5-9-07 // Online Exclusive: Norway Knows How To Make it Work

It’s mid September 2006 and I’m in a small flat in Lillehammer, Norway. Three very crazy, bagging pant, bandana wrapped, snuss chewing Norwegians are going nuts. We’re a few beers in and Andreas “Chucky” Braaten, Dennis Magnus-Andresen and Trond Hansen are bouncing off the walls in anticipation of what they’re about to show me. Injected with the unabated verve of intoxicated youth, they throw on a copy of Watch This, a film the three made with their buddy, Niels Windfeldt, the super whip, style maxed rider from Oslo.

Being the only non-Scandinavian 30-something in the room, I enthusiastically dive into their movie, produced by what they’ve called ANTI Bikes, their self-titled quaternity of long-time riding buddies. ANTI serves as a middle-finger to The Man acronym for the four: “A” for Andreas, “N” for Niels, “T” for Trond and “I” for idiot, or Dennis, the real character of the group. For 45-minutes I watch Watch This, what happens to be one of the funniest mountain bike films I’ve ever seen.

A true first-time movie thanks to its rough edits and frequent shenanigan shorts showing a bunch of fearless mountain bike teenagers being idiots. However, I’m taken aback by not only the cinematography and riding, which flashes snippets of brilliance, but also the original humor interlaced throughout the film, which has me howling right alongside my new Norwegian buddies. It’s all put to Scandinavian hard-core bands like Amulet and Turbo Negro.

Three years after the limited release of Watch This, which was circulated mainly throughout Norway’s small but burgeoning freeride scene, the ANTI crew is getting set to release their second movie, Make it Work. Shot in HD, on a dirtbag, press pass budget in locations throughout Europe, California and Whistler, Andreas and Dennis, the production company’s principle cinematographers, were able to grab quality footage of riders like Cameron McCaul, Andreu and Luis Lacondeguy, multiple Norwegian downhill champion Emil Carlsson, ANTI team riders Niels Windfeldt and Trond Hansen, as well as smaller segments of riders like Paul Bass and Darren Berrecloth.

The slick teaser, cut to TV On The Radio’s, Staring At The Sun gives the impression the ANTI crew has matured somewhat. Windfeldt, who’s an incredible rider, seems to have developed a real talent for editing, while Hansen, who plays prominently in the film, is a joy to watch when he’s on two wheels.

Check out the teaser HERE. Make It Work will be available on DVD in May, go to www.antibikes.com for more information.