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In Good Company - A film about how mountain biking forged a community
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The 'North Fork' was closed April 2, 2012 by WA DNR due to concerns with liability and environmental sustainability. Despite thousands of hours of volunteer effort into public lands, the user-built trail system was deemed illegal and closure was immediate. Soundtrack: "Boogie Woogie" Kruder & Dorfmeister; "Shut Up & Let Me Go" Ting Tings; "Fluff" Black Sabbath; "Symphony of Destruction" Megadeth
Amazing video, really had an impact on me. Liability seems to kill anything these days. I also think that those workers going in to take down everything had more of a negative impact on the land than any of the original builders did.
The people taking down everything always leave way more of an impact. My old jumps all i did was dig up a bit of grass and thats all i did. when the plows came in to destroy them they knocked down at least 10 trees getting in and a few more that were close to the jumps when they plowed them.
Amazing video, a massive shame to such a great building community who love this sport as much as anyone else who rides mountain bikes. Great to see there was various ages and a real shame it all got knocked down, trails looked good and like one of the guys said, something like 22,000 volantary hours...wow that commitment! Such a shame!
We "had" some awesome jumps and trails until .. They flattened the whole forest. Yeah cut it all down because we causing "damage" make sense? Nope didn't think so.
my jumps and trails have been flattened countless times. y'know what i do, i go back up and build them again! these guys wrecking our work dont realise the impact they have! i build in an old disused quarry, awesome riding, but the government who put big holes in the ground made 10 times the impact i ever have. plus when they come in and wreck the trails, all you get is debris lying everywhere and massive damage to the environment. the locals love seeing me and the guys on a bike, they all stop and smile and talk and now and then even get video's and say how much they'd like to try. all we're doing is trying to enjoy the environment in as fun, safe and non-destructive way as possible. plus, getting fit in the process and spreading the word to let others do the same. if they want to mess with that then they can try. but the mountain bike community huge and its not gonna be walked all over! plus if you've ever destroyed a trail because you got hurt on it, or sued the builder etc causing the trail to be knocked down/ closed then think about someone besides yourself and learn how to ride a bike. if other people can ride it. let them. keep practicing on your bike and someday you'll be able to enjoy them aswell!
THOSE BASTARDS .....COUNCIL: KIDS THESE DAYS ARE SO OBESE WE SHOULD TELL THEM TO GET FIT AND TAKE ANY FITNESS TO THE MAX ...... BULLSHIT
Calm down jummper, flipping your shit like that doesn't add anything here. It is good that biking promotes fitness and good health but you could have worded that a whole lot differently.
Can you blame him brett. Its happened to everyone , I think some people are just sick of getting slapped around. They pay the taxes for the public land , they should be furious about this.
I see where your coming from but im saying freaking out and getting pissed isnt going to do anything. People need to take action and rally up against the people doing. As bad as it sounds i understand why the cities do this because they could get fucked over huge but they need to provide a spot to build and ride even if it is city built and maintaned. There is a few spots around me like this that are city owned and maintained that are decent parks and more keep popping up every year so hopefully as the sport progresses the cities and towns will see this and respond by building places to ride or turning a blind eye on spots like the one in this video.
Ouch from 11:36 started brutal view.
I thought that it is pasible only in Poland.
No one is able to win with government and in each country government think that everyone should play soccer and be gay without balls and with gel on hair.
And that's why I learned how build invisible trails.
I thought that it is pasible only in Poland.
No one is able to win with government and in each country government think that everyone should play soccer and be gay without balls and with gel on hair.
And that's why I learned how build invisible trails.
at the end i love how it says they are trying to work with the biking community but they arent. All they do is destroy our fun and joy so that they can be safe but when all they are doing is forcing kids into bad things and not letting us have FUN.
