Behind The Making Of Lane: Life, Legend, Legacy

“Wouldn’t it be neat if they made a movie out of me?”

It’s a late Tuesday evening in Atoka, Oklahoma. Elsie Frost recollects decades-old conversations she had with her son, the late great Lane Frost. That morning, she was watching a passel of great-grandchildren, and that evening, she was prepping “rodeo nachos” to bring to her local church. Now sitting in her recliner at the end of a busy day, Elsie, 84, took a brief pause to field my phone call. 

Thirty-five years ago, Elsie lost Lane, the magnetic professional bull rider who died post-ride at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days. Lane was the 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider, a five-time NFR qualifier, and the only cowboy who successfully completed an 8-second ride on the indomitable bull Red Rock. Broad-smiled and handsome, with dark hair peeking from underneath tall-crowned cowboy hats, wearing pearl snaps and stacked wranglers held up by impressive trophy buckles, Lane was the quintessential all-American cowboy. 

His physicality was also matched by his personality. Known for his gregarious nature, Frost gave a soft edge to a hard sport. “He loved it when people came up and wanted his autograph. He loved to talk to little kids and visit with old men,” Elsie explained. “Their age didn’t matter; he was just interested in people.” And people are still interested in him. Arguably the most famous bull rider of all time, there are countless nods to him in popular culture. Garth Brooks paid homage to Frost in his 1990 music video for “The Dance,” country superstar Zach Bryan’s middle name is Lane, and Frost even has his own action figure. Thirty-five years after his death, the Lane Frost story is thriving.

In the Western world, knowing his legacy is like knowing Larry McMurtry’s words, Annie Oakley’s persona, or George Strait’s songs — his influence is a cornerstone of rodeo and ranching traditions. Forever memorialized in famed director John Avildsen’s 1994 film, 8 Seconds, the biographical drama starring Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin, and Cynthia Geary chronicled Lane’s bull riding career, relationships, and untimely death. Now a cherished cult classic in the vein of Pure Country or Honeysuckle Rose, the film masterfully provided snippets of the rodeo lifestyle (who doesn’t love a first date at Whataburger?), meticulous wardrobe selections, and the rowdy but endearing friendships of rodeo travel partners. 8 Seconds amusingly depicted Tuff Hedeman’s (four-time World Champion bull rider) refreshingly calloused persona, the antithesis of the sweet-smiled Lane.

A poster for the documentary, Lane: Life, Legend, Legacy, which covers both the athlete’s winning rodeo career and his personal relationships with family and friends (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Tough Draw).

While the film excels at capturing a time and a place, it does miss the nuance of some of Lane’s relationships, specifically those with his father and his faith. A new documentary, Lane: Life, Legend, Legacy, explores those relationships and others to give a more robust perspective on Lane not only as a modern folk hero but as a human, too. Licensed by Lane Frost Brand (Stetson), created by the Tough Draw production team (Bradley Hughes and James Trawick) and partnered with Out of Order Studios (Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen, The Chosen) — the full-length documentary required more than 40 interviews and a review of hundreds of archival photos and videos.

“We wanted to give Lane a voice,” Hughes said over the phone while driving back to Texas after a weekend screening of the film in Oklahoma. “He’s not here anymore. We can’t interview him. All the interviews that do exist were post-ride. He’s either really banged up or won the event. Wash, rinse, repeat — that’s what we kept finding. So, we wanted to find a way to use his face and voice throughout the film as much as possible.”

Part of the solution was a 1987 video by Lane, Bull Talk. Though primarily an instructional series, the footage shows Lane’s amiable personality and is peppered with insights that are applicable beyond the arena. “His instructions always went philosophical,” said Hughes. “There was always an analogy there, always something extra to think about. That’s just who he was.”

The documentary uses footage from Lane Frost’s Bull Talk along with several interviews with those close to Frost to capture the rodeo legend’s personality (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Lane Frost Brands).

Merging Life And Legend

The documentary smartly couples these Bull Talk clips with major episodes of Lane’s life. One anecdote involved his struggle with dyslexia and his intense dedication to improving his academic performance — passing grades were a requirement of high school rodeo. It’s a moment in the documentary made more memorable when paired with the following Bull Talk quote: “If you’re not going to try 110 percent, you’re wasting the time of that bull. You’re wasting the time of somebody flanking him or somebody getting him out. So don’t even get on.” Collecting resources for the documentary was a laborious process. Trawick painstakingly combed through photo and video materials from the 1980s, some from Elsie Frost’s scrapbooks, others from the extensive National Finals Rodeo archives provided by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “It took months and months and months to look through the archives,” said Trawick. “Some of the photographers were deceased, and I would have to find out who had the rights to the photos.”

The documentary creators combed tirelessly through footage of Lane Frost to discover and convey his personal life (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Tough Draw).

Though the original footage and photography are outstanding, the true power of the documentary lies in the incredibly intimate and vulnerable interviews. The family was heavily involved, including Lane’s mother Elsie, father Clyde, widow Kellie Kyle, mentor Don Gay, and a few of his closest friends (and pallbearers) Tuff Hedeman, Cody Lambert, and Wes Ward. The film also has additional star power with Texas country music giant Cody Johnson and Philadelphia Eagles player Lane Johnson, who was named after Frost. Several bull-riding and rodeo successors are present, too, including the great J.B. Mauney (who, as a child, would watch 8 Seconds on a nearly daily basis), Sage Kimzey, and Stetson Wright — as well as international athletes Ky Hamilton (Australia) and José Vitor Leme (Brazil). Lane’s story has global appeal. There is even a touching appearance by Dr. Skip Ross, the Cheyenne Frontier Days arena physician who was with Lane in his final moments. It’s an impressive bunch, made even more impressive by their unwavering loyalty to Lane.

