Ahead of the release of the Long Live Chainsaw movie on Red Bull TV, Brook Macdonald recalls his friend, former teammate and mountain bike buddy from downhill, the legendary Steve Smith.
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It was in Leogang, Austria, in 2013, when Stevie Smith made history by becoming the first Canadian to be crowned. overall champion of the world cup of downhill UCI mountain bike.
The four-time winner of the World Cup races e silver medal at the World Championships (2010) and bronze medal (2012) was still at the top when he passed away on May 10, 2016, in a enduro motorcycle accident in his hometown of Nanaimo, UK. Colombia. She was just 26 years old.
Long Live Chainsaw explores the life and tenacity of Steve Smith who demonstrates how, with talent and commitment, you can get anywhere. The film is a celebration of an athlete who was not only one of the best in the sport, but was renowned for his captivating personality and great charisma.
Red Bull has posted an interview with his former teammate and red bull athlete: Brook Macdonald, New Zealander, who was also one of Smith's best friends on the World Cup circuit.
How was your relationship with Stevie?
Brook MacDonald: I met Stevie quite early in my career. I was lucky to join him in the 2010 season [ed, they were team mates of the Austrian team MS Evil for a season]. Stevie and I were very in tune. When we first met, we had many of the same interests in things. Which were then simple interests, like adoring the bicycle. Like me.
We had this great bond with each other. Stevie switched to another team in 2011, but we have maintained a great friendship. That's where his career took off. He started to be a constant podium rider and was winning the stages of the World Cups. He became the man to beat. He was so determined to make a career out of mountain biking and I felt exactly like him. We had the same goals.
What was your reputation in sport before you met him?
I ran my first World Cup season in 2008 and briefly met him in Fort William, Scotland. I was sitting in the stands and just wondering who this guy was. He seemed legitimate enough. I had seen him in some mountain biking movies, so I had a brief understanding of who this guy was and the talent he had, but we didn't know where he was going to take him.
What struck you about him?
He came from a small island in Canada and didn't have much money. I don't come from a wealthy family either. My parents sacrificed a lot to take me abroad so that I could grow up. I think we both enjoyed the little things in life and were given opportunities like that, and I think we both wanted to do everything we could to make our careers stand out.
How was your relationship with him off the bike?
In 2010 we had a lot of good times. We've had a lot of parties. But we also enjoyed working hard and playing hard. My best memory is when I flew to Canada to shoot the film with him Unreal by Anthill Films. I literally catapulted into the project: the day before departure we were in Whistler in a bar and we woke up late with people calling us saying we had to be traveling (shooting lasted 10 days). I didn't remember much of the night and we had to drive four to five hours. That was just Stevie's personality: jumping off the plane, straight into a big night and straight into 10 days of filming. Always full gas. We had a great time.
Do you remember any advice Stevie gave you?
I don't remember exactly one piece of advice he gave me, but I think it was just like his attitude erased me and I was influenced by what he did throughout his career. When we were on the same team, I was certainly very influenced by him. When the results of him started showing what kind of driver he was, afterwards, I continued to admire him.
Where do you think Stevie would be today if she were still with us?
He would have been an absolute multiple World Cup champion, probably also a World Champion. And he would remain the same person he was when he left us. He was definitely on track to become one of the greatest drivers of all time. And one of the greatest Canadians of all time. He would still be in the high end of the sport. He would always be the same Stevie he was: just riding his bike, working hard and riding even harder.
Finally, when you think about him today, how do you feel?
Stevie lived her life to the fullest. I think there was probably no other way she wanted to live. The way she left us was shit, but she was on two wheels, enjoying life. It's hard not to think about him and think about where she would be today and what she would be doing. It's one of those things; when someone is taken away from you, you value life a little more. But Stevie definitely lived her life and achieved a lot of things.
HOW TO SEE LONG LIVE CHAINSAW?
Download thefree Red Bull TV app and watch Long Live Chainsaw, plus other great bike content, on all your devices!
