{"id":801307,"date":"2019-11-13T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T19:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday\/"},"modified":"2019-11-13T12:48:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T19:48:00","slug":"short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday\/","title":{"rendered":"Short film \u2018Unknown Country,\u2019 featuring Vail-area cyclist Jake Wells, showing in Edwards Thursday"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8072033898305\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-374440-364\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-827x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy Mixed Media Machine | \" unknown country charts avon cyclist jake wells on his journey to the dirty kanza xl a mile self supported bike race. short film makes its local high debut thursday at riverwalk theater in edwards. class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>&#8220;Unknown Country&#8221; charts Avon cyclist Jake Wells on his journey to the Dirty Kanza XL, a 350 mile self supported bike race. The short film makes its local High Country debut on Thursday at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy Mixed Media Machine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-827x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt unknown country charts avon cyclist jake wells on his journey to the dirty kanza xl a mile self supported bike race. short film makes its local high debut thursday at riverwalk theater in edwards.><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy Mixed Media Machine | Jake Wells, a personal trainer at Form Attainment Studio in Edwards, underwent a rigorous preparation regiment to ready himself for the Dirty Kanza XL, a 350-mile bike race. Wells\u2019 preparations, along with the race itself, are the subject of \u201cUnknown Country,\u201d a new film which seeks to explore the limits of human potential.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"2.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Jake Wells, a personal trainer at Form Attainment Studio in Edwards, underwent a rigorous preparation regiment to ready himself for the Dirty Kanza XL, a 350-mile bike race. Wells\u2019 preparations, along with the race itself, are the subject of \u201cUnknown Country,\u201d a new film which seeks to explore the limits of human potential.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy Mixed Media Machine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jake Wells, a personal trainer at Form Attainment Studio in Edwards, underwent a rigorous preparation regiment to ready himself for the Dirty Kanza XL, a 350-mile bike race. Wells\u2019 preparations, along with the race itself, are the subject of \u201cUnknown Country,\u201d a new film which seeks to explore the limits of human potential.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-2-1024x684.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy Mixed Media Machine | Jake Wells was a professional cyclocross racer before exploring ultra endurance bike racing. In 2017, he finished second of 828 in the 200-mile Dirty Kanza, a performance which helped him gain entry into the 350-mile DKXL, which is the subject of the new film \" unknown country. class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Jake Wells was a professional cyclocross racer before exploring ultra endurance bike racing. In 2017, he finished second of 828 in the 200-mile Dirty Kanza, a performance which helped him gain entry into the 350-mile DKXL, which is the subject of the new film &#8220;Unknown Country.&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy Mixed Media Machine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/JakeWells-VDN-110519-2-1024x684.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jake Wells was a professional cyclocross racer before exploring ultra endurance bike racing. In 2017, he finished second of 828 in the 200-mile Dirty Kanza, a performance which helped him gain entry into the 350-mile DKXL, which is the subject of the new film \" unknown country.><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">EDWARDS \u2013 Local cyclist Jake Wells did pretty well the first time he tried an ultra-endurance gravel race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The 200-mile Dirty Kanza has come to be regarded as one of the top tests of stamina available in North America \u2014 certainly in our region \u2014 and Wells passed the test with ease, finishing second of 828 competitors in 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The next year, the Dirty Kanza introduced a new format, a 350-mile race known as the Dirty Kanza XL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cYou\u2019re doing 200 miles, and you\u2019re thinking this is the worst you\u2019ve ever felt or the biggest event you\u2019ve ever done, and then you see these guys doing almost double what you\u2019re doing,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After seeing it in 2018, Wells set out to train for and complete the DKXL in 2019. Filmmaker Justin Balog, a National Geographic award-winning photographer, captured the experience in his new film, \u201cUnknown Country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe idea behind the project is exploring human limits and what that means to a person, individually, and hopefully sharing a wider perspective for people who are watching it,\u201d Balog said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">\u2018So much going on\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Wells said the race most definitely tested his limits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI learned a lot about myself in that scenario that I don\u2019t think you can simulate,\u201d Wells said. \u201cUnless you put yourself in that place, there\u2019s no way to know how your body is going to react, and how your mind is going to react, and what are the tricks to pull yourself out of that place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The film is about 30 minutes and debuted on Oct. 11 in Bentonville, Arkansas. It has also played in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Colorado.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe screenings have gone really well,\u201d Balog said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different type of event \u2014 at a normal cinematic event, you go, you watch a movie, you leave \u2014 but in certain places now, it turns into a whole evening. You have the film and then you have a Q&amp;A with the filmmaker or with the people who were in the film, so it makes it a totally different kind of experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Wells said the first few showings have included great audience interaction components, and he expects the Thursday showing in Edwards will be no different.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere\u2019s so much going on in the film,\u201d Wells said. \u201cSo there\u2019s people who are interested in the equipment and the gear that you\u2019re using, and there\u2019s people who are interested in the endurance part of it and the training, and then a lot of people want to know about the mental places that you go during those types of events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">Local support<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Fjellbarn Fund \u2014 a local organization founded by Sylvan Ellefson, Kjell Ellefson and John Cummins \u2014 which provides financial assistance for aspiring athletes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAt each one of the screenings so far we\u2019ve tried to connect with a local nonprofit,\u201d Wells said. \u201cAnd the idea with this film is it\u2019s about more than just cycling or gear or endurance, it\u2019s about pushing boundaries and hopefully inspiring people to push their boundaries. \u2026 So we connected with the Fjellbarn Fund because it\u2019s not just for cyclists; it\u2019s open to anyone who\u2019s an athlete that\u2019s based here and is trying to get to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the screening will start at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards. For more information visit: mixedmediamachine.com\/unknowncountry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\">This story is from VailDaily.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/short-film-unknown-country-featuring-vail-area-cyclist-jake-wells-showing-in-edwards-thursday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Unknown Country&#8221; charts Avon cyclist Jake Wells on his journey to the Dirty Kanza XL, a 350 mile self supported bike race. The short film makes its local High Country debut on Thursday at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards.Courtesy Mixed Media Machine Jake Wells, a personal trainer at Form Attainment Studio in Edwards, underwent a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-801307","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-01 15:35:25","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801307\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}