‘Transatlanticism’ interview
HUCK talks to BMX pro Mark Webb and filmmaker Matty Lambert about their new short film that forms part of Relentless Energy's Short Stories competition.
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“I’m living on borrowed time, following in my old man’s footsteps,” reflects Relentless Energy BMX rider Mark Webb, one of the world’s most progressive in the park. “He was hit by a car but the paramedics brought him back to life, so that’s his saying – ‘living on borrowed time'.”
Mark ‘Webby’ Webb’s injury list is grisly reading: a fractured right collar bone; a dislocated shoulder and separated AC shoulder joint; fractures on both wrists; a crush fracture on his L1 vertebrae; ruptured ACLs on both knees; a fractured left ankle, right tibia and fibula; and ripped right ankle tendons. Yet despite his battered body, the 25-year-old’s passion for riding remains unreserved, his oddly macabre but positive attitude pushing him to make the most of every day as if it's his last and with this, establishing himself as one of the best BMX riders in the world.
Webb’s story has been captured in Transatlanticism, the second of Relentless Energy’s Short Stories films. The five minute movie (as specified by the contest brief) is the vision of upcoming Liverpudlian videographer Matty Lambert and explores who Mark is behind the pro rider archetype.
Following Mark from his hometown of Southsea near Portsmouth to the Chicago stop of this summer’s Dew Tour, Lambert’s sewn together intimate interviews with stunning footage of the cutting-edge riding that’s created such tricks as the Decade 360 and Front Flip Flare. The result is a sensitive portrait of a dedicated athlete at the pinnacle of progression who is thoughtful and mature yet often insecure.
“No one considers what you grew up with or where you live – whether it’s rough or nice. It’s good for people to see behind the scenes,” says Mark. “People are nervous about approaching me but I’m just as shy as anyone else, quieter maybe. Just because I don’t speak up they think I’m arrogant. Matty’s showing a different side to my life. It’s not just turning up at contests, riding for a few hours then leaving - there’s more to it.”
“Every rider is different, there’s so many different personalities,” explains Matty. “Some get out of bed and are focused straight away: others won’t start riding until three in the afternoon. Mark’s super motivated. It’s easy to land a trick then be like, ‘we’re done'. But Mark’s like, ‘what’s next?’ If I want to shoot from a different angle, he’ll offer to do it again – always thinking of the end result and being super productive.”
With such a symbiotic working relationship, a deep understanding grows between subject and filmer. Explains Matty: “You develop this bond when you film where you become friends. It’s not like they’re a professional rider, then once they’re done, you're finished. So when you see one of your best friends on the floor, or with broken bones...it’s a horrible feeling, a real comedown.”
It’s for this reason that Matty will never call for one last run. “I’d feel guilty if I’d said ‘just one more’. If they want to, great but I’ll never make them. That’s their choice,” says Matty. “If it’s super dangerous, unless they ask ‘would you like me to do it again?’, I’m not taking responsibility if they injure themselves. I’d rather have a shot that I didn’t get quite right, than risk them permanently injuring themselves.”
As an injury veteran, including a near fatal crash in November 2007 where he broke his back and narrowly missed paralysis, Webb’s more philosophical on the peril associated with riding: “You have to make the most of everything: life’s too short. I’ve been on the BMX scene for five years, yet that time’s gone in the blink of an eye. This whole experience can be such a short lived dream. You have to grab it with both hands, take it and embrace it.”
Check out more on Relentless Short Stories at www.relentlessenergy.com, and whilst you’re there, join up to The Order – Relentless’ online community for updates, news and competitions.
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‘Transatlanticism’ interview (text) by Gemma Freeman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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