This made me absolutely sick. i was horror-stricken with the scenes when they were ruining such beautiful trails. Being a trail-builder myself, like many others here, i can relate to the pain. I know how it feels to spends hours and hours on a trail feature, sessioning and rebuilding and sessioning again. And by the time you're done, the feeling of riding it for that first time makes you feel like you're on top of the world. its like you bond with the trail and with the nature. and to see something ppl put their heart and soul into and loved so much be taken away from them so brutally and heartlessly, it kills me. makes me wanna cry.
Such is life, but at least you had something that you worked toward, looked forward to, enjoyed, lived for, loved. Most people only find that in other people. To find that in nature is a fortunate life, even if short lived. The people that destroy the trails will never understand, and I find comfort in knowing they are missing out in life. And we keep on building...
man that really sucks i love how the government is so against drugs and under age drinking but they ruin all of the outlets for kids now a days you cant do anything anymore because of liability. The only option for kids now a days is to sit on the coach an play xbox parents say why don't you go out like we used to do when we were kids. But we cant go out and have fun because of the government and businesses you get kicked out of every where or because you could fall your not allowed here you could die at any moment so live your life to the fullest. These people are ruining life im not speaking as a teen just venting im speaking as person who sees the world changing into horrible place don't these people remember growing up and falling trying a new sport and then getting back up and pushing your self to do it better the next time life is about falling and getting hurt but getting back up and pushing your self. I don't see the big deal with a community coming together and being close this is a community of people who want to bike its not a bunch of teens or little kids sneaking into a forest an building jumps. It was insane to see how people of all ages came out and could just talk to each other and have fun together doing something they love but the government ruined it. Isn't that what life is about having fun and being with people you like doing what you love its not even a community of people you become as close as a family no matter where you go a biker can talk to another biker an that's amazing its a life style biking all ages all genders all people can come together for the one reason of biking an having a good time i don't see what the big deal is with putting a sign that says ride at you own risk but no the spend thousands of dollars ruining the trail ruining the environment as a biker we move around nature but when they bring there chain saws an bulldozers to ruin our hard work there ruin the hard work of mother nature and its wrong
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just had something like this happen to one of our trails last week. the trail was built in the designated biking area but on a old so called ancient cement structure so they took most of it down! its such a shame, the government people are a bunch of cock suckers!
For the negproppers, Zach is saying our trails aren't being taken down by the government. In this videos case, it may have been government
wow! thats one of the best behind-the-scenes-of-illegal-trail-building-vid i've ever seen! Those trails were beautiful. Those people are great and and what do they get? Torn down trails!
Can't stress enough: Best video of 2012 i've seen until now! Got really emotional!
Can't stress enough: Best video of 2012 i've seen until now! Got really emotional!
The same thing is happening around here. We have limited places to ride, but unlimited places to go for a walk, in a "public" area. Yet us bikers, being the public, aren't allowed to use! There's a road gap that has been there for 7 or 8 years now, it's on a logging road, and they decide it's affecting the nature, so they are tearing it down. How is a road gap affecting nature when you look at the logging that made that road be there!
We had a dirt jump in a sandpit, and the town came in with a bobcat and tore it down. How is a sand jump affecting the environment, when they bring in machinery that pollutes the environment to tear it down?
Great video! People don't realize what mountain biking is all about
We had a dirt jump in a sandpit, and the town came in with a bobcat and tore it down. How is a sand jump affecting the environment, when they bring in machinery that pollutes the environment to tear it down?
