About the documentary:
In 2017, ex-pro BMX rider and filmmaker Kenny Horton was looking for a new film project. He was interested in working on something he really loved — so he went for a ride around the neighborhood to think things out. It turned out to be just what he needed.
Kenny wondered if anyone had told the story of 9th Street BMX Trails in Austin, Texas — the city he moved to from Richmond, Virginia. Since the mid-'90s, “9th” as it is affectionately known, had long been talked about in the BMX world, and its location and lively cast of characters was the perfect subject matter for his feature documentary.
So, he asked around. One interested rider was Aron Hoag, a 9th Street local and graphic designer integral to the 9th Street BMX Trail’s nonprofit org. The two quickly got to work. The park’s history and timeline were nailed down, initial interviews were fired out, and riders were pumped to be involved. Everyone they reached out to jumped on board. And right when the doc was gaining momentum, the world stopped dead in its tracks.
With loads of extra downtime, Kenny put his nose to the grindstone and knocked out cut-scene animations and motion designs based on a cut-out magazine aesthetic. Aron lined up new interviews with old friends and filming locations. They even managed to sneak into a few off-limit places when no one — and we mean no one — was around to film a few interviews and b-roll footage.
The resulting documentary is a testament to the total do-it-yourself attitude that 9th Street embodies, and even demands of its participants. Started by one lone rider named Carl Lein, and expanded upon by all the trail bosses and daily diggers, the 9th Street trails have evolved from a forgotten city park to a world-renowned set of BMX trails smack dab in the middle of Austin, Texas.
62 minutes
