Utopia is the life story of Jaime Hill - from Olympic-level gymnastics to World Cup downhill and the creation of Hilltop MTB - Jaime seeks to create space for women and girls get outside & thrive.
Utopia was directed by Anna Dziczkaniece and Helen Burt of LOT17 from Squamish and earned the top spot in the Whistler Film Festival opens up Sea to Sky Shorts contest to local filmmakers. Teams had 20 days to shoot and edit their submissions.
@microfiz: when I retired from gymnastics at 22 and steered biking at 26, I always wished I had been able to learn to MTB way earlier on! I bet I could have learned some sick tricks on a DJ or BMX at the time... maybe a great way to transition is to start with pump track and learning to jump - could be a great way to meld gymnastics training with biking. And you can always pitch it to her that the fitness she’d achieve by MTBing would be transferable to gymnastics With a solid gymnastics background she’d pick biking up pretty easy I bet!
@jaimehi: So true! A lot of the guys and gals competing in BMX big air have a gymnastics background. The body awareness needed for what riders at the pro level are doing is unreal!
When I was trying to be a better dirt jumper I took up adult gymnastics classes. Just the concept of spotting my landings improved my jumping immensely (look at the landing, not the gap). In a few short weeks I went from feeling like a failure to feeling competent.
@iamamodel: Adult gymnastics classes??? That would be hilarious to watch the first few. I remember jumping on the uneven bars when my son was at a gymnastics birthday party. I could've been on #FridayFails.
@rrolly: LOL. The majority were ex-gymnasts so they rocked at everything. I ended up spending most of my time on the trampoline doing penguins into the foam pit. It was like a children's playground but ten times more fun. Recommended just for a laugh.
The more inclusive our sport becomes, the better it becomes. Between this film today and the article about new mountain bikers since COVID, it’s really good to see that more people are coming to it from different groups and getting an immense satisfaction out of riding. The more diverse we are as a group, the stronger we’re are as a sport because we reflect a wider section of society as a whole. That can only be a good thing, long may it continue with people like Jamie leading the charge.
My daughter signed up with Jaime for a few camps last year. She always sort of enjoyed riding but her love for the sport and competency exploded after the first couple camps. It was incredible to see how much she admires Jaime and how that admiration turned into further love of sport. And in the end, I feel like the biggest winner, because my daughter is stoked to ride with me every chance we get!
Did an end of season race there once. I thought I was in epic shape, so I lined up at the front. Within the first 90 seconds I was 3/4 way to the back. There must be something in the water. . .
A different pace for a PB video. I like what they tried to do, and I think that they were pretty much dialed in for this video. The comprehensive view was great!
Great riding. All the NICA kids in the US are finding out how great bikes are. Lots of kids are turning from the traditional ball sports to come over and have a great time and be safe(ish) riding bikes. Best thing ever to happen to High School sports.
I had the opportunity to serve with Jaime on the board of SORCA and she is as thoughtful as she is a great rider. Great to see her being highlighted here!
I super love this video, my daughter is in gymnastics (always injured) and I was hoping she'd take up mtb. Jamie, help me out! =)
And you can always pitch it to her that the fitness she’d achieve by MTBing would be transferable to gymnastics
With a solid gymnastics background she’d pick biking up pretty easy I bet!
Thanks for the vid.
Wow