Name: The Search for the Next Proving Grounds | Natural Selection
Duration: 28 min 15 s
Description: Natural Selection Proving Grounds searches the globe for a location with terrain that can launch the sport of mountain bike freeriding to the next level. With the help of free-rider Carson Storch, the

Natural Selection Proving Grounds searches the globe for a location with terrain that can launch the sport of mountain bike freeriding to the next level. With the help of free-rider Carson Storch, they hone in on the South Island of New Zealand. Even after narrowing down 22 possible locations to three venues with limitless potential, choosing one is impossible. 

So, Proving Grounds and Storch call in five of the world’s best free-riders to decide which of the three locations’ terrain will best propel the future of freeriding, allow riders’ creativity to shine on the natural landscape and ultimately inspire more up-and-coming riders. Reed Boggs, Casey Brown, Robin Goomes, Brett Rheeder, and Carson Storch consider every aspect, from wind to terrain, sustainability of the build, and community access.

With three seemingly perfect locations, the riders weigh the more dynamic, natural terrain features in a venue above Queenstown against the long-term community benefits of a platform that the public could ride in the Wanaka area. Find out where Proving Grounds lands in “Search for the Next Proving Grounds” out now.

The Search for the Next Proving Grounds | Natural Selection

Alaska’s Bristol Bay. Florida’s Everglades. Two national treasures thousands of miles apart with one thing in common: the threat of losing them. Explore the value, wonder and threats to two bucket list places through the eyes of fishing guide, John Landry. Presented by Captains For Clean Water.

Everyone In Between | Trailer

Emily Ford sets out with a borrowed Alaskan Husky sled dog to hike the entire 1200-mile Ice Age Trail in winter in subzero temperatures, the first woman and person of color to attempt this challenge.

Breaking Trail | Trailer

Kirstie Ennis is a combat-injured Marine amputee. Since 2017, Kirstie has committed to climbing for a cause initiative - climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents and snowboarding, some of them for charity. In April and May of 2019, Kirstie attempted Everest to raise funds and awareness for her locally based not-for-profit organization, The Kirstie Ennis Foundation. This film is a recollection of the highs and lows of being an extreme adaptive athlete, the adrenaline-packed climb of Everest, and what it means to pay it forward by mountaineering with heart and purpose.

Standing Tall | Trailer

Two professional skiers, two new mothers, and one sponsorship. It is a quirky documentary-style film capturing the highs and lows of two women determined to succeed with side-splitting, hilarious moments.

Here, Hold My Kid

The Paradise Paradox is a long overdue look at the mental health crisis sweeping our mountain towns. The film is told through the experiences of not only the local heroes who are confronting these challenges but also renowned figures like Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin. 

The Paradise Paradox

Maureen Beck may have been born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard. She takes whippers on 5.12 and crushes overhanging boulders, while shot-gunning beers. But she is not here to be your inspiration. “People say, ‘Look, a one-armed climber, now I have no excuses.’ I’m like, dude, you never had any excuses in the first place.” Maureen is here to crush the gnar — with one bloody stump helping her get to the top.

Stumped | Trailer

On July 12, 2018, professional climber, Sasha DiGiulian, set out to become the first woman and second person in history to complete the Rocky Mountain Trilogy, a compilation of three of the hardest 5.14 big walls in the Canadian Rockies. The imposing climbs, on Castle Mountain, Mount Louis, and Mount Yamnuska, respectively will take Sasha 2 months of continued effort with the ultimate goal of ascending each sheer wall in a single day push, with zero falls — a combined average of over 9,000 vertical feet of climbing at a lung-busting average elevation of 7,000ft. Setbacks with climbing partners, a shoulder injury, and mounting wildfires, DiGiulian is faced with ever-increasing obstacles and forced to balance her goals with her safety. This is not only an extraordinarily unique physical journey, but a universal introspective story of overcoming fear, the importance of self-confidence, and in finding friends when and where you least expect them. Pushing through the uncomfortable moments and riding the ups and downs of life, DiGiulian drives herself through mounting fatigue and a closing weather window to strive for her historical goal.

The Trilogy | Trailer

Blood Road follows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail through the dense jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their goal: to reach the site where Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot, was shot down in Laos more than 40 years earlier. During this poignant voyage of self discovery, the women push their bodies to the limit, while learning more about the historic ‘Blood Road’ and how the Vietnam War shaped their lives in different ways.

The Search for the Next Proving Grounds | Natural Selection

Watch Next

Everyone In Between

34min

Breaking Trail

30min

Standing Tall

42min

Here, Hold My Kid

39min

The Paradise Paradox

1h 12min

Stumped

25min

The Trilogy

31min

Blood Road

1h 36min