Chelsie Hayden

As a self-described ultra endurance nomad and employee at Upper Echelon Fitness, Chelsie is looking forward to using her bike passion to help her choose the best films for this year’s festival.

“I think a small part of me hopes this is the beginning of an unexpected life as a film critic, but lets just say I’m excited by any new opportunity that comes my way,” she says.

Chelsea is a rare breed in these parts, definitely not for her love of bikes and film, but certainly for being a native Portlander. “It seems like regardless of how long I’m away for I always come back for the coffee, the mountains, and last but not least, the waffle cart.”

Chelsea enjoys weaving bike, art, music and film cultures into her everyday life. “I feel inspired by little unexpected pockets of beauty whether it’s a vintage Italian steel road bike tucked away in a random alley camouflaged to look like any other bike or a tiny independent film being played at a small one screen theater. I feel like my everyday life depends on these little glimpses of culture.”