They say that the 3rd time’s a charm and as one of the hottest nights out during the Queenstown Bike Festival, 2014 proved that to be the case. From hard charging edits to parodies and complete mockeries of all things biking, showcasing the talents of short term visitors and long term locals alike, the Summer Sessions are where it all began. Back for 2014 and competing for over $3000 in cash and prizes this year saw the strongest field of entries yet.
With long term supporters The World Bar out of action the show was moved to their pop up bar, The Find. Vertigo Bikes threw down the cash, TomTom Productions provided the tech support and 7 hopeful filmers let it all hang out in order to prove to the audience that they deserved the top spot.
With the quality of entries really stepping up for 2014 it was always going to be a close battle but winner Paul Rayner proved that with enough sleepless nights magic can happen. Paul’s film showcases Queenstown for what it really is, not just a bikers paradise but a family of GC's.
GCs - Paul Rayner - 1st Place 2014 Summer Sessions
Following close behind with a solid second place, Scott Robb and his riding crew certainly impressed the crowd, especially considering they’re all still in high school! A well deserved second place for their entry, From the Shadows.
From the Shadows - Scott Robb - 2nd place 2014 Summer Sessions
Not to be outdone, Lawrence Simpson of LCS Visual came a narrow 3rd with his docudrama Edward Masters: The Spirit of Enduro rounding out the podium. With Eddy’s strong training regime I’m sure we can expect big things from him in this year’s Enduro World Series!
The Spirit of Enduro - Lawrence Simpson - 3rd Place 2014 Summer Sessions
Back once again and proving that age knows no boundaries, Pete McInally reprised his role as the wholly inappropriate, Pete McGnarly and with all the buzz and the hype over enduro at the moment it’s refreshing to see that not everyone has sold out yet. Long time crowd favourite the Huck Wizard also returned with his views on the current state of mountain biking.
Once again the house was packed, proving again that Through the Lens has firmly established itself as the mountain bike film showcase here in Queenstown. We couldn't do it without our sponsors though and a big shout has to go out to all the great support they've given. The awesome boys at Vertigo Bikes, the crew and hosts at The Find, TomTom Productions, Queenstown Bike Taxis, e13 bike components, Huss clothing, Skyline and Spoke magazine, we couldn't have done it without you so many many thanks!!!
To the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club and all the trail builders, a massive thanks for all the work you do giving us the trails to make these films on... You Rock!! Start planning those edits for next year because Through the Lens will most certainly be back in 2015 and bigger and badder than ever. For those not here in Queenstown, do yourself a favour and pack your bags, book your ticket and do something about it.. Booyah!