Capturing the Heart of the Hill: Filming the Knox Mountain Hill Climb
About a month before the 66th annual Knox Mountain Hill Climb, I pitched an idea to Nick Naylor, my business partner and co-founder of Stray Raven Films; What if we made a documentary about this event?
But it wasn’t about the race itself—it was about everything that surrounded it. The smell of oil in home garages. The friendships welded together through long nights and last-minute fixes. The families that camp out in lawn chairs at the base of a hill, watching their loved ones throw themselves into a corner at full speed. We wanted to show the Okanagan—and maybe anyone else watching—what grassroots motorsport really feels like. Not just the horsepower, but the heart.
Finding the Story in the Racers
Our vision was to follow one to three racers. Real people. Not professionals with factory sponsors, but local drivers doing what they love, however they could afford to do it. Knox is a unique event, and we wanted to honour that by showing how it takes a village—friends, families, volunteers—to make something this special happen every year.
The first person we reached out to was Sherry Anthony, a local racer I’d known through a previous coworker. She’d competed in the hill climb before, and sure enough, she was coming back this year. She graciously helped connect us with two more incredible people: Garrett Mealing and Dave Stephenson.
Grease, Grit, and Getting Ready
I met Garrett in mid-April. He welcomed us into his world from day one, and right away, we began filming in his garage as he and his dad rebuilt a transmission. Watching them work, it was obvious this wasn’t just a weekend hobby—it was a passion that lived deep in their bones. Garrett later introduced us to Dave, a close friend of his and another racer preparing for the climb.
We met Dave at Classified Motorsports here in Kelowna, where he was getting his car on the dyno. We ended up shooting there over two visits as Dave dialed in the car, hunting for that sweet spot of power. We interviewed Dave right out front of the shop, and Garrett’s interview was filmed in his own garage—surrounded by the tools, parts, and the history that told their stories without a single word spoken.
A Weekend to Remember
And then it was race weekend. The weather changed its mind every few hours. Rain, sun, wind—it all came through. But the energy? That stayed the same. From the moment we arrived, the paddock at Knox felt like something rare. Not a race day ego fest, but a backyard gathering with fast cars. Laughter echoed between trailers. Wrenches passed between teams. If someone needed help, people jumped in—no questions asked. These weren’t just racers. They were a family.
We spent most of the weekend alongside Garrett and Dave, cameras in hand, trying to do justice to what we were seeing and feeling. The focus, the adrenaline, the laughter, the setbacks, the small victories—it was all there. And what’s stayed with us, long after the engines cooled, is the atmosphere.
The pure joy.
The authenticity.
The community.
Why This Story Matters
That’s the thing about grassroots racing. It’s not just about what happens on the hill. It’s about what happens in the garages weeks before, and in the pits between runs, and in the hugs after the final climb. It’s about doing whatever it takes to chase what you love—even if it means rebuilding a transmission at midnight.
And that’s the story we hope to share.
This documentary has become more than just a film for us—it’s become a tribute. To the drivers. To their families. To everyone who makes events like this possible. Knox Mountain may be the oldest hill climb in Canada, but what we saw out there proves that the spirit of racing is as alive as ever.
And we can’t wait to show you what we’ve captured.
