THE NORTHERN EMBASSY

Prince Albert Jam – This Weekend

Jeremy Deme — Thu, 16 May 2013 05:16:33 +0000

PA Jam is going down this weekend (Sunday May 19th at 1pm) at the Prince Albert, SK skatepark. Check it out if your anywhere near PA.

Artifacts From The Albion Issue 2 By Nick Ferreira

Prashant Gopal — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:06:10 +0000

If you’re following us on Instagram you’ve probably seen me posting about stickers lately. They are an obsession that I still can’t shake, and nowadays I grow even fonder to old stickers that act as bookmarks to different periods of BMX in my life. I started writing a piece about this strange obsession and fascination with stickers almost two years ago for this site, then Nick Ferreira (of Holeshot Zine/Amigos/ESPN) wrote a very poignant and thoughtful piece about BMX’s appetite for stickers in The Albion Issue #2, and I thought why bother when he hit the nail on the head. The issue has been long available to view and read online here, but I just recently stumbled on the full article again and thought it would be a great time to share it. Read the first paragraph, then the rest of the article after the link. What’s your favourite sticker in your collection?

Collecting stickers, whether to save for the right moment, or cover your bike in an unrelated mess, is a BMX phenomenon that continues even in the increasingly digital landscape we live in. Kids typically plaster their bikes with any sticker, mid-schoolers have a Metal Bikes “Spade” logo they’ve been saving to put in the “perfect spot” for the past decade, and older guys still have that Club Homeboy sticker they’ve also been saving for two decades to place in that same elusive “perfect spot.” While these groups disagree about seat height, already-been-done tricks, and what company will go under next, one thing they can all agree on is stickers.

My sticker collecting followed the route that most take. First, I plastered my chrome DK in every imaginable sticker available. They went on as soon as they came in and it seemed as though my sticker hunger would never be satisfied. To keep up, I cut out letters from any vinyl bumper sticker I could get my hands on. Allowing the available letters to dictate what would become my “sticker”; most of the time it was complete nonsense.

Around this time I attended Woodward Camp. Not only is Woodward a mecca for ramps and riding bikes but it’s a great place to get free stickers. This was circa 1998, the heyday of those rainbow Primo stickers. To go along with my vast amount of stickers, I also picked up some bright yellow Peregrine pedals and when I returned my bike looked, well you picture it: a chrome DK, cantilever brakes, covered in rainbow Primo stickers topped off with bright yellow pedals.

Eventually I grew out of the plastered phase and took a more “tasteful” approach and started only placing one or two stickers on at a time. The silver foil Hot Water Music sticker I got at Warped Tour was a perfect match for my Terrible One Progression. That stayed on for a long time until I sort of went full circle and began to plaster my bike with stickers again. This time around though, I was a little more selective. I wanted stickers other BMXers wouldn’t have. I got Murphy’s Law stickers from flea markets, the Dig Magazine “sprocket” logo (for some reason these were elusive), and even made my own decals like when I was in seventh grade. Only now I used Letraset letters.

By and far the stickers that had the most influence on me date back to the first BMX Plus! I ever laid eyes on. This magazine featured an advertisement of an order form for stickers by a company called Stick Em Up. That ad, unbeknownst to me at the time, would become a source of inspiration for years to come.

Stick Em Up Stickers is a family owned and operated business. Started in 1971, Stick Em Up is located in the Bay Area city of Pleasanton, California. They specialize in BMX, Motorcycle, Humor, Flames, Skulls, and much more. Basically, they sell stickers like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes pissing on a Ford logo, “This bike eats Huffys and pukes Murrays”, and various bootleg relics from the 1990’s. Their advertisements were simple; a quarter page that had tiny images of each sticker that you could circle and cut along the convenient dotted line and mail in with the correct total with a money order. I distinctly remember my first order. It included a “Is that your face or did your neck throw up?”, a bootleg GT “Wings”, and, much to the chagrin of my parents, “School sucks, I’m going BMX Racing.” I took the sticker obsessed eleven year old route and promptly stuck them on either my Robinson Rebel or homemade number plate (thanks Dad!)

