Mike Martin is the director of the Mash video, which has enjoyed worldwide success and is considered the most innovative bike video ever released.
How did Mash start? Whose idea was it and what was the original vision?
The Mash project started in 2004. When riding with friends, you get to see how each rider uses the same bike in a very different way. Their riding style is very defined from rider to rider. We wanted to record each other and put together something small to showcase this. We submitted a one-minute video to the Bicycle Film Festival in hopes of getting a longer project in the festival for the fall of ’05. That fall is when things really began to grow. We began to see more kids on these bikes in SF, and in return, communities growing internationally. Japan was a great example of the popularity coming to the front.
Is there anything that you did differently with Mash to document biking that hadn’t been done in other videos that you’ve seen?
There had been a few documentaries about messengers prior to the Mash video. There were just a few pure riding videos. Lucas Brenell’s videos were capturing the closest content we were into. His videos are helmet-cam alley cat race videos. They take any viewer willing to watch through the experience of what it feels like to be at the front of the pack in a street race, all the sketchy moments, the speed. Our goal was to develop some filming techniques that were more filmic then helmet camera footage. Another goal was to show the non-messenger side of these bikes. The freeriding, transportation side of these bikes. The video is a good mix of messenger and non-messenger riders, racing, working and freeriding.
What are the plans for the Mash line?
We originally made some t-shirts to help raise some money to produce the DVD. We’re grateful people support us on this level; it helps make the creative side happen. We continued to produce a few items as the video came out: tees, sweatshirts, arm warmers, socks, and a collab with Phil Wood, a hub company we’ve always believed in. We are now shaping plans for the future, and will introduce some things we feel are missing from the marketplace. There has been an incredible amount of companies jumping on board and trying to cash in on the rise in popularity of track bikes on the street. So much of the end result is just landfill. How many single-strap bag companies does this planet need? These bags were designed to swing from the front to the back of your body all day when you’re working. Beyond that necessity, it carries weight unevenly, and most are over-built, heavy bags intended to be abused during this ten-hour workday. I would guess one-percent of these bags being built today are being used for their original intent.
Are there plans to make another Mash DVD?
This project took three years because the level of riding was growing as we were filming. The project felt epic in the end because it cataloged this progression, and it was untimely made for the love of cycling. We had no idea it would carry some of the importance that has come from the end result. We’re continuing to tape now, and are shaping up some plans for the future, but I’m not ready to talk about those plans. Gabe and I both have day jobs.
