The Book of Joe, Chapter Two: Making Something Out of Nothing
Update on the "Help Joe Go Pro" Campaign

By Joe "Pollyanna" Ruscito
Posted Friday November 30th

Alright, people. Here's my problem. We don't have very much time here. I want to do something that involves me and kiting and Best, but school tuition for Spring semester is due very soon, and I've got to make some decisions and get the balls rolling. I need an answer here!

Here's a little update on what's been going on. I've talked to a couple magazines and there is definitely media interest in my attempt to "make it big on the kiteboarding scene," meaning "train and compete in the PKRA." The editor of Kiteboarding says he'll consider running a feature on it if I can get the support for it, and that if helps to tell my "sponsors" I'll get support, I have it. And so far the "petition" to help me go pro (ha-ha) now has a total of 157 signatures, and my sister started a Facebook Group, which you should join if you haven't, called Help Joe Go Pro, which now has a total of 135 members! I'm definitely getting the moral support for it ... just gotta get the financial support now!

Even my parents are warming up to the idea. I went home last week for Thanksgiving, and all week long, my dad kept advising me on the benefits of staying in school and getting my college education ... and I do know how important that is, I really do. But then, on my last day home, the January issue of Kiteboarding Magazine showed up at the house, and when my dad saw the picture of me kiting in front of the Statue of Liberty, he suddenly started seeing what I'm trying to do with this. So that's a good thing. (I hope it's ok if I put this picture up. If not, I'll take it down.)

The only things left to do are to 1) tell Alvaro I'm coming over (I haven't been able to get in touch with him over email and skype, and he's not picking up his phone, so I might just have to show up on his doorstep), and 2) try to convince all concerned parties (including Alex B himself) that Alex Brown should come along with us to document the whole thing in video. I hear he likes to wake up early, and that's just what we need to catch my early morning training sessions!

By the way, I stomped my first osmosis on land the other day and am ready to take it to the water on the next windy day and give Aaron a run for his money.

So the next couple of weeks should be exciting. We have very little time to get this approved if I want to compete next year. So within the next couple of weeks we need to get some more support, some financial assets ha-ha, and a plan!

So, thanks to all the people who emailed in! (If you don't see your name on this list, your email didn't go through and you should resend it.)

Rebecca Lindsay	Of course I will help Joseph Eugene Ruscito go pro ... he's a babe!
Austin Brodsky	I am his neighbor and my name is Austin Brodsky and I want to help Joe go pro
Matt Reindel	Hi, I am emailing to support Joe going pro, so put me down on the petition (or whatever).
Danny Bruce	Hi, I'd like to enter my name for the "Petition for Joe to go pro"
Christine Ruscito and Paul Ruscito	We want joe to go pro
Mike Ruscito	Hi I'm Joe's brother, and i think that he deserves to go pro
Kristen, John and the other Russomannos!!!! a.k.a the CT Ruscito fan club!!	YES!!!!! WE WANNA HELP JOE GO PRO!!!!
Amanda Louise Silva	I'd like to help Joe go pro!!!
Mike Gilbert	Go pro joe!F&*$k yes!
Jesse Hans	I read the article on the help Joe go pro campaign and think that he should be pro.
Kathleen Atkins	seriously, make joe pro!! forge my name!
Pete Corbett	Joe is the perfect person to send on tour with the team for the PKRA. His energy and excitement about the sport is unreal. By touring and riding with people that he has always looked up to, he is only going to get even better than he already is. Almost every time i have watched Joe ride i am amazed at all the new things he is learning. No matter the rash, bruise, cut, or how sore he is, Joe will not end a day without learning something new. Joe has more potential than most riders out there and by touring with the team and competing in the PKRA, his riding is only going to progress a ton. PLEASE SEND JOE ON TOUR!
Lucas Gubinski	Joe is the illest kiter he should deff be beating some heads in the PKRA.
Nick Bush	Joe is by far my favorite rider, I hear about him nonstop and thought he was already pro so he definitely should be.
Thomas Marcel Chandonnet	Yo, my dawg Joe has got more steeziness in his left pinky then any ah those suckas behind the kite. Basically his shit's fresh.
Charlie Niznansky	This is Jay Roc's good pal. I kick it wit him all the time. Ive kited with joe from start. We use to call him McNasty. Hes been steezin for no reason for as long as I can remember. So this is what I tink, I tink he should be in The P to K to the RA so he can fly high.
Samuel Carus	I would like to be on the petition to help Joe go Pro!
Lynn M. Abe	Hi, I want to be on the petition to make Joe go pro. Gee, thanks.
Ty Thorsen	Hi I would like to help Joe go pro. Thanks
Joanna Plotz	I want Joe to go pro! Thanks!
Chuck Zsebik	I wanna help Joe go pro and my name is Chuck Zsebik and one of Austin Brodsky's friend.
Gavin Tisdale	Make Joe go pro!!!
Alexa Gubinski	Just wanted to join the overwhelming masses in pledging my unyielding support for whatever crazy scenario Joe wants to get himself into. He is clearly the most talented, interesting, nicest, happiest, adventurous, coolest, steeziest etc Best kitesurfer and deserves to go far. I would defintely and eagerly follow his journey to the top (not that Joe's actually ever been in rags when it comes to kiting ...) and hope that there is a future for his pro kiting career, even though he says you need thousands more emails.
Laura Valentine	I support Joe going pro! He deserves it!
Pat Atkins	Joe deserves being pro more than anyone else out there. Sign me up
Casey Reinhardt	I want to support Joe go Pro!!!
Vic Gubinski	Quite a little campaign going for Joe, and I second everything that was in my daughter Alexa's email I TOTALLY support Joe! You know that up in, starting to get cold, CT we are Joe's biggest fans and want to see Joe Goe Pro. Home town boy hits the bigtime and all that, and you're right, given the opportunities Joe's the one that can pull this off. Good for Joe, good for Best, good for us, just need to convince his dad...
Jack McMahon	Hi my name is Jack McMahon and I am Austin's friend (Joe's neighbor) and I want to help Joe go pro.
Charlie Kollar	We want Joe to go PRO
Warren Hofrichter	Is it too late to add my name to the petition for Joe Ruscito going pro?
Roger MacDonald	Yes, yes, yes, Let me know if you need me to type a few more “yes’s”.
Patrick McGuire	YES!! Joe is the best ever

To read more about Joe, visit his Team Rider Profile.