Native Eyewear's Brevard Locals Only Project | Video Collection

Native Eyewear’s Brevard Locals Only Project | Video Collection

When we were initially asked to shoot a video for the Brevard Locals Only Project, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect. It’s not everyday that a representative from one of your favorite brands in the outdoor industry calls you up and says, “Hey, we really like your videos and we were hoping to hire you to film rock climbing, kayaking, trail running and mountain biking in Brevard and to tell the story of what makes Brevard such a cool place.”

Obviously, I jumped at the opportunity, but little did I know how much fun it would really be to get outdoors and spend two full days shooting some of my favorite outdoor activities in the area with some great people who call Brevard home. For our first video shoot in May for the Brevard Locals Only Project, the weather couldn’t have been prettier and the timing was perfect. Early spring in Pisgah National Forest is one of the all-time best places to visit as the new leaves on the trees, ferns and other plant life has a vibrancy that is hard to describe.

Over the summer, Native Eyewear put their picks for the top five mountain towns in their 2013 Locals Only Project up to a vote on facebook, and Brevard came out ahead as the clear winner. We received a great response to the video we shot and began gearing up for the next phase of the project, a series of seven videos highlighting the individual components that make Brevard such a unique place to live, work and play. The video series includes breakout videos on mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and canoeing, the arts scene in Brevard, the music scene, the breweries and fly fishing. Ultimately, we couldn’t be more happy with how the videos turned out and we’re grateful that Native Eyewear chose us to help them tell Brevard’s story. I’d be amiss if I didn’t thank all of the people who helped make this project a success. People who dropped everything to go spend the day filming interviews, hitting the trails and rivers, climbing their favorite routes, living their lives and doing their thing. To everyone involved, thanks and congratulations on helping to make Brevard and all of Western North Carolina such a great place to call home.

Introduction To Brevard

In the Spring of 2013, Native Eyewear chose Brevard as one of their five finalists in their annual Locals Only Project. Each year, the sunglasses manufacturer picks one town that embodies the mountain lifestyle to be the site of their marketing material for that year. The folks from Native Eyewear came to Brevard in May and we shot a short video about what the town of Brevard is all about. After watching the video you’ll see for yourself that Brevard really does have it all for outdoor sports enthusiasts with great rock climbing, fun whitewater kayaking, phenomenal mountain biking and a vibrant downtown.

Mountain Biking In Brevard

When it comes to mountain biking, nowhere can really compare to Brevard. Located just minutes from Pisgah National Forest’s 400-plus-miles of trails and DuPont State Forest’s 100 miles of trails, it’s easy to see why Brevard has received near-constant attention and accolades in recent years for its mountain biking. Whether Brevard Mountain Biking has received praise from Bike Magazine as the site of their annual bike review, from Singletrack.com as one of the United States’ top 10 best mountain biking locations or just post-ride revelry from the thousands of mountain bikers who visit the area each year, it’s clear the word is out that Brevard mountain biking is hard to beat. In our Locals Only Project video, we wanted to capture what made the area such a mecca for mountain biking by talking to the locals who ride the trails day in and day out.

Rock Climbing In Brevard

Nestled in the heart of the vast Pisgah National Forest in the southern Appalachian mountains is Looking Glass Rock, a climbing destination renown for being one of the best in the Eastern U.S. thanks to the variety of features found on the 500-foot-tall granite dome. Hidden below Looking Glass Rock are countless boulders with some great climbing that have provided a challenge for the strongest climbers in the country.

For the Locals Only Project video on climbing in Brevard, we wanted to showcase what makes the climbing in Brevard and Transylvania County so special. Who better to talk to about the climbing than Phil Hoffmann, vice president of the Carolina Climbers Coalition, and Ron Funderburke, senior guide at Fox Mountain Guides in Pisgah Forest? Thanks to their help, along with a combination of aerial video footage and action-packed climbing footage, Native Eyewear was able to tell the story of climbing in Brevard and Transylvania County.

Fly Fishing In Brevard

The 4,000 miles of North Carolina mountain trout streams have long been considered a haven for fly-fishermen looking to test their angling skills in a beautiful and oftentimes rugged environment. In Brevard and Transylvania County alone, fishermen can choose from nearly 500 miles of creeks, streams and rivers that run through the steep mountains and rich forests. This rich diversity and bountiful water supply make the area one of the top destinations in the southeast for fly fishing. For local fishing guides like the ones we showcased in this Brevard fly fishing video who spend a great deal of their time guiding clients on the rivers, the diversity of the Brevard’s waterways and the bountiful fish populations that thrive in the cool mountain water helps keep them and their clients satisfied day in and day out. For more information on the great folks who appeared in this video and to book them for a day on the water, check out www.davidsonflyfishing.com.

The Fox Fire Music Video

As the folks at Native Eyewear describe them, The Fox Fire “provide the bluegrass soundtrack for Brevard, often performing at art galleries, breweries, and special events where their music infuses beers, sculptures and friends with a kick of native soul.”

In The Fox Fire music video featured below, we got together with the band for a morning of filming at bassist J.T. Linville’s house on the French Broad River. For more information on the band, check out their website at www.thefoxfire.com.