The wait is finally over!! We had so many amazing submissions for our video contest this year; it was extremely tough on our judges to come up with the winners. Everyone here at the Northern Embassy is stoked on all of the submissions and could not be happier to see that BMX and video making is still alive and well across the country. Check out all of the videos below.
Jordan Siudy filmed and chopped up this video from the Britannia Courts featuring Corey Walsh, Spencer Macfarlane, Ky Brisbois, Nick Halisheff, Jay Park, Tristan Sweet, Matt Perrin, Shelby Hare, and Jordan himself. Read on for a short interview with Jordan to learn more about this unique DIY spot in the heart of Vancouver.
For the next installment of Canadian BMX company history, I briefly got a hold of an enigmatic and elusive individual from Calgary by the name of Jason Fisher. He was somewhat reluctant to talk about his undertaking, Wasted Life Cycles. However, we managed to exchange a few questions and answers before Jason disappeared off of social media. I would consider this the ethos of an underground BMX brand. Read on for a short interview with Jason.
La Soupe Du Jour is an excellent local video produced by the Stweetcrew from Northern Quebec; it represents an area of the country that gets little exposure. There was a day that local videos were one of the most interesting things going on in BMX, mostly showing up as burned discs in DIY packaging. To see that ethos transferred to a well-produced video in a modern online format is really cool. La Soupe Du Jour is full of riders I’ve never heard of hitting spots I’ve never seen in a place I’ve never thought much about, and now it’s all on the map for me. That’s one of the best things in BMX! We sent some questions to the man behind the filming and editing of the video, Evans Murray. Read on to learn about the Stweetcrew and La Soupe Du Jour featuring William Pilote, Evans Murray, Thibaut Weber, Olivier Croft, Dave Pilote, Keven Minier, Antoine Beaulieu, Sam Thibaut, and Billy Brodeur.
In a world of 15-second Instagram clips and constant social media churn, here’s a silver platter of Canadian BMX videos from recent months. This is the Northern Embassy’s Video Round Up. (more…)
When I got to thinking about the history of Canadian BMX hardware brands, two names immediately popped into my head: MacNeil and Seshin. I reached out to Ted Efthymiadis, the visionary and jack-of-all-trades powerhouse behind Seshin Bikes from Halifax, Nova Scotia. While Seshin only existed for a relatively short while (2001-2008), it put some household names on the map, as well as went on to show that if you have the passion and drive to make your dreams a reality, nothing will get in your way. Without further ado, meet Ted and Seshin Bikes.
Earlier this year, ahead of the 2021 re-launch of the site, my close friend, Kostya Chimkovitch expressed interest in contributing to the Northern Embassy. We started brainstorming project ideas together and eventually a concept came to fruition: What if someone were to document the history of Canadian BMX companies? As a machinist by vocation, Kostya has a strong background in manufacturing. He also ran a small BMX frame and component company with his friend and then-business partner, Brian Kelly from 2013 to 2018. It was clear Kostya would be the perfect candidate to share some stories about past and present BMX companies in Canada. To kick off Kostya’s ambitious history project, I’d like to introduce you to the man himself. Read on to learn about Kostya’s history in BMX, experiences in manufacturing, and life off the bike.
Hamilton, Ontario (Photo Credit: Eisa Bakos)
I remember a while back I got a message from Eles that he wanted to get a video pieced together for one of his sponsors. Of course, I quickly agreed because working with Ryan is always a blast. We figured out a day that worked for both of us, and it was set. On a beautiful Saturday morning a couple of weeks later, Ryan shows up at my house bright and early, having just driven 3 hours from Sudbury to Barrie. He hops out of his rental car and we immediately start going through spot options. Without much of a warm-up, we start driving around to a variety of spots. Everything that we pulled up to, he had an idea for. I’d get the camera out and within 20 minutes he was rolling away from some crazy trick that should have taken hours. This process continued throughout the day until it was too dark for my crummy VX1 to record with reasonable quality.
I think he walked away with 6 or 7 amazing clips that Saturday. I was blown away. I remember being super impressed by his work ethic and his determination to make a video happen despite living so far away. I mean the guy literally paid to rent a car, drove 3 hours, filmed all day, and then drove 3 hours home. That kind of persistence and commitment is exactly why Ryan has become one of the best riders in Canada.
-Joel Fortin
In a world of 15-second Instagram clips and constant social media churn, here’s a silver platter of Canadian BMX videos from recent months. This is the Northern Embassy’s Video Round Up.