Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Souciant Article - Eric Swedlund
Rad Reunion
by Eric Swedlund on Sep 27, 2011 • 8: 12 UTC
I pedaled leisurely rather than furiously, making no quick turns, hopping over no jutting tree roots, never trying to weave in and out of the other riders. But there I was, on the Helltrack qualifying course, riding BMX with the likes of Eddie Fiola, Martin Aparijo, Kevin Hull and Everett and Beatle Rosecrans. Twenty-five years after the movie that changed BMX forever, I was celebrating with some of the movie’s star stunt riders, who despite a lifetime of crashes, bruises and breaks are still nimble magicians on bicycles, none of them seeming to be anywhere near as old as their late 40s.
The northern August sun had me sweating plenty riding around Calgary’s Bowness Park, the location used for much of the filming of Rad, the 1986 Hal Needham picture that slowly and surely – in stark contrast to the breakneck pace of the bicycle racing it showcased – has become one of the most beloved cult films of all time. Taking in just $2 million at the box office and receiving what, in the film’s parlance, would be deemed uniformly “bogus” reviews, Rad nonetheless has passed the last quarter century steadily growing its small army of utterly devoted fans. I’m one of them, still trying to answer the what and the why of super-fandom. But you can’t explain magic – which Rad keeps dishing my way in spades – and because I couldn’t imagine not going, I flew to Calgary to join the celebration.
Rad 25 – a festival-cum-reunion organized by the Calgary Underground Film Festival, themovierad.com and City of Cochrane – brought together the movie’s director, producer, writer, stars, BMX stunt riders and fans to recapture the joy of its underdog story, the loose and kitschy cool of its 1980s dialogue and music and the awesomeness of its unprecedented BMX stunts. Rad unquestionably changed bicycle culture forever. But because it gave the emerging BMX subculture its high-gloss, Hollywood introduction to the rest of the world, more than most films, Rad also changed people’s lives forever.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
RAD:: The Movie Collection: RAD Screening in London Oct 7th
RAD:: The Movie Collection: RAD Screening in London Oct 7th: Visit the site Looks like someone else has a 35mm to screen. Wish I were in London to attend this. Let me know I am still available to ...
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
BMX Museum Thank You
Thank you Jeremy... and THANK YOU for your significant contributions that made the whole weekend the success that it was. On a personal note, the weekend was made up of memories that I will never forget. I am proud to be part of an era so well captured in the movie RAD, and of this online BMX community. I was fortunate to have my family with me for the Sunday ride, and the picture of Eddie and my son will ensure that this epic event lives on and on. I salute you and all the members of the BMXmuseum who attended and those who wish they could have. Stay Rad Jeremy!
BMX Museum Member
BMX Museum Member
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Happy Attendee
Jeremy,
My family and I had the time of our life at the 25th Anniversary. I personally was able to fullfil a life dream of meeting and getting autographs from individuals that I have admired since childhood. The whole event is hard to put into words. I could fill this page with a whole lot of adjectives, but to put it simply, it was magical. The cast and crew were wonderful and gracious in answering and signing anything that a fan presented to them. I loved to here the stories about how certain shots were done in the movie. The aspect that brought the whole event together was that it felt as if you were attending a small family reunion. That’s the key ingredient that made it special. Eddie and Martin are class acts; they went above and beyond anything that I had ever expected. Your collection at the BMX Gallery: 4130 was sweet. I realized that we had a lot of the same items. I have never seen the Vans Rad stickers, before they looked cool. Thanks for all everyones hard work. Without it, none of this would have been possible.
Rob (family from Atlanta)
My family and I had the time of our life at the 25th Anniversary. I personally was able to fullfil a life dream of meeting and getting autographs from individuals that I have admired since childhood. The whole event is hard to put into words. I could fill this page with a whole lot of adjectives, but to put it simply, it was magical. The cast and crew were wonderful and gracious in answering and signing anything that a fan presented to them. I loved to here the stories about how certain shots were done in the movie. The aspect that brought the whole event together was that it felt as if you were attending a small family reunion. That’s the key ingredient that made it special. Eddie and Martin are class acts; they went above and beyond anything that I had ever expected. Your collection at the BMX Gallery: 4130 was sweet. I realized that we had a lot of the same items. I have never seen the Vans Rad stickers, before they looked cool. Thanks for all everyones hard work. Without it, none of this would have been possible.
Rob (family from Atlanta)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Nice to hear...
Watching Rad 25 years later in the theater with my brother and friends was even better than the first time in 1986. The energy from the crowd was intense and carried over into the next couple of days. We had a blast rolling around Cochrane with everyone. Thanks to Jeremy, Kurt, and Brenda for organizing an epic celebration.
Chad Johnston
S&M Pro Team Rider
Chad Johnston
S&M Pro Team Rider
AWESOME Sponsor of RAD25
Hi Jeremy,
Just wanted to give you the heads up on how great the event turned out, the team did an amazing job putting this together.
We are very proud to be part of RAD, 25 years ago until this day.
Thanks again,
Marketing Manager - VANS Canada
Just wanted to give you the heads up on how great the event turned out, the team did an amazing job putting this together.
We are very proud to be part of RAD, 25 years ago until this day.
