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Mountain Trails Foundation will host ‘NOT2BAD’ fundraiser

Mountain Trails Foundation is a local nonprofit organization that works towards educating people about healthy and safe trail use and works to maintain and build new trail systems in the area for everyone to enjoy.

In order to do that, the nonprofit, which works with Park City Municipal, Basin Recreation, Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort, needs to raise money, so, it has teamed with the Park City Film Series to host a fundraiser and screening of
Anthill Films’ new mountain biking documentary “NOT2BAD” and its predecessor “NOTBAD” at the Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium on Friday, Aug. 26.

The screening will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and proceeds will benefit Mountain Trails Foundation.

Sandy Margulies, Mountain Trails Foundation ambassador, was the one who got the ball rolling on this event.

“I’m an avid downhill mountain biker and one of the younger ambassadors in the group and I had seen ‘NOTBAD’ last summer during a bike festival in Moab,” she said. “As soon as I saw it, I thought we should show these fun movies in Park City.”

When she looked up the screenings for “NOT2BAD,” she realized that the only people who were going to show it up to that point were in Moab again.

“So, to give our community access to these great films, I worked to provide that opportunity to show that mountain biking is getting this new life and to pull the younger crowd and demographic to support Mountain Trails Foundation,” Margulies said. “We already had reserved the date at the auditorium, so I asked if we could show a bike film.”

Everyone, including Mountain Trails Foundation Executive Director Charlie Sturgis, loved the idea.

Margulies reached out to the Park City Film Series’ Executive Director Katharine Wang for help.

“I learned when you want to screen one of these films, you can contact Anthill directly, and Katy helped us contact them and organize the event,” Margulies said. “Having a resource like the Park City Film Series in the community is so important and beneficial to the community.”

Margulies is excited for Park City audiences to see “NOT2BAD.”

“I was biking in Whistler (British Columbia) a few weeks ago and got to see the film,” she said. “It’s super fun.”

While “NOTBAD” featured a group of bikers touring New Zealand, “NOT2BAD” was filmed in Spain, according to Margulies.

“It shows a few different types of riding including enduro-type of riding where they are riding some great connected trails and flying through the trees,” she said. “There is another segment where they are riding in some cities of Spain. And the cinematography is beautiful.”

Another aspect Margulies likes about “NOT2BAD” is the segments featuring female bikers.

“There are a few more female riders in the film, namely Rachel Atherton, the reigning Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Cup champion in downhill, and pro downhill biker Casey Brown,” she said. “They have pretty good segments in the film and that’s the first time that I’ve seen in quite a while where females are given some great time riding on film. And they kill it.

“To see these females riding with other guys, just as hard with great technique is great,” Margulies said. “It’s especially great for young girls who are getting into the sport.”

Margulies was born and raised in Park City, so getting outdoors was something that she did often, although her parents weren’t bike riders.

“I skied in the fall and winter and biked in the spring and summer,” she said. “I took a few years off of biking, but got back into it after I saw the technology is better, so it’s not as damaging on the body. I’m out of school, so I have the time and money to enjoy the sport.”

In addition to the screening, Friday’s event will feature an opportunity drawing.

“It’s going to be good because Charlie has all of this sweet stuff in some room in his house,” Margulies said. “We’re going to pillage his home for stuff.”

She is also hoping the event raises a lot of money because trail maintenance is an ongoing project.

“We are in a constant battle with the elements to keep these trails useable,” she said. “We had so many trees downed from the big winter, so we had to clear hundreds of trees.”

The lack of significant rainstorms has also been a big issue.

“The trails are so dry and bumpy right now,” she said. “We all are doing rain dances and they haven’t been successful, yet.”

Mountain Trails Foundation and Park City Film Series will team to present a free screening of “NOT2BAD” and “NOTBAD,” not rated, at the Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Ave., on Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information and tickets, visit http://www.parkcityfilmfestival.com.


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