“Seeing grown men sit and talk about their friendship with Lane, with tears that immediately come to their eyes at certain instances, that’s incredibly special,” Trawick said.

Lane Frost’s vast rodeo career has been studied and admired by some of the country’s top contemporary rodeo athletes (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Lane Frost Brands).

The Good, The Bad ...

Hughes, who conducted all of the interviews, didn’t balk from asking about tough moments. He skillfully created a space for Lane’s closest friends and family members to share their experiences, tactfully and respectfully navigating conversations about infidelity, friendships, death, faith, and pregnancy loss. “It was a lot, but it was a huge honor. To have their trust in us is what made the documentary what it is,” Hughes said. “It’s probably the most vulnerable they’ve been with a lot of people.” A vulnerable moment in Lane’s life explored in the documentary occurred in March 1988 when Lane and Kellie were going through marital problems. “He came home and was just heartbroken,” Elsie said. “He was sitting right here in our living room, and I knelt down beside him and said you need to accept Jesus as your personal savior. I can’t do it for you, Kellie can’t do it for you. This is something you have to do on your own. 

“He said, ‘I want to do that.’ So I led him in a sinner’s prayer, and he accepted Jesus.” After his death, Elsie and Clyde Frost created “Cowboy Bibles” with a drawing of Lane on a bull on the cover and his faith testimony on the inside. They have distributed more than 370,000 Bibles. 

More than three decades after his passing, Lane’s visibility is on the rise — not only with Lane, the documentary, but also with business ventures tied to the Lane Frost Brand. Owned and operated by Stetson Frost, Lane’s nephew, the company creates Lane Frost apparel and merchandise. Nearly 10 years ago, Stetson began casually creating Frost hats for friends. When he observed the overwhelmingly positive response from his circle, he realized there was an opportunity for a bigger reach and a way to build a business while honoring his uncle and his family. “I always thought it was awesome to be Lane’s nephew because of who he was,” Stetson shared in a phone conversation. “He worked his tail off and was so generous with people. He wasn’t kind because there were cameras everywhere or social media. He did it because that was his character. I think Lane is a good representation that if you work hard, you can make your dreams come true. Not just in bull riding, but in life. That’s a message I want to share.”

Filmmakers interviewed Lane Frost’s closest loved ones, including his mother, Elsie, who was inspired to release “Cowboy Bibles” bearing an image of her late son (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Tough Draw).

Shipped and designed from Lane’s hometown of Atoka, Oklahoma, the business is entirely in-house. “My wife and I live in a shophouse and built the warehouse next to it.

We’re 40 feet from work, 24/7,” said Stetson. “We have the number one ball cap and number one cologne in major Western stores nationwide for four years running.” The products are available in 2,000 stores nationwide and exceed 5,000 orders a month. With only six current employees, the Frost family is intimately involved with all aspects of the operation.

Another indicator of the popularity of the Lane legacy can be found on the brand’s social media platforms, run by Stetson. Often posting multiple times a day with a playful mixture of archival Frost footage, product shots, and Western lifestyle memes, Lane Frost Brand has garnered 83k followers on TikTok and a staggering 444k followers on Instagram. Lane’s influence isn’t slowing down, but what’s even more remarkable is his appeal to an entirely new demographic of younger fans. He has staying power.

“Cowboy Bibles” are available on the Lane Frost Brands website (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Lane Frost Brands).

Love Left Behind

Why is his legacy still as powerful today as it was in the years immediately following his passing? “Lane was the perfect storm,” said Stetson. “He was handsome, he was an elite athlete, he was good with people. He dressed well and could ride a dang bull just as good or better than anybody at the time. That makes for a very special person. Then, he rides on the biggest stage in 1989 at 25 years old and loses his life. That’s an important story.” 

However, there is another gentle and understated story, quietly and tenderly carrying the momentum of Lane — it’s the story of those left behind. It’s Elsie Frost staying late after events giving bibles to young bull riders. It’s a young J.B. Mauney studying Bull Talk videos since he was a little boy. It’s Cody Lambert, one of Lane’s traveling partners, developing a protective bull-riding vest that is now mandatory in all PBR events. It’s Tuff Hedeman giving a refreshing but loving, no-BS response to yet another interview question. It’s brave medical professionals like Dr. Skip Ross who refused to stop performing CPR even 30 minutes after Lane was gone. It’s Kellie Kyle talking about deep losses that make all of us feel a little less alone. It’s all of the people who are better for knowing Lane Frost.What would Lane think of it all? His life after death so many years later? 

I pose the question to Elsie and hear a deep affection come into her voice. I can imagine her there in her brown recliner, with family portraits on the wall, and a Lane bull riding sculpture sitting on a knotty pine side table next to her chair. 

“Oh, he’d be tickled,” she responds with a heartfelt laugh.

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Frost’s rodeo legacy can be felt today, more than three decades after his death. Memorabilia, gear, personal fragrances, and more help his family and fans carry on the memory (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Lane Frost Brands).

Learn more about the Lane Frost legacy, the business brand, and the forthcoming documentary at lanefrost.com. 

From our July 2024 issue.

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