The bar has been set. As someone interested in bikes, music and film I’m a bit surprised why it took me this long. I can probably blame it on the fact that I’ve listened to critics in the past without ever actually going to the source. I’ve read reviews where people describe thumping soundtracks and big jumps and rapid-fire shots. If I want to have my attention span shortened I’ll just turn on some of the cartoons my kids like to watch behind my back. No, bikes to me were better off being ridden than watched with the exception of the obligatory Tour de Scandal. This weekend that all changed.
A buddy who works in a bike shop sent me his copy of “Seasons” by the Collective and I was simply blown away. Again, full disclosure here, I have never watched a mountain biking film before. I went in with these preconceived notions of annoying music and poor cinematography. What I discovered was a well paced film, with quality music and stunning visuals. I watched it myself. I watched it with my kids and then I watched it again with my 70 year old parents. Dad is in to biking and my mom is always game when it comes to quality entertainment. They were all totally impressed.
After sitting through it several times in rapid succession I’m not able to actually pinpoint what I feel are my favorite scenes. I know my 9 year old son loves the North Shore riding and there is no doubt that those parts elicited the loudest “oohs” and “ahhs.” However, I have seen countless amazing photos of some North Shore footage and was a bit disappointed there wasn’t even more mind blowing video. Don’t get me wrong, it was stunning. It’s just that I’m fairly certain that there are other videos out there that capture the true gonzo riding that thrives up to the north.
Personally I enjoyed the Matt Hunter footage as this is probably my favorite type of riding to do myself. These smooth and fast flowing trails over large open expanses of territory just made me want to get on a bike and tear down an open field. The brief shots from the helmet cam get you right there and at a point where it is possible to really appreciate the beauty of what these guys can do on a bike.
I left the film being totally satisfied. I wonder how good this film is compared to some of the others in the series. What I do know is I will watch this film again and again and will seek out more amazing videos from the folks of the Collective.