Iceland With Sam Pilgrim And Grant Fielder

Dec 6, 2012
by Ian Hylands
 
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Words and Photos by Lunatyk

I remember that I was out grocery shopping when I received a phone call from Grant Fielder (also known as Chopper). What he asked me was, "Do you want to join us on a trip to Iceland?" I bet that you can easily guess my answer...

A few weeks later, we began our epic trip to one of the most beautiful and scenic countries in the world.

sam wearing his icelandic sweater
grant
sam pilgrim and gran chopper fielder
  I believe that the introduction to these two lads is not necessary.

emil the viking
  Emil Thor Gudmundsson, our tour guide. He owns a bike shop named 'kria', and he was a bike tour guide and a model all in one. But most important, he's one of the coolest and nicest guys ever. I am more than sure that without him our Icelandic road trip wouldn't have been even half as successful.

boredom at an airport
sam s silly jokes
  Most road trips start at an airport, and ours was no different. Long waits bring many crazy ideas into Sam's and Grant's heads!

gran t chilling after long journey
the lounge in kex hostel
evil barber shop
old boxing stuff in a gym
  The hostel 'kex' in Icelandic means 'cookie' and takes its name from the cookie factory that was there before the hostel. It was a special place to us, it had a very unique atmosphere. Grant nicknamed it "instagram", because when you stepped into the lounge bar you felt like you were in a different world, one seen through a filter which made everything seem unreal, yet cozy and peaceful.

iceland on a globus
  I don't think we believed that we were were actually in Iceland until the next morning.

elevator music
grant listening to the music
swag
  only headphones, but so much fun...

sam not having fun
  Nope, Sam never solved that puzzle.

grant s back to school
  It's never too late to learn new things.

a sculpture
a sculpture
a sculpture
  Solfar, or Sun Voyager, is one of the most iconic landmarks of the Icelandic capitol, Reykjavik. Made of metal by artist Jon Gunnar Arnason, it's a modernized version of the ships Vikings used to conquer a large part of the Northern Hemisphere and it's a sight worth seeing.

a view
  Breathtaking views...

ns bikes majesty
  Sam's NS Majesty.

the crew
grant gives it a go despite a very strong wind
sam and grant warming up at the jumps
  The crew arrived at the one and only place where there are dirt jumps in the whole of Iceland. You can't see it in the photos, but it was windy as hell. The wind felt like 150mph and stabbing freezing cold needles through your body.

  Despite the hard conditions, Sam Pilgrim showed true class and skill. Well, we simply could not leave such an epic background without a single sick trick shot.

icelandic mountains
geysir
geisir
rainbow
geisirs
signs at geisers
veho muvi gear
emil instagraming hard
  Our next stop was a place with the biggest geyser on the island, and the third biggest in the world. As far as I remember, its record is around 80m high.

chilling in a room
  It had been a long day...We had to chill out in our room for a moment, but it was not the end of exciting things for that night.

auroras
auroras
grant sends a fireball into sam
sam neutralizing grant with a lazer
  Auroras are a magical experience, a truly breathtaking sight. Believe it or not, even these two triflers started talking about spiritual connections with the ghosts of their ancestors, but it wasn't too long until silly ideas came to their minds. The laser battle was heavy!

the view
road tripping
abandoned house
icelandinc horses
  The next day it was time to hit the road again...

kerid
instagraming
dan joyce the filmmaker
sam and grant walking up to ride down
grant standing on the opposite side of an inactive vulcano kerid
dan joyce s timelapse camera
  Emil took us to another stunning place, Kerid, a volcanic crater lake.

quick interview before a race
chopper riding down
  Veho 'muvi' action cameras are set and ready, a quick interview, and then a fast roll down on crater's hill.