Thanks again,
Marketing Manager - VANS Canada
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thank you.
Hello Kurt,
I wanted to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for all your effort, hard work and extraordinary organization skills that were put into this celebration! Your dedication, perseverance and hard work speaks highly of your character. I have no doubt you experienced a great weekend, and I am certain everyone involved was pleased with the result, if anything, you made a mark in history.
Well done Kurt! Kudos to you, your team, and the volunteers…for all your community spirit!
Manager of Recreation, Culture & the Arts - City of Cochrane
I wanted to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for all your effort, hard work and extraordinary organization skills that were put into this celebration! Your dedication, perseverance and hard work speaks highly of your character. I have no doubt you experienced a great weekend, and I am certain everyone involved was pleased with the result, if anything, you made a mark in history.
Well done Kurt! Kudos to you, your team, and the volunteers…for all your community spirit!
Manager of Recreation, Culture & the Arts - City of Cochrane
My RADical weekend photos
Hey guys,
I just wanted to say thank you to the organizers of this event and to EVERYONE who showed up and made it what it was, a once in a lifetime gathering of ace BMX'ers. I know I met alot of you guys here but I'm horrible with names, I did truly enjoy our ride from the movie house to the skatepark even if wired had a component failure, sorry I didn't notice sooner!
The highlight of my weekend was actually having Bill Allen sit on my bike and have his picture made on it, then with me. I was just floored that I could get that picture. The ride in Cochrane with Eddie and the rest of the crew narrating at most stops was just insane! Nearly a 100 riders in the street of that small town was something to see.
BMX Museum Member Doug904
I just wanted to say thank you to the organizers of this event and to EVERYONE who showed up and made it what it was, a once in a lifetime gathering of ace BMX'ers. I know I met alot of you guys here but I'm horrible with names, I did truly enjoy our ride from the movie house to the skatepark even if wired had a component failure, sorry I didn't notice sooner!
The highlight of my weekend was actually having Bill Allen sit on my bike and have his picture made on it, then with me. I was just floored that I could get that picture. The ride in Cochrane with Eddie and the rest of the crew narrating at most stops was just insane! Nearly a 100 riders in the street of that small town was something to see.
BMX Museum Member Doug904
RADICAL THANKS
Jeremy for everything you did and for being so cool with our over enthusiastic autograph hunt.You've been a true gentleman, honorable and respectful.You let us be ourselves without any issues.I really can't thank you enough for allowing our dreams to come true.
Really enjoyed meeting Eddie,Martain and the guys;specially Everett.A real cool cat. I'll write more soon,gotta rest as we just got home a few hours ago.
Cheers,thanks and God Bless brother.Ya done good.
BMX Museum Member
Really enjoyed meeting Eddie,Martain and the guys;specially Everett.A real cool cat. I'll write more soon,gotta rest as we just got home a few hours ago.
Cheers,thanks and God Bless brother.Ya done good.
BMX Museum Member
Personal Note to all
I wanted to take a moment and put in my $.02 on the whole RAD weekend. I got to spend a lot of time with most of the people at the reunion, and the best way I can describe the whole event is that I truly believe we are lucky.
We are lucky to be part of a sport that most of us got introduced to in the 80's, a sport that helped me learn the value of hard work, helped me learn what exercise really is, helped me stay away from drugs. Helped me have friends for life.
We are lucky to have got to know people like Eddie, Martin, Woody, Mike D, Mat H, Brian B back in the day, we got to meet our heros.
We are lucky that 25 years later, our sport is still going strong, thanks to website like this, x-games, you tube, etc.
We are lucky that people like Jeremy Moser and his group care enough about the movie and the people to spend as much time and effort as they did to put this event together. In my professional career, I have put together some events of this size, and trust me it is not easy. I'm sure Jeremy and his group lost a lot of sleep, money, and time with his family to put this together.
We are lucky that we have people like "Wired" - Kelly.... who spent a lot of his own time and money to fly a couple of thousand miles to Calgary, to document the entire event. Trust me, Kelly missed out on some things because he was documenting the event.
But mostly we are lucky to have people like Eddie and Martin. I don't want to discount the other riders who were there (Kevin, Beatle, etc) but if you were not there, you wont understand how lucky we were to have Eddie and Martin at the event. I travel a lot in my job, and I don't remember meeting two people like Eddie and Martin. They must have signed thousands of autographs, took hundreds of pictures, and answered hundreds of questions, all with a huge smile on their face. During the bike rides in perticular, they were like kids out there, they were having so much fun, and really enjoyed being back in Calgary. Eddie and Martin must have slept all the way home, because I don't think they slept the entire weekend. It didn't matter if it was a 38 year old like my self or a 8 year old who was looking for their attention, Eddie and Martin made time for everyone.
In summary for me, the actual movie stuff was awesome. Mr. Allen and Mr. Needham were so cool to meet (I got to take a piss with Cru Jones!) but for me, it was about the two riders, after all RAD was loosely based on Eddies life. I grew up with so many pictures on my walls, school lockers and binders of these guys that all my friends and family knew who they were. In fact my 72 year old English mother who met Eddie in 1987 said "How was that Eddie fellow? he was so nice when we met him"
Eddie, Martin, thank you for all you time and effort, not only this past weekend, but over the past 25 years.
