Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race from Rock/Creek on Vimeo.
Today Rock/Creek announces the latest video release from the Rock/Creek Trail Series, which can be viewed online at https://www.rockcreek.com/rivergorge
The video covers the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race, which took place within the Prentice Cooper Wilderness Management Area on the Cumberland Trail. This ninth running of the race drew over 350 runners and spectators.
The video features beautiful photography of the race course, including the infamous “Rock Garden,” one of the most technical trail features in the Chattanooga area. An interview with Rock/Creek Race Team member Nick Selbo, who also won the race, sets the tone and gives the viewer a narrative of the course as well as the race experience. Laura Davis, a stay-at-home mom who picked up trail running just a few months ago, also appears in the video. She shares an inspiring story of empowerment and adventure, culminating in her first race experience. Davis also talks about training to run the Scenic City Trail Marathon in May.
Filmmaker Andrew Kornylak worked with a team including videographers Matt Hanner and Jon Hur as well as intern Brett May.
Andrew loves the work, but admits the difficulty of shooting these events: “Events like these are very hard to cover,” Kornylak explains, “so it was great to have a team spread around the course getting different angles.” The team shot video with a Panasonic HPX170 P2 camera as well as a Nikon D3s, Canon 7D, Canon 5d MarkII and a Nikon D90. [More below the fold]
Kornylak admits that shooting with so many tools introduces some challenges, but pays off in the final product: “Working with lots of different cameras makes the final production a little trickier but it worked out because everyone was comfortable with their own tool so we got the footage we wanted,” he says.
Rock/Creek and Andrew Kornylak have worked together on numerous occassions over the last few years. Mark McKnight from Rock/Creek works closely with Kornylak to produce the videos, and has seen great results: “Andrew loves the work he does, and the results speak to the passion he has for outdoor sports. Videos like these allow us to connect with runners and the larger community. We’re able to put out amazing videos that give runners something unique to remember the race. Perhaps even more importantly, we’re able to introduce the outside world to the amazing trails and people of Chattanooga. I’d also like to think that we’re motivating people to get out in the woods and even perhaps pick up the sport of trail running for the first time.”
Only time will tell how many people will be inspired by the videos, but to kick off the process, Rock/Creek plans to produce videos for all the races in the year-long series.
Speaking to the experience of covering each race for the year, Kornylak adds: “Shooting the whole race series for Rock/Creek is a wonderful challenge. Each race has its own flavor, and we want to bring that out in a creative way that keeps people’s interest, but also with a consistent style so that the series as a whole is coherent.”
At the end of the day everyone went home tired but pleased with the results. Kornylak continues: “Even though I know it’s going to be a lot of work, I really look forward to each race. Getting out in the mountains all day, running around with great friends being creative… It just doesn’t get any better!”
The first videos came out of last year’s StumpJump 50k race and are online at https://www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/#video
Videos from the first race of 2010, the Southern 6, are located online at: https://www.rockcreek.com/southern6/#video
Sponsors of the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race, presented by Montrail, include: Marmot, Montrail, Patagonia, SmartWool, The North Face, Hammer Nutrition, Greenlife Grocery, Nikwax Waterproofing and First Tennessee Bank.
All proceeds from the races benefit the Wilderness Trails Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on access to trails.
Leave a Reply