for flat power riders and not so much for the small climbers like me. But, I wouldn't mind suffering through that race because the course is so much fun! Well, til next time, keep the rubber side down, but most of all keep it real.

A look back into time to my drunkin' rock crawlin days.

2007-11-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Me in my friends Zuk. I love those rocks they dump to keep us out!Princess gettin' some on the Patriot Trail.
Chris on the exit out of the Patriot Trail.
Just one sweet Zuk.
Me and my rig on Behind the Rocks Trail, Moab UT
My rig on Moab Rim Trail.
My Zuk parked on Chris's Zuk, yeeehaaaa.
Nikki and I in Moab, UT
White Knuckle Drop. A couple of guys held the back of the Zuk down with a strap While I drove off of the drop. The strap didn't do much, the truck ripped it out of their hands as soon as I dropped, lol.

My Zuk parked on Chris's, again.
YeeHaa, Rock Pile!
Busted front axle on the Patriot Trail. : (
My Zuk on the Patriot Trail exit.
Yep, that's the tongue that made me famous.
Well folks, that's all the red hot, redneck, rock crawlin' action I can dish out for now. I did that stuff for about six years. I no longer have a Zuk (rock buggy) due to my mountain bike racing habit. But, my rock crawlin' days are not over yet, one day I will return.

naughty parents

2007-11-03T21:04:00.001-07:00

Time to leave home, no doubt!

Barely pulled it off.

2007-09-06T19:14:00.001-07:00

Semi - Pro Regional Champion! Yeehaa!Lathrop (left) and Iles (right) , two kick - ass teammates.
Giem flying the bird while wearing the Cloak of Justice.

Kalan and Natasha watching me make an ass of myself.
Passing around the Regional Championship Cup, mmmm worm beer.
Gettin' some :D
1st place in cross country on Sunday! That first place barely gave me enough points to win the overall! I was in second overall with 20 points between the leader and I going into Sundays cross country race.
Giem sporting the 07' kit, Yeti argyle socks, 5x COMotion visor, and The Cloak of Justice.

Me sporting Huckleberry Finn pants, Smartwool shirt, Optic Nerve State Trooper shades, and the COMotion victory hat.
Talkin' shit to Strouse.
Hangin' with Ben after Sunday's cross country race.
COMotion's pit with the 5X logo.
Gettin' some more.

backflips, frontflips, 20ft jumps and more crazy stunts!!!

2007-08-22T17:37:00.001-07:00

Check out this crazy shiznit!

2007-07-16T22:31:00.001-07:00

Snowmass, CO was the next stop in the Mountain States Cup series. Snowmass was also the State Championship race. I went into Snowmass well rested. I was a little nervous about spending too much time off the bike, but it worked out really well. I had my first win in the Semi Pro category! Yep, I was crowned Colorado State Champion! They gave me this sweet Colorado State Champion jersey. This picture is Ben and I after the race, Ben placed 2nd just behind me! Owe yeah, and to top everything off it was my birthday!
This was the road climb to the finish in Snowmass, CO.
My father looking up Snowmass Mountain. It was nice to have family at such a huge race, and to do so well when they come to see me race really made me happy. It was one of the best birthdays I have ever had.
Dad and Deb trekking across a log in Snowmass, CO.

Yeah, Blast the Mass Baby!
Only in Aspen will see a golf cart like this, lol.
I had a really good start in Snowmass, CO.
Had to bring out the COMotion hat for this victory, lol.

More random stuff.

2007-07-03T19:27:00.001-07:00

Very nice! Moab cow.
That's my studio apartment. Yeah, I got my priorities strait, lol.
Dream truck.
Dream girl.

My first paycheck from racing! Crested Butte, CO 2007
Yep, that's my car. I told you that I got my priorities strait, lol.
Bubba showing us how it is done at Moab Training Camp.
3 Six Sucka!
Very Nice!

Down time and random shots.

2007-07-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

You gotta love it, lol!

The black training kits this year are the shiznit. Very nice!
And we pay to do this to ourselves, not to bright. We should have them just kick us in the nuts while were at it, lol.
The showers were full at Monica's house, so I just helped myself to the sink!
Fawkin sweet!

COMotion Special Teams

2007-06-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

Giem at the Velodrome.

COMotion Special Teams

2007-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Giem in the COMotion skin suit, gettin ready to rip some legs off the competition. VERY NICE!
The damn that hurt lap, lol.
I really do love Colorado Springs, it's beautiful!
Racing into the night, yeah!

Feeling Strong

2007-06-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Coming off Deer Valley, UT Nationals I tried to keep the momentum rolling into Crested Butte, CO, it worked! Iles and I headed up to Crested Butte, CO in the mini, it was a great weekend. Iles was a bit under the weather, so he just kicked it all weekend and took tons of pictures. Saturday after the race a bunch of us from the team hopped on the townie bikes and rolled downtown Crested Butte and did a bit of celebrating, good times. It was nice to see Oliver come out from a serious injury and crush it, yeah Oliver!

K - Man, crushing it as usual.

Best recognize fool, lol.

Show me the money, lol!

2nd place! My first podium finish in Semi Pro Men!

The town of Crested Butte, CO has this thing with mullets. WTF?

Monica has a house in Crested Butte, CO that she let us crash in. Very nice!

Deer Valley Nationals, 2007

2007-06-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

JHK running it in for his first 2007 National victory.
Iles coming in with a strong finish in Pro Men.
Iles and I recovering Floyd Landis style, lol.
Wind farms in Wyoming on our way to Park City, UT.
No more long hair!
Fire hazard, every hallway in the condo looked like this!
Tough Girl team member, this is what happens when you don't keep the rubber side down!
Personal idol, local hero, professional mountain biker, and team mate Stephen Iles.
My first National Semi Pro finish!

The great view from our condo in Park City, UT.

Park City ski jumps. Park City has super sweet mountain biking, the race course was fast and sweet!

Howdy yall.

2007-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

My name is Jonathan Chambers. I race mountain bikes for COMotion Sports / Yeti. I started racing two years ago in the Sport category. That year I went on to win the overall in the Mountain States Cup Series for the Sport category. That same season I won the State Championship race in the Sport category as well. Year two I upgraded to the Expert category. In Expert I won the overall title in the MSC series again, and second at the State Championship race. In the Winter Park Series I placed second overall in my expert year as well. Now, I am at the begining of my third season. I have upgraded to the Semi - Pro category. So far this season I have been happy with my results. It looks like it is going to be a really good season for the entire team. As a team we have been killin it out there.