Great video! People don't realize what mountain biking is all about
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Hard to watch chainsaws tear through such beautiful trails!! North Fork was hands down the best Rider-Built DH trail network I've ever seen or ridden
Comeing from a 17 year old as myself moutian bikeing has changed my life!!! it takes alot of stress off from daily life and the stresses indored by school. To see a place that was the funnest place to ride around my area that was close and very fun!!!! Was a absoult blast!!! Now to see all these trails get destroyed by DNR really makes me ask what has become of are goverment? As a dirtbiker also, there has been so many rideing areas around here shut down because of stupid reasons like land damge and abstructing water flow?! Then they shut down the North Fork because its a little to dangerous? Well i think every moutian biker that rides understands that if you crash, its your fault for crashing and that there is no reason to sue anyone because it was your own fault. If you dont get that then you shouldnt be rideing! The goverment takes these places and says we will spend money to get a place for you to ride, but instead they take the money and make 4 gay ass round abouts in a row!!!!! my reaction to this video is f*ck DNR and the goverment!!!! you mother f*ckers dont understand how many peoples hopes and dreams and lifestyle where destroyed right there!!!! the goverment alwos people to smoke weed and do drugs and all this other bullshit but they cant have a place for people to ride? what the hell is wrong with you people? really? i mean come on someday there has to be end to all this bullshit goverment calls! maybe we should get some moutian bikers up there in the goverment then i bet life would be better and things would acually get done!
I realy do hate how the governments cannot understand how we live, they go on constantly about global warming yet they destroy the land that the worlds most efficient invention gets to let its hair down, cannot see it getting into their heads they are doing more wrong than right
stupid liability...i would never sue the government and be like "i was riding and saw a jump so i hit and i cased it really big and scratched my arm and omg i broke a nail i am gonna sue you for four million dollars" never...
When i saw those trails getting destroyed it made me physically feel sick. Ive had my trails torn down and chainsawed to many times to count. Cant even imagine how you guys must feel after putting all that work in.
this is fantastic, everything about it. wow.
please note I'm talking about the video itself, what happened was horrifying. years to build, seconds to destroy. what a huge loss to the mountain bike community.
Good to see them taking down the trails in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Wasting all the wood and burning all that petrol in the chain saws. They are so considerate.
Sounded to me like the government were getting enough money in there pockets and spat there dummy out.
What a wonderfully charged vid. Thank you, Brad, for touching on a problem a lot of our local communities may face, and for the insight this post will give to the sports' adversaries.
Baseball basket ball football... They can have there place! But not mountain bikers? That's BULLSHIT. My trails have gotten plowed over 3 times.. So much work!
i hate having our trails ripped down, me and friends spend ALOT of time build tracks for everyone to enjoy, even if is the first time in the woods there is some where for them to ride because as a mountain bike community, im shure we would all like everyone to be happy but if our trails get wrecked then we are not happy.... mostly annoyed. footballers can have a stadium, how would they feel if we destroyed their stadium? because that's how we feel... not everyone wants to stay inside and play computer games, we want to get out and do what we like to do, we are not been destructive or anything just having fun. i just hope that walker and other public will realize some time all we want is freedom
Seriously awesome video guys. Very impressionate. We have a very similar situation here in Australia and I imagine most MTBers all over the world would have a similar issue with their government and councils. It is so pissing off though to see such a community formed around MTBing and then for the council, elected by the people for the people, to go and stuff it all up. Its just a real shame
Kind of odd.... I live in this area, and actually recognized a number of people in this vid, yet have never ridden this area. How I missed it, I don't know. And I truly hope things are worked out with DNR (land manager) like they have for other governmental groups in the state and they can rebuild such an amazing trail system. Seems odd that DNR has issues, yet Duthie Hill Mtn bike park was build in cooperation and great support of a couple of governmental agencies (due to the hard work of our local club, Evergreen Mtn Bike Association). If it wasn't for local mtn bike advocacy groups (like the one's mentioned here), we'd be a lot worse off, without a doubt.
Bilaws and cops were bad we're I used to live. They got mad at us on the road, sidewalk,paths,grass etc. They wanted us to go to a "designated area". There were 2 of them one is a skate park and the other is a tiny dirt race track that we usually have to break into. Actually like throwing a bike over a fence because they can let us in because it's damp out. It's billshit
there was a trail in eugene that had like 3 jumps and a bridge built on it and the same thing happened. they said they were gonna build mountain bike specific trails a couple miles up the road. that was about 6 years ago and there is still no trails for biking.
