A movie with Cochrane roots will celebrate its 30-year anniversary with a BMX ride.
“It is a great story about following your dreams and overcoming obstacles,” said Craig Day, who is organizing the event for the iconic movie Rad.
“I think that celebrating the 30th (anniversary) and the movie Rad itself is an awesome way to allow us to relive our youth and celebrate a movie that molded us young BMX’ers and still inspires us to get out and ride and that passion has now been passed along to our children too.”
Released 30 years ago, Rad is a movie about a young BMX racer faced with the tough decision to take his SATs or ride in the qualifying races for Helltrack, where he can win $100,000, a new Chevrolet Corvette and fame.
While the movie did not become a classic, it still made more than $2 million in the box office and gained a “cult following” the organizers said.
“The movie was all about rooting for the underdog,” Day said.
“It brought together a whole bunch of guys who like to ride bikes and it is a whole family experience, now it is fathers and mothers bringing their sons and daughters.”
The movie was filmed in Cochrane and surrounding area including the Spray Lake Sawmills, throughout historic downtown, around Cochrane High School and the main character’s house, which was located in Cochrane by Ross Avenue and Williams Street.
“There is also a couple people who live locally that were extras in the film that will be in attendance,” Day said.
Fans of the film have gotten together to ride in Calgary and Cochrane for anniversary rides every five years.
The 25th ride was held in 2011 in Calgary and Cochrane bringing out between 2,000 and 2,500 people. Day said he is expecting this year to be a smaller gathering but is still excited for the two-day event, expecting visitors from New York, Pennsylvania, southern California, Toronto and Vancouver.
Organizers are inviting guests out next weekend – July 23 and 24 – for two days full of “gnarly” activities.
Saturday riders are invited out to Calgary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where guests can participate in a meet and greet, and set up for a Show & Shine at Bow Cycle, located at 6501 Bowness Road NW, Calgary. Then from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Rad ride begins and the group will go to locations of the movie shoot throughout Calgary (maps available at the event).
Saturday evening activities are still in the works, to find out what will be happening go to the “30th Rad Ride” Facebook page.
Sunday the ride is coming to Cochrane.
From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., guests are invited to a meet and greet at the Cochrane Movie House, located at 218 Fifth Ave.. Then from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. riders will cruise around Cochrane to the different movie locations (maps available at the event) and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. everyone is invited to a freestyle skate park open jam session at the Zero Gravity Skate Park, located at West Rock Road.
“It is a good excuse to get out and see a bunch of cool bikes, ride and celebrate with a bunch of cool people,” Day said.
