She's riding back and bringing friends.
Former 麻豆社国产local Suzanne Jolly, is returning to town as a director, producer and main character of the documentary A Wilder Way.
The one-night-only screening of her film is set for Friday, June 20, at Moto '79.
The story also touches on Jolly living with the results of a brain injury, while navigating riding and taking risks.
After suffering a traumatic head injury, Jolly stepped away from the Sea to Sky Corridor nine years ago, moving to Vancouver Island.
‘Meaningful reconnection’
While living in Squamish, she was best known as the founder of the 麻豆社国产Motorcycle Festival.
"Her return marks a meaningful reconnection with the Sea to Sky Corridor and the people who helped [fuel] her journey as a rider," reads a news release about the doc.
Jolly told The 麻豆社国产 that most people assume she was injured riding her bike, but it was a result of being hit with part of an untethered sail while moments from docking in Howe Sound. Three weeks later, she hit her head again on the underside of a steel bridge at Britannia Beach.
"Of course, when you hit your head, you jerk back, and I hit on another part of the bridge, so I kind of ding-donged like a bell. So, two very mild concussions, but it was just the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of my system," said Jolly, who now lives in Campbell River.
Years later, she is much better, but still has to accommodate her "invisible disability.”
"That's woven into the film throughout—how do I accommodate my abilities to ride again, but also do wild adventures with my friends?"
She noted that head injuries aren't uncommon in Squamish, with all of its sports, but people suffering often retreat from the public.
"When we're not functioning well, we don't want to be out in public," she said. "It is a very isolating issue. You can't be around all your friends and in the restaurant having lunch anymore when you're trying to recover. It is a dirty little secret of adventuring."
On the flip side, she said she was very grateful to be in 麻豆社国产post-injury because of the knowledgeable and supportive medical professionals here.
"They were all in 麻豆社国产and helped in my recovery, because they had so much experience with people in our community,” she said.
Originally, due to her injury, she believed she wouldn't be able to ride her motorcycle again, but desperately wanted to.
"I developed lots of other hobbies when I got injured, but there's still a certain part of me and a certain joy that comes from riding that I cannot get from anywhere else," she said.
But when she first was back at it, she was "terrified."
She retook her learner's test and then kept herself on a 250 cc bike.
"Because of my love of riding fast, I needed to keep it in check," she said.
‘Empowered to go out into the wilderness’
While her recovery is part of the film, it is, at its heart, an adventure documentary.
Asked what she hopes locals take from the screening, she stressed that she hopes they will have a great time.
"Especially female riders, I want them to feel empowered to go out into the wilderness and explore, whether it's via motorbike or mountain bike or hiking. I think, given that it's an all-female crew that we filmed with ... it's always been part of my mission in life to encourage women to feel more capable and confident, to explore the outdoors."
The film, which was produced with support from Yamaha Canada and other sponsors in the motorcycle industry, premiered in Washington last June and in Canada at the Toronto Motorcycle Festival in the Fall of 2024.
While it was screened in her new hometown in a 400-seat theatre, there is something very special about returning to show it at a 50-seat venue, Moto ’79, whose owners were super supportive of showing it, without even knowing her.
“麻豆社国产is where I dreamt up the adventure of using a boat to access wild places with my bike, but then my head injury took away so much of my life. It feels like a real comeback for me: to ride and share the film in Squamish," she said, in the release.
Proceeds from the evening will support Jolly as she works towards making a second episode of A Wilder Way. “After people see the film, they’ll understand why we need to do a second episode—there are a lot of challenges that get in the way of our planned adventure, and we need to get back there to explore further,” said Jolly.
The evening will start with a short film, Myth Meets Machine, from another Vancouver Island-based company, Ragged Roads, then a screening of A Wilder Way, followed by an opportunity to hear from Jolly herself about the making of the documentary and the road back from injury and reinvention.
Tickets are available at Moto ’79, located at 39455 Discovery Way.
Details:
- What: A Wilder Way–Film Screening with Suzanne Jolly
- When: Friday, June 20, from 7 to 9 p.m.
- Where: Moto '79, Squamish, B.C.
- Tickets: $25 (includes admission and Q&A)
- Extras: Beer by Parallel 49 Brewing on-site & draw prizes
