“The Knife Edge” by Gee Atherton also talks about the fear that Gee has to overcome and shows the horrific accident that resulted in many broken bones, a punctured lung and a 2-week hospital stay.
"When you constantly try to go beyond your comfort zone, to do things that no one has ever done before, sometimes the result balances on the razor's edge"
Dan Atherton
Gee explains why she chose to share such raw footage and why she feels it's important that we don't shy away from the less glamorous side of extreme sports.
All profits from this film will be donated to the rescue services.
Here are the words of Gee Atherton
“These Big Mountain projects are really important to me; they require a lot of physical and mental effort and involve many risks. It's easy for people to forget this when there are amazing athletes doing perfect tricks; not only in mountain biking, it is the same in all extreme sports. Looking back on previous edits in this series, I'm talking about how scared I feel. It's not a performance, it's very, very real. For me it is important to show the reality behind this type of project. I feel that when we are demonstrating an endless line of successes the risk is lost in the celebrations, so I just wanted to stop for a moment and take a look at when and how things go wrong.
I am eager to show the process behind this series. Creativity is definitely something I am drawn to and the potential to perfectly match the challenge to the limits of my abilities. I am drawn to the audacity it takes to push myself this far. For me it is about overcoming an obstacle and it happens that someone films me, I do not start with a film in mind but I am constantly looking for opportunities to do things that no one has ever done before, to go beyond my comfort zone. Without that push, nothing would change. It's something I recognize in Dan and Rachel too, that passion for pouring huge amounts of yourself into a task, regardless of difficulty or failure. The realization that it will take absolutely everything you have to be successful is a great motivator.
I want to show that I entered this with my eyes open. There are sections of the film where I think it's really obvious that I'm anxious. And that the crew is at the limit. But it is no different from the sensations I had on top of the Slateline, or riding the Ridgeline, both of which had limited margins for error and high risks.
I think it's important to show that this was not an impossible line to ride, it was very technical, very intimidating and it was right on the edge, but in fact I have successfully covered each section, multiple times for most parts. There is enough material for us to put together a complete and clean set. But it wouldn't be real.
All the challenges in the series happened in unique ways, they emerge differently. This started with me walking past the place again and again. If I stopped every project when I got scared for the first time, there would be nothing. Each ridge has its own particular charm and its difficulties. You discover his particular personality and his problems, you turn your head and understand how to overcome them.
This position was defined by what it was exposed to. We learned from the first hike that we had to check every step. We were constantly looking behind us. I knew the risks and fully accepted the level of injuries that would be likely if it went wrong. I understood every detail and I knew 100% that I could do it. People think I'm wild, but I wouldn't have survived that long without being super calculating. There is a process; walk, explore, build, revise, adapt, ride. Even now, after 6 weeks, I can close my eyes and imagine every rock on that ridge.
The mentality is not that different from racing. In both cases, an athlete needs to put himself in a position where if everything is done to the best of his ability the result will be good. This is how we have approached our entire career. I guess a World Cup track is slightly more forgiving, if there hadn't been a ravine to my left I would probably have dusted off and gone again.
The section I crashed on was wild, no doubt, but technically it was no more difficult than the other six or seven parts of the line that I ran smoothly. But it just goes to show, no matter how much you plan, no matter how big your support team, your bike, your preparations, when you're riding on the edge nothing is 100%. I made a mistake, I went slightly offline with a little too much momentum and everyone now knows the result.
It went wrong but I don't regret trying. I'm working hard to get back. It will be a long recovery, but I am so grateful for the crew that supported me up the hill, the Coast Guard, the Air Ambulance, the Stoke surgeons. They all did an absolutely brilliant job and gave me a head start on the road to recovery. Red Bull has provided me with the best after-sales service and I will always be grateful to all of them.
I can honestly say that being injured hasn't put me off this type of driving. In reality it is the exact opposite. The thought of more of these challenges is the light at the end of the tunnel, the reason I moved on to physiotherapy so early, is what helps me cope with the daily routine of painful rehabilitation. It is my goal. I am passionate about projects and I intend to do more as soon as possible ”.
Gee Atherton