Such a good video this is so true. This has happened to me and mates personally and is no good at all because us mountain bikers are never causing any trouble what so ever. Mountain biking is a true sport and will continue to keep growing. I hope that the government in your town takes the time to watch this and changes their mind and apollogises for what they did.
Anyone been to the shangri-la of mountain biking oh wait i live there but i do love the riding in Washington 
and Transition 3
and Transition 3
Really sad. I hope the community the best. I wish there were more people who LIVED to do what they LOVED here where i live, rather than people who worked their butts of for 48 hours a week in a job they loathe, just to say they have money. tsk tsk.
I'm sure, one day, you'll be able to return to North Fork.
Again, big props to B Rad on this, really nice piece of work. In an age when he government cannot afford to pay teachers and is laying off firefighters you would think user built/user maintained/user operated would be the ticket but Washington state just doesnt get it.
Man this is bad!! We can't do anything in the woods anymore! I remember as a Kidd just shred n everywhere an now if I take my kidds out I have to have all these permits an stay on lame ass trails! The government blows!!!! I never have understood how it effects the environment when everything around the trails is still so green an full of life! People need to get a grip, really come on!! We have a serious tree bug issue here an that don't seem to bother the government till the whole forest is dead an brown but soon as we move a rock or build a jump or rake a trail the whole world is gonna end! We need to just start building trails that go right threw town an buildings an see how that goes over!
it's sad to see this happen, and it's not just there. it seems like more and more local riding spots are being shut down or just mountain bikers are being denied access to the public land use. i live in souther californa and have seen some local riding spots closed in recent years.i think that hikers and horse back ridiers are way more destucrtive to trail systems than MTB riders, but yet the mountain bike community is the one that suffers.
I was sad when I saw they destroyed the trail, fucking trail destroyers! LET THE MOUNTAIN BIKE PEOPLE HAVE A GOOD COMUNITY , THEY ARE ALSO PUBLIC PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE RIGTH TO HAVE A PLACE TO RIDE!
Emotional roller-coaster. Just north of the border, Things are not much better. The santioned trails are a bit too tame. So we build secret stashes. Not the best solution but i love the smell of fresh cedar.
The wood craft is built with passion. Then it is destroyed with tax dollars. How ironic!
My deepest sympathies.
Who actually sues the state for getting injured?!? Hikers should be sued for putting sticks in the trails. But this is a great conscious film about what mountain bikers put so much time and money into just to have government come in and destroy. Mountain biking is becoming a crime. Great film!
If I lived near those trails I'd be so pissed. All the government had to do to remove any liability was post a couple signs saying that by using the trail you assume all of the risk. And they didnt like the trail because it wasn't build legally? Well, there are so many laws that it is nearly impossible to get the permission to build legally. And "environmental issues", bs, tearing up the trails and leaving all of the torn up trails will cause more damage to the environment than the structures. And people wonder why we have an obesity epidemic. It's because the government destroys our outlets to get exercise.
Rules,regulations,taxes,fees,fines,liability, an imperial dictatorship !!!,
Welcome to the USA in 2012 !!
That fat prick from the DNR should get on a mountain bike cuz we'll be paying his health care benefits when he chokes on his next doughnut !
That was unbelievably hard to watch, narrow minded goverment suits somehow translate the word FUN into MULTI MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT.
Worst translation ever, watching those ladders being chainsawd made my blood boil, but I guess its easier to destroy than create something, but surely there are better ways to spend goverment time and money.....
So what do they expect kids to do when everything is being torn down. Sit inside and play videogames?
Yet they wonder why child obesity is such a major problem
Yet they wonder why child obesity is such a major problem
Public officials are not taking into consideration the revenue they could generate from places like this
I guess they never considered waiver forms to avoid lawsuits instead they tear down the trail ???
I guess they never considered waiver forms to avoid lawsuits instead they tear down the trail ???
