HOME IS WHERE THE TRAILS ARE

Every day I wake up wanting more, excited for whats next. I’m curious to see what’s round the corner but I’m also driven to make it happen. You cannot just sit around waiting for something to happen because nothing will ever get done. Getting shit done is not as hard as it looks, especially when you are surrounded by a good group of people. This has, is and will always be our way of doing things with GCF.

Filming is a big part of the BMX scene. It’s a creative outlet where riders can present their riding in a way that they see fit. I like to compare the process to bands writing / recording an album. For bands their finished album is their pride and joy, it’s a piece of themselves as a collective. But it’s not only about the finished product, the journey is just as important. Finding a particular sound, drum patterns, vocals. Visualising an idea and seeing it through. As a crew, when we get together and start filming a project, this process too has the potential of unfolding in so many different ways that one cannot help but feel nothing but excitement. Anything can happen, from pulling a trick you’ve been battling with for months or an afternoon in the emergency room hooked up to all sorts of machines waiting to hear wether your spleen is ruptured or not.

For GCF#3 we’ve teamed up with 2 individuals who are a very important part of the GCF crew. Ben is responsible for me learning how to ride a bicycle in the first place, he was the one to push me down that hill. Little did we know what a ripple effect that day would have on our lives. Never one to enjoy breaking a sweat his interests in two wheeled fun differed from mine. I continued to hurl myself off anything with a transition or drop while he picked up a camera and began documenting my riding, (amongst many subjects) which in turn started him along the path of professional journalism and has now transitioned into profession film having worked on some pretty big commercial and cinematic films.

Ben loves to explore, albeit in comfort. His earlier years involved one the most heavily modified Landrovers on the island. Where as now he’s dialled down his set up into a more compact yet still heavily loaded setup.

Roger on the other hand is responsible for me hurling my self off anything that had a transition or drop. I’m not too sure when, where, how or why, but our friendship began at an early age, pre-teens. His energy is so infectious that when you’re around him anything is possible, riding with him you want to just go for it, which made for an interesting progressive time in our lives. Throughout the years his two wheeled interests have progressed onto motorised fun. He applied his BMX mentality to both Offroad and Track racing, while I stood on the side lines at times holding my breath in awe of how casually he recovers from a slam or conquers the weirdest of off road obstacles.

PRODUCED BY : ROGER ZAMMIT

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: BEN BORG CARDONA

‘Home Is Where The Trails Are’ is a creative sports documentary who’s main aim is to tie in the underlying social and cultural aspect of BMX, digging deep trying to understand what makes it so special to the riders who do it.

Action sports also known as “Extreme Sports” to the mainstream media are generally categorized by activities or sports which are perceived to have a high level of risk and include many sports such as: Skateboarding, BASE Jumping and Freestyle Motocross to mention a few.

BMX (Bicycle Motocross) in its purest forms is not a sport as most people have come to know sports. Like many other action sports that have developed over the last 40 years it is more about freedom and creativity. Produced by ‘Pineapple Media’ this documentary will be focussing on in’s and out’s of the GCF crew, our journey and we want to share it with all of you.

Music is a very influential part of the BMX culture, every rider has their own playlist to get them excited to ride to. It provides a zen like experience where one can focus on what ever trick may lay ahead. Being able to collaborate with local artists / bands has been an interest of ours for a while now, and what better way to experience this documentary about our local culture than with a soundtrack produced by local musician friends.

I think it was Props Road fools 2, all the top pro’s of the 90’s where on this road trip and they stopped at another pro riders house, Fuzzy Hall. They walked to the backyard of the house, and there it was, a dirt sculpted playground for BMX. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, I was blown away and from that day it became my dream. Who wouldn’t want their own place to ride? I saw that video for the first time 20years ago, and for 20 years the idea of having my own spot never faded, it only grew stronger and stronger. I knew it was possible, I had no clue how I was going to make it happen but that never stopped me before. I knew it was possible.

The environment around us is getting developed at an extraordinary rate, the few riding spots I had when I was younger are long gone. I needed somewhere to call home. Travelling was big interest of mine, but it was only a temporary solution. For the first time in my life I was looking at the bigger picture.

Could I imagine my life without BMX? Do I need to? Why should I? Yes I know there will come a time where I won’t be able to do the crazy shit I’m doing now, I’m very aware of that. But that time is a fairly long way down the road. I want to be able to grow old with BMX,  so here I am in my 30’s, a land owner excited beyond belief that I’ve got one of the biggest canvases of my life infront of me and together with the crew I cannot wait to create something insane.