Not too long after my first purchase, I bought another one that read, “I Really Really Really DON’T CARE.” Of course, it was a bit of a false identity for me; I did care about most things. I was a decent student, nice to my parents, and was just about the opposite of a disaffected youth as you could get. Except one thing, everything besides BMX really was just noise. I played the part but as I grew up it became clear that BMX reigned supreme. Work schedules were based around what days skateparks let bikes in, school vacations were a waste if BMX wasn’t involved, and when not riding, my friends and I watched BMX videos and discussed BMX. The story is familiar, but it’s true, I didn’t care about anything but BMX.

And, more than a decade later, the idea behind this sticker is still inspiring. I still play the part and like most, have a lot more responsibilities. There’s school, work, friends, family, rent, car problems, etc. that constantly swirl in my head. It’s incredible how easy it is to forget but, after a particularly stressful day, or month, with no actual BMX riding, I am reminded that I really really really don’t care about anything but BMX.

By Nick Ferreira
originally published in The Albion Issue 2

Brandon Webster 5 Clip – by Justin Browne

Jeremy Deme — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:24:32 +0000

The first and only rule of our Embassy X Etnies 5 clip edit is there must be 5 riding clips, everything else is up to you. Brandon Webster hooked up this dope edit that his buddy Justin Browne filmed and edited. Thanks homies!

Remember, the deadline for the contest is June 1st, get on it and win some fresh Etnies softgoods/kicks!

Jason Enns Vancouver 2007-08 by Surrey Steve

Jeremy Deme — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:42:43 +0000

Not gonna lie, having Jason Enns footage on the Embassy vimeo feels pretty surreal! Enns was nice enough to let us host up a bunch of rad raw footage that he filmed in Vancouver through 2007-08 with Surrey Steve. SO pumped on this, thanks to Jason and Surrey for this.

EMBASSY X ETNIES 5 Clip Edit Contest

Jeremy Deme — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:20:09 +0000

Spring is in the air, you guys are out riding in this amazing weather already. Why not film a quick 5 clip edit in the next 3 weeks and enter for your chance to win an Etnies Prize pack? Email entries to NorthernEmbassy@gmail.com before June 1st. Entries will be judged on creativity, vibe, filming/editing, spots, riding, and more. Do it up! Who doesn’t need new shoes and softgoods? Especially from the best in the game. Huge thanks to Etnies/Timebomb for helping make this happen.

To Launch the contest, here’s a 5 clip edit we filmed with Le Luke Santucci last weekend, enjoy!

***open to residents of Canada only***

Mitch Anderson Handplants a Horse

Aaron Gates — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:19:35 +0000

Subtitle: “Not from the Onion”

Don’t Call It A Comeback: Chijioke Okafo

Prashant Gopal — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:01:11 +0000

Chijioke Okafo has had a few bad summers now and bad luck with some serious injuries in the last couple of years. Now he’s back in the game and healthier than ever. He met up with Chris Silva one afternoon to film this quick edit at our favourite ramshackle skatepark in one of Toronto’s west end neighbourhoods. If the video is telling of anything then he hasn’t lost a thing. We also asked him a few questions about his injuries and recovery, so read his interview below along with a couple recent photos shot by Mike Headford.

Walltap.

A couple summers ago you had a serious shoulder surgery. How’d that happen and how long did it put you out for?

The original injury happened when I was 17-18, and my shoulder just got progressively worse as time went on. I kept putting off seeing a doctor, but eventually gave in when it was popping out in my sleep. I ended up having to have a full shoulder reconstruction, which put me out for a good 7-8 months.

Last year, just as the summer started poppin’ you got taken out again. Full on knee blow out. Explain how that happened and what if felt like?

