The idea behind sukLess is to acknowledge and even celebrate all who strive to be just a little better than yesterday in what they love. Andy is an expression of sukLess and he represents a little bit of all of us.
The story of how the idea came to fruition; I have always been competitive. I played High School Football and Baseball and also played in a competitive Hockey League. I went on to play College Football, while all along I have always loved the outdoors and appreciated all that it has to offer. Once my competitive days of Football were over, I needed to fill the void. I did a lot of hiking and camping and loved to raft. Then one day I saw a Kayaker just killing it in a hole on the Lower Moose in upstate NY and that was it. I ran out to buy a kayak that week and I was off. I pushed hard and tried to get better and better. I was out multiple weekends in a month and loving life.
Bam, then something happened! Life took hold and the next thing I know, I have a wife and two children and all of a sudden the paddle got replaced with a paintbrush and the kayak was replaced with a lawn mower. I went kayaking less and less and well as the old saying goes “use it or lose it”.
Then one day I was on the river and despite not getting out as much as I use to, I was having a pretty good day. A buddy of mine looked over and said, “hey you look good out there”, I turned and said back to him “I’m not trying to be the best, I just want to suck less”. He laughed and the saying kind of caught on around the campfire that night, and so both an idea and a philosophy were born.
I realized that there are thousands of people like me out there of all ages. You may be a teenager that is just picking up a paddle or a surfboard or a pair of skis for the first time. Or you may be at the intermediate or advanced level, but you are not quite Lance Armstrong or Body Miller or Eric Jackson. Maybe you are that middle-aged person who just wants to get back to doing what you love and perhaps want to take your son or daughter out with you and introduce them to what you love to do.
Whatever your reason or your level of experience, do it better than yesterday. sukLess is the celebration of all who have a desire to get out there. So jump on that wave; hit that slope; playboat in that hole; climb that mountain, but most of all sukLess and be the best YOU.