The date May 6th, 2016 will be forever engraved in the downhill world cup racing community as a date of tragedy. Indeed on this day, mountain biking lost one of its brightest stars, Stevie Smith.
Whether it is the downhill event of the racing world or the mountain biking industry as a whole, Stevie Smith was a larger than life character. Bringing excitement as a whole, Smith brought unparalleled joy to the 2013 world championship. He has risen through the ranks from a small Canadian town called Nanaimo to a champion and this journey was captured in the documentary ‘Long Live Chainsaw’ which means ‘Always Live, Chainsaw’. This documentary captures the rise and success of Stevie Smith and was produced by Anthill Films in collaboration with Red Bull Media House.
The initial scenes in the documentary play a very important role. They help the viewer craft an image of the mountain biking sphere. For those viewers not familiar with the sport, it serves the purpose of preparing them into what downhill racing entails and why this sport is loved globally by mountain bikers.
Now the story is narrated by different characters in the Stevie’s life, his family and even World Cup legends. In that manner, they facilitate the viewer through Stevie’s life from his childhood, to his discovery of mountain biking and more. The movie is centered less on the bikes he rode, and race results turned in, but more on the self-driven Stevie alongside the close knit community he wove throughout his entire life. Because of this, non riders are able to extract an element of enjoyment and we genuinely advise you to sit down with this one with your family, friends, or significant other whether they bike or not.
The climax of Long Live Chainsaw is a detailed description of Stevie, who put together three race wins in a row under the pressure to win the biggest mountain biking championship and place himself firmly atop of the sport he loved. Stevie’s narrative is full of drama during his 2013 World Cup overall season alongside including intricate details.
Gee Atherton, who was a fierce competitor in the 2013 season, narrates deep insights about Stevie’s racing rounds and the footage of inside the racing world that were never revealed before. The film, as a result, is full of crucial details of each round and the race footage.
He was and will always be the perennially chilled-out underdog. This fact made it seem as if he was not fazed by the important events of the day. When we spoke to him about how he was feeling before the last race of the season, that championship had already been set on a plate for him, he said, “I’m stoked to even be a part of it and have the opportunity so, worst-case scenario I’m still happy and best case scenario I’m damn pumped.” Stevie’s race run has to be one of the best in history. Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine. While the championship was up for grabs, Stevie ripped down the Lebogang course and performed with tenacious aggression which is the culmination of his life’s work.
The entire downhill racing community along with Stevie was ecstatic and overjoyed when he won the race and the championship. This goes on to show how loved he was on a global scale, more than you would imagine. The boy from a small town in Canada is finally a World Cup Downhill Series Champion.
He passed away when he was only 16, which was very unfortunate and heartbreaking to Stevie’s family. Being closest to him, his family revealed the details of his last moments, and it broke us to witness how emotional they were. By the end of the documentary, Stevie’s friends and family recollected the most satisfying moments of his life which filled them with positivity and hope. It truly is one of the saddest documentaries one could watch, and makes you cry a lot. If you decide to watch it, make sure to have tissues by your side.
Long Live Chainsaw allows viewers to actively participate in the glory days of Stevie Smith during the peak of his performance in this sport while keeping his legacy alive. Grab a packet of popcorn, a box of tissues, and some friends, and witness the most paw some MTB movie ever!
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