Old Events archives

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WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI
Archive for the ‘event’ Category

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Nice article on mlive.com about the Film Festival coming up this weekend!

Grand Rapids film festival to showcase cycling Posted by Howard Meyerson The Grand Rapids Press January 31, 2009 00:30AM“More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” is a video to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“No helmet required!”

That is what Grand Rapids cyclist Jeff Festian said about the come-as-you-are crowd expected at the second annual Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival at Wealthy Theater on Feb. 7.
No helmets. No spandex. No clip-in shoes. No pumps. Anyone interested in cycling and films is welcome,” said Festian, the former president of Rapid Wheelmen, a 500-member road cycling club in Grand Rapids. “We are looking to create a cultural event that draws more than cyclists.”

BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
Where: Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy St. SE
When: Feb. 7
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., films begin at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $20 for adults 21 and older includes two beverages); $15 for those younger than 21; free for ages 15 and younger

The festival, he said, is a midwinter celebration of cycling. Funds raised from the event will go toward the Midwest Mountain Biking Summit in Grand Rapids. Organizers from the West Michigan chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association say they want to tap into the city’s growing “green initiative.” That means people who ride to work and those who ride casually. “We think it’s a good event for Grand Rapids,” said Nate Phelps, co-organizer and board member for the association. “We want people outside of our respective cycling communities to come down and see what the culture is about. We are showing a little wider variety of films this year. They should appeal to the casual rider as well as the full-on racer.”
Festian and Phelps are expecting a large turnout for the nearly three hours of films. Last year’s event got little fanfare. It was held in the small auditorium at Wealthy Theater, which was filled to capacity. This year, it will take place in the large auditorium.

The films cover a mixture of themes: Human interest, political and action.
“We Just Work Here” is a documentary by Brian Vernor, a California-based photographer and filmmaker. He turns his lens on coworkers at a Santa Cruz, Calif., bicycle company and captures the human dimension of those who live to cycle.

“I saw these people all around me, living and working in an area that they had a passion for,” Vernor, 33, said in a telephone interview from Toronto, where he was working on another film. “Cycling is often portrayed as an individual pursuit, but most people who cycle are drawn to the community. I found this particular bike community in Santa Cruz especially unique.”
Phelps called the film a “great movie, a lighthearted documentary.”“ZERO traction” is a look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions.

The more gritty film is “ZERO traction” by Keith Walberg, a cyclocross racer and filmmaker who captured the adrenaline rush of a cyclocross event held in extreme conditions. The film was shot over four days in December, during the 2007 Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. It is a high-intensity look at 30 races — all set to music.

Walberg, who created “Roll Your Own Films” in 2008, said he was inspired to make the film after attending the 2000 championship in Kansas City.

“It was brutally cold, and seeing 12-year-olds and 65-year-olds giving it their all was pretty inspiring — and pretty cool,” Walberg said.

“I work in video production doing television commercials and training films. This is my first film of any length. So far, the response has been pretty good.” Area filmmaker Tom Scheidel, of Rockford, will show a brief trailer for a film currently in production. “More Than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” looks at the lives of area riders who have committed to a 100-mile ride through Death Valley to help raise funds for diabetes. Scheidel began fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation about 11 years ago after his son, Jake, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The foundation holds fundraising rides around the country. “Last year, our West Michigan team raised over $260,000,” Scheidel said. “Nationally, JDRF raised $4.2 million. The film looks predominately at local riders. They are riding 105 miles in 100 degree heat and 20 to 30 miles per hour headwinds. I document their thought processes and talk to them during their training, during the ride and after the ride.”

