THE NORTHERN EMBASSY

11 Mar

Posted at 15:19h in archive by

“We been getting lucky with the weather here on theWestcoast. I decided to grab my camera to make a little edit with the homies.” Tsawwassen is a hidden gem on the West coast, a guaranteed good time really.

Riders: Nick, Alec, Xerex, Matt

Filmers: Xerex & alec
Edit: Xerex

10 Mar

Posted at 08:35h in archive by

There was a buzz around the Toronto BMX jam last year, Eric Favot and Zeb Dennis re-vamped the course and ramps which was much needed. They came into 2015 with momentum and did not disappoint! Street riders got a course they had long time hoped for and park guys got a fun flowy setup, box jumps guys got their dream setup, a box that would allow them to go ape.

Lots of guys killed it all weekend long, it’s safe to say X-Jam is growing strong for years to come!

Featuring: Drew Bezanson, Zach St Clair, Nick Bullen, Ross Lanier, Gabe Truax, Charlie Crumlish, Justin Hughes, Nick Bruce, Joel Bondu, Mike Varga, Jake Leiva, Steven Moxley, Mike Fede, Zak Jarvis, Zeb Dennis, Joel Marchand, Phil Williams, Greg Henry, Andrew White, Kenny Oliver, Stephan Sum, Ryan Eles, Gage Sharp, Spencer Ryan, Nick Bullen, Mike Stahl, Jamie Cooper-Ellis, Darcy Peters, Jason Kearnan, Kevin Fabregue, Hugo Larochelle, Dillon Bell, Jamie Thayer, Al Farrugia, David Leib, Colton Walker

Filmed and Edited by Jeremy Deme

Edit available in Youtube or Vimeo version for your viewing pleasure.

09 Mar

Posted at 22:31h in archive by

Back in January, Chris Silva and his dad embarked on a month long road trip from Toronto to Miami all in an attempt to escape the harsh Canadian winter and bask in some Southern sun. Silva also wanted to check off some bucket list items of famous spots that he’s seen in videos throughout the years and was lucky enough to find some newer ones along the way.

They hit a ton of cities, but most notable were: Nashville, Tennessee; Athens, Georgia; Orlando, Miami and back up the coast to Jacksonville in Florida. High tailing it through the Carolinas they hit up the White House and Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.; gambled in Atlantic City and finally got to New York/New Jersey where Silva hit up the Animal warehouse for a quick sesh and did some site seeing in the Big Apple.

06 Mar

Posted at 10:28h in archive by

During the last few months Mike’s been coming up to Joyride on a weekly basis and we’ve been slowly piecing together this little joint for 3Ride Toronto. Mike is super good and is always mad fun to film, hyped on how this came out.

05 Mar

Posted at 17:54h in archive by

With a buzz around Toronto’s X-Jam this weekend, what better time to post this TBT 2013 Animal edit of Chris Silva. Chris Silva is one of the esteemed judges at X-jam this year so be sure say hello and get your bribes in before your heats.

02 Mar

Posted at 23:55h in archive by
tinklocalSpokeN

If you missed our Think Local launch, click here for the original post/intro and/ or here for our first shop spotlight with BMX Gallery 4130. Today we look at a shop that has been a huge part of the Saskatchewan scene for many years, Spoke N Sport in Saskatoon. THINK LOCAL!

When and why did Doug’s Spoke N Sport open?

Dougs Spoke N’ Sport opened in 1987. Doug Cushway was a previous employee of Walters Cycle, he then decided to start his own venture and opened up shop.

When did it get into BMX parts?
We always carried BMX parts and accessories since we opened, but it wasn’t until about the year 2000 that we got heavy into it. I give lots of credit to Jay Woytowich for that, for years him and a few other guys were the driving force behind the local scene, with his connection they we able to host jams that really brought everyone together, and showed what BMX was about.
Store front edited

What’s the overall vision of the shop and what makes it unique?