  Barspins are one of the hardest tricks to catch with perfect timing, but here is the result of the very first attempt. Stoked on the timing, style, and yeah, the background is pretty cool as well.

sam pilgrim doing barspin
  Back to the roots, barspin off the curb.

a summer house with the view
  On our way to the next place I spotted this amazing summer house, a house out of the sweetest dreams.

emil the guide tour
  Emil, the tour guide.

the view with from behind the waterfall
sam pilgrim walks behind the waterfall
the seljafoss waterfall at it s best
  Emil surprised us all once again, and I think it was the biggest highlight of our roadtrip around Iceland's southwest coast - Seljansfoss waterfall. The waterfall itself looked powerful and magnificent, but as if this wasn't good enough, there was a path where visitors could walk behind the falling water.

 left setting up the muvi gear right dan joyce filming
  (left) Setting up the muvi gear, (right) Dan Joyce filming.

sam pilgrim doing a 360 of the bank in front of all the veho crew
sam pilgrim doing a tailwhip of the bank
grant chopper fielder building a small take off
seljansfoss waterfall
rock tap
grant in front of the waterfall
the crew
  Thanks to such a wide range of Veho products, not even one moment was missed, which was good because we definitely didn't want to miss any of the action that happened in that epic place.

  The next morning we teamed up with local BMX rider Anton Arnarson.

wallride
foot jam tailwhip
sam checking replay on veho muvi camera
footjam tailwhip filmed by james
ben emil sam and grant are checking the footage at veho muvi camera
backflip
maintaining the bike in a pub
  It was time for a session on the Reykjavik streets, and thanks to Anton we had a chance to go to the best spots and warm up before...

interview for icelandic tv
  an interview for a local TV station.

winter tyres
  Winter was on its way.

kona
  Grant 'Chopper' Fielder's bike.

emil th r gudmundsson
  Massive thanks to Emil for making the trip unforgettable and truly worthwhile.

grant
barspin
barspin
veho muvi camera attached to sam s helmet
veho muvi action camera ns majesty
  Big shout out to the Veho crew for organizing one rad and epic trip. We have the proof, we have the glory!

64 Comments

  • + 58
flag conv3rt (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:38)
 Is it just me or does Emil look tough as nails.
  • + 32
flag Azamac (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:44)
 haha, sure does dude. dont f**k with Emil!!! Big Grin
  • + 22
flag lobohusky (Dec 6, 2012 at 6:40)
 And only a guy with a name like Emil Thor could grow a beard that epic! He must have Viking blood running through his veins.
  • + 19
flag dirtjumper771 (Dec 6, 2012 at 7:01)
 I thought everyone in Iceland was a viking...
  • + 3
flag JS15 (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:04)
  • + 7
flag Afl505 (Dec 6, 2012 at 15:18)
 Haha, a Viking with skinny jeans and an Iphone.
  • + 4
flag FatTireFarm (Dec 6, 2012 at 18:51)
 Yet a viking no the less.
  • + 4
flag Chris-Sasquatch (Dec 6, 2012 at 19:20)
 His middle namesake dished out lightning with a hammer, pretty self explanatory.
  • + 3
flag FatTireFarm (Dec 7, 2012 at 9:51)
 Indeed sir, don't f*ck with Thor.
[Reply]
  • + 33
flag Truthteller (Dec 6, 2012 at 6:50)
 So you went to Iceland (home to the most exotic terrain on the planet) to jump some doubles and ride street....Wow! what a fail!
  • + 11
flag guigui333 (Dec 6, 2012 at 9:47)
 as you can see in the pictures, they did not went there only for biking.
  • + 6
flag finnrambo (Dec 6, 2012 at 17:27)
 *go there, sorry that was bugging me
  • + 2
flag assfault (Dec 6, 2012 at 21:04)
 Yeah, no sh!t. I mean, if dirt jumping or street riding happened to be his area of expertise, I would maybe understand it. But, someone like Sam; who is known for his big-mountain style, World Cup downhill speed, and fluidity on a 10" travel bike sure did screw the pooch on this one. I'm nothing but disappoint.
  • + 4
flag thepwnstar39 (Dec 8, 2012 at 19:21)
 a) If you saw any of Sam's visit to Japan video, he clearly enjoys traveling and experiencing new countries just as much as he enjoys riding his bike. I'm sure anyone would take a trip to somewhere as beautiful as this on someone else's dime even if you only got to hop on your bike once. If you'd say no to that you're a fool. Pros like this ride their bikes 24/7, I'm sure it's nice to take a break from that every once in a while and enjoy the fringe benefits of their job.

