'Sit, Stay, Ride' documentary tells story of America's sidecar dogs

The wind rushing through your hair and the thrill of the open ride- motorcycle buffs love it, and in some cases, so do their dogs!

That's why filmmakers Eric Ristau and Geneva Liimatta set out to tell the stories of some true characters and their canine sidekicks in a documentary called, “Sit, Stay, Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar dogs”.

The Florida premier of the documentary takes place Tuesday night, and doubles as a fundraiser for WMNF radio.

“My wife and I decided to make this film after seeing dogs in sidecars over the years, and not really understanding why people did it and what the allure was,” Ristau explained.

But after talking with the cyclists who brought their furry friends on the road with them, the reasoning behind it became clear.

“We found that they have these really great stories, and that they really just did not want to leave their dogs behind.”

In all, they talked with 18 motorcyclists about the cross-country journeys they made with their dogs at their sides.

“Almost every single one of them was a terrific character- somebody you’d figure you would meet once in a lifetime,” said Ristau. “These are people of all different stripes, from different parts of the United States and different backgrounds,” he said.

But they all had one commonality- they love their dogs and they love their motorcycles.

The premier will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28 at the Tampa Pitcher Show, 14416 N. Dale Mabry Blvd.

Tickets will cost $10.