By Todd Keirstead

Here I am writing my first ever non instruction story for all to see.

Being a movie buff two movies came to mind when my fingers were hitting the keyboard to put this to text. The 1984 movie " The Natural" starring Robert Redford as an average baseball player that comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a legendary player with almost divine talent. And 1989 "Field of Dreams" with Kevin Costner, an Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the Chicago Black Sox come.

So here we go;
Entering the golf course we are all searching for our golf balls. On this day in August, I did not find a golf ball but rather a diamond in the rough. Just before I was about to launch into my Golf With Attitude trick shot show for former NHL'er Jeff Beukeboom's charity golf tournament in support City of Kawartha Lakes Boys and Girls Club at Black Diamond Golf, I was approached by Club Pro Darren Stalteri asking if it would be possible for a local golfer to hit a few shots.

What I then witnessed from this local golfer were golf balls being launched in the stratosphere. His name is Erik Stevens and not only was I in awe with the distance that he struck golf balls but also the story behind this amazing 24-year-old young man.

On the weekend of June 4-6 at the Canadian Ontario Long Drive Shootout at Deer Creek Academy in Ajax, Erik walked on the tee deck to qualify for the World Long Drive Championship. On the tee trying to qualify were participants from all over U.S and Canada all decked out in sponsor attire from shirts, pants, staff bags, and a multiuse of drivers dependant on conditions. What made Erik stand out amongst the crowd is the fact that he doesn't look like your typical golfer and in fact he is not. With being brought up in the sleepy town of Millbrook just outside of Peterborough, Ont. Erik has worked the land with his farming family all of his life rather than living the typically golf life. It was not that he has only played one round of golf this year but it was his attire that made all participants turn, look, and laugh as the announcer called his name to the tee deck. Dressed in a tee shirt and plaid shorts, the footwear is what all were gawking at. As the conditions were muddy on this given day and as Erik does not own a pair of golf shoes he felt that it would be his work boots that would give him his best traction. Using a modified driver with a 50-inch, XX shaft and six-degree head and again…wearing a pair of work boots, Stevens then proceeded to launch the longest drive of the day at 368 yards qualifying him to the Re/Max World Long Drive Championships from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 in Mesquite, Nev. Each year in excess of 10,000 competitors attempt to qualify for the RE/MAX Finals at approximately 300 plus sites around the globe. The finals are televised annually on ESPN every October at the Long Drive finals in Mesquite, Nev.

A couple of days after the Black Diamond event I went and visited Erik and his father at the family farm as I wanted to get to know him better, see if Golf With Attitude could help him make this talent that he exudes into a career, as well as to see where he honed his talent. What I saw could be best described as the Canadian Television show Red Green meets Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore.

Erik's hitting area consists of a pick up truck with the top welded off and a 10x10 wooden platform that is attached to the bed of the truck. He then drives his portable tee deck to the adjacent corn field and stands atop of his wooden platform and launch golf balls into agriculture. Strength exercises consist of farm machinery and working the land and athletic ability came from playing baseball, hockey and rugby growing up.

Asked about his unorthodox training methods, Erik openly explains that no driving ranges in his area are long enough for him to practice hence why a 50 acre corn field works so well for him. The only problem with this is that he has to hand pick his golf balls that are 350 + yards out. A true life Field of Dreams for Erik.

And about his extreme fitness regime, "I have been born into a farming family, lifting farming equipment, flipping tractor tires and eating right has just become a way of life and I wouldn't change it if I could". And who can argue, as the physique that Erik possesses makes me cringe at the membership money I am spending at my local gym.

Erik has already exceed his expectations as this is "a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. "It's also a pretty good excuse to get down to Las Vegas." Quite a far cry from the sleepy unique village where history lives on in turn-of-the-century charm.

With having this amazing credential on his resume, it is going to be exciting as Golf With Attitude turns this passion and hobby into a career in the golf entertainment industry for Erik over the next couple of years.

Good luck to you Erik Stevens in October at the 2010 World Long Drive competition. I am sure that no matter your results you will be winning over the hearts of all you come in contact with your grass roots ethic as well as your salt of the earth personality.

Hit it deep and keep it in the grid!

09/10