Canadian BMX Company History Tag

01 Mar

Posted at 11:23h in archive, features, home by


Harrison at the Prime Minister Of The Streets Jam. Photo – Landon Barnes

Citadel was an east coast brand that came to my attention around the time we were busy with Crimson, so naturally I paid attention. They had a loyal following, and even hooked a NYC street legend up at one point. Harrison and I never got a chance to connect back then, but I was very curious to learn about his brand. Without further ado, here’s Harrison Forward and his Citadel interview as part of our ongoing series on the history of Canadian BMX companies.

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15 Dec

Posted at 23:36h in archive, features, home by

Andrew at Thorsby skatepark in 2006. Photo Credit: Ryley Bosch.

Back in 2018 I was on a No Bikes trip visiting Matt Thomas’s compound in Alberta. As we were warming up on the garage mini ramp, one guy really caught my eye – mohawk haircut, splatter painted bike with a bunch of unique parts and most importantly a front brake. Oh, and he could ride the crap out of the mini. He clearly had his own style and I struck up a conversation. His name was Andrew MacLeod and it turned out he was also a machinist. Andrew had been making BMX parts in Edmonton for years. The paint job was done by a friend, but all the unique-looking parts on his bike were of his own design and make. Andrew has been dreaming up unconventional designs since middle school; just look at his notebook sketches. As part of our series on the history of Canadian BMX companies, Justin Schwanke and I sent Andrew some questions to learn about his brand, System. Without further ado, I present to you the guy that learned flairs in his mid-thirties, Andrew MacLeod!   -Kostya Chimkovitch

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21 Oct

Posted at 12:15h in archive, features, home by

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. 

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16 Sep

Posted at 11:26h in archive, features, home by

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.

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26 Aug

Posted at 11:40h in archive, features, home by

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.

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