Glenn1011 - BMX Museum Member
We are lucky to be part of a sport that most of us got introduced to in the 80's, a sport that helped me learn the value of hard work, helped me learn what exercise really is, helped me stay away from drugs. Helped me have friends for life.
We are lucky to have got to know people like Eddie, Martin, Woody, Mike D, Mat H, Brian B back in the day, we got to meet our heros.
We are lucky that 25 years later, our sport is still going strong, thanks to website like this, x-games, you tube, etc.
We are lucky that people like Jeremy Moser and his group care enough about the movie and the people to spend as much time and effort as they did to put this event together. In my professional career, I have put together some events of this size, and trust me it is not easy. I'm sure Jeremy and his group lost a lot of sleep, money, and time with his family to put this together.
We are lucky that we have people like "Wired" - Kelly.... who spent a lot of his own time and money to fly a couple of thousand miles to Calgary, to document the entire event. Trust me, Kelly missed out on some things because he was documenting the event.
But mostly we are lucky to have people like Eddie and Martin. I don't want to discount the other riders who were there (Kevin, Beatle, etc) but if you were not there, you wont understand how lucky we were to have Eddie and Martin at the event. I travel a lot in my job, and I don't remember meeting two people like Eddie and Martin. They must have signed thousands of autographs, took hundreds of pictures, and answered hundreds of questions, all with a huge smile on their face. During the bike rides in perticular, they were like kids out there, they were having so much fun, and really enjoyed being back in Calgary. Eddie and Martin must have slept all the way home, because I don't think they slept the entire weekend. It didn't matter if it was a 38 year old like my self or a 8 year old who was looking for their attention, Eddie and Martin made time for everyone.
In summary for me, the actual movie stuff was awesome. Mr. Allen and Mr. Needham were so cool to meet (I got to take a piss with Cru Jones!) but for me, it was about the two riders, after all RAD was loosely based on Eddies life. I grew up with so many pictures on my walls, school lockers and binders of these guys that all my friends and family knew who they were. In fact my 72 year old English mother who met Eddie in 1987 said "How was that Eddie fellow? he was so nice when we met him"
Eddie, Martin, thank you for all you time and effort, not only this past weekend, but over the past 25 years.
Glenn1011 - BMX Museum Member
Still RAD
Cochrane Times
By Daniel Austin
I'll admit that I didn't "get it" right off the bat. As I sat in an aisle seat in the front row of the Cochrane Movie House, I was trying to wrap my head around why exactly so many people had turned up to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the movie RAD.
I could appreciate how beautifully the BMX scenes were shot. My crush for Lori Loughlin—a crush I share with any male who grew up watching Full House in the early 1990s—reached a fevered pitch the moment I saw her driving down 1st Avenue and didn't let up until the closing credits. And seeing Cochrane in all its mid-1980's glory was certainly interesting.
But there had been people stopping into the Cochrane Times office last week who had travelled from as far away as Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate the movie's anniversary, and for the film's first 45 minutes, I just couldn't wrap my head around why.
But then, something happened.
It was right as the film's main character, a local BMX rider named Cru (I think I may just have found a name for my future son), was lining up at the starting gate for the final race of qualifying.
The chant started quietly at first, just one or two people. But soon, the entire crowd was ecstatic and I was on the edge of my seat yelling along with them.
"Cru! Cru! Cru!"
From that moment on, I understood. RAD may not crack the American Film Institute's top 100 films list any time soon, and most people may not even know it exists, but for the people in that theatre on Saturday night, it meant something.
The people who filled the Cochrane Movie House weren't appreciating RAD with some ironic hipster distance. No, the people I spoke with after the show had all discovered the movie at some point in the last quarter-century, and they had fallen in love with it.
Whether it was seeing their favourite sport on the big screen, with some of the top athletes in mid-1980's BMXing shot in the beautiful Alberta light, or the simple story of a local guy beating the odds and becoming a hero, RAD had resonated with a lot of people over the years. And on August 20 in Cochrane, it was their night to celebrate.
When the final credits rolled and the cast and crew took to the stage, the audience roared before settling in and giving them the chance to reflect on the time they spent in Cochrane filming. Bill Allen, who played the aforementioned Cru, was asked about how many of the film's BMX stunts he performed personally, and he didn't hesitate before answering.
"Every single one of them," he laughed. "No, I can't do anything, I can barely stay on a bike and drive straight. That's why they had the best stunt riders in the world come in."
Director Hal Needham then took the time to tell the story about how he chose Cochrane to film. He said he'd previously filmed Little Big Man in Alberta in 1969, and came up to scout locations around Calgary for RAD with the Calgary Film Commission. When he got to Cochrane, he called off the search.
"They brought me out here and I just said 'this is it,''' he said.
By Daniel Austin
I'll admit that I didn't "get it" right off the bat. As I sat in an aisle seat in the front row of the Cochrane Movie House, I was trying to wrap my head around why exactly so many people had turned up to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the movie RAD.
I could appreciate how beautifully the BMX scenes were shot. My crush for Lori Loughlin—a crush I share with any male who grew up watching Full House in the early 1990s—reached a fevered pitch the moment I saw her driving down 1st Avenue and didn't let up until the closing credits. And seeing Cochrane in all its mid-1980's glory was certainly interesting.
