Maybe it was just that I was able to create an atmosphere which destroyed people’s customary expectations, an atmosphere in which miracles could flourish. Anyway, it spooked the hell out of me. I even managed to spook a few doctors and nurses. That’s impressive spooking, considering the extensive spookproofing those people go through and all the antispook drugs they pumped me full of.”
—Mark Vonnegut, The Eden Express: A Memoir of Insanity

Keegan Valaika has been through some shit. That’s the short of it. Keegan, who is 28 now, says he could write a book about it all. Exactly what he’s been through, nobody other than him can know fully. But he talks about it some. Five years ago, Keegan had a mental breakdown. At the time he was living in Glacier, WA and partying a bit too much. He returned to his home and family in Laguna, CA for treatment. He read a lot during his recovery and really connected with Mark Vonnegut’s memoir, which details his psychotic breakdown and subsequent recovery. That’s what Keegan went through. Is still going through. He’s doing better now. He’s still at it.

But that’s just part of his story. After all, he’s been getting paid to snowboard since he was 15 years old. We should all ride with such abandon. Dude makes it look easy. And there’s an element of improvisation to his riding. It’s unpredictable, engaging…

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