Not too long ago, RideKore released a short video showcasing our local trails. My buddy Ryan and I had such a good time making this video we decided to embark on a more ambitious idea…to showcase a local trail with a personalized story through film. We approached Brandon Montijo to help with the camera work and editing process, and we were off to the races.

Dave Kern hammers Forest Hill Park.

We wanted to start out by showcasing one of our personal favorite trails — the Forest Hill Park Loop. The story of two buddies blowing off the end of the day at work to meet up for a ride is a story many of us can relate to. The first day of shooting started early. Ryan and I prepped our gear and got the ‘intro shots’ first thing in the morning. After meeting up with Brandon, we talked about what specific shots we wanted and pieces of trail we wanted to feature. It was HOT and we knew we were in for a long day! The first day ran smoothly with the creative juices flowing and lots of troubleshooting. Shots were coming together, angles looked good, and the riding was fast and fun! Unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to schedule a second day of shooting. Regardless, the first day of footage came out better than we thought, and this kept us amped for the next day of shooting.

Fast forward a few weeks…Day Two started at the end of the trail on Riverside Drive and we worked backwards.  The final shots were critical to tie the movie together and show some cohesion in riding a trail start to finish. As odd as it sounds, working backward was the best way to accomplish this. The team picked up where we left off by banging out shots left and right. A short four hours later and we felt we had everything we needed to put together a proper edit.

After the editing process, the final color correction and sound mix was laid over the footage.  The video was ready for the big screen and it debuted at the Byrd Theater prior to the premiere of Where the Trail Ends. The video has since been showcased on national biking site, Pinkbike.com, where it’s gotten over 22,000 views. We felt like the final edit did a good job showcasing this 2.9 mile loop that is Forest Hill.  That trail embodies a good trail rip and has great flow throughout each twist and turn.  A trail like that continues to put a smile on my face every time I ride it!

Click here to check out the video!

RideKore provides Richmond’s only IMBA certified mountain bike skills instruction to riders of all ages and skill levels. For more information on RideKore’s Fall clinic schedule, please check out our website www.ridekorerva.com