But there had been people stopping into the Cochrane Times office last week who had travelled from as far away as Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate the movie's anniversary, and for the film's first 45 minutes, I just couldn't wrap my head around why.
But then, something happened.
It was right as the film's main character, a local BMX rider named Cru (I think I may just have found a name for my future son), was lining up at the starting gate for the final race of qualifying.
The chant started quietly at first, just one or two people. But soon, the entire crowd was ecstatic and I was on the edge of my seat yelling along with them.
"Cru! Cru! Cru!"
From that moment on, I understood. RAD may not crack the American Film Institute's top 100 films list any time soon, and most people may not even know it exists, but for the people in that theatre on Saturday night, it meant something.
The people who filled the Cochrane Movie House weren't appreciating RAD with some ironic hipster distance. No, the people I spoke with after the show had all discovered the movie at some point in the last quarter-century, and they had fallen in love with it.
Whether it was seeing their favourite sport on the big screen, with some of the top athletes in mid-1980's BMXing shot in the beautiful Alberta light, or the simple story of a local guy beating the odds and becoming a hero, RAD had resonated with a lot of people over the years. And on August 20 in Cochrane, it was their night to celebrate.
When the final credits rolled and the cast and crew took to the stage, the audience roared before settling in and giving them the chance to reflect on the time they spent in Cochrane filming. Bill Allen, who played the aforementioned Cru, was asked about how many of the film's BMX stunts he performed personally, and he didn't hesitate before answering.
"Every single one of them," he laughed. "No, I can't do anything, I can barely stay on a bike and drive straight. That's why they had the best stunt riders in the world come in."
Director Hal Needham then took the time to tell the story about how he chose Cochrane to film. He said he'd previously filmed Little Big Man in Alberta in 1969, and came up to scout locations around Calgary for RAD with the Calgary Film Commission. When he got to Cochrane, he called off the search.
"They brought me out here and I just said 'this is it,''' he said.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
BMX Gallery 4130: Rad 25th Anniversary - screening and party photos
BMX Gallery 4130: Rad 25th Anniversary - screening and party photos: So many great things happened this past weekend. We'll be releasing a edit from the contest shortly, but for now, these iPhone photos will ...
Cochrane BMX has RAD showing on home turf
Cochrane Eagle
August 23, 2011
By: Kelsey Hipkin
In their last stop before finals, Cochrane BMX athletes stepped onto the podium 40 times racing on their home turf Aug. 20-21.
“It went really well and the weather co-operated,” said volunteer and race mom Debbie Gammon. “The kids just had a fantastic time.”
The series coincided with 25th anniversary celebrations of the BMX film RAD, taking place in town. Cast and crew from the cult classic took time to sign autographs and pose for photos at the track Aug. 20.
Out of the Cochrane contingency, Sabrina Millman earned two gold medals in elite racing competition while brother Karsten earned two silver.
In their respective expert divisions Holly Moores, Peter Verheyde and Steven Sweet topped the podium for gold while Heidi Moores and Lukas Becker nabbed silver. Becker also earned bronze at the expert level along with Emily Lucier.
In novice competition, Riley May — in his first season of BMX — raced to two gold medals.
Liam Hogg won novice gold and silver and Curtis Gammon won a gold and bronze.
Caleb Pochailo, Faith Otterson, Kathryn Sachkiw, Devin Matthews, Tyler Penkoff and Dawson Hogg all took silvers in novice events with Jacob Heer, Heidi Moores, Mikayla Gale and Dane Coleman taking bronze.
Intermediate gold went to Connor Murphy and Baird Evans with Steven Sachkiw and Joe Moores earning bronze.
Bikers ready to start a race. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Alyssa Williams, Grayson Coleman, Noah Maisonneuve, Pete Maisonneuve, Noah Bean, Doug Murphy, Chantale Otterson, Malcolm Evans, Kaylee May, Devin Matthews, Perry Chirakorn and Joe Moores rounded up the Cochrane riders who had a great showing at the event.
“We’ve got some pretty elite riders in our club,” Gammon said.
Canadian BMX Association finals take place in Abbotsford, B.C., Sept. 3-4.
Gammon explained to qualify for finals, riders need to complete five races including one out of province.
Provincials will take place in St. Albert Sept. 9-12.
Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
August 23, 2011
By: Kelsey Hipkin
In their last stop before finals, Cochrane BMX athletes stepped onto the podium 40 times racing on their home turf Aug. 20-21.“It went really well and the weather co-operated,” said volunteer and race mom Debbie Gammon. “The kids just had a fantastic time.”
The series coincided with 25th anniversary celebrations of the BMX film RAD, taking place in town. Cast and crew from the cult classic took time to sign autographs and pose for photos at the track Aug. 20.
Out of the Cochrane contingency, Sabrina Millman earned two gold medals in elite racing competition while brother Karsten earned two silver.
In their respective expert divisions Holly Moores, Peter Verheyde and Steven Sweet topped the podium for gold while Heidi Moores and Lukas Becker nabbed silver. Becker also earned bronze at the expert level along with Emily Lucier.
In novice competition, Riley May — in his first season of BMX — raced to two gold medals.
