I somehow missed this when it first came out. There was this thing called Viet Nam going on and me wearing green clothes, but I digress....
The first time I saw this movie I was already an experienced rider, having ridden all over the North American Continent and the island of Oahu on everything from 90cc dirt bikes to Harleys to Ninjas to full-boat tourers. But like other reviewers on this forum, it's now Must See at least twice a year. While it centers on off-road competition rather than road riding, OAS still conveys the thrill riders get when in the wind. Bruce Brown knows how to tell a story, and he does a fantastic job. On one hand, he tries to cover too much in the allotted time; on the other hand, there are so many more stories in the motorcycle world that didn't get told. Just enjoy the movie for what it is, a neat little story, photographed and narrated by a talented story-teller with genuine love for the sport.
For those that are not motorcyclists: while Steve McQueen indeed has the draw, the two other riders in the movie are today giants in their chosen fields. Mert Lawwill today is a gifted engineering pioneer in the field of human hand prosthesis, and Malcom Smith still owns a dealership and runs Malcom Smith Racing, a producer of off-road rider equipment.
The first time I saw this movie I was already an experienced rider, having ridden all over the North American Continent and the island of Oahu on everything from 90cc dirt bikes to Harleys to Ninjas to full-boat tourers. But like other reviewers on this forum, it's now Must See at least twice a year. While it centers on off-road competition rather than road riding, OAS still conveys the thrill riders get when in the wind. Bruce Brown knows how to tell a story, and he does a fantastic job. On one hand, he tries to cover too much in the allotted time; on the other hand, there are so many more stories in the motorcycle world that didn't get told. Just enjoy the movie for what it is, a neat little story, photographed and narrated by a talented story-teller with genuine love for the sport.
For those that are not motorcyclists: while Steve McQueen indeed has the draw, the two other riders in the movie are today giants in their chosen fields. Mert Lawwill today is a gifted engineering pioneer in the field of human hand prosthesis, and Malcom Smith still owns a dealership and runs Malcom Smith Racing, a producer of off-road rider equipment.