6.30
Wednesday

You know, it’s funny how sometimes it takes a really bad event to make you appreciate a good thing. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I was involved in a pretty bad car accident - my first. Basically some jackass pulled out in front of me without looking and I slammed into his caddy doing about 45 mph. My car (a 2 month old Mini Cooper) is totaled. Not sure what happens next but man, my neck sure is sore. So I’m sitting there, picking glass out of my hair when I realize that I was ok. Not only that but had I not been wearing my shades, that glass would have surely gone in my eyes. So I’ll take this entry to thank Jerry and John of the Specialized Team for the new pair of SPY sunglasses they gave me in Quebec. They may have saved the film - and man, I’m just happy to be here.

Monday
6.28

8am. Sitting in an Air Canada gate. Waiting for the next flight to National Airport (I refuse to call it Reagan). Why am I not on the plane that sits outside the window headed for DC? Ineptitude. Air Canada reduced it’s staff to one person at the front desk for international flights. That one poor lady was inundated with over 150 not-so-happy-travelers in line as one after another missed flights from having to wait for so long. Me being one of them. When I finally reached the man who appeared next to her terminal to help, he told me my flight was closed. “Closed?” I asked, with a bit of tone. “Oui, massuier. Closed. Zeh close zee flight fourty-five meh-noots behfore zeh plane leaves le gate. Viola! I have a flight leaving to Dulles at 1pm…??” “But dude, the plane has not left yet. Can’t you bend the rules and get me on that plane?”
“No massuer. I cannot.”

Ahhh, travel days.

So as I sit here I’m thinking over the weekend of racing. It’s not the results that I found interesting, it’s how each person seems to keep arriving at those results. Take Mary M, the morning of the race I stopped by to get some shots and she gave me a big hug and offered me coffee before heading off to get her bike checked in. Her consummate positive energy - even on the dawn of one of the most important races of her career (having slipped in the points chase to just behind Sue) - is how she keeps racing so well. Or Adam Craig who, for months, has been assuring me that if his gear held up he could pull off a top 10 victory at a World Cup. One might say that’s a cocky statement. I’d call it confidence. He got his top 10 yesterday. With authority. He was barely out of breath at the finish line and had a look of, “…oh yea…what’s next?” as I interviewed him. He never lost faith or let being last of the 4 men, time and time again, keep him down. Positive energy, even when he had the chance to bitch and moan about failing gear he did not. I feed on other people’s positive energy and got my fill this weekend. I was running around the course full-speed. And I’m no runner. Got tremendous shots, interviews and stills. JHK let me film him talking to his girlfriend, then we did a 40 minute interview. He’s completely first class. Jeremiah BIshop let me follow him and his completely positive girlfriend Erin, around just about everywhere. I even got them sneaking away from the venue to get a glimpse of some of St. Anne’s amazing waterfalls. The entire Luna crew has continued to be nothing but fun and supportive of the film. I would also like to personally thank Alison for giving me an hour long interview when I asked for half that. She gave the viewer her side of the Olympic-selection-debacle story, with emotion, grace and truth. And I can’t imagine how she feels.

I’m happy to be getting much more of the inside story. Each character in this cast has grown and evolved. 2 more races and we’re done filming. The points are closer than ever. This next chapter is going to be tense. Calgary will decide the 2 men’s slots. It’s up in the air except for JHK who is a shoe-in.

We’re in the final stretch.
Only 3 big races left to get UCI points before the July 12th selection date - time is starting to fly. Ken gets back from Europe tomorrow and I leave the next day for Canada. We’ve got Kenny lined up to shoot Calgary a week later (wish I could go to that but the credit-well is about dry) and I’ll head back to Austria in July for the Marathon Worlds, where we’ve got a motorcycle rented to shoot from. I’ll have to talk the Americans into leading the race to help get the shots I need (I wish). I’ll just have to hang on and not drop the camera! Ken even found a contact to potentially rent a helicopter! Something I’ve been dying to do since almost scoring one in Ecuador. The Special Forces troops that were assigned to ‘Protect’ the U.S. riders gave me the name and number of a pilot. Thought I had it set but at the last minute they doubled the price. Very 3rd world.