Liam Hogg won novice gold and silver and Curtis Gammon won a gold and bronze.
Caleb Pochailo, Faith Otterson, Kathryn Sachkiw, Devin Matthews, Tyler Penkoff and Dawson Hogg all took silvers in novice events with Jacob Heer, Heidi Moores, Mikayla Gale and Dane Coleman taking bronze.
Intermediate gold went to Connor Murphy and Baird Evans with Steven Sachkiw and Joe Moores earning bronze.
Bikers ready to start a race. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Alyssa Williams, Grayson Coleman, Noah Maisonneuve, Pete Maisonneuve, Noah Bean, Doug Murphy, Chantale Otterson, Malcolm Evans, Kaylee May, Devin Matthews, Perry Chirakorn and Joe Moores rounded up the Cochrane riders who had a great showing at the event.
“We’ve got some pretty elite riders in our club,” Gammon said.
Canadian BMX Association finals take place in Abbotsford, B.C., Sept. 3-4.
Gammon explained to qualify for finals, riders need to complete five races including one out of province.
Provincials will take place in St. Albert Sept. 9-12.
Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
RAD mesmerizes cochrane once again
Cochrane Eagle
August 23, 2011
By Melissa Dark - Special to the Eagle
Twenty five years ago, a quirky little movie about bike racing called RAD was made. Little did any one know that today it would develop a huge cult-like following.
RAD was filmed primarily in Cochrane and Calgary in 1986.
My husband and I moved to Cochrane in 1993, and our sons began riding BMX in 2000.
Around that time we rented RAD and laughed as we saw our house in the background of the famous scene of Lori Laughlin teaching Bill Allen how to do jumps on his bike and land in a pile of bedroom mattresses.
This all took place in McNamee Park on Mountain Street.
Fast forward to 2011.
We enjoyed the RAD anniversary this past weekend. We posted our “Welcome Back RAD” sign on our back fence for the cast and crew to see as they did their bike tour through town to all the film locations on Saturday.
But first, Cochrane BMX was holding the #7 Western National Race so we headed up to the BMX track to watch.
Next, we met the cast and crew for pictures, autographs and conversation.
Sixteen-year-old Cody Basiuk and his mom Melissa Dark pose for a photo with the sign they put up on the backyard fence of their East Cochrane home for the 25th anniversary of RAD. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Sixteen-year-old Cody Basiuk and his mom Melissa Dark pose for a photo with the sign they put up on the backyard fence of their East Cochrane home for the 25th anniversary of RAD. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
We saw the Norco Factory team, (still wearing their original jerseys), RAD racer and fellow Canadian BMXer Jeff Ingram, RAD director Hal Needham (who also directed Smokey and the Bandit), stunt doubles from the “bike dance” held at Cochrane High’s gym and, of course, heartthrob Cru Jones (played by Bill Allen) — as handsome as ever.
After the race about 50 of the BMX race crowd descended upon our backyard for our annual after the race barbecue.
Some of the families drifted to the Cochrane Movie House to watch the movie.
At 7 p.m., some of the 17 year olds asked if they could watch RAD from the computer on our big screen TV. Over the next hour, we noticed several guests going into the house but not returning to the yard.
We jokingly said they must have been sucked into the “vortex of RAD.” Sure enough, we checked and soon everyone was draped over chairs and couches mesmerized by RAD.
August 23, 2011
By Melissa Dark - Special to the Eagle
Twenty five years ago, a quirky little movie about bike racing called RAD was made. Little did any one know that today it would develop a huge cult-like following.RAD was filmed primarily in Cochrane and Calgary in 1986.
My husband and I moved to Cochrane in 1993, and our sons began riding BMX in 2000.
Around that time we rented RAD and laughed as we saw our house in the background of the famous scene of Lori Laughlin teaching Bill Allen how to do jumps on his bike and land in a pile of bedroom mattresses.
This all took place in McNamee Park on Mountain Street.
Fast forward to 2011.
We enjoyed the RAD anniversary this past weekend. We posted our “Welcome Back RAD” sign on our back fence for the cast and crew to see as they did their bike tour through town to all the film locations on Saturday.
But first, Cochrane BMX was holding the #7 Western National Race so we headed up to the BMX track to watch.
Next, we met the cast and crew for pictures, autographs and conversation.
Sixteen-year-old Cody Basiuk and his mom Melissa Dark pose for a photo with the sign they put up on the backyard fence of their East Cochrane home for the 25th anniversary of RAD. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Sixteen-year-old Cody Basiuk and his mom Melissa Dark pose for a photo with the sign they put up on the backyard fence of their East Cochrane home for the 25th anniversary of RAD. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
We saw the Norco Factory team, (still wearing their original jerseys), RAD racer and fellow Canadian BMXer Jeff Ingram, RAD director Hal Needham (who also directed Smokey and the Bandit), stunt doubles from the “bike dance” held at Cochrane High’s gym and, of course, heartthrob Cru Jones (played by Bill Allen) — as handsome as ever.
After the race about 50 of the BMX race crowd descended upon our backyard for our annual after the race barbecue.
Some of the families drifted to the Cochrane Movie House to watch the movie.
