Released over a decade ago, “It’s Better in the Wind” by Scott Toepfer remains as one of the finest short films on motorcycle culture. No special effects in the film. No Hollywood actors. Just a group of guys planning road trips and Scott trying to record it the best he could, becoming good friends in the process, and trying to get it out there on a positive note.
Scott funded the film by selling his ‘Better in the Wind’ book online, which literally made it possible to keep his bike on the road and keep filming. “My paperback book has helped me keep my XS650 running enough to make it through the trips” says Scott. “Blown head gasket, broken mufflers, tail lights, headlights, bars, chains… that damn XS is my baby but without the support of those people who have picked up a copy of the book, I wouldn’t have been able to ride/shoot and pay the bills at home”
Following a group of riders on a trip across southwest USA, the film takes the form of a collection of moving snap-shots. Snatched moments on a road trip, capturing the spontaneity and carefree nature of such a motorcycle trip. At the time of its release, Scott said of the film; “…just a collection of imagery that will hopefully inspire more people to take to the road and discover what there is outside of our respective communities.”
You won’t find any special effects in the film. No Hollywood actors. No unbelievable ending. “Just a group of guys planning road trips, me trying to record it the best I could, becoming good friends in the process, and trying to get it out there on a positive note,” says Scott. “There are tons of opinions on what is what, who is who, and where the motorcycle culture should go… but really at the base of the argument is that we all take the sport/recreation of riding personally and it means something to us in a positive way… so why not try and reflect the simple joy of it. We as motorcyclists can bitch all we want, and while most of us are strangers, we’re still most likely buds when crossing paths on the road”.