Mega DH Japan In Search of Downhill A Short Film by the makers of The Fellowship of the Bearing
A line cook chef in Tokyo has been training for years to compete in the worlds most intimidating extreme downhill skateboard race. His country shows no signs of accepting his passion for obtaining elevated speeds and the freedom of freeride.
THE RIDERS
He is the best downhill skateboarder on the planet and has a dream to ride down hills in Japan. He has won nearly every race in the world. Mike Jordan is on a quest to find a road that will challenge his abilities in both in freeriding and speedboarding. Respectively, he is the #1 rider of this discipline of
This Semi-Pro rider goes on a life journey
skateboarding. Despite traveling to almost every
to Canada to discover why everywhere
edge of the earth, he has never experienced
else in the world has embraced the sport
Japan. Part 2 scene starts with him meeting Ichiro on
with open arms. The film starts with him
Canadian Soil.
training his racing and freeriding riding skills in the Mountains near Mount Fuji.
He sees a lot of potential in the Japanese Rider and invites him to compete alongside him and his team in the next major freeride event taking place in
What he doesn’t know at the beginning of
Canada. This initiative is a staple moment in time
this story is that world champion and an
that will change the course of DH Skate in Japan
iconic downhill skateboarder wants Japan
forever. At the end of Part 2, Mike commits to
to be “NEXT”. The two characters meet for
coming to Japan to help Ichiro find the next Mega
the first time in Canada.
Freeride Event & IDF Race location, hosted by Japan on Mt. Fuji.
JAPAN
The country is slow to embrace the sport, but when it does, the acceptance opens new opportunities for the nation’s optimism and progression of the sport. This story is about the
Future series
The success of this film will pave the way for follow up films that will vary in locations but serve the same “Explore for the Ultimate Skate Spot” experience with sights set on new events. Riders may possibly change for every new version released.
THE END
At the end of Mega DH Japan, both riders on this global quest to bridge the international skateboarding community, find themselves shaking hands with Event Organizers/Partners in Japan that are equally anxious to host the inaugural event.
The crew
Director of The Fellowship of the Bearing Dan Pape has been on a 4 year hiatus from film-making in some search of a creation that will not only captivate both Japanese & English Speaking audiences, but to tell a story that will inspire nations to accept change. He has spent the past 10 years researching and is currently living in Japan to further his intent to bring this project to fruition.
Patrick Switzer, former World Champion, filmmaker and producer of a very
successful web-series that spanned 2 years in length, has worn many hats over the years. This production is fortunate to have him involved for his arsenal is packed with ammunition. National Geographic credited editor/cinematographer and visual effects artist Roman Bamburin has been raising his skill in visual art over the last few years on various projects including Hollywood titles. The recent experience Bamburin has obtained since his last collaboration with Pape ensures a masterpiece. Roman was also a main force behind Colabo’s Fellowship of the Bearing. Stock footage for the film was used on Nat Geo. and went on a Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.
Brock Newman has successful wowed audiences all over the world by teaming up with the sports top athletes and creating cinematic extreme sport video gems. His involvement in this film is sure to establish him as a forerunner in extreme sports production.
Matt Westcott has an impressive track record both in Canada and Japan. In
2010 his inaugural film (snowboarding), Extra Ordinary was featured in the Banff Center Radical Reels World Tour. In 2011 , he swapped sports from Snowboarding to Surfing and moved to Southern Japan. Both his films have been featured in Boarding Sports Film Festivals Globally. currently resides in Japan, captures the best surfers in the world, and freelances for a successful production company in Tokyo.
The World of Downhill Skateboarding A sport that is captivating to watch even if you’re not partaking, downhill skateboarding has two dominant disciplines that are unique yet compliment each other perfectly, Freeriding & Speedboarding. Freeriding is taking the WORLD by Storm. However, speedboarding events are extremely exhilarating to watch and often host a Freeride Event. This Dual Event Set Up has become the standard which tantalizes Snowboarders, Surfers and other boarding sports enthusiasts to hop on a Longboards. The trend being that some of these riders give speedboarding a try & move on to professional competitions. Speeds sometimes at some of the races reach 100+ km/hour! Since the inception of The International Downhill
Japan is next on the list
Federation (IDF), downhill skateboarders have been receiving world wide acclaim for their skill and braveness. The new organization promised to deliver professional and flawless events world wide and has done so. Globally, DH events total a whopping 300 including both disciplines.
In Search of downhill - 3 segments
Intro Narrative from both riders detailing in English-Japanese their like minded passion for riding & why Japan would be an ideal location for an IDF Event in Asia. The intro has flashes (teaser shots) of the Finale Section of the Video. Both riders have a personal quest to make it happen.
Part 1: Japan
FINALE
The video opens with Ichiro riding in the beautiful mountains of Japan. A Japanese narrative (with English Subtitles) explains his dream to once be able to show the people of Japan how wonderful longboarding is. He goes on to explain the challenges the longboarding community in Japan face every day in order to be able to enjoy their beloved passion. Images of him free riding, racing, camping & hiking help the viewer realize very early in the film how great it would be if an international event were hosted in Japan. Enthusiasts from all over would flock to the country to be a part this moment in history. Part 1 ends with Ichiro receiving a phone call from iconic downhill skateboarder Mike Jordan.
Little does Mike know at the beginning of this adventure that Japan will change his life forever. The difficulties of locking in a secured event end up being a lot larger of a task than he had expected. Nonetheless, Mike enjoys his riding experience in Japan and it shows in the video. The film ends with Mike and Ichiro having a meeting with an influential event sports organizer who agrees that Shizuoka near Mt. Fuji is the ideal location. The details of how it will be possible are vague. Leaving the viewer anticipating the sequel.
Part 2 Canada The 2nd part of this film starts with Ichiro leaving for North America to join Mike Jordan and his very successful team of riders. Upon arrival in Canada, Ichiro is whisked off from the airport directly the most successful event in the Vancouver area. This is an inside look for the viewer to see why downhill skateboarding is so popular everywhere. More beautiful mountain shots and lifestyle moments are shown along the way. Part 2 ends with Ichiro having the time of his life with like minded downhill skateboarders. Again, his feelings are communicated in Japanese with English Subtitles.