I think all the riders have seen the trailer and have voiced a lot of support for us continuing the project which makes all the difference in the world. Ken and I were both running low on morale. It’s easy to wonder just what we’re trying to do with this project and it seems all have a better understanding now and (I hope) an interest in letting us into their personal lives a little more. We still need spontanious, unscripted moments of honesty - whether it be happiness from a good race performance or sheer frustration of, say - trying to make a call and having the phones cut you off (hellllo Belgium!). I think that’s been the hardest thing of all - asking to be included, with a camera, into their personal lives. It’s not something that ANYONE is used to and regardless of our attempts to walk softly - it creates stress for already stressed-out athletes. Which makes stress for us and - well, it’s a vicious cycle. But I think that cycle has broken down and we’ve been around everyone enough to have them know we’re trying to show their struggle in the most positive way possible.

Ken and I both want so badly to do something great with this. To evoke respect from the viewer for these athletes’ quest - is our goal. After all I’ve seen them go through, God knows they deserve it.

Well, I have been gone 2 weeks and this is only my second journal entry… Kinda tough to write when you are running around Europe with the family. After Fort William, we went to Ireland for a week. What glorious weather we had in store. Every day was sunny and beautiful. Does it ever rain in Ireland? This was a nice break since it rained every day in Scotland.

We spent time in Ballycotton, a small fishing village on the southern coast near Cork. Then four days in County Kerry on the south west side of Ireland. I would highly recommend this area. We went to Killarney, Tralee, and Dingle. Good vibes from all towns. But the most amazing parts were the beaches and mountains. We went to 3 different beaches and all offered clear water and miles of sand. The water was a little cold, but the boys got wet anyway. Out on the Dingle peninsula, we went over two mountain passes. These were marked as “dangerous routes� on the map, but I figure it would be an adventure. These were basically one lane roads thru the most amazing terrain. The mountains here do not have any trees, just soft green grass and moss. Very different from the Shenandoah Valley where we have hills covered in hardwoods.

Anyway, after our week “vacation� it is back to work as we travel from Kerry to Frankfurt Germany, then driving to Austria for World Cup #4. We will actually spend 5 nights in the same place in Austria which is nice, can’t believe we have already been gone for over 2 weeks!

Talked to Jason, sounds like WV was successful, Adam and Alison stepped up, too bad JB had bike problems. Jason finally has a weekend off of filming, that is 4 weeks in a row in 4 different countries, damn!!! Hopefully I can capture the action by myself in Austria. I already have tickets for Calgary, Jason has Quebec and Marathon Worlds too take care of. Then we are done filming! I want to personally thank everyone who has given us help or taken time to talk to us. This movie will be unlike anything you have ever seen. The story we will tell is going to be awesome! Hopefully we can figure out a way to make some money. Wonder what Jason is doing…

Monday
6.14

I just got back from filming the NORBA XC at West Virginia’s SnowShoe Mt.
Snowshoe delivered it’s usual dose of fog, mud and humility. If you can win a race there, you are a true mt. bike rock-star. Roots, ruts, rocks, trees that grab bikes and don’t let go and mud that looks like peanut butter-pureé. The entire vibe from those who had been in Europe was upbeat. Everyone is happy to be back in the states and it showed. This time when I would walk up to each team’s tent - there was nothing but smiles and hugs. Good to see after experiencing growing tension in Europe for 3 weeks. Bishop jumped a plane in between World Cups to come home, refuel and refocus. After some QT with Erin, he had his game face on. Even tho NORBA’s aren’t as intense as World Cup races, Bishop was feeling the pressure of being the home-town-hero who is expected to pull off a knock-out. Truth is, he was well on his way to a solid podium finish when one of those trees I mentioned, reached out and ripped his derailleur off the bike. There is simply no recovery from that. It will, however, help illustrate how you have to have tons of factors come together to win a mt. bike race - including luck. I got a gut wrenching shot of Erin anxiously awaiting JB at the finish - when Eatough said he was out there with a broken bike, she took off down the course looking for him. He eventually rode out of the woods, covered in mud, stopped to give Erin a smooch, then limped his bike across the finish line. Adam Craig seems to have lost the bad-luck-juju by scoring 3rd w/o a mechanical - a well-deserved finish. The Luna Chix swept the podium with Allison first, Shonny second and Katerina third. Team manager Valdek (aka BrotherBear) was like a proud father.