Lastly, there will be an hour of mixed short film subjects from “Filmed By Bike,” a film festival based in Portland, Ore., that screens short films made by independent filmmakers. Each film is limited to eight minutes. “I liked them all,” Phelps said. “Some are pretty amateur, YouTube kind of stuff, but others are very professional. That’s the neat thing about it. It’s all bike-themed short movies. Some are social commentary and some are comedy.” Said Festian: “The main thing is, we are trying to put on a fun event.” And remember, leave the helmet at home.
The movies “We Just Work Here”A film about a community of individualists working at the bicycle manufacturer Santa Cruz Bicycles. It focuses on the culture of riding and disparate talents of the employees of SCB. Filmed entirely on Super 8, in and around Santa Cruz and Downieville, Calif. (Time: 50 Minutes) “ZERO traction”A look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions such as driving snow, mud, ice and frozen mud. The film features racing action shot in slow motion. It includes interviews from Steve Tilford, Ned Overend and elite champion Tim Johnson. (Time: 67 minutes) “Filmed by Bike Festival”The film festival, based in Portland, Ore., showcases bike-themed independent short movies from around the world. Submissions are limited to eight minutes. A portion of the festival entries are being shown. (Time: 60 minutes) “More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes”Rockford filmmaker Tom Scheidel put together a video of the ride to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This is a trailer from the full-length film. (Time: 4 minutes)

E-mail Howard Meyerson: hmeyerson@grpress.com© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.



Introduction to Luton Park-Group Ride
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
July 30, 2008 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us Wednesday Evening, July 30th, 2008 for a “Introduction to Luton Park Group Ride”
Park and meet at the D&W Plaza on the corner of Northland Drive (Wolverine) and 10 mile Road. Look for the wMMBA Banner. Clip in/roll out time is 6:45 PM, so arrive by 6:30 PM. We will roll out as a group and ride to the trail head from here. About 1.25 miles of paved and paved shoulder road. Once at the park we will ride as a group for one lap of the green, blue and orange loops (3.5 miles total single track) stopping for explanations of the work involved to date and future planning plus a bit of history. After completing one lap we will break off into smaller groups and continue to ride some more if interested. Also, the Ski Area is 5 miles away via Meyers Lake Road for the adventuresome. Requirements: bring a mountain bike in good working order, a helmet, water and a snack if needed. Ride canceled if raining. Watch this site and forum for up to the minute updates re: weather. Map to parking and start area:
Posted in News, event, event, group ride, in the news No Comments »

2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail
July 19, 2008 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday July 19th. 2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail potluck extravaganza. We supply the grills and chapter member Cramer is graciously supplying his backyard for an afternoon of riding, grilling, and general tomfoolery. Bring something to grill for yourself and something to pass- homebrewers this your chance to dazzle us with your best. Meet up at the Cannonsburg Ski Area by the westernMMBA tool trailer.
The group rides start at 2pm. 2 options will be offered.
A - combination of the ski area, the game area, and some hilly roads.
B - same as above at a much more relaxed pace.
After the rides we move over to Cramer’s for the rest of the day. You can either ride or drive to Cramer’s from the ski area parking lot. It isn’t far. Route maps and a map to the Cramer Casita will be handed out in the parking lot.
things to bring-
a bike in good working order
a helmet
drinking water
a garbage bag
beer- for the beer swap
a dish to share for the potluck feast
home brew
something for the grill
a chair
family
things to not bring-
fireworks
firearms
dogs
attitude
Come on out and ride.


SSN- Single Speed Nation
November 29, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Singlespeed nation ride. 10am at Luton Park.
Meet in the D&W parking lot at 10 Mile Rd and Wolverine Blvd( the east beltline)
A small group will be riding up the White Pine, leaving the railroad trestle on N. Monroe at 9am

Holiday Ride-CANCELED
this ride is canceled due to deep snow The Annual Holiday ride is this Saturday, the 20th of December.
Rick has a 33 mile route planned out.
The ride starts at 11am and ends around 6pm. Meet at Founders Brewing.
235 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids,MI 49503
Questions? western [at] mmba.org

Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee
November 28, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee, meet in the parking lot at 10am
No drop, fun ride. It’s hunting season, wear a bright color.