Gravity
A film about the pull of L.A. and riding life your own way.
Andrew Jackson, Dante Young, and Boo Johnson are riders shaped by the city of Los Angeles. Friends with differing paths, joined together by the bike. Something DFRNT is their crew — bringing their style and vision to a sport that hasn’t always made space for them. Gravity is about the pull of L.A. and riding life your own way.
“When you can flow with the chaos of L.A. it just slows down and becomes seamless almost.”
– Dante Young
There are a million lights that shine in Los Angeles, day into night. In many ways it’s the ultimate city – with an energy so powerful people who’ve never been here get pulled in. It has its hazards and heartaches of course, with its unique geographical position making it vulnerable to natural forces as well as human-made dangers. But that is also its strength. And the city’s unique topography makes it an unlikely playground for the cyclist.
Three of those leading L.A. lights – and cyclists – are Andrew Jackson, Dante Young, and Boo Johnson. Friends shaped by their city who’ve followed different paths but have been connected through the bike. It’s taken them to places they might have otherwise never discovered.
A track bike took Dante Young from L.A.’s notorious South Central district and beyond the city to the adrenalin rush of fixed gear criterium racing. Navigating through dangerous neighbourhoods and growing up having to think and act quickly has been Dante’s competitive advantage. Linking up with friends in the fixed gear community, he bought himself a track bike and soon was racing at the Red Hook Crit in NYC. Natural progression took him to multiple gears and global competition. Today it’s still a major force in Dante’s identity.
“Cycling was my breaking of chains, I can go anywhere."
– Dante Young
Andrew Jackson’s evolution as a cyclist has taken him from the center of L.A. to travelling the world as a BMX street pro. Today he's training in the Santa Monica mountains and competing as a road and gravel racer. Andrew continues to be a powerful voice for the black experience in cycling. His vision and philosophy is crucial to push the sport and culture forward.
“The bike is your paint brush, the city’s your canvas.”
– Andrew Jackson
Based out of Long Beach, professional skateboarder Boo Johnson knows the shape of the streets better than anybody. But much like Andrew Jackson, his sport took its toll on the body – a knee injury and a fixed gear bike was the gateway to going further on a bicycle. In turn, his blossoming love for riding rekindled his love for skating. Cycling is now taking him around the world again, but through a new lens.
“You could honestly jump on your bike and get a three-hour movie. It could be a thriller, it could be a drama. Your rides are always different. There’s wild scenes out here.”
– Boo Johnson
This is a story about friendship and progression – how the sport provides inspiration and identity. It shows us that riding allows everyone to escape the pitfalls and pressures of a city without ever having to leave it. But then by contrast, it can take us far beyond it.
The bike’s power for expression and transformation is a gift.
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