Four weeks ago I spent some time with the Coastal Crew on their home trails. We rode some fast and rough terrain, a veritable mountain bike playground. Read on for the full report and two videos from the trip.
---
<object width='500' height='281'><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always' /><param name='movie' value='http://www.pinkbike.com/v/145154/l/' /><embed src='http://www.pinkbike.com/v/145154/l/' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='500' height='281' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always'></embed></object>
The Coastal Crew's latest episode merges their adventures among the sandy expanses of Oregon and the lush coastal greens of British Columbia. The riders are Kyle Norbraten, Curtis Robinson, Dylan Dunkerton and Mike Hopkins.
The Coastal Crew's latest episode merges their adventures among the sandy expanses of Oregon and the lush coastal greens of British Columbia. The riders are Kyle Norbraten, Curtis Robinson, Dylan Dunkerton and Mike Hopkins.
Words and Photos by David Peacock
A week occupied by riding and filming can produce an innumerable amount of memorable moments, especially when the aforementioned week is spent with the Coastal Crew and our mutual friend Mike Hopkins. This is the account of our time together, and a brief profile of the group of friends based on British Columbias Sunshine Coast.
The road to the Coast looked a bit ominous at times...
Please remember to click on the photos for the larger version.
Norbs, Norby, Dungee, Curtain, Wessles, Dungeon. The list of nicknames seems endless amongst the three best friends that anyone could have (*for further reference, see The Hangover). I've never met a more rambunctious and altogether stoked group of riders than the Coastal Crew. Between Kyles laugh, Dylans brain, and Curtis incessant parade of general antics, there is never a dull moment when they are together. The life they lead is a simple one, driven by the fiery engines of motivation and an inescapable desire to avoid dreary and dull desk jobs. Thus far, they have succeeded, and their careers as filmmakers and riders are looking more promising with each massively eminent project. And, best of all, they are in it entirely because they love to ride their bikes, anywhere and anytime.
Mike Hopkins and Curtis Robinson analyzing lines while hiking the trail.
The surroundings of Roberts Creek, their home base, are ideal for what they have chosen as career paths. The Sunshine Coast is among the most beautiful locations I have ever visited, and trails lace the sides of the mountains that adorn the bijou peninsulas landscape. Lately, the three have been dedicating their time to constructing stunts for films, such as Kranked Revolve (in which they starred prominently) and Anthills 2010 release Follow Me. Their backyard is a budding mountain bike sanctuary, yet it deviates from conventional trail building. Perfectly sculpted lips and transitions are delicately placed between swathes of lush undergrowth, a glee-inducing scene for any rider. Even for those who dont enjoy jumping, this set up is something to admire.
Curtis Robinson enjoying his new Knolly Podium.
My experience with the Coastal Crew was enlightening. The general assumption about these kids from the coast is that they are solely jumpers and park riders, but in reality their interests span a much broader spectrum of mountain biking. Riding trails is their main pursuit, this I realized during my stay at the Dunkerton abode. The weather over the course of our stay was damp; any and all trails were completely saturated by the most generous of coastal gifts: rain. Regardless, we ventured out onto a refreshed favorite of the loc dogs, a trail that had been lost over the years to the imposition of dead trees and thick undergrowth but was resurrected shortly before our visit. We explored and made use of this particular trail time and again, unable to deny its gravitational pull on our DH loving souls. It was named Tunnel Vision, which is entirely self-explanatory. Off camber roots slid back wheels this way and that, steep sections begged to be hammered, and stops were few and far between. A race-type mentality definitely dominates the psyches of the Coastal Crew once the rubber contacts any stretch of downhill dirt. Theyre here to ride, that much is evident in the way they conquer trails.
Whips and tricks are a common sight when riding the backyard.
Filming was one of the main objectives of our trip to the coast; we wanted to meet up with Dylan, Curtis and Kyle to complete a webisode and possibly film a bike check or two, time permitting. Efficiency is the name of the game once the cameras are rolling. If the lights right, the bikes are ready, and the riders are in one piece, then Dyl exercises his creative muscles, extending the tendons of his abilities in hopes of recording those special moments when everything aligns. We would ride a section of trail, analyze the trail as a group and decide which portions would render optimally to film. Once the particular corner or area was chosen, the riders would hike, and those equipped with cameras would make use of the lensed apparatuses. Between the injured Kyle Norbraten, the multitasking Dylan Dunkerton, and myself, we were able to satisfy our need for locomotive images; Pressure Drop provided the ideal scene, and the atmosphere around the campfire following a days worth of filming was resigned, but simultaneously excited.
Curtis "gets some" on a greasy corner beneath an overhanging log.
With nothing but rain in the forecast and a set of pressing events awaiting our return to the homeland, Hopkins and I bid the boys an exuberant see ya later, and plodded our way back towards the interior of BC. This all occurred four weeks ago, and now we have moved on to our next childish adventure, pursuing smiles and laughs aboard our bicycles. The videos are up, so, to put it simply, enjoy them and then go ride your bike.
<object width='500' height='281'><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always' /><param name='movie' value='http://www.pinkbike.com/v/145148/l/' /><embed src='http://www.pinkbike.com/v/145148/l/' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='500' height='281' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always'></embed></object>
A behind-the-scenes video of our trip.
A behind-the-scenes video of our trip.
