#tom kvilhaug

[dylan-kasson]

Josh Smukal and Jon Archer Toronto, Ontario

Tom was trying a handrail in the pouring rain. He was so close every try but as time went on it was apparent that it wasn’t going to happen in the rain. None of us were going to leave or tell him to stop, so we had to resort to whatever we could to document it. Most of us took cover under trees. When the rain started getting really bad Jon ran over to Josh to cover him with the shirt. We were all nervous because the camera he was using is not intended for any kind of rain use. I was under a tree and saw Jon run over. I bent over to create a covering and switched from my 35mm to my 90mm lens under the tree I was standing. Shooting with fully mechanical cameras like the rangefinder I have is great because weather wise there’s very little that can harm the camera. I metered, ran out from the tree, composed and focused, and shot one frame. Soon after Tom gave up so we all ran back to the car. When the rain stopped we came back and Tom rolled away like the scooter warrior he is.

[all-the-bobibilitys]

Tilt, Rusted Never Busted.

[dylan-kasson]

Tom Kvilhaug Grand Rapids, Michigan

After a long but rewarding trip to Toronto we arrived back at the Tilt shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Collin had recently assembled his moped cafe racer project for a shakedown ride before paint. As Issac continued riding the grind boxes non stop, Tom and I grabbed the keys and ripped around the block. I had never ridden a bike this small. There’s something liberating about it. The weight and power delivery combines to be pure fun.

[dylan-kasson]

A video part compresses a long period of a scooter rider’s life into a short depiction of maneuvers they did during that period of time. The fast paced editing style demands multiple views to comprehend the bursts of skill and effort. These types of films are necessary in the community to advance the progression and perception of street riding. The component a traditional video part lacks is one of the main driving factors that influences these riders to innovate in various ways. The fragmented moments all have a story behind them. Where a rider was at in a stage of their life, influences outside of the scooter community, who they surrounded themselves with while riding, all have a prominent impact on how their riding was, is, and will be.

Unlike organized physical activities, riding a scooter is self-directed and self-motivated. This concept can be freeing to some and stressful to others. Simply put, you can do whatever you want. What some riders choose to do puts their bodies through a physical gauntlet, shocking and inspiring all demographics of viewers. They fling their carcasses from point A to point B, or obsess and attempt technical maneuvers for hours, or days. It’s not for the viewers, it’s possibly not even for themselves. The driving force that makes them do what they do comes from within, it isn’t a choice.

19th & Little Raven are the cross streets for the Denver, Colorado skate park. This is the central location that Tom Kvilhaug and Issac Miller meet, along with the group of local riders titled the CO Crew. The friendships within the CO Crew and the progressive maneuvers that Tom and Issac do, originate at this skate park. From the internal perspectives of the members in the CO Crew this location is routine and insignificant, but when an outsider examines their community as a whole it is clear that it is paramount to their communital dynamic.

Tom and Issac have the second to last part, and last part in Tilt2. The order of video parts is reserved for the ones who truly deserve it, and these two individuals did. However, what is arguably more significant than the ordering of video parts is the events that led up to the selection and creation. How these people balanced their lives of working, going to school, moving across the country, to the demanding lifestyle of being a professional scooter rider. Exploring a different formula than a traditional video part, 19th & Little Raven is a participatory documentary that investigates the unexplored aspects of these scooter riders lives.

[dylan-kasson]

I edited for three months and Tilt 2 emerged. I am so grateful I could be a part of this on the post production, production and riding.

[dylan-kasson]

James Gee interviewed me along with Jordan Jasa, Tom Kvilhaug, and Jon Archer about Tilt 2 for the ADVCT blog.

[dylan-kasson]

First cut at interviews done!

[dylan-kasson]

Here are some various locations while I was in Denver filming a mini documentary for Tilt. The film will be out soon.

[all-the-bobibilitys]

Issac: "I suck, Jordan doesn't." conspiracy theory confirmed

[all-the-bobibilitys]

D.T.D.F.

[dylan-kasson]

Tilt took a trip from Chicago to Detroit to Cleveland and then back for the premier and street jam. It was a fun week with good people.

[dylan-kasson]

I edited the promo for the new Tilt Scout Bars.

[dylan-kasson]

Tom Kvilhaug wall riding into basically nothing in Peoria, Illinois. We pushed around the extremely small town of Peoria and didn’t find much. It was in the middle of cornfields. Before this Tom was shaking a rail to see if it was solid and there was a wasp next inside the rail. He got stung bad but still kept riding. Outtake from the D.T.D.F. series.

[dylan-kasson]

Tom Kvilhaug wall riding in Tampa, Florida. Both of our parents moved to Florida, so sometimes around the holidays Tom and I will bump into each other. The city attempted to stop this ditch by making holes in the ground, but Tom managed to navigate through them to get speed. If you hit one there was no saving you, it was a direct over the bars face plant scenario. Outtake from the D.T.D.F. series.

[dylan-kasson]

Tom Kvilhaug in Gary, Indiana. This spot was under a bridge where I shot this photo in the series. The wall that Tom was sitting on was fairly tall. I originally was sitting under him leaning up against it not photographing. When I got up and turned around I saw him perfectly framed in a triangle. I took my camera out and shot the same photo over and over, making sure I had a lot of options to work with. Outtake from the D.T.D.F. series.

[dylan-kasson]

Tom Kvilhaug and Tyler Bradley hiking to a spot in Peoria, Illinois. The spot they were hiking to was where I got these photos. I haven’t been on a more elaborate hike to get to a spot in awhile, even in Arizona. We had to climb through drainage tunnels and take our shoes off to wade across the river. Outtake from the D.T.D.F. series.