What is it like to live every day on a bicycle for 16,000 miles?
"Spinning Southward" is a documentary film following three bicyclists who traveled from the far northern shores of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska through 13 countries to Ushuaia, Argentina in support of the National Brain Tumor Society.
The riders, brothers John and Mike Logsdon and filmmaker, Nateon Ajello, were inspired by the memory of their mothers, Jean Logsdon and Fran Ajello, who both were affected by brain tumors. By the end of their journey in September 2006, the cyclists had raised more than $75,000 for the National Brain Tumor Society
and had reached out to thousands of families both personally and through media along the way.
The film documents the hardship, wonder, challenge, people, and all elements that come with living every day on a bicycle. It also incorporates mapping, animation and original music that bring the story to life.
Latest News:
In honor of National Brain Tumor Awareness Month and National Bike to Work Month, I am pleased to announce the official launch of the Spinning Southward Film DVD. After nearly 6 years of editing, awareness events and preparation, the Spinning Southward adventure is available in feature length format on DVD at Amazon. All proceeds from each purchase will go directly to The National Brain Tumor Foundation (www.braintumor.org). All net proceeds from the DVD will be given to the NBTS.
To share the story of Spinning Southward and increase awareness for the National Brain Tumor Society as well as bicycling as transportation, please share http://spinningsouthward.com with your friends and family.
The Idea In 2002, John and Mike Logsdon began to talk about an epic, tip to tail, bicycle trip spanning the length of the Americas. At the time, however, their geographic separation and respective professional endeavors would force them to shelve their dream ride and hope for more accommodating circumstances. Two years later, that opportunity presented itself in the fall of 2004 when John and Mike's lives converged in the mountains of Colorado. Over the course of their stay, the brothers began laying the groundwork for a bicycle trip that would take them from the far northern shores of Prudhoe Bay at the top of Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern most city in the world. On July 26, 2005, having cleared all financial and logistical hurdles, they started pedaling on the long road south.
The Motivation
The motivation for the trip was a reflection of their life-long ambitions to explore new places, to make meaningful connections with other people and cultures, and to test the boundaries of their physical endurance and mental resolve. These ambitions were inspired by the enduring spirit of their late mother, Jean, herself an accomplished world traveler who always supported and encouraged their explorations of the world. This trip is dedicated to her memory.
The Documentary After 4000 miles of pedaling, Mike and John met a kindred spirit by the name of Nateon Ajello. Living in Los Angeles, California, Nateon was working as a film maker and animator, and had lost his mother to a brain tumor as well. Enamored with the idea, Nateon joined the ride 3 weeks after meeting the brothers and documented the next 10,000 miles. The Spinning Southward documentary tells what they experienced traveling through 11 countries in Latin America: The hardships, the wonders, the challenges, the people, and everything else that comes with living every day on a bicycle. The film is dedicated to the memory of his mother, Fran Rudolph Ajello.
