Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago. We are delighted to launch the trailer for our first feature-length documentary film, Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. It profiles Wende’s work and its lasting impact on the cycling industry.
We’re also unveiling a book and merch pre-order, as well as the beginning of a growing list of film screenings, which kicks off with the world premiere at the Marin Museum of Bicycling on August 16th & 17th and another at MADE’s movie night on August 23rd. There’s exclusive early viewing access, pre-orders for an epic photobook featuring Wende’s work, and an associated throwback merchandise run.
Continue reading below for all the details!
When we started working with Wende editorially nearly three years ago, it became abundantly clear that her story was larger-than-life and needed to be told in a big way. So, we set out to find a partner sponsor and a crew of committed filmmakers to direct and produce a feature-length documentary film. With the support of POC Sports, Justin Balog on camera, Chris Motta in the editing bay, and Josh Weinberg in the director’s chair, the trailer you see above previews a passion project years in the making.
CAMERA CORNER the Photobook Pre-Order (HERE)
Wende has been asked to make a photobook showcasing her work for years, and as part of debuting the Camera Corner film, we’re finally making it happen. But we need your help. Producing and printing a high-quality book is labor-intensive and expensive. So, we’re launching a pre-order to help us meet the minimum order from the printer we have partnered with.
While Wende’s photography has been featured in plenty of printed publications, this book, Camera Corner will feature a curated selection of never-before-seen photos scanned and post-processed to modern standards. Accompanying this treasure trove of inspiration is writing by Wende herself, waxing poetic about mountain biking’s early days in prose sure to inspire future generations.
Book mock-up is for illustrative purposes only – cover and design may change slightly
Book Specs:
- 10″ x 10.5″
- Hardcover
- 208 Pages
- Full Color
- Words by Wende Cragg
You can pre-order the book at the CAMERA CORNER BOOK WEBSHOP in three pricing tiers, described below.
Signed Wende Cragg print of “Inspiration Point” available in TIER 1 PRE-ORDER
We have three tiers for supporting Camera Corner, the film, and the book. You can support this multi-media project by selecting from the following packages:
- TIER 1 – $200 to PRE-ORDER the book, a signed print (above) from Wende, and early access to the online film. Limited to 100 units, so act fast! Your money goes to the print, producing the book, and supporting the film.
- TIER 2 – $120 to PRE-ORDER the book and early access to the digital premiere. Your money goes to producing the book and supporting the film.
- TIER 3 – $80 to PRE-ORDER the book. Your money goes towards producing the book.
Camera Corner, the book is available for PRE-ORDER now and will ship in the Fall of 2025. The 100 people who order the top tier will receive the signed print mid October 2024. Early access for Camera Corner, the film will be emailed to Tier 1 & 2 supporters in October, with the worldwide web release happening in November.
PRE-ORDER THE BOOK AT THE CAMERA CORNER WEBSHOP.
Merch Pre-Order (HERE)
Another great way to support the film and book is by purchasing a throwback t-shirt and/or sticker inspired by the “I’d Rather Be Klunking” shirt donned in archival footage from the late 1970s.
This merch will also be available for purchase at the Fairfax and MADE screenings in August.
Pre-orders for the merch (shirts and bumper stickers) will close on September 1st, 2024. Expect delivery by mid-October for the shirts and bumper sticker.
Screenings: VIP and World Premiere
We’re kicking this project off with select screenings in August, with more to follow later this summer and early fall before the film launches widely on our YouTube channel. The first two showings will be intimate (100ish people each) and will include a special Q&A with Wende and other MTB pioneers at the Marin Museum of Bicycling on Aug 16 and 17. Tickets will sell out soon (if they haven’t already). If you’re in the Bay Area, hit this link to buy tickets.
The world premiere will be at MADE’s movie night in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, August 23rd. Free with the price of admission to the show. Pick up MADE tickets here. Then, we’ll hit the road, linking up with bike shops and small theaters for in-person opportunities to view the film before it launches widely online in November.
The cities currently on the agenda are Bend, Santa Fe, Tucson, Los Angeles, Raleigh, Philadelphia, and NYC.
Watch this space, as we’ll regularly provide updates with showtimes and locations. If you are part of an organization or bike shop that wants to show Camera Corner, email Josh (josh@theradavist.com) to coordinate.
Thanks
Lastly, THANK YOU to Wende and everyone who helped with this project. We couldn’t have done it without you!
About Wende Cragg
Wende’s seminal piece, I Learned to Fly… on a Mountain Bike, delighted tens of thousands of readers when we published it almost exactly two years ago. In it, she details her involvement in Marin County’s early mountain bike scene, where riders evolved the sport from using found objects to purpose-built machines right before her eyes—and camera lens. She poetically describes how her love for cycling and the mountain bike led her to document the early pioneers of the sport she happened to be riding with. The resulting collection, the Rolling Dinosaur Archive, is a treasure trove of history and some of the only photographic evidence from this pivotal time in cycling.
Camera Corner Credits
A Radavist Films and Shared Territory Production
Director
Josh Weinberg
Executive Producers
John Watson
Cari Carmean
Josh Weinberg
Director of Photography
Justin Balog
Editor
Chris Motta
VFX/Animations
Chris McNally
Music
Scott Mitchell
Color Correction by Roast n’ Post
Post Producer: Crystal Villamayor
Supervising Colorist: Sean Wells
Colorist: Calvin Luu
Color Assist: Rachel Valdivia
Art Direction
Cari Carmean
Production Crew
Location Sound recorders: Garret McDonald, Marshall Potter, and Chris Camacho
Crested Butte Camera Operator: Jesse Levine, Reel Motion Media
Gaffer: Cyrus Amini
Appearing in the film
Wende Cragg
Denise Caramagno
Jacquie Phelan
Charlie Kelly
Joe Breeze
Gary Fisher
Marc Vendetti
Otis Guy
Howie Hammerman
Don Koski
Charlie Cunningham
Victor Vincente of America
Kilpatrick Will
Josh Weinberg
Justin Balog
