“Men do not quit playing because they grow old, they grow old because they quit playing.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Fifty Years of Kicks is a 20 minute video documentary featuring Paul Rodden and Larry Murray; two experienced motorcycle riders who continue to do what they love despite age and health issues.
The documentary is a collaboration between Motojournalism.com and Traction off-road e-rag, and represents the partners’ first attempt at video production, and according to the producers, the documentary was shot in a true “beg, borrow or steal” manner. The video and sound equipment used to film it was substandard, but generously loaned by colleagues and friends. The subjects and location owners were very accommodating with their limited time.
There are plenty of videos focusing on teenagers and young adults, pushing their sport to the limit. With Fifty Years of Kicks, the producers wanted to show older adults pushing their bodies to the limit. “Instead of being inspired by the exploits of 18 year olds in extreme sports no longer within our grasp, we find ourselves being inspired by older people participating in activities typically reserved for the young,” explained the team from Motojournalism.com and Traction off-road. Rather than lamenting, “I wish I could have tried that when I was young”, the producers want to say, “I want to be like them when I grow up!”
Motojournalism and Traction off-road would like to continue to produce episodes profiling other interesting characters in motorcycling and are looking for sponsors to make that possible. They want to tell the stories of the people who participate, the reasons why these people engage in a sport with inherent risks and dangers, and why they can’t live without these two wheeled machines.
Anthony Kerr
Anthony is a freelance photographer and graphic designer based in Montreal, Quebec. He runs the Motojournalism.com website where he teaches the practicalities and techniques of motorcycle travel photography. He has been a guest speaker at motorcycle travel rallies in the United States and Canada, presenting his experiences of motorcycling solo through Mexico and Central America.
Dallas Shannon
Dallas is involved in freelance marketing and social media contracts and independently publishes the Traction eRag, a web-based off-road motorcycle magazine. He has extensive experience in print and online publishing and has also worked in radio. Dallas understands both the logistics and financials of complex media projects, and is well versed in sponsorship, advertising and revenue generation.
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