FROM VISION TO REALITY
Veronique Sandler’s new video project is putting women riders centre stage
A decade ago, the idea of female riders in a mountain bike film was a foreign concept. Media coverage of the women’s scene was limited to racing and not much else, and female freeriders were unheard of. These days, women are a lot more visible both in the media and out on the trails, and nowhere is that positive change being highlighted as clearly as in a new film being released this summer. VISION is the brainchild of the super-talented Veronique Sandler, who, inspired by the bike films she grew up watching – with male riders designing and building incredible jump lines – dreamed of doing something similar. “In
a male-dominated sport, it just felt like it couldn’t happen,” she says. But now, with the help of her sponsors Adidas and Five Ten, her fantasy is becoming a reality.
Over the past year, filming for VISION has taken the New Zealandborn shredder from her current home in South Wales to Barcelona and Madeira, where she’s been joined by top riders of both genders – Brendan Fairclough and Joey Gough. The culmination of the whole project was to bring Vero’s imaginary jump line to life at Revolution Bike Park in North Wales. “I’d originally hoped to build it myself,” she laughs, “but I quickly realised that my lack of knowledge with machinery would limit the possibilities, so I handed over the reins to James and Tim at the bike park. They worked insanely hard over almost six months transforming my sketches into dirt, and every time I went up there to check on the build my mind was blown by what they’d created.” The good news for us is that the jump line will hopefully be open to the public in the future, so we can experience Vero’s vision first-hand.
With the jump line groomed to perfection, the word was put out to a host of the sport’s top names. “I’ve always imagined a massive session with a bunch of male and female riders all sending together on the same amazing jump line,” Vero explains. “And somehow, between everyone’s busy schedules, we made it happen.” Over the five days filming at Revs, she was joined by heavyhitters like Tahnée Seagrave, Casey Brown, Martin Söderström, Matt Jones, Steve Peat, Manon Carpenter and many more, with everyone sending it in trains, hyping each other up and pushing the limits.
“I’ve been told I’m not allowed to see the finished film until the premiere,” laughs Vero, “so I can’t tell you much more, but judging from the session we had, it’s going to be mint!” And we’re confident too that, with Robbie Meade and Chris Seager (a duo who had a big hand in Brendan Fairclough’s Deathgrip movie) manning the cameras, the film, which is part documentary, part high-action, will bring plenty of raw energy. “I just hope that VISION contributes a ‘turning point’ to the scene, and men and women start riding together,” says Vero. “And that us girls prove we’re worthy of it!”
VISION will be available to download from 30 July on iTunes, Google and Amazon.
“THEY WORKED INSANELY HARD OVER ALMOST SIX MONTHS TRANSFORMING MY SKETCHES INTO DIRT, AND EVERY TIME I WENT UP THERETO CHECK ON THE BUILD MY MIND WAS BLOWN BY WHAT THEY’ D CREATED”