At 7 p.m., some of the 17 year olds asked if they could watch RAD from the computer on our big screen TV. Over the next hour, we noticed several guests going into the house but not returning to the yard.
We jokingly said they must have been sucked into the “vortex of RAD.” Sure enough, we checked and soon everyone was draped over chairs and couches mesmerized by RAD.
Rad anniversary weekend a huge success
Cochrane Eagle
August 23, 2011
By Kurt Alksne - Special to the Eagle
When festivities kicked off on Aug. 19, it had been a little over a year since Jeremy Moser of themovierad.com, Brenda Lieberman of the Calgary Underground Film Festival and I had initially discussed the idea of a 25th anniversary celebration for the BMX movie RAD.
In the months to follow, even though there seemed to be a positive vibe in the air, we were completely oblivious to how the event would actually be received.
The seats in the Uptown Theatre in Calgary rapidly filled, and the moment the word “RAD” appeared on the big screen the place erupted. I peered behind me to see a theatre jam-packed with RAD enthusiasts in standing ovation. It was at that moment we knew our efforts had culminated into a huge success.
On Aug. 20, the Cochrane BMX track and skate park was crawling with an overwhelming number of people for two separate competitions: an on-bike filming location tour through Cochrane, pedalled by nearly 200 followers of all ages, and a sold out evening screening at the Cochrane Movie House.
Bill Allen, who played main character Cru Jones in the film RAD, signs the jersey of Noah Maisonneuve of Cochrane BMX Aug. 20. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield.
The screening was followed by a question and answer session with director Hal Needham, writers Geoffrey Edwards and Sam Bernard, producer Robert Levy, actors Bill Allen and Jamie Clark and BMX riders Eddie Fiola and Martin Aparijo. Also in attendance were Kevin Hull, Jeff Ingram, Kirk Bihun, Pat Lipovski, Beatle Rosecrans, Everett Rosecrans, Jeremy and Matt Moser, who all rode in the film.
Other anniversary highlights included the VANS gang making the road trip from Southern California to serve waffles, hot dogs and hand out schwag.
The RAD documentary crew — also venturing from California — spent the weekend on location conducting interviews and collecting footage for an upcoming release.
The anniversary must also be seen as a huge success for the Town of Cochrane. Our community opened its arms to RAD celebrities and fans alike who travelled from throughout North America and as far away as Australia.
A special mention needs to be made to Aleksandar and Tonya Trbovic who travelled outside of their home country of Serbia for the first time to take part in the celebration.
Many of our guests made sure to comment on Cochrane’s aesthetic beauty and outright friendliness of our residents. The cast, crew and BMX riders from RAD who came to Cochrane and Calgary were an absolute pleasure to work with.
A BMX enthusiast at the Cochrane Skate Park Aug. 20 during the RAD anniversary festivities. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Every time I tried to thank one of them for being a part of this, the response was close to the same: “No. Thank you for putting this together and letting me be a part of it.”
It was a very emotional weekend and it is virtually impossible to express how extremely fulfilled I am with the successes of the festivities.
On behalf of our organizing group, I would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to those who provided continual support from beginning to end.
An event was created that, in the end, was way larger than any of us had ever dreamed. Without our sponsors, the cast and crew, volunteers and most importantly the fans, this would not have been possible. It was a pleasure and an absolute honour to bring this to our community and I hope to see everyone here when it is time to celebrate 30 years of RAD.
August 23, 2011
By Kurt Alksne - Special to the Eagle
When festivities kicked off on Aug. 19, it had been a little over a year since Jeremy Moser of themovierad.com, Brenda Lieberman of the Calgary Underground Film Festival and I had initially discussed the idea of a 25th anniversary celebration for the BMX movie RAD.In the months to follow, even though there seemed to be a positive vibe in the air, we were completely oblivious to how the event would actually be received.
The seats in the Uptown Theatre in Calgary rapidly filled, and the moment the word “RAD” appeared on the big screen the place erupted. I peered behind me to see a theatre jam-packed with RAD enthusiasts in standing ovation. It was at that moment we knew our efforts had culminated into a huge success.
On Aug. 20, the Cochrane BMX track and skate park was crawling with an overwhelming number of people for two separate competitions: an on-bike filming location tour through Cochrane, pedalled by nearly 200 followers of all ages, and a sold out evening screening at the Cochrane Movie House.
Bill Allen, who played main character Cru Jones in the film RAD, signs the jersey of Noah Maisonneuve of Cochrane BMX Aug. 20. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield.The screening was followed by a question and answer session with director Hal Needham, writers Geoffrey Edwards and Sam Bernard, producer Robert Levy, actors Bill Allen and Jamie Clark and BMX riders Eddie Fiola and Martin Aparijo. Also in attendance were Kevin Hull, Jeff Ingram, Kirk Bihun, Pat Lipovski, Beatle Rosecrans, Everett Rosecrans, Jeremy and Matt Moser, who all rode in the film.
Other anniversary highlights included the VANS gang making the road trip from Southern California to serve waffles, hot dogs and hand out schwag.
The RAD documentary crew — also venturing from California — spent the weekend on location conducting interviews and collecting footage for an upcoming release.
The anniversary must also be seen as a huge success for the Town of Cochrane. Our community opened its arms to RAD celebrities and fans alike who travelled from throughout North America and as far away as Australia.
