#Gee atherton series#

I think it’s important to show that this wasn’t an impossible line to ride, it was very technical, very intimidating and it was right at the limit but in fact I successfully rode every section, several times for most parts. But that’s no different to the feelings I had at the top of the Slateline, or riding the Ridgeline, both had similar potential consequences and ridiculous small margins for error. There are sections in the film where I think it’s really obvious that I’m anxious. I want to show that I went into this with my eyes open. The knowledge that it will take absolutely everything you have to succeed is a huge motivation. It’s something that I recognise in Dan and Rachel too, that passion to pour huge amounts of yourself into a task, no matter the difficulties or the set-backs. For me it’s all about overcoming an obstacle and someone just happens to film me, I don’t set out with a film in mind but I do constantly seek out opportunities to do things that nobody has done before, to go beyond my comfort zone. I’m attracted to the boldness that’s necessary to push to that point.

The creativity is definitely something I’m drawn to and the potential to perfectly match the challenge to the very limits of my ability. I’m keen to show the process behind this series. I feel like when we’re demonstrating an unending line of successes the risk gets lost in the celebrations so I just wanted to pause for a moment and take a look at when and how things go wrong. It’s important to me to show the reality behind this kind of project when I talk about waking up in the night it’s the possibility of this level of injury that’s haunting me. That’s not a performance it’s very, very real.

#Gee atherton series#

Looking back over the previous edits in this series I’m talking about how afraid I feel. It’s easy for people to forget that when there are incredible athletes pumping out perfect edits week after week not just in mountain-biking, it’s the same in all extreme sports. “These Big Mountain projects are really important to me they take a lot of physical and mental effort and they carry a lot of risk.