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2017 Bikepacking Awards: Film, Photography & Art
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In celebration of another great year for the bikepacking community, we’re happy to announce our 2017 bikepacking awards. Part One of three honors the creative arts, showcasing talented bikepackers with 24 awards in 6 categories, including ‘Best Short Film’, ‘Best Trip Photography’, and best art…
In an effort to recognize all that’s been accomplished in the bikepacking community, here is the first of three presentations honoring the people, teams, brands, and products who we think have impacted 2017 the most. Part One focuses on photography, bikepacking videos, and creative expression that’s helped spread the stoke; efforts that have taught others about parts of the world both near and far, encouraged them to document their own rides expressively, or simply allowed us all to share adventures undertaken by others.
So without further delay, here are our awards for what we what our judges consider to be the best, most impactful, and/or original photography, video, artwork, and creative documentation from 2017. Each category features four items – one top winner and three honorable mentions. We won’t deny wrestling over each decision… each entry deserves applause, so please take the time to admire and enjoy their creative efforts, just as we have.
Best Short Film
Al Hajar Traverse
By Tyler Allyn and Cooper Lambla. The Al Hajar Traverse has all the makings for a great bikepacking video – excellent camera work, good music, a sense of story and place, as well as ‘Plan B’ adventure. See our original full coverage here and stay tuned for more.
Honorable Mentions
Lee Craigie’s Inner Journey
by Lee Craigie and Kirk F Watson. Lee Craigie, co-founder of the Adventure Syndicate, explores her mind while bikepacking the Caledonia Way in Scotland. This film perfectly captures the essence of riding a bike over long distances. See our original coverage here.
Instruments of Adventure
by Bjørn Olson. Five friends traverse a large swath of southern Alaska by sea kayak, fat-bike, and packraft. Through interviews and footage shot along the way, the adventurers share their experiences and reflections about their journey and what it means to traverse through our natural world. Great pace, nice technique and excellent message. See our full coverage here.
Ramble Ride Series
by New Belgium. The Ramble Ride is a series of group rides that took place in Oregon, Colorado, and North Carolina over the summer. At the Steamboat Ramble, filmmakers followed three riders over the three-day ride, experiencing the pain, joy and excitement through their eyes. The one above was ‘Day 2’… See all three here.
Best Indie Film
Nature is Purposeless
By Emil Börner and Daniel Gustafsson. It was Emil’s first bikepacking trip in a year and a half after suffering a terrible tragedy during a transcontinental bike tour. Daniel shot the trip and the two turned it into beautiful short film that captures the whirlwind of pain and joy of this outing … Read the backstory and see the full piece here.
Honorable Mentions
Remote Encounters
by Jimmy Purtill Jimmy and Pia realized the main thing that kept them in the saddle and out exploring the world was the intimate way in which they connected with people they met along the way. So they decided to start a film project about just that. The second episode of ‘Remote Encounters’ in Austria is a great example. See our the full story here.
Given by Mountains
by Joe Cruz Four riders set out on a 23 day trip across Kyrgyzstan. They rode fat bikes over marshes, through valleys, and atop high passes. This is a film about the beauty of this place and how it remains with them. As Joe puts it, it’s ‘one old GoPro Low-Fi’ film, yet it captures a lot. See the full story here.
White Roads and Red Wines
by Gianluca Ricceri follows his partner on the 2017 Tuscany Trail in Italy. It was shot on a single Lumix LX100 (with final scenes on an iPhone after it broke). The result is a beautifully shot short film that shows just what can be done with minimal equipment. See our original coverage here.
Best Cinematography/Editing
Tramontana
By Montanus. It’s kind of difficult to describe this film without including the words ‘assault on the senses’. However, once you watch it, it’s easy to see why it takes the top spot in our category for excellence in cinematography and creative editing. See more about the film, photos and original coverage here.
Honorable Mentions
Not Far From Home II
by Joonas Vinnari/Kona Bikes Just released at the beginning of December, the second film in Kona’s series featuring Erkki Punttila is in the great north backdrop of Finland’s Lapland. This one is just as enchanting as the first (which took an award in last year’s Cinematography category). See our original coverage here.
