THE NORTHERN EMBASSY

01 May

Posted at 09:53h in archive, features, home, videos by

Braden Beck came to prominence in the Canadian BMX scene through Saskatchewan which is honestly pretty damn rare and probably pretty difficult. But that tends to happen for a guy riding at the level that he’s gotten to, regardless of location. Most of us would have seen him through Brodie Gwilliam’s videos, including the seminal Saskatchewan full-length Let’s Get Fistical. Braden and Kelly Bragg put together a new Embassy edit and it’s as good as you hope it would be. Below is a quick interview with Braden and a couple of anecdotes from James Perry.

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03 Aug

Posted at 11:30h in archive, events, features, home by

The Nelson contests were our piece of ’90s BMX lore in British Columbia. They exemplified so many things about that time, from people scraping together road trips across Canada and the PNW to get there, to the collective party vibe that resonated throughout the town and its nightlife (which by most accounts could not handle that many BMXers). For those of us who were young, it was a chance to see our heroes in the flesh, riding in the purest way possible with our friends. There were bangers, crashes, and even a flatland contest. Above all else, the vibes were unbeatable and everyone who showed up had a chance to feel like they were a part of something. When a small crew of organizers resurrected the contest as a reunion effort in 2022, a long lost piece of our culture returned and by all accounts brought back its original spirit. The contest is on again for 2023 and I know many riders are feeling the collective pull to be there. Justin Schwanke and I traded some questions with Andrew Lazaruk and Wade Nelson, who are both at the helm again for this year’s gathering.

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22 May

Posted at 08:33h in archive, features, home by

With 43 years of BMX riding comes 43 years of reflection. We have a special interview today featuring Wade Nelson. From starting riding in the burgeoning 1980s to progressing through the commercially low period of BMX in the early 1990s to working industry jobs in the late 1990s to transitioning into a career in teaching in the 2000s, Wade has plenty of stories about his life on and off the bike. Aaron Gates and I teamed up for questions on this one, and we’re appreciative of the amount of wisdom Wade had to share. Dive in for an extensive interview with one of Canada’s most “seasoned” bicycle stunt riders. 

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27 Nov

Posted at 13:19h in archive, features, home, videos by

We’ve got a fresh mixtape to share from Brayden Rastad and his homies in Port Coquitlam, BC. Read on for some words from Brayden and an accompanying photo gallery.

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12 Oct

Posted at 18:31h in archive, features, home, videos by

Brayden Rastad sent through this skatepark edit of Dean Deppiesse at Railside in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Read on for an accompanying photo gallery.

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16 Sep

Posted at 09:35h in archive, features, home by

Slade Scherer is a mad scientist. His laboratory equipment consists of power tools, screws, 2×4’s, and plywood sheets. The experiments Slade can conduct with those materials are seemingly limitless. His most recent experiment, a backyard ramp in Kelowna, British Columbia is the culmination of a year and a half of hard work. Kostya Chimkovitch and I asked Slade to answer some questions about this plywood death trap and how it came to be. Read on to hear the story behind Adventureland.

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