The Rider and the Wolf is a feature documentary about the life and mysterious disappearance of Mountain Bike Hall of Fame cyclist Mike Rust.

He helped form the sport of mountain biking in the USA with the stoke and technical innovations he put into action in the mountain towns of Crested Butte and Salida. He went missing without a trace in 2009 in remote part of Colorado. The mystery remains. Shot in Red Epic-X 4K , this film tells the tale of another side of the great American West.

Created with the support of Telluride Mountainfilm and Oskar Blues Brewery. Winner of Best Feature at Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival & Judge’s Special Prize at Kendal Mountain Fest in the UK.

Director/Cinematography – Nathan Ward ♦ Editors – Emmy Award Winner Lyman Smith and Claude DeMoss ♦ Executive Producer – Carlin Walsh ♦ Running time 62 minutes.

Mike-Rust-Pearl-Pass

Mike Rust pedaling one of his early handmade mountain bikes over Pearl Pass, Crested Butte Colorado. Circa 1981. Photo – Frank Staub

The Reviews Are In!

What struck me about The Rider and The Wolf was its ability to fully immerse me into a man’s life, the mystery of his death and the impact of his contribution to the rebellious beginnings of a sport — all while leaving me wanting more, and I mean that as the highest praise. It’s pretty rare to find a film that’s as artfully photographed as it was edited without losing a sensitivity to the story — and I doubt the filmmaker’s could have told Mike’s story without truly earning the trust of the community he left behind.

ben-knight
Ben Knight
filmmaker

Rider & The Wolf had me hooked immediately and wouldn’t let me go until the very end. Beautifully shot and edited, with gorgeous Colorado settings and classic mountain biking footage. More than that it’s a profound and compelling mystery story, and an homage to one of the great legends of the sport.

Kornylak-Andrew
Andrew Kornylak
filmmaker