Like most shops, Dougs has a pretty laid back vibe. As far as BMX goes, we’ve always tried to stay on top and give the riders what they want, and bring in products that we believe in. Also, we pride ourselves on providing the most kick ass service in town, Doug is known to go to extreme lengths to make customers happy, that being said, our shop does very well without advertising, but by word of mouth.
Why should riders support their local BMX shop?
I know this will probably get repeated time and time again, but without shopping local, you’re not getting an opinion from someone who knows the product, therefore risking buying something you’re going to regret. Also, most kids don’t understand that most shops will hesitate to provide warranty for something you bought online.
Where did you buy your BMX parts growing up?
When I first started riding I mostly just went to whichever shop that had parts that I liked, I didn’t have a preference like most people. As the years went by, I developed a relationship with Jay, and the guys at Spoke N’ Sport. They were always willing to help a brother out, from cutting me a deal so my broke ass could buy a new tire, to teaching me how to swap out my bottom brackets, and even hooking up a free tube every now and then. Those are the kinds of things that stick in your head, and what keep you coming back. I hope to provide that image for every kid that brings a BMX bike in.
DSC00035 edited
Do you have any jams in the works for 2015?
I was chatting with the guys the other day, we hope to do something in early spring. Back in 2006 there was a jam called the “Pool Party” which was strictly a bowl contest at the park, so we were thinking of bringing it back again. Since most kids seem to ride ledges or do fly-outs, it’ll be interesting to see what the turn out is.
What’s the raddest thing that’s happened at the shop since it’s been opened or that you can remember?
Only thing that comes to mind is on the last day of our previous location, we had some daddy pops after work and decided to have a burn out competition with the electric bikes. With the tires turning at over 60km/h we put em up against a wall and burned rubber for over 20 minutes. Ive never laughed so hard in my life, smoke was billowing out of the doors.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened?
Weird shit happens on a day to day basis. The other night a guy came running down the alley, flipped our dumpster, and continued running down the alley screaming. There was also a guy that came in recently, talking about how Willie Nelson and God were having a concert at one of the nearby hotels, and that George Bush, and George Bush Sr. would be in attendance. That was definitely one of the more weird things that have happened.
20140409_181132
How’s the SK scene these days?
The SK scene in my opinion is booming. A couple years ago there was a bit of a lull as far as new riders, but since then there’s a ton of new talent that has sprung up. Saskatoon and Prince Albert probably have the biggest scenes in the province, but places like Regina, Yorkton, and Moose Jaw are definitely growing as well.
What’s your opinions on BMX trends?
Without trends, BMX would be so boring. It’s what makes our sport more interesting.
Do you have a message for rider’s who order their parts from US mailorders?
Its hard to answer this without sounding bitter, but ordering online hurts a local shop more than you think. A lot of kids don’t understand that we can order the same product just as easily as ordering online, and depending which province you live in, we can get it faster. Just like when I was growing up, without a shop I wouldn’t know how to properly fix my bike, nor would I have any tools to use. I know that’s not the case for everyone, but its pretty common around here.
Final remarks or shout outs?
Shout out to:
-All the rad customers who put a smile on my face and support our shop
– 1664, Tenpack, Kill Em All, and Ryder for holding it down in Canada, and providing us with the best product
– The Northern Embassy for killin’ it with Canadian content and keeping everyone in the know.
-My boss Doug, and the staff at Spoke N’ Sport for being the raddest group of dudes known to man, and for dealing with my grumpy ass sometimes.
-And lastly, to anyone else that’s ever come by our shop, whether you’ve bought something,came to chat, or brought down a case of beer. We’re always happy to have you, and keep the good times coming!
Kelly Riding Photo
Kelly Bragg

02 Mar

Posted at 00:08h in archive by

Ben Cobb and Owen Dawson are a couple Poco Locos who can shred any given spot, in this particular edit it’s Lafarge in Coquitlam, BC. Filmed and edited by Brayden Rastad, be sure to also check out Brayden’s Hi Deff edit from Poco and Poco locals here.

01 Mar

Posted at 20:29h in archive by

It’s the home stretch, March. After what’s been a brutal winter, most of us are hopeful that this month will be more spring like than winter like. To help bring in spring, we’ve teamed up with Etnies to help you win a fresh pair of Etnies Marana shoes, so you can toss away the old, salty, stinky shoes you’ve been wearing this winter and start spring off on the right foot.

The contest rules are very simple, tell us what you’ve been doing to stay sane this winter. You must follow Etniesbmx on instagram as well as NorthernEmbassy. You can post it on instagram or facebook (using #NEWinterBlues), or else on youtube, vimeo or even email it to us (NorthernEmbassy@gmail.com). It can be a picture, description, video, whatever, the rules are pretty open. It can be you riding indoors, you riding outdoors, playing hockey, snowboarding, whatever you’ve done to keep busy while anxiously awaiting to ride outside again. Be creative and the winner gets a pair of one of the best riding shoes out there.

The contest is running from March 1st to March 31st, with the winner and honorable mentions getting posted on the site shortly after March 31st.

Good Luck!