15/07/2008
- Cliff Hanger 2008 by Jude Calvert-Toulmin
Extract
from Jude Calvert-Toulmin's Blog:
Ben
Slinger of trialsdisplay.co.uk.
Pic © Brian Trevelyan
"This
weekend saw the second Cliffhanger Outdoor Festival in Sheffield.
Bigger and better than the inaugral Cliffhanger of last year,
and in a far more suitable location, the beautiful Millhouses
Park through which runs the river Sheaf, after which Sheffield
is named.
The stars
of Cliffhanger 2008, which attracted 15,000 visitors over the
weekend, were for me undoubtedly Ben Slinger and Danny Butler,
the former World, European and British Mountain Bike Trials Champion
and former European and British Champion respectively.
They
were giving mtb trials demos every few hours to packed audiences
of delighted, whooping and cheering punters. As I was with my
lad Jasper down at Cliffhanger I was determined to be "off
duty" and so on the Saturday didn't take a movie camera or
stills camera, but on the Sunday it just had to be done. Brian,
Jasper and I all took bikes which made getting around the park
much quicker, and I balanced the afternoon with family type socialising
and watching events, and filming the lads from trialsdisplay.co.uk."
Trialsdisplay.co.uk
were brought to the event by Kudu
Bikes, of Hawes - to attract attention on their stand.
Above
L to R Danny Butler and Ben Slinger of trialsdisplay.co.uk
Pic © Jude Calvert-Toulmin
A
video still from footage of one of their hair-raising stunts.
© Jude Calvert-Toulmin
Above, video still from footage: Ben Slinger being photographed
by photographers Jerry
Lampson and Tim Hall. ©
Jude Calvert-Toulmin
"Tim
Hall is just in the process of setting up and building an Extreme
Sports image library over at XSFoto, where the photographers get
a proper financial return for their work, so if you want to make
money from your extreme sports photography, get over there.
Above,
L to R Ben Slinger and Danny Butler. Still from my interview with
them.
© Jude Calvert-Toulmin
So
much have these lads inspired me with their skill, good humour,
dedication and general star quality, that instead of just bunging
the footage I shot of them on my YouTube
channel after a quick clean up in Microsoft Movie Maker, I'm
teaching myself Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Soundbooth and the free
open source cross-platform audio editor Audacity
in order to make a proper little intro to the interview I did
with them on camera. I'm doing that this week so should have it
ready for the next blog entry.
Another
thing that impressed me about Ben Slinger and Danny Butler was
the fact that they're planning on taking a road trip next year
and making a docco out of it (documentary.) So I've given them
some details of how to pitch for proper funding at the industry
Sheffield International
Documentary Film Festival Meet Market, which they immediately
got on the case with. You can see some of the short vids they've
already shot on the vid section of their site, here.
Another
highlight of their performance was the work in progress mountain
bike dance routine they're perfecting in order for an audition
on Britain's Got Talent. Well, I've met some famous people in
my time in the music industry and climbing world, but these boys
have got something very, very special.
Ben
and Danny's entourage, the delightful Amy and Bethany. A classy
female entourage is always a sure sign of star quality.
© Jude Calvert-Toulmin
Above,
Danny Butler discussing exciting prospects with Cliffhanger promoter
Matt Heason of Heason Events,
with Ben Slinger in the background receiving immediate urgent
physio from Hallamshire Physiotherapy.© Jude Calvert-Toulmin
Something
else that impressed me was Hallamshire
Physiotherapy Clinic. During a break in performances, Ben
needed some physio and they were right there for him. How blooming
cool is that?"
Thanks
to Jude Calvert Toulmin for a fantasic blog.
If
you would like to read more of Jude's blogs please have a look
here...
www.judecalverttoulmin.blogspot.com
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