The culmination of two friends’ 4,000-mile-plus journey bicycling across the United States as an exploration of the “health, sustainability and people of the American landscape” will finally be premiered documentary-style on Thursday, June 8 at the Art Theatre in Long Beach.

The film follows Long Beach natives Charlie Hockett and Noah Le Beau along their adventure of riding from New York City to Long Beach in 2015. The duo left NYC on June 1, 2015 and arrived in Long Beach on September 18, 2015.


 

“[…]It was the most amazing summer I’ve had in my life and just, every day was a little more epic than the last,” Hockett told the Post soon after he’d arrived home. “Now that that’s over I’ve gotta find new and different ways to keep that going.”

Hockett certainly brought his love for cycling back to his hometown, helping kick off the popular Moonlight Mash monthly ride, now run by Pedal Movement, and working as placemaking intern at the Downtown Long Beach Alliance. Hockett now works as Rides and Events Coordinator at Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle.


 

Over the past two years, Le Beau has spearheaded the production of the Westward Wheels documentary, which not only depicts the physicality of their journey, but questions what sustainability, community and cycling means when it comes to making American cities healthier places to live.

Tickets are $8. Doors open at 7:30PM; the film will start around 8:15PM followed by a Q&A with Hockett and Le Beau. For more information about the Westward Wheels premier, visit the Facebook event page here

The Art Theatre is located at 2025 East 4th Street.

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Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].