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This is a short film project I made recently with pro freeride mountain biker, Connor Gallart, in Santa Cruz, CA. He and I did this on our own time and dollar, so it's not supported by any bike brands or sponsors. It's not a commercial, rather an authentic project he and I simply wanted to exist. Below is a little backstory on the project. Growing up across the street from the legendary Aptos Post Office Jumps in Santa Cruz, CA, Connor Gallart couldn't help but become a teenage dirt jumping phenom. During my years as an MTB Creative Producer for Specialized Bicycles I lived in Santa Cruz and occasionally shot photos of Connor at the Post Office Jumps when he was probably 14 or 15 years old. After high school, he took a break from riding and joined the military in 2019. This past February, I was shooting a personal project in Reno (linked below) with some local shredders and one of the guys asked if his buddy could tag along and shoot with us. Unbeknownst to me until I arrived that morning, his friend was Connor. He and I hadn't crossed paths since the Post Office Jumps got plowed in 2015. He not only killed in that fun video I made that day (he's in the long-sleeve black jersey), he told me that after several years away from riding he was getting back into full-time, so we made plans to shoot together this past May to tell his story. Hope ya dig it. Since his return to riding, Connor is now supported by Evil Bikes, Troy Lee Designs, and Deity components. Starring: Connor Gallart @c_bone99 Written, directed, filmed, and edited by Ryan Cleek @cleekndestroy Aptos Post Office Jumps Photography: Ian Collins Ryan Cleek Link to Reno freeride video referenced above, if interested:
