If you follow the Lone Wolf Productions twitter (@lonewolfteam) or are a member of our facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lone-Wolf-Productionsca/187707477940602?sk=wall) then you will already know that I recently spent some time with Geoff Gullevich AKA Gully in the Squamish and Vancouver area. We got some really great footage over the 3 days span including this little gem. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Gully riding one of his favorite trails. Well wonder no more; check out this top to bottom DH lap with Geoff.
The trip to Vancouver started off good from the beginning. The weather called for nothing but sun and hot weather for all three days which is odd for Vancouver. After arriving at Gully’s place we hung out and devised a game plan for the three days which went as follows:
Day 1. Go to Squamish and shoot trail.
Day 2. Take part in the Troller to the Raven; an annual pub crawl done on bikes.
Day 3. Shoot on Cypress and Geoff’s favorite Dirt Jumps
Making a game plan
As usual the weather man lied to us and when we awoke on day 1 we were met with grey skies and lots of rain. I think Geoff could see the disappointment in my face, and suggested we drive to Squamish from his North Van home anyways. Luckily he did, because when we got there the rain had slowed and the overcast skies were perfect for shooting in the trees. We walked up one of the flowing local trails and began our decent. Things went smoothly and we were getting many of the shots in just one take. People might not know this but Gully has a real good eye when it comes to figuring out angles to shoot from. It may be due to the fact that he has spent nearly half his life on the other side of the lenses. After we finished shooting we made our way back to Vancouver in order to pick up supplies for the “Troller to the Raven” pub crawl. By pick up supplies I mean buying a horrible CCM bike for me to ride and some suspenders for Gully to wear with his suit…
Gully had decided to dedicate day 2 to the “Troller to the Raver” event. This has been an annual event in North Vancouver for over 4 years now and it keeps growing every year. This years theme was rocker, or business casual. Geoff went business casual, acquiring a suit that made him resemble Patrick Bateman. At this point I must tell you that if you are ever in Vancouver for May long weekend and you have the opportunity to attend this pub crawl I have to advise that you do so. It was an all day event, spanning for more than 40km (not easy on an old CCM). Everyone had a great day except a few angry mall security guards… apparently they don’t like it when 30 cyclist ride through the mall. After the day was done it was time to rest up and prepare for riding in the morning.
- Patrick Bateman from American Psycho
Gully AKA Patrick
Now don't forget where we parked our bikes.
On the last day we had perfect weather for shooting in the Cypress Mountain trees; overcast with a no rain and a mild temperature. We headed straight for Gully’s favorite DH trail and spent the morning getting footage there. It was one of those smooth shoots where everything seems to be lining up perfectly, so needless to say we got a lot done in a small amount of time. Luckily there was still time to hit some dirt jumps before my drive home. Tucked away in the north shore under a bridge and near a busy road are some of the nicest dirt jumps I’ve seen in some time. Gully grabbed a hidden key and unlocked a chain that blocked the jumps, which I assume is what keeps the jumps looking so pristine. I could tell that Geoff was very comfortable on these dirt jumps, flowing and transferring from line to line with what looked to be the smallest amount of effort. Once Gully was happy with what we had shot it was time for us to part ways.
Riding on Cypress MTN
The 3 day trip went by quickly, and was both productive and fun mostly thanks to Gully. His friends and family are great people, and his home town is certainly viewed as a mountain bike mecca for a reason. I hope I can return to Vancouver and visit Patrick Bateman again soon!
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