Motocross
Freeride motocross lives large in Death Valley
Moto shredder Tom Parsons brings you one hell of a banger freeride clip in The Valley.
Where to begin? I guess I’ll travel back in time to when I first came up with the idea for The Valley. As an avid fan of moto videos and photography, I thought it was time to branch out and produce something of my own – something different.
The guy in the sky
© Ryne Swanberg
For me, freeriding is so much more than building a jump in the hills or sending a 150ft (46m) booter in the sand dunes. To me, it’s the experience, a freedom nothing else in the world can provide. It’s just insane to me that at this time in history, I not only get to explore places millions of people would love to visit, but I get to take my dirt bike and ride the evolving environment of places like the Dumont Dunes of Death Valley.
Paddles for days
© Ryne Swanberg
My goal in this project was to pay homage to this place and tell people a little bit of its history, hoping to shed light on why it’s so unique. As a freerider, I’m here to encourage people to get out there and experience the dunes because there isn’t anything like it on Earth.
At the same time, it’s not all about big jumps. I feel like sometimes people get scared and think if they can’t go hit a 150ft dune double, they shouldn’t go out there. It’s so much more than that, and in this video I wanted to show what I love about it. The bowl corners, the climbs, the washes around edges – there is so much more that even a beginner-level rider can enjoy.
The more people who get interested, the more people who fight for OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) areas and in the end maybe we end up with more and more amazing places to ride in this country.
Tom Parsons gives the dunes a paddlin'
© Ryne Swanberg
When I started this project, it was going on my credit card without a single sponsor or medium to release it on. But in this industry, especially in the video world, many great ideas never happen because no one is willing to put their own money on the line.
Luckily for me, over the years I have cultivated friendships with quite a few people in the moto film world and after all those years, I called in some favours. I have to give a huge shout-out to my crew: Ryne Swanberg for coming out to do the photos, and Kyle Cowling, Danny Stuart, Aran Eversman and Brian Bechtel for putting in the time to help me realise this dream, despite the lack of funding.
Once everyone was all in, it was just a matter of getting all the shots. We wanted to show the size and beauty of the dunes, so that took priority above my actual riding. This video was about Dumont Dunes, not Tom Parsons.
Peace out, Death Valley
© Ryne Swanberg
It wasn’t easy, due to schedule conflicts; we had times where only two guys were out with me, or even just me and Brian doing aerial shooting, trying to match and link shots the crew had filmed months before.
At the end, I needed a narrator and through a couple of buddies in my hometown, I was able to get Chris Wollard, a member of the iconic punk band Hot Water Music to bring the whole story together. And here we are, after a year of filming and editing. Hopefully it encourages all of you to get out to the dunes or your local OHV areas and experience what I truly love about riding.
Until next time,
Tom P.