A special mention needs to be made to Aleksandar and Tonya Trbovic who travelled outside of their home country of Serbia for the first time to take part in the celebration.
Many of our guests made sure to comment on Cochrane’s aesthetic beauty and outright friendliness of our residents. The cast, crew and BMX riders from RAD who came to Cochrane and Calgary were an absolute pleasure to work with.
A BMX enthusiast at the Cochrane Skate Park Aug. 20 during the RAD anniversary festivities. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Every time I tried to thank one of them for being a part of this, the response was close to the same: “No. Thank you for putting this together and letting me be a part of it.”
It was a very emotional weekend and it is virtually impossible to express how extremely fulfilled I am with the successes of the festivities.
On behalf of our organizing group, I would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to those who provided continual support from beginning to end.
An event was created that, in the end, was way larger than any of us had ever dreamed. Without our sponsors, the cast and crew, volunteers and most importantly the fans, this would not have been possible. It was a pleasure and an absolute honour to bring this to our community and I hope to see everyone here when it is time to celebrate 30 years of RAD.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Twenty-five years later, BMX is still as "RAD" as ever
Calgary Examiner
by, Darcy Fauteux, Calgary Extreme Training Examiner
Posted: 08/22/2011 10:06 PM
In the "It's so easy, it's a joke" category, local pro Darcy Peters won the Get Rad skatepark contest in Cochrane this weekend as hundreds of BMXers from across North America gathered in Cochrane and Calgary, Alberta to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie RAD. Peters had good runs full of huge, flowy airs with technical tricks thrown in for good measure. In a scary moment, Peters dropped in for his last qualifying run and slammed at the bottom of the bowl. A little bit shaken up, some guys helped him out and after collecting himself, proceeded to whup everyone in the finals.
Besides the contest, which was heavily attended by scores of BMX racers, street riders, and even flatlanders, the weekend contained a plethora of other activities to keep the RAD vibe going. The movie screening(s) in both Calgary and Cochrane were many people's chance to see the only legal 35mm copy of the movie RAD on the big screen. Question and answer sessions turned into flatland sessions. The Cochrane BMX track was visited by the entire rad crew as many guys stayed to sign autographs and pose for pictures with young and old fans alike.
BMX Gallery:4130 hosted the RAD museum and opened their doors all weekend to all of the visiting Bmx scenesters. There were two bike rides, one in Cochrane, and one in Bowness, that toured various filming locations of the movie. Sunday's tour in Bowness featured tour guide and BMX legend Eddie Fiola who enthusiastically spoke about each filming location to a group of 50 or more bike riders who joined the tour. Martin Aparijo summed up the weekend best by explaining that the reunion was just part of life as a BMXer. After 25 years or more, BMXers are still getting together by travelling around the world, meeting with friends and having a good time riding their bikes. In 1985 Martin, Eddie, and dozens of other industry-leading icons took part in the making of the movie RAD, and they were happy to share their experiences with the lucky folks in Calgary the past weekend to celebrate one of the most influential BMX movies of all time.
by, Darcy Fauteux, Calgary Extreme Training Examiner
Posted: 08/22/2011 10:06 PM
In the "It's so easy, it's a joke" category, local pro Darcy Peters won the Get Rad skatepark contest in Cochrane this weekend as hundreds of BMXers from across North America gathered in Cochrane and Calgary, Alberta to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie RAD. Peters had good runs full of huge, flowy airs with technical tricks thrown in for good measure. In a scary moment, Peters dropped in for his last qualifying run and slammed at the bottom of the bowl. A little bit shaken up, some guys helped him out and after collecting himself, proceeded to whup everyone in the finals.
Besides the contest, which was heavily attended by scores of BMX racers, street riders, and even flatlanders, the weekend contained a plethora of other activities to keep the RAD vibe going. The movie screening(s) in both Calgary and Cochrane were many people's chance to see the only legal 35mm copy of the movie RAD on the big screen. Question and answer sessions turned into flatland sessions. The Cochrane BMX track was visited by the entire rad crew as many guys stayed to sign autographs and pose for pictures with young and old fans alike.
BMX Gallery:4130 hosted the RAD museum and opened their doors all weekend to all of the visiting Bmx scenesters. There were two bike rides, one in Cochrane, and one in Bowness, that toured various filming locations of the movie. Sunday's tour in Bowness featured tour guide and BMX legend Eddie Fiola who enthusiastically spoke about each filming location to a group of 50 or more bike riders who joined the tour. Martin Aparijo summed up the weekend best by explaining that the reunion was just part of life as a BMXer. After 25 years or more, BMXers are still getting together by travelling around the world, meeting with friends and having a good time riding their bikes. In 1985 Martin, Eddie, and dozens of other industry-leading icons took part in the making of the movie RAD, and they were happy to share their experiences with the lucky folks in Calgary the past weekend to celebrate one of the most influential BMX movies of all time.
WOW! That was RAD.
We had a blast; with special thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers, organizers, riders, and movie makers. But a huge thanks to the fans that came out to enjoy this awesome event. Please visit this site as we pull together all the photos, videos, and stories right here.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
RAD Celebrates 25th Anniversary
By Brian Tunney
With 2011 marking the 25th anniversary of the seminal '80s cult classic BMX film 'Rad,' devoted fans of the film are flocking to Calgary and Cochrane, Alberta this coming weekend for the Rad 25 anniversary celebration.
