B-Roll: Ryan Lee
Witnessing someone try and make a trick can sometimes be like watching a mad man, ranting, twitching, dirty clothes, blood, swearing, conversations with architecture, snot, violence towards inanimate objects. Occasionally it's an effortless moment of grace that seems almost to neutralise the reality of what you are witnessing. Like it was never that much of a big deal in the first place! Whatever the context or circumstances, watching the process is impressive. That battle, the close call, the persistence, that moment of silence after the make........... Then the disbelief after so much belief. "What the fuck!!" Being privy to this type of process is something that I think is so unique. There isn't anything that comes close to watching someone step to that spot, see it in their mind and make it happen. It's gold.
The recent release by film auteur Ryan Lee of some of his B-Roll is a prime example of this prized and rarely seen experience. Hosted by Heckride, this collection of new and old footage pulls back the curtain and reveals the character of the central skater and the crew and session. Max palmers reaction, just clapping on his leg after Cyrus Bennets casually back tail flips out at Blubba. The ecstatic Mason Silvas reaction after his cat flap Evil Knievel make over a healthy bank/stair/rail affair! Glicks amazingly inventive flow, riding through the obstacle, buttering his way to his Wallie 270 Noseblunt or Nyjah Huston's 18 stair first try switch 50/50. There are loads here to see, lots of falls, crazy talk, blood, sweat, and beers—even a Gucci handbag.
Hands down, the gnar prize goes to Sean Imes and that two-day battle with the fucking nuts kickflip!! It's huge! Battered and bruised, he calls it "Last try!!", then sticks it. The after-chat is epic. Thanks, hugs, expressions of love, and rightly so, we are witnessing something expanding our collective idea of what is possible. He's giving us the pleasure of watching the experiment, feeling out the timing. I wonder what the dopamine release is for a spectator? It must be pretty high up there. Especially if you've tried any of these tricks. They are hard as fuck, even at a basic level.
Give yourself 15 mins and take in some of the magic. Much of it unreleased, all of it, gold.