We rolled back to safety Monday and as much fun as it was, it was great to get home! Thanks to my wife and kids for putting up with silly trips like this, last one for a while, I promise!
This was an epic trip of a lifetime for sure. The riders didn't really have much info going in, none of them had been past Rosarito (except Ky, but he hadn't ridden in baja yet) and nobody really knew what to expect.
No one knew me before we left, except the producer Chris, and being ten years older than Heath (the oldest in the bunch) I was stoked that they were all super cool and no one treated me like the old grandpa of the bunch. Thanks guys!
The documentary will be out quickly on vbs.tv, probably around January or so and should be just under and hour total. There wasn't a whole lot of skating, but it's pretty hard to find rideable terrain in a country that's mostly washboard and cracked pavers. To the guys credit, when there was a chance, they took it, but after busting ass all day riding through some pretty hairy highways you can't just order them to session some shitty curb in front of the hotel. I think the piece will have a much more lifestyle-focused tone and let skateboarders get to know some pros by seeing them goofing off, riding motorcycles and just experiencing the harshness that baja serves up in Big Gulp-sized portions.
All of the riders showed immense patience, it seemed like we were always in "hurry up and wait" mode, waiting on the camera truck or whatever, but everyone stuck it out and hung in there, even when it was boring. They endured pretty big temp changes as we crossed the peninsula back and forth in both directions. Flies, mosquitos, bed bugs, good food, bad food, federales, fireworks, crashes, camping and always changing daily itineraries were the norm and everyone took it in stride. The thing is, once you get deep enough into Baja, there really is no choice but to just keep going, and go they did.
The crew was a robust bunch. Straight out of Brooklyn, NY, Chris (producer), Lauren (editor/filmer) and Danilo (camera man) all put up with our bullshit and managed to have quite a bit of fun along the way. I can't wait to see what they do with all the footy. EDR chase-truck driver who several of you have been rescued by, Matt "Baja" Frick drove the long bed truck and trailer behind the crew and never flinched as he passed semis uphill, around corners while texting and spewing stories the whole time. Thanks Matt, it would have been impossible without you.
Bob was a trusty ride for this run. This bike can go 90mph all day with nary a complaint. Look for a full feature test on Chop Cult soon. This wasn't your average magazine fluffy test ride, that's for sure and I've got quite a report for anyone who is considering a new big twin from the MoCo.
More pics and stuff to follow...
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