Presented by the Calgary Underground Film Festival, 'Rad' fan site themovierad.com, as well as the Towns of Cochrane and Calgary (where 'Rad' was filmed in 1985), the anniversary celebration will include a 'Rad' memorabilia museum, a BMX museum, tours of the shooting locations and more.
Additionally, this weekend's upcoming festival will feature screenings of the film on the only legal copy of the 35mm film in existence.
Beginning Friday, the Rad 25 celebration begins with a BMX gallery that includes an assortment of poster art from the movie and the opening of the 'Rad' museum, then moves into screenings, which will be attended by cast and crew from the movie, including Bill Allen (who played Cru Jones) and Hal Needham (director).
The event continues Saturday with events at the Cochrane BMX track, Cochrane skatepark, bike tours of filming locations, additional screenings and an afterparty.
Initially, a documentary on the movie 'Rad' was scheduled to debut at the Rad 25 festival, but according to the filmmakers, the documentary is still in production and no official release date has been set. Mongoose Bicycles recently signed on as a sponsor of the documentary.
Released in 1986 and directed by Hal Needham, 'Rad' charts the meteoric rise of a BMX riding paper boy named Cru Jones, who through hard work and determination, rises up to beat national BMX race pros on a track dubbed "Helltrack." The film additionally featured freestyle riding and acting parts from major BMX race and freestyle pros, and has appeared on the pop culture radar through TV shows such as "Tosh.0" and "American Dad."
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Official RAD 25 Tribute Bike
Kelly, thanks for sharing this, and we look forward to seeing you on it next week. Sweet ride.
http://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=2892929#p2892929
http://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=2892929#p2892929
Thursday, August 11, 2011
TICKETS on SALE NOW!!!
BUY ONLINE
Online ($1 service charge added)
OR AT THESE GREAT LOCATIONS
The Uptown (612-8 Ave SW, Calgary)
Bike Bros. (Unit #3, 122 - 4 Ave West, Cochrane)
Saturday Bus Service
We have booked a Bust Loose! shuttle for Sat. 9:30AM - leaving from the International Hotel to Cochrane BMX Track, and departing Cochrane Movie House to Calgary at 5:30pm. It holds about 44 people. (plus bikes)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Volunteers Needed...
Are you interested in helping out the Calgary Underground Film Festivals's RAD 25 anniversary event? Please send us an email and let us know where you can be the most supportive and we just might take you up on that.
Submit@25rad.com
Submit@25rad.com
Saturday, June 11, 2011
OPEN CALL TO ARTISTS – POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION
RAD 25th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING - Poster Design Competition
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JULY 22nd 2011
The Calgary Underground Film Festival is so excited to bring the movie RAD back to where it began in Calgary and Cochrane, Alberta and we want to share that energy with you!
This summer (2011) marks the 25th anniversary of RAD, a BMX film shot in Calgary and Cochrane. If you are unfamiliar with this film, the internet can help you. Some links are provided at the bottom of this page. The Calgary Underground Film Festival is throwing a huge party for RAD's 25th anniversary and we need your help to design a promotional poster!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
RAD GETS EVEN MORE ‘RAD’ WITH CONFIRMED GUESTS!
June 9, 2011
For Immediate Release
MEDIA RELEASE
Calgary, Alberta – RAD 25 brings together the first ever official reunion of cast and crew on the 25 anniversary of the cult classic BMX movie: Rad. The Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) and themovierad.com are presenting a weekend long celebration of the Calgary and Cochrane production, August 19-21 with cast, crew and legendary BMX riders.
"This is the first opportunity in 25 years to see nearly all the original cast and crew. We are so excited to make this a reality for Rad fans all over the world," said Jeremy Moser creator of themovierad.com blog and curator of the RAD Museum.
Special invited guests include Bill Allen (Cru Jones), Hal Needham (director), and Sam Bernard (writer) for a weekend of screenings and events throughout Calgary and Cochrane. Also attending the event are many of the original HellTrack racers including Eddie Fiola, and Martin Aparijo responsible for a majority of the stunt work performed in the film. Additionally Mike Miranda, Kevin Hull, Chris Phenix, Beatle Rosecrans, Dan Milwee, Glen Adams, Richard Fleming, Jeremy Moser, Rick Moliterno, Everett Rosecrans, Jeff Ingram, along with two Canadian riders Pat Lipovski and Kirk Bihun have been confirmed.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Documentary
It is definitely going to happen this time and be ready to screen on the RAD25 weekend. There are alot of people working hard to get this done and we are excited to help bring it to you.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Carpool Connections
I have been getting alot of emails from people arriving by car. Here is a post to share info if you are looking for someone to share the trip and cost hopefully. Just add a comment with your info.
You are invited!
The official RAD25 site is up and functional. We are working hard to give you the latest information as in real time. Please check the site for news, updates, and highlights happening all over the Calgary and Cochrane, Alberta, Canada area. Looking forward to seeing everyone this August 19th - 21st.
Jeremy
Jeremy
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