Cut Media and Danny MacAskill Take the Humble Wheelie to New Heights for adidas Five Ten

Cut Media has unveiled its latest film project, Do a Wheelie, starring stunt trials and mountain biking sensation, Danny MacAskill. The project, which was filmed for adidas Five Ten, is a fun, feel good celebration, elevating the humble wheelie to 'wow' status. Spanning iconic locations across Scotland and packed full of sensational stunts, the film is the first of its kind for Danny, as he rides side by side with real fans and other riders as they showcase their tricks and talents.

Announcing the new film project on social media, Danny put out a call to action to his 3.5 million fans. For a chance to ride alongside the cycling legend, fans were challenged to upload their ‘best, most creative wheelie’, tagging #BrandOfTheBrave and #WheelieWithDanny for the opportunity to win a starring role. This is the first time Danny has brought other talent into one of his films, with the final feature emanating camaraderie and embodying the heart of the biking community.

On making the film, Danny commented: “No matter what bike you ride or where you’re from the wheelie is the one trick everybody knows. It’s definitely the most relatable and iconic trick so it’s been awesome to get together again with the Cut Media crew to make a new film to celebrate it. We’ve brought together so many incredibly creative riders and in the end I think we’ve made something really fun that leaves you feeling good and maybe wanting to try a few wheelies yourself too.”        

Tasked with producing a film that brought together the riding community, showcasing incredible talent and pushing the boundaries to ensure the humble wheelie was ramped up to the next level. Using everyday 'street furniture', from train tracks to picnic benches, Danny's back wheel, gravity defying stunts include scaling a series of moving street bollards, traversing across fallen trees and an impressive manoeuvre that sees him land a wheelie front flip to wheelie.

From upcoming riders making a name through social media to world champion riders, the film showcases an array of riding talent. Big name athletes that feature in the film include top artistic rider and three times vice world champion, Viola Brand, as well as Danny’s personal childhood hero, extreme mountain biker and former trials world champion, Hans ‘No Way’ Rey.

For ultimate cinematic impact and, staying true to the roots of both Danny and Cut Media, the stunts take place across some of the most iconic and visually inspiring locations around Scotland. From inner city to backcountry, Danny's back wheels grace everywhere from Edinburgh's stunning Jupiter Artland and the Kelpies, to Dundee's monumental V&A museum, inspired by the cliffs of the Scottish coastline.

Cut Media has a longstanding relationship with Danny and they have collaborated on a number of previous film projects including ‘Gymnasium’, ‘Wee Day Out’ and ‘The Ridge’. Cut Media also produced the ‘Welcome to the family’ film when Danny joined the adidas Five Ten team as an ambassador, so when the opportunity to create his first high concept film with them arose, it was deemed the perfect fit.

Stu Thomson, Cut Media founder and executive producer on the shoot commented: “It’s been incredible to collaborate with Danny again. We’ve worked together a lot over the years and, each time, we aim to push the boundaries and do something different. Bringing such a diverse range of talent together was super exciting and it was amazing to see the variety of skills, as everyone brought their own twist to the classic wheelie. We had such a good time making this – we hope it's as much fun to watch!”

“When Danny and Cut Media approached me about making ‘Do A Wheelie’ it seemed like a great opportunity to show the world the joy two wheels can bring. I hadn’t worked directly with Cut media since 2014 when we worked together on 'The Ridge' and it turned out to be hugely successful. So obviously I was excited to work with Danny and Cut Media on another epic project to show the world how much fun riding a bike can be and to highlight the current wheelie movement going on in the cities.”  Luke Hontz, adidas Five Ten

The wheelie is commonly one of the first tricks riders attempt and it's a staple for both novices and professionals alike. It's a move that is as equally iconic as it is accessible, and its universal nature makes it the perfect celebration of cycling – spanning cultures, disciplines and generations.