dom mach Tag

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.

(more…)

02 Feb

Posted at 19:30h in archive by

chrisC_xup

Ten years ago today, the Okanagan scene lost one of its prominent figures. Chris Cayford was the BMX guy at the local bike shop and was well known for putting on the Winfield bowl jams. He rode everything, including flatland, and brought the Whitehorse tradition of shoveling skateparks in the winter time with him to Kelowna.

For years, the BK crew (Mat Ridgeway, Matt Desson etc.) continued putting on the Winfield bowl jams in Chris’ memory. The jam was always held in March and was usually the first jam of the year in BC. The jams had some memorable moments, including Brett Craig (RIP) driving from Saskatchewan to ride the jam only to have to turn around right afterwards and drive 20+ hours home, and Dom Mach doing this crazy over double peg out of the bowl. The jam hasn’t happened for a few years, but there are talks of a ten year jam happening this year.

For all of us who knew Chris, he’s remembered fondly.