We Are EarthFormed

Justin Spring – “The Monkey Man”

“The Monkey Man” is my new knickname for USA’s men’s gymnastics team member, Justin Spring. If you’ve ever watched him do the highbar routine you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve seen two of his performances in competition in Beijing and both were spectacular. The one I saw last night was the best as far as dismount and nailing and I mean REALLY nailing the landing.

It is simply amazing to see him swing around that highbar with one arm. He looks like a chimpanzee or an orangutan swinging through the trees in the jungle. Watching that routine leaves me in awe and makes me giggle at the same time. My husband always teases me asking, “You think you can do that?” Heck no! I can’t even do a chin up and I probably can’t make it across the monkey bars on a playground anymore much less propel myself through the air and expect to grab a thin bar 7′ off the ground and not break my neck! It’s much the same conversation with every competition that we see.

This year’s Olympics is the first that I can remember actually sitting down with my husband for any length of time to watch. We’ve been through 2 others together and never taken much of an interest. This time it’s become rather addictive. Watching USA’s basketball “Redeem Team”, Michael Phelps, the men’s gymnastics team among others have become favorite nighttime activities. What are your favorite Olympic sports?