THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090524
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY EARL SWIFT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Sanded smooth, stained and polished, it fit snug in the palm like a daddy's thumb. Pete Micken hoisted the hiking stick, eyed it proudly and gave it a spin.
At its base, an inch from where it struck the ground, were carved the words ``Rock Bottom.'' Just above that, five colored bands encircled the hardwood, each bearing a date. ``One Day At A Time'' ran vertically down its middle in heavy block letters.
``I made this for a recovering alcoholic,'' Micken said. ``The dates are milestones of sobriety.''
Micken calls his new firm the Virginia Hiking Stick Co., but its most interesting products may never see a trail. They're more personal totems than walking aids - sticks bearing life histories or lists of achievements, favorite poems or obscure mojos.
In his backyard shed, a Boy Scout stick emblazoned with ranks and merit badges awaited a customer, as did a martial arts pole bearing ornate symbols, another carved with Biblical psalms, and dozens of other custom models.
He has decorated a few with the mountains his clients have climbed and several depicting complex family trees. For two years running, one family has ordered a ``Christmas stick,'' featuring Santa and gingerbread men along with family members' names.
``If you've got a cause, it's a way for you to speak to the world,'' said Micken, a 53-year-old Navy veteran who branched into making staffs to order after years of carving them as a hobby.
``What is really interesting about it is the type of people you meet,'' Micken said. ``There's no way to correlate the desire for a high-quality walking stick with any particular class of people.''
Micken carved his first as a Scout more than three decades ago, but didn't touch another before happening on a fallen tree branch outside Charleston in 1984. He carved it, painted it and sold it at a craft show a short time later. When he carved another, he quickly sold it, too.
He and his wife, Audrey, took sticks to local hiking club meetings and landed a slew of orders. Word of his talent started to spread, particularly when he and Audrey toted their sticks to large public gatherings.
``Walking around with a walking stick, whether at Waterside or anyplace else, is like walking around with a dog painted chartreuse and purple,'' he said. ``I carry one wherever I go. I carry one in the supermarket. I always keep one in the truck.''
Most sticks cost about $50 and take Micken six to eight days to complete. He favors no particular woods, seeking instead unique patterns in the grain, and harvests both live and dead branches.
And though the customized totems account for an increasing part of his business, Micken still gets orders for more basic hiking sticks. ``If you're going to ford a stream, you've got a third leg to balance on. If you're going off the trail, you can use it to push aside brush.
``If you carry one on walks in your neighborhood, you've got a passive weapon with you,'' he said. ``They're real safety items.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
JIM WALKER/Staff
In his backyard workshop, Pete Micken creates a walking stick
statement - personal totems reflecting their owners' lives.
by CNB