Every picture tells a story……..

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I don’t have many pictures of myself mainly because I’m a pre-selfie kind of guy.  I don’t get any irresistible urges to take pictures of myself, but others have snapped a few of me in action and they eventually surface,  sometimes decades after the fact.  I ran across this picture in my files the other day and thought I’d tell you the story behind it.

It is 40 years old.  The quality isn’t great, but the subject allowed me to get up close and personal with one of the greatest golf course designers the world has ever known. He was at the peak of his profession before golf course design became the sport it is known as today.

Robert Trent Jones Sr. who designed Rivershore was in Kamloops on that cool fall day of 1979, holding court with me on a picnic bench just off the 18th fairway.  He talked about preserving First Nations burial ground  at the location which became the trademark kickwillie that is a legacy to the layout.

My thanks to Bill Bilton Sr  for this picture that he came across 30 years after it was snapped.

Cat’s out of the bag…….

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And we’re off like a turd of hurdles….hehehe

It was a shock to open Facebook this morning to see a post by my daughter Jen announcing my website  www.rickthebear.com was up and running. Technically it was about 10 days ago as I’ve been learning the system, lol.  I wanted to wait until I was more proficient but the time is now, so let’s get the show rolling and see what comes out of these keys.

Nothing fancy, just straight from the heart as we try to do what we do best.  Not really interested in being first or last, or having the most.  It’s more important contributing and being part of the landscape, so yes, there’s a bear in the woods.  Maybe the growl is worst than the bite, but you’ll know he’s there.

I’d like to say I enjoyed the Blazers game last night but I never enjoy seeing the home team lose,  any home team, period, end of story.  I’m not a sore loser, but let’s face it. Losing SUCKS.   I jst don’t like having sand kicked in my face on nights when a win would do so much for city spirit, let alone team spirit  And after a 7 & 0 pre season they were poised to give the city a shot of adrenalin.

But no, I left the rink thinking about the squandered opportunity, reminding me of Charlie Brown linipg up to kick a field goal, and Lucy pulling the ball away every time !!  I’m not concerned about the loss as much as I am how they lost, by shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. It  happened too times last year, and it reared its ugly head in  game  one. It  has  to stop because  discipline  and winning  are bed partners.

The Bear Rides Again

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Welcome to the Bear’s Den  at  rickthebear.com  where my passion for sports  moves forward after almost five decades in private radio, the last 40 at my home base of Kamloops.  Catching up with friends and acquaintances, recounting some of the terrific historical  moments and enjoying the sports community have occupied a lot of my time. Now it’s time to roll up my sleeves and undertake a project that I’ve been considering for decades.   I’ve always believed in making a difference to enhance our lives.

It is an undertaking that is rejuvenating in consideration of the sports legacy I have the opportunity to leave.  It has also helped me answer  one of the toughest questions I’ve ever had to ask myself—What are you going to do with the rest of your life ?   I’ve  always taken delight in asking the hard ones, and now turnabout is fair play

The answer now lives in this website, building a library of many sports related items that I have collected over the course of my broadcasting career.  I hope you enjoy some of the past and current interviews editorial comments, and the storytelling from a lifetime of experience here at rickthebear.com   Being able to do it on my terms with no strings attached is a blessing.  Continuing the passion is priceless.

Information  will come in diverse forms and in time will lead to podcasting  possibilities when the time is right, but right now it’s a matter of exploring through reporting, editorializing, interviewing, storytelling and remembering some of the rich history built in Kamloops and beyond.

There have been many highlights over the years. I’ve had the good fortune of talking to a multitude of sports stars and legends and I look forward to featuring them in the audio vault.

I do hope  you enjoy this sports bank, library, resource centre  seen through the eyes of Rick “The Bear” Wile. 

Enjoying the  four C’s of life – continuing, commitment, community and communicating.