Check www.velonews.com for some great commentary from the riders. I woke up Sunday to super-thick fog that didn’t seem to be burning off. Filming the short-track didn’t seem worth it (you couldn’t see more than 30 feet) so I took off a bit early. I sucked up every turn on the crazy drive home with the Mini making me laugh the entire way. It’s really good to laugh again.

Now I have to start the immense task of logging in all the footage I’ve shot. We have to get a TeraByte of hard drive space for it all (over a thousand Gigs). Good thing I have some room left on the MasterCard. We’re getting the still shots up so be sure to check the photo albums.

I wonder how Kenny’s doing.

Monday
6.7

Yesterday I was torn. The downhill was going off at the event site and I wanted to do the seal tour. I had it in my head that I could get a sweet shot off the front of the boat like that old POLICE video, Synchronicity. But the downhill looked rad and to miss it would be a waste. Then again, it was starting to rain. Hmmm. Well, I guess the seals took a back seat and before I knew it I was headed up the gondola to the top of the mountain with 10,000 other screaming spectators.

Now I know, everyone who rides a mountain bike to any serious degree gets to a point when they have learned some skills, done some races and think they can handle just about anything. Well, maybe that’s just me. But seeing how fast the racers were bombing down that course gave me a new level of respect for them. It’s one thing for me to sit here and type it - it’s another to see for yourself. It’s no wonder the crowds will stand in ankle-deep mud on the side of a ski-slope to watch it. The course wasn’t so much gnarly or overly technical (a couple of sections looked burly but most racers would air over it) but it was how fast they went through it. The footy should be sick. Not quite sure how to work it into the movie but we’ll have to find a way.

I walked the entire course, shooting the whole way. Most of the paths the spectators were taking were more technical and muddy than the race course and I even got some funny spills on tape. Alcohol, mud and a steep grade are a recipe for disaster. God bless the Scots. Or the King. Whatever. Once I got to the bottom the crowd was unreal. The energy was through the roof and I was capturing as much as I could - but I had to leave before the best riders came down.

I took off from the event and made my train JUST in time. I left my rental car at my B&B since no one was at their office (is all of Europe like this with rentals?). Kenny showed up to see me off and filmed me heading out on the train that went up through some of the Highlands and circled around back to Glasgow. Very epic ride.
Now I’m about to board my plane.

The Eupoean leg of the journey is over for me. And I can go home and refuel. I need to organize what I’ve seen and what I’ve filmed into a story. I hope that will help Ken and I realize what we have missed, so we can be sure to get it in Canada. One thing I do know, I started this film with a slight awareness of what these athletes go through to compete on the World Cup and now have a much clearer understanding. It defines intense.

Saturday
6.5

Today was race day. The weather has been misty but not quite raining. It’s been sunny skies almost the entire time I’ve been here. Certainly helps when lugging camera gear around. So Ken handled the start/finish and I headed out on the course. Ran my @ss off, took a wrong road to the other side of the mountain, missed 2 laps of the womens race but made it back to get the last one. That really sucked. I ran down the road for 20 minutes - figured it was a bad sign to be almost back to town (the race is about 10k North) and turned back, running faster that I had been. I’m no runner.

