A film creating a buzz in the mountain bike community will be premiered in Powell River to benefit a local outdoor program for elementary students.
Strength in Numbers is a film produced by Anthill productions based in Squamish. It will be shown at Max Cameron Theatre on Thursday, May 3. Andrew Shostak, director of the Outdoor Adventure Program at Kelly Creek Community School, said the film, which premiered internationally on April 20, brings together lives of mountain bikers from everywhere.
“It’s a mountain bike film that is really trying to explain the culture of mountain biking through the eyes of the world’s best riders,” he said. He describes the film as showing mountain bikers from those just learning through to experts and covering all different locations such as BC, Nepal, California and Utah.
Money from ticket sales goes back into the outdoor program to purchase gear for the grade six and seven students Shostak teaches.
“Next year, instead of just being for grade six and seven, the whole school is really looking to focus on outdoor adventure education as a whole,” Shostak said, adding the program is more than just about mountain biking. It gives students a chance to get kayak certifications, go backpacking, hiking, learn camping and survival skills and wilderness first aid.
Shostak himself is an avid mountain biker who said he has been biking since he was the age of his students. He said both the boys and girls really enjoy mountain biking and that Powell River is the ideal place for it.
“That’s why I created the program,” he said. “This is the first year of it being formally based during the school day and so it has been a great year to introduce it.”
Strength in Numbers will be shown at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and are available at the door.
