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Last spring, I interviewed two professional surf photographers, both named Miller and both with ties to St. Augustine, FL. Writing extensive biographies of Dustin and Ryan Miller (no relation) required hours of conversation, but both were gracious with their time — Ryan even stayed up late to Skype me from Australia so we could talk during my normal office hours. Towards the end of both sets of interviews, I mentioned to Dustin and Ryan that my wife and I were about to have our first child, and since both were parents of small children, they had the same thing to say: get that baby travelling as early and as often as possible.
And I listened, since both men make a living spending more time traversing the globe than sitting at home. So even before my son Finnegan was born last July, my wife and I made plans for our first family trip, two weeks in New York for the Quiksilver Pro New York. Come September, we were nervous about being away from home that long with a six-week-old baby, not to mention the challenges of getting around New York City and the surrounding area with a ton of gear in tow. But one thing in particular made it all a breeze: the Bumbleride Indie Movement Edition.
Our first night in town, we were doing what all New Yorkers do — walking the half-mile or so from the train station to our apartment in Brooklyn. And guess what? It started raining. No problem; the stroller’s waterproof fabric kept our boy dry and toasty. We spent the next day journeying back and forth across Manhattan so he could soak in all the sights and sounds, and the Indie Movement’s rear wheel suspension and 12” all-terrain tires handled every bump, curb, pothole, and obstacle — and there are a lot of them in the biggest city in America — with ease. And on a trip to Governor’s Island, the sun was actually blazing for once, so we popped open up the Indie Movement’s canopy and let him snooze in the shadows.
Most impressive, the Bumbleride Indie Movement Edition worked like a charm in transit. I aced the quick release fold after our first trip to the airport, and probably did it 50 times over the course of our time in New York. Once broken down, the Indie Movement was ridiculously easy to carry thanks to a multitude of handles, and it fit in every single luggage rack, rental car trunk, and tight space we encountered. A couple of times, we couldn’t find an elevator, but since the Indie Movement is so light, my wife and I were able to tag-team an escalator dry lift with no aches and pains.
Since New York, we’ve flown to Western North Carolina twice to visit friends who are having twins this spring, and with each connecting flight, each tram ride, and each travel situation, the ease and maneuverability of the Bumbleride Indie Movement Edition has impressed not only me and my wife but also those around us. I’ll never forget the way my pregnant friend’s eyes lit up when I told her the Indie comes in a Twin model — or the dirty look a frustrated mom gave her husband while struggling with a cheap fold-up stroller in the Atlanta airport after I broke the Bumbleride down for loading in less than five seconds.
It’s not just special situations where the Bumbleride Indie Movement Edition shines, either. With two rambunctious dogs at home, we take a lot of walks, and my boy looks forward to each one — him in the stroller, me pushing, and the dogs flanking each side like the proud canine siblings they are. My wife jogs a couple of times a week and loves the ease of the swiveling front wheel’s fixed inline position. And as my son gets older, he relishes each increase of the reclining backrest, since soaking it all in is by far his favorite activity. We like to think that that early trip to New York instilled in him a love for new surroundings.
So far, the Indie Movement has excelled in the big city, the mountains, and around town here in Florida. With spring approaching and our boy on the move, we’ve got lots of beach trips and day hikes planned, as well — and I’m confident the Indie Movement will handle anything else we can throw at it. By Nick McGregor/ Eastern Surf Magazine http://www.easternsurf.com
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