Waiau-Toa Odyssey
by Simon Waterhouse. Waiau-Toa Odyssey is all about big New Zealand whitewater and incredibly scenic South Island backcountry. This isn’t the first award it’s won, and with a quality edit, excellent whitewater bikerafting footage, and a compelling pace, there are good reasons. See our original coverage here.
Baja Divide
by Jona Riechmann, Franziska Wernsing, and OSM Films. One camera, two bikes, a lot of time, and a pile of footage ultimately turned into a stunning film that perfectly captures an incredible route and one couple’s experience on the trip of a lifetime. See our original coverage here.
Best Trip Photography
Alaska to Argentina
By Mark Watson. Starting in July of 2016, Mark Watson and Hana Black began their transcontinental journey through the length of the Americas from Deadhorse, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina. Just through Panama now, Mark has already amassed an in incredible collection of photography that colorfully captures every aspect of the couple’s trip. Be forewarned, it’s easy to lose time admiring their travel blog. More at highlux.co.nz.
Honorable Mentions
When The Trail Goes Cold
by RJ Sauer. RJ’s epic account of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race from Knik to Nome, Alaska is as big as they come. The photoset was all shot on a point and shoot RX100, which makes it all the more impressive and allows RJ’s talent to shine through. See the full story here.
End of The Road
by Franzi Wernsig. As Franzi and Jona’s five year trip came to a close, Franzi capped it off with a nice finale while in South America. Check out the story The End of The Road and make sure to see this wonderful closing gallery over on their site.
Exploring the Andes
by Ryan Wilson. Last year, Ryan enchanted us with his dirt road landscapes in portrait format. This year he has continued through the Bolivian Andes producing photos that are equally as enchanting. Check out his recent “Death Road” gallery over at The Radavist and follow Ryan on Instagram @RMDub.
Best Themed Photo Series
Night Shots
By Daniel Gangur. Daniel started capturing his bike in a new light during the Cloud Ride 1000 in remote Canberra, Australia. His perfectly executed night sky images caught our eye, to say the least. Stay tuned for a Rider’s Lens featuring his work and how it’s made… and in the meantime dig through his Instagram @gippslandimages.
Honorable Mentions
Double Vision
by Locke Hassett is a “product of dirt, light, stupidity and celluloid,” according to the artist. But sometimes good art just happens in a seemingly effortless act of happenstance. See the full gallery over at The Radavist.
Their Only Portrait
by Federico Cabrera. Fede sets out on bikepacking trips through remote areas in South America carrying a small portable photography studio. While out riding he captures portraits of families and people who don’t have such a photo and leaves it as a gift. See the Rider’s Lens here.
Wilderness Parking
by Spencer Harding is far from your typical set of bike tour snapshots. Instead, this series, captured while roaming various National Parks in the western US, is a thought-provoking commentary on access to places and our relationship with wilderness. See more and read Spencer’s statement at Aint-Bad.com.
Best in Art/Multimedia
Ring of Fire
By Kim McNett, Bjørn Olson, Salsa Cycles. The Ring of Fire story site is as multimedia as they come. The layered and textured story, recounting a summer fat bike expedition in Alaska, is made up of photography, drawing, graphic design, video, and oral storytelling. If you missed it, go see it, if you saw it, dig in again. You’re sure to find something you didn’t before. Here’s the link.
Honorable Mentions
Ramble Ride Journal
by Chris McNally Chris rode the new Ibis Hakka MX in the Asheville Ramble group ride this past October, all the while drawing and painting places and sights along the way. Check out his full journal from the trip over at IbisCycles.com.
Passing Place
by Whitney Ford-Terry was a summer installation at the Missoula Art Park in an exhibition titled “By the Bike”. Whitney recorded audio from voices in the bikepacking community (Lael Wilcox, Lee Craigie, etc) and set up hammocks – created by Randi Jo Fabrications, DFL Stitchworks, and local framebuilder Marlana Kosky — in which visitors could relax and go on an audio bike tour. Learn more here and listen to the audio here.
Cielito Lindo (poems from Baja Divide)
by by Liza Burkin, Illustrations by Ally Mabry While we haven’t seen this book in person, it gets a ringing endorsement from those who have. Judging from photos, and the poetry and illustrations found on the website it looks like an incredibly creative way to document a bike journey. Also find more photos of the book by Chris Goodman here.
Continue on to see part 2 of our 2017 Bikepacking Awards: Gear of The Year.
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