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Mike Tlusty

@excite_mike_

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🏹shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars 💫

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Summer ‘26. Ive lived longer in Montana than anywhere else. I’m not from here, but it’s my home. by @excite_mike_

Career Goal #1
July 14, 2026. Steed Arena, Helena Montana

What a fun endeavor this has been. I’ve often been asked (if they can get any word in while I am absolutely obsession dumping onto them) if I wished I would have discovered hockey sooner in life so I could be skilled as an adult?

Absolutely not. It came at the perfect time.

As I’ve struggled with having spoiled my passion for dirtbiking by making it part of my livelihood, it’s been refreshing having a highly physical, highly nuanced and technical activity that has a limitless capacity for improvement.
It’s fun having something that has me foaming at the mouth for more and justifying ridiculous things like driving 3 hours round trip just to make terrible shots and fall on the ice for 30 minutes.

A common phrase I’m hearing among the more skilled “those (B, C ,D, E) level guys are the worst, they have just enough skill and think every game is the Stanley cup but really are just a danger to themselves and others”

Yep, you’re right, I am definitely a hazard to myself but I have the wherewithal to check up on that 38 year old mother of two who’s battling me for the puck on the blue line. She’s got her accounting job tomorrow, 8am.

But once that puck is free I’m 10000% back on my bullshit skating hard, tripping over my stick, whiffing shots, being offsides, all of it.
It’s so much fun :)

After 30 years and a small collection of accomplishments in the moto space, it’s made me be more cognizant of how I view and interact with novice adults in moto.

Maybe I’ll be less judgemental about the lengths people will go, the silly or meaningless bolt on parts and gizmos, the riding skills classes, incessant consumption of media and whatever.

I get it. Im a 43year old that’s been skating for 6 months and googling power skating clinics and saves every single hockey skills instagram post that comes across my feed. I’m sick for it. by @excite_mike_

Pretty wild seeing Lisa tackle some rocky single track after 2 total hours of seat time. Maybe a bit of silver lining from her ankle injury that took her away from running for a while is the impressive balanced from all of the technical mountain biking she had done during that time. Fun to watch the rapid progression by @excite_mike_

Follow cam - @excite_mike_ the wizard behind @dejamoto ripping a line on the course! 🤘🏻 by @excite_mike_

Some go off checklists✅. Some go off vibes🎲. by @excite_mike_

Obsessed.

My last recollections of skating must have been about 1989 and I was about 7 years old.
My brother who is 11 years older than me brought me with to stand in front of the net for him and his buddies pickup games. I think I had my peewee soccer shin pads and his baseball catchers mask on. I could barely skate, but hey I was on my big brothers team so that’s all that mattered.
I remember being terrified watching them warm up blasting heaters at the net and the loud clack of the slap shots and pucks ringing off the boards and goal pipes. I still vividly remember that sound and the feeling of terror to this day.
He assured me once we started playing there was an on-ice shot policy. Nothing above the knee. I think about 2 minutes in I immediately took a deflection to the thigh and so I bawled my eyes out for about 5 minutes but the guys said it wouldn’t happen again and that I was tough (I wasn’t-that shit hurts!) so back in front of the net I went.
I outgrew those skates the end of that winter and my brother went off to college. Never laced up again.
In December, a month before my 43rd birthday my buddy Chase offered me an old pair of Easton hockey skates that would otherwise go to play it again sports the next day. I forgot about them for a couple weeks but after that cold snap we had in January I thought if not now, then when?
I’ve been on the ice no less than 3 times a week hammering drills ever since. I haven’t been this obsessed with something since sailboats. 🤣⛵️

Its so much more fun than I ever imagined. And now I have proper pads on and probably won’t cry if I take a slapper to the knee again.

Hit me up if you have a lower level team and need a player. I haven’t played an actual game yet but I just finished my greenhorn 1 adult beginner skills class and have been practicing a lot. I know enough of the rules and have done a few scrimmages so I should be able to get by. I’m hungry, motivated and obsessed 🏒

#beerleaguehockey #greenhorn #gallatinice by @excite_mike_

Connected with a bunch of other crazy people and we rode some cool rocks 🪨

#trials #dirtbike #montana #gasgas #beta by @excite_mike_

Sturdy, fearless n’ sweet. by @excite_mike_

Dual sport enduro ride with Monty by @excite_mike_

$The universe is the greatest show on earth and we’ve only seen a fraction of it. 🫠 by @excite_mike_$

Now taking applications for a crew mate aboard the mighty “Rio” race boat. Swimming proficiency required.

#sailfail #hobiecat #h16 #sailing⛵️ by @excite_mike_

Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.

Found my limit today and then some.
Now I know what that feels like.

Dial back a little and lock in. Maybe watch a couple more YouTube’s.

so much for this being my cheap hobby 😵‍💫
#hobiecat #hobie16 #growingpains by @excite_mike_