THE NORTHERN EMBASSY

26 May

Posted at 17:25h in archive by

Here’s some crazy early day bike stuntery that Thomas Edison captured. David Hawthorne hooked this up, it start’s a little slow but if anything at least watch from 2:15 on.

“It’s Thomas Edison, the dude that invented the light bulb. He rips. The start is a little slow, but the loop is nuts. I’m sure if he had the internet his bike would be more on point. I’m going outside to try and learn his moves.”
– David Hawthorne

24 May

Posted at 04:53h in archive by

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My friend Trevor Oleniuk is doing what most of us only dream of. He bought himself a van, fitted it with custom cabinets and a bed, packed in some camping gear and his bike, and is hitting the road. He’s headed south from Saskatoon to New Orleans for the 7th annual Flatland Voodoo Jam, then through Texas and New Mexico, towards California and up the west coast until Vancouver. You can follow him on his travel blog The Goldfi Van, and look for a gallery of photos to come at the conclusion of his maiden voyage. Best of luck Trevor and stay safe. You can check out a map of his proposed route after the link.

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22 May

Posted at 00:01h in archive by

Justin Schwanke and Thomas Henderson took a 2 week trip to Barcelona/Southern Spain and this is the result. This edit is dope for a few reasons: you actually feel like you’re in Spain for 12 minutes, Justin Schwanke always has his own unique style/Thomas also shreds, two Canadians took the initiative to make an amazing trip from rural Alberta to Spain and on their own dime, they rode alot of different original spots and not foot high ledges, and overall it just has an awesome vibe to it. Note British Airways also lost Thomas’ bike for the first 4 days of the trip. Think twice before you book BA!!!

21 May

Posted at 23:03h in archive by

This is the kind of five clip edit you make when you’re old and you have kids. This past Labor Day, I met up with some of the guys I grew up riding with and we had a quick session at the Penticton skatepark. We all started riding together about fifteen years ago, grew up, moved to different countries and stayed in touch. BMX is awesome for that.

The Embassy x Etnies five clip contest is still running through June 1st. Send your entries to northernembassy@gmail.com.

15 May

Posted at 05:06h in archive by

sticker pile

If you’re following us on Instagram you’ve probably seen me posting about stickers lately. They are an obsession that I still can’t shake, and nowadays I grow even fonder to old stickers that act as bookmarks to different periods of BMX in my life. I started writing a piece about this strange obsession and fascination with stickers almost two years ago for this site, then Nick Ferreira (of Holeshot Zine/Amigos/ESPN) wrote a very poignant and thoughtful piece about BMX’s appetite for stickers in The Albion Issue #2, and I thought why bother when he hit the nail on the head. The issue has been long available to view and read online here, but I just recently stumbled on the full article again and thought it would be a great time to share it. Read the first paragraph, then the rest of the article after the link. What’s your favourite sticker in your collection?

Collecting stickers, whether to save for the right moment, or cover your bike in an unrelated mess, is a BMX phenomenon that continues even in the increasingly digital landscape we live in. Kids typically plaster their bikes with any sticker, mid-schoolers have a Metal Bikes “Spade” logo they’ve been saving to put in the “perfect spot” for the past decade, and older guys still have that Club Homeboy sticker they’ve also been saving for two decades to place in that same elusive “perfect spot.” While these groups disagree about seat height, already-been-done tricks, and what company will go under next, one thing they can all agree on is stickers.

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