Video: A Winter of Mountain Biking in Bellingham with the Atmospheric River Rats

Inspired by "A Slice of British Pie" we set out to make a community mountain bike movie. We wanted to avoid filming only "pro" riders and instead wanted to capture a diverse range of skill levels.
We put out an open invitation to film and met up with groups to shoot their trail of choice. Many of the crews chose to film on trails they had built or maintained. In total we filmed 40+ different people.


The winter of 2021/22 felt especially wet in Bellingham. The "atmospheric river" was in full effect, bringing with it particularly foul conditions. When many would have hung up their helmet for the season the most dedicated river-rats continued valiantly with their trail building and riding. Despite mud, grit, snow, hail and vitamin-d deficiency the community kept on. Capturing these creatures in their natural habitat was our goal. Why do we enjoy standing in the rain all weekend? We may never know. Maybe this film will help us understand.
We proudly present "Atmospheric River Rats" a Bellingham community mountain bike movie.






This movie premiered April 16th, 2022 at Kulshan K2 brewery in Bellingham, WA. The event was in support of Vamos Outdoors Project. If you enjoyed this movie please consider donating vamosoutdoorsproject.com


"Vamos Outdoors Project works to eliminate barriers to access that make it harder for Latinx and English Language Learner families to participate in outdoor, recreational, and environmental education activities. We provide supervision, transportation, food, and all necessary equipment for the activities provided by our partner organizations. All programming is free, through scholarships provided by our partner organizations or by Vamos Outdoors Project covering the fees. Our participants discover new passions, make friends, and connect with the greater Whatcom County community and environment."


In regards to the final segment of this movie. JZ was one of the first people to support "Jank". He was the 3rd Instagram follower. It's hard to believe he is gone. This movie is in his memory. We want to share the Jackson Zechnich "JZ" Memorial Scholarship.

Jackson Zechnich "JZ" Memorial Scholarship.

Jackson was an Atmospheric River Rat through and through.



Thank you to the sponsors that donated prizes to the event:
- Smith
- Fanatik Bike Co
- Cosmic Dirt
- Jank Components
- Ground Keeper
- Kulshan Brewery
- Joy of Sox
- Guayaki
- Slut Strand Society