Behind the scenes of video making

As a young snowboard and skate rat in northern Vermont, I think it's pretty safe to say that I spent way too much time watching snowboard and skateboard videos. Starting in my early teen years my friends, sister, cousins and I used to wear out the old VHS tapes of the Totally Board movies, various skate videos, the Mack Dawg movies, and then all the others that began to pop up. We even tried to make some of our own, with a point and shoot VHS recorder. We knew a lot of work went in to making those movies, and clearly we didn't have the equipment or know how, but I don't think we realized how much work.

Alex Grant, 31, is one of America's top endurance mountain bike racers. Sponsored by Cannondale Factory Racing in 2012, Grant juggles racing as a pro with managing an outdoor gear consignment business called Gear Rush, which he co-owns with fellow Utah cyclist and racer Bart Gillepsie. This season, look out for Grant on the podiums at major endurance and stage races. For variety, you may also see him on on the start line of some super Ds, cross countries and short tracks.

In 2011, Grant finished third at the Leadville 100 and eighth at the US cross country national championships while also logging top 10s at the super D and marathon nationals. He finished fifth in the Downieville Classic All Mountain Overall and seventh at La Ruta de los Conquistadores. For the third year in a row, he won the Park City Point 2 Point.

In 2010, Grant made headlines with his second place finish at La Ruta de los Conquistadores, the Breck Epic and the Trans-Sylvania Epic.

When not on his mountain bike, Grant enjoys backcountry skiing, snowboarding and hiking.

Grant is from Richmond, Vermont, and he presently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Follow his 2012 season in this blog on Cyclingnews.