Yeah, that one was a pretty huge bummer. I guess because it was completely unexpected. With my shoulder, I had a couple years to get accustomed to a fucked up joint. My knee was just a one shot deal. It was at the Toronto stop of the 10 Pack tour last summer around this time. We were at a pretty well known uprail spot, and I was trying uprail whips when I probably shouldn’t have been. A few attempts in I got all weird on a whip and came down with my knee locked straight. As soon as I touched down, my knee bucked sideways and it blew apart. It felt like someone took a sledgehammer to the side of it, I knew something serious was wrong right away. Probably some of the worst pain I’ve felt

An inside look at Chijo’s knee.

How long was the recovery for your most recent injury been, and did you find you handled the recovery differently in any way than the last one?

This one was quite a bit longer, from start to finish. I had to wait almost 4 months for surgery, so I was out a total of 10 months. It was really tough, and really frustrating at times, but I still think I handled it better than when I was out for my shouulder. I definitely tried to stay positive more of the time, and to really focus on coming back stronger. As soon as I found out how bad the damage was, I knew what I was in for and knew that I had to suck it up and get through it so I could get back on my bike. I didn’t have any experience with that the first time around, so it definitely helpd out with this one.

Do you look at riding differently at all anymore? As in has it affected what you will try and what you won’t, or altered your riding style in any way?

I’m probably not gonna be doing whips much anymore, ha ha. But other than that, it hasn’t affected me too much, or at least I’d like to think that. It’s still pretty early to tell, but I feel good and I don’t feel too hindered.

Aside from the obvious physiotherapy needed, what did/do you do with all the downtime when recovering?

Go crazy, ha ha. I tried to pick up a few hobbies, or things I could do to get my mind off of riding, but nothing really helped much. I had to take it one day at a time. For the first while, you just find yourself staring at the wall thinking about tricks you miss doing, ha ha.

Tooth hanger.

Are there any major plans you have for yourself for this summer? Goals to conquer or demons to battle with?

Just gonna try to be on my bike as much as possible. I got a lot of missed riding time to catch up on, so I guess that’d be my main goal for this summer.

After these experiences of injury and recovery, has it caused you to make any changes to your day-to-day life, like a change in eating habits, stretching, etc.?

Anyone who knows me, knows I eat so fucking bad. You’d think after surgery I would have trained myself to eat a little healthier, but no dice. I definitely stretch a lot more, and I try to stay in shape with regular exercise, not just riding. It’s boring as hell and really hard to make myself do, but it’s better for me in the long run.

Now with this experience that you have accrued, what advice, if any, do you have for someone that’s just had a major injury?

Stay positive, as lame as it sounds. The more you look on the bright side, and the harder you work towards that bright side, the easier your recovery will be. Just stay motivated and in high spirits, and you’ll be through it in no time.

Somewhat unrelated, but I know the people are wondering, what motivated you to chop off the dreads? You pulled a Jared Washington move there.

Ha ha, the million dollar question. Def took some inspiration from Jared and Wormz. I had been toying with the idea for a couple years, and one night I finally just decided to go for it. I love it, and I’m so glad I made the call. Not having all that weight on my head is wicked, and I like blending in a bit more in a crowd. I miss them sometimes, but I’m happy with having very little hair for a while

Last words or anything or person you want to mention?

Thanks to anyone and everyone who has helped me through any injury I’ve had, I appreciate it so much. Shout outs to Volume, Demolition and 10 Pack for having my back through two major benchings too, can’t thank them enough. And Thanks to Embassy for the questions!

Prince Albert, SK Jam

Jeremy Deme — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:59:13 +0000

If your anywhere near Prince Albert,SK next Saturday May 18th, be sure to head out to the PA skatepark for a good time!

J-F Boulianne On The Cover of ART BMX

Prashant Gopal — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:08:26 +0000

Globe trotter and Quebec born flatlander Jean-Francois Boulianne (or JFB as he’s commonly known as) just landed on the cover of the France based publication ART BMX. Once a print magazine, ART appears to now be publishing their issues as web-zines. You can view the current issue in french or english here, and make sure to read JFB’s interview inside too.

Rick Nicholls by Brandon Artis

Aaron Gates — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:42:34 +0000

I spotted this on Facebook and bugged Rick to send it through. This is a beautiful tabletop. Check out Brandon’s other work here.