Frequently Asked Questions

First question: Who are you?

My name is Cory. I love to play outdoors. In a former life I was a cross country ski racer. Now I have a full-time job and a family, so I just try to get outside as much as I can. I live in Anchorage, Alaska, which has one of the most amazing backyards of any place in the world. This makes getting outside very easy.

Why should I read your blog?

Umm, I don’t really have an answer for that.  I’m not doing anything revolutionary or earth-shattering.   If you like reading my site, that’s great.  I am glad it is useful, and I enjoy sharing my experiences with you.  But I have to admit that I created it for much more selfish reasons:

1. So I can remember all the fun stuff I’ve done.  First and foremost, this site is my personal scrapbook and journal.
2. I enjoy writing and taking pictures, which is a nice balance from my day job as a computer programmer.
3. To show my family back east all the cool stuff they are missing out on in Alaska.
4. To share information with fellow outdoor enthusiats.  When I am planning a trip, a lot of my information comes from other people’s posts on the internet.  I feel its only fair to return the favor.

What the heck does Endure Fun mean?

A while back, I was out for a long run in the mountains. I was hot, sweaty, tired, dirty, hungry, thirsty, and my feet were blistered and aching. I was having a blast. I started thinking about how my idea of fun is enduring long periods of physical exertion in the outdoors. “Must be the endorphins,” I though. At this point my mind was a little loopy, so my next thought was “Hey wait, endorphin sounds a lot like endure fun.” Coincidence?

I also like the oxymoronic quality of Endure Fun. In a masochistic way, I like the fact that Fun can be something that you have to Endure.

That’s what I do when I’m outdoors, I endure fun. I couldn’t be happier than when I am punishing myself physically. Those damn endorphins…I’m an addict.

Isn’t Endure Fun grammatically incorrect?  Shouldn’t it be Endurance Fun?

What are you, an English teacher?  Oh, you really are an English teacher?  Sorry about that, I had no idea.  I think of it as a action, or directive. “Hey, let’s go endure some fun today.” Plus, the phrase Endurance Fun doesn’t have the endorphin connection.

Where did this site come from?

Ages ago, before the word blog existed, I had a website XCSkiRacer.com devoted to my life as a ‘professional’ cross-country ski racer. It was updated almost daily from 1998 – 2002 with training updates, race results, photos and a lot more. It was a great way for friends and family to keep tabs on what/where/why/how I was doing.

After I stopped training and competing full-time in 2002, I moved to Alaska. The site then morphed into a photo journal of my outdoor adventures. I used it primarily to send pictures to family back east, but I found that many other readers also continued to check in once in a while.  I also found that the site was really useful as a scrapbook. If it weren’t for the XCSkiRacer site, I wouldn’t have any documentation of the stuff I’ve done.

So I wanted to continue to document my adventures, but I also thought that XC Ski Racer  no longer defined me.  So I created a new website that encompassed all of my outdoor pursuits.

Rumor has it that you dumped FasterSkier and rarely updated XCSkiRacer because work and family are taking a lot more of your time these days. Why start up a new site?

In addition to endorphins, I’m also addicted to creating websites. By the way, do me a favor and don’t tell my wife about this site.

Yeah, about that wife and family – what makes you think you’ll have time for enough adventures to populate these pages?

Denial, mainly.

But see, that’s the beauty of a blog. I don’t have to actually do anything.  XCSkiRacer.com was set up as a photojournal. I had to provide photographic evidence of the trips I took.  But with a blog, I can just sit at home in my underwear and make stuff up. It’s much easier this way.

I see a few posts about music, random Top 5 lists, and other ramblings. What does that stuff have to do with Enduring Fun?

Well, I think its fun, so you’ll have to endure it.