I was really enjoying the video until the news report came on.... The same sort of thing happened here in Prince George BC except there was an agreement made and only part of our trails were destroyed.
Close pent-up guilts,
Rive your concealing continents, and cry
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man
More sinn'd against than sinning.
-William Shakespear
(basically means FEEL YOU NO GUILT YOU SELFISH BASTARDS THOSE TRAILS ARE PEOPLE LIFE WORK)
Rive your concealing continents, and cry
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man
More sinn'd against than sinning.
-William Shakespear
(basically means FEEL YOU NO GUILT YOU SELFISH BASTARDS THOSE TRAILS ARE PEOPLE LIFE WORK)
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I live near one of the best mountain bike trails in Scotland and for it to be knocked down, i'd kill myself, i go there every weekend for countless hours, i stay and lunch every Saturday and Sunday and then i go home at 5 or 6 o'clock. thats about 10 hours a week i spend there, These Guys put in 20000 hours of VOLUNTEER-ER man hours, Thats just over 2 years of blood, sweat and tears. I'd do no where near that many hours at any other job, but when it comes to MTB, i'd do anything. These guys spent there last 2 and a half years making them and some B******* come and destroy it.....-__-
Amazing Video, its a shame really, more than a shame, it just pisses me off, but impacts me greatly.
Amazing Video, its a shame really, more than a shame, it just pisses me off, but impacts me greatly.
this pisses me off ... such great trails just get destroyed because of shit... terrible ... it's all over the world the same. and we don't annoy somebody...
I sent the video to the County Council, City Council, Exec Louws, and Mayor Linville. Perhaps they won't forget about the North Fork and what it means to the community and businesses in the community.
They call it public land but really it's "government owned land" they don't care what the public wants all they care about is lawsuits and. Overing there butts. Such a shame.
loved the vid but really it looked like all the people in the town worked hard on this trail and to see it get cut down fuck the main guy that is in charge they just dont get how it feels to ride your bike
its not causing any harm.. the government authorities need to stop stamping out our fun. great video and dont give in keep up the work and stop these suited poxy nobodies and get your trails back
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For me, I will say that mountain biking is a way of life pursued by the state in touch with the freedom of nature in the company of good people who just want to enjoy life to the fullest.
this video starts by showing all that is great in the world, but end with showing what wrong with it. almost sad enough to make you cry 
. plus I bet they never got sued.
. plus I bet they never got sued.
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You put in 1,000s of hours, and then a couple of weeks gone! Screw government and all the people who helped make those trails disapear!!! That makes me sick
They tell us to ride bikes more so that's what we do and they stop us, they tell us to stop using our cars and then They build more roads wtf
All i have to say is that i feel soooooo bad for all u mtbers......i live in a suburb of california and the government did the same to us so i no how it feels.......
Even with our trails being closed me and my friends still ride. Sure we get in trouble but its worth it for the sport i love
workers ripping down those trails have no sence of how much fun bikeing is.. rebuilt would be nice lol.
around our place we have a great place for potential dirt jumps but the town aint going to fund building and every one is to scared to do it them selves!!!!!!
Damn that was just down right depressing seeing those trails being destroyed! It seemed like they had an awesome thing going, before the guys with hard hats steeped in.
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we are the public and this we pay taxis and the money that they use to take the place down come from us
so sad, government should't rule the way we live,
government should't rule against the people but for the people
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Thank you Brad we will spread the word of this causes because we all live such things in our spot all over the world ...
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why the hell do they care. the trails arn't in the way or offending anybody they're the center of a community!
That just sucks when you go and put time and effort in to a trail and they come along and reck it all!
makes me an ANGRY!! you can see how good it is for everyone there and yet there tearing it down because they can.
Watched first 5 mins so far. Awesome stuff Brad. Really getting the point across. Will watch the rest asap!!!
Thanks. There is a short version that has been passed around at some important meetings. Hopefully they will take the 16 minutes to watch the full version so they better understand how it affects an entire community.
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