Now we’re packing up and getting ready for dinner. We got sooo much great footy today. JHK was the fastest American male, followed by Bishop who had a great race, then Adam, Todd, Kabush and Mike who also had a great race. The American women were led by the most positive person I’ve met - Mary, then Sue who had her game face on, then Allison and Shonny (smiley). The course was sooo amazing. Core mountain biking with plenty of super-sketchy downhills, crazy singletrack and plenty of tough climbs. Add to that the sick North-Shore-Style bridge sections and it was an insane day of racing. I sooo wish I could ride it. Alas, it’s time for dinner. Head to Glasgow tomorrow, then home. But not before taking a seal-watching tour! Oh yea, I’m all over that.

j

Friday
6.4

So I was in town filming b-roll yesterday when a car drives by and honks like crazy. it’s Kenny! I’m soooo happy to have met up with him. So much pressure has been lifted. Then I was out filming an old castle and the Luna Chix ride up. It was great seeing them again and I got the invite to dinner.

We went to some Indian place. Wally gave Ken and I nicknames. I’ll let Kenny share them.

Typed a letter to the athletes in the film till 1am. It was just getting dark. I’m feeling very sick. Bad sore throat. Keep sneezing. Might be Annister - or the room I’m in.

Thursday
6.3

16£ a night. Hmmm, compared to the 98£ a night i was about to pay next door that sounds pretty good. So I am now the guest of Annister something Mc something. Nice enough guy. Discovered tooth paste too late in life, if at all. Today I woke up and enjoyed Annister’s breakfast of white toast, cornflakes and nescafe. Now I know why it’s 16£. So what - Annister was so excited to hear I’m making a movie, he went through the phone book and scored me a rental car. They brought it to the house and I was off. Well, almost - I got in on the wrong side and damn, how do I shift with my left hand!? I have been slowly getting used to it and I think I’m there. It was so sketchy I started laughing (made me realize I haven’t laughed in weeks). I’m driving around town in a turbo-diesel Ranault Sport-wagon. The thing kicks butt. I’m stoked.

Scotland is all I had hoped. It’s visually spectacular. Very plush. Very rainy. Very vertical. Very rocky. Very hard to understand the locals. But yea, misty mountains, sheep, fog, light till midnight and lots of bad teeth. I’ve been pretty sick and have not been up for enjoying the Scotch. Perhaps I’ll have time to find a store that’s open when I’m not at the race venue to bring some home.

I ate dinner with some of the Luna team, Todd & Meg, JHK & Dan, a few Giant riders incl. Adam Craig. Would have loved to have filmed them all in one place but it wasn’t appropriate. I just enjoyed my dinner and company.

More tomorrow.

Wednesday Part II
6.2

Well, they say when one door closes another one opens. Little did I know it would be the door to a brand new Mercedes, driven by the current world champion, Filip Meirhaeghe. Remember how much fun I was having back at the airport in Belgium? As soon as I was done typing me journal entry, i got up to board the plane I thought for sure was mine (but was headed to Russia) and who is 10ft. away waving t me but Filip who told me not to get on that plane. Considering the guy is a national hero, i’m always amazed at how personable and friendly he is. So we ended up sitting in the same row on the (was at one point cheap) Ryan Air flight to Scotland. I finally got a chance to show him and his girlfriend/Soignor, Susan, the trailer. Filip’s reaction, “When can I buy tickets!!??” Nice to get the positive vibe. So he asks me how I’m getting to Ft. William and I tell him how my ride fell through. He offers a ride and I’m a happy guy. Little did I know now styled out I was. I get 2 hours of commentary from the two on what it takes to be a world champ, plus the comfort of a leather-lined-luxury-mobile, plus the always competitive (even when driving) Filip dealing with the roads and Scottish driving rules (yea, wrong side) PLUS I get to join them with the team for dinner. Now whenever I see anyone on their team, it’s like I’m part of the family. Let me tell you, it means a lot. So Filip drives me around town till we find a B&B with a sign out front that says 16£ a night. I’m in. Sure I’ll stink of smoke for weeks to come but hey, anyplace will do right now.