b) It looks like this was also some kind of marketing deal for those Muvi cameras. They're mentioned a bunch in the captions and they're obnoxiously placed on the riders too. I'm sure this video company wanted somewhere that was visually stunning to shoot their product. Also not a lot of people go to Iceland so I found it interesting to check out the country. Derr's a few good reasons!
  • + 2
flag jaame (Dec 9, 2012 at 21:24)
 That shot of pilgs with the kids' toy that he can't solve - priceless. Pilgs you're a hero!
[Reply]
  • + 12
flag blackforest (Dec 6, 2012 at 1:05)
 Mhmmm, I know some riders who would fit better to that kind of landscape. Taking street riders to a country like iceland sounds stupid to me. Hunter, Bearclaw ......... I would like to see these riders in this environment.
  • + 2
flag choptongpo (Dec 6, 2012 at 4:47)
 That was the point dude!
  • + 7
flag finnbjorn96 (Dec 6, 2012 at 7:35)
 Matt Hunter has already been here Wink

http://www.sterlinglorence.com/blog/?p=2639 check it out!
  • + 4
flag timkoerber (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:16)
 @finnbjorn96, nice link! That slide show of Sterlings is pretty dope.
[Reply]
  • + 7
flag speedy06 (Dec 6, 2012 at 5:11)
 I dont get it.

Kona still have a dirt jump team but don't sell top end dirt jump bikes so whats the point in having a team?!?!?!?

Why have riders on a Cowan or Bass frame when you can no longer buy one apart from second hand?
  • + 1
flag EyERYDEproud (Dec 6, 2012 at 7:04)
 sam 3
  • + 1
flag Shredder-boy (Dec 6, 2012 at 10:12)
 Nothing wrong with Kona bikes and you can still buy their DJ bikes new!
[Reply]
  • + 5
flag MrTeeGiant (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:30)
 I've had the privilege to go to Iceland myself and it is a totally different world out there! It has to be one of the most natural, untouched places in the world with some great scenery. Mind you, Reykjavik isn't the best town in the world Razz
[Reply]
  • + 5
flag joshio13 (Dec 6, 2012 at 11:57)
 Emil reminds me of "The Techno Viking" eh.
  • + 1
flag jaame (Dec 9, 2012 at 21:25)
 He reminds me of the guy from the hangover, due date etc...
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag NoProofNoGlory (Dec 6, 2012 at 2:03)
 The 4 part edit from this Iceland trip will be hitting www.noproofnoglory.com very soon register at www.noproofnoglory.com and you will get notification when it goes live. Totally rad trip !
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag somismtb (Dec 6, 2012 at 1:18)
 This is very cool. My mom was born and raised in Iceland which makes me 50% Viking!!! Im always glad to see people appreciating the beauty of the little country. You guys should have checked out the volcanic hot springs!
  • + 3
flag QuantockPete (Dec 6, 2012 at 4:03)
 There's like 10 photos of them visiting geysers, aka volcanic hot springs...
  • + 1
flag myothercarsa2cv (Dec 6, 2012 at 5:00)
 I think somismtb means somewhere like the Blue Lagoon... Which is amazing. Iceland is one of the most amazing places I've been - and I can't wait to go back!
  • + 1
flag KondziuNS (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:46)
 MUH HERITAGE
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag slimboyjim (Dec 6, 2012 at 1:52)
 I like the fact that the MASSIVE truck carries a shovel on the back - it looks tiny! (I know it's not!) It would take a while to dig that out!
  • + 1
flag PeytonP (Dec 6, 2012 at 6:45)
 This isn't important, but it's funny to me to see what other people around the world call a "truck".To me, a truck is a vehicle with an extended open bed for carrying or hauling things... but I have grown up in Texas. I see "trucks" lifted up twice as tall everyday.
But, again, it really doesn't matter.
It's just cool to have a site like this where people from all over the world get to talk about bikes and see what people think from another geographic perspective.
  • + 1
flag blondahl (Dec 14, 2012 at 15:15)
 You may see "higher trucks" in texas but the wheels are much bigger on the Icelandic cars. What we call a "truck" is when the tires are from 38-56 inches but that would be a jeep in iceland

www.flickr.com/photos/hrolfurinn/5755848798 a tipical icelandic jeep Wink .
  • + 1
flag PeytonP (Dec 15, 2012 at 20:10)
 Yep, that looks about right! Around here, they do them like that for driving through mud holes and lift them incredibly high with tractor tires. I personally don't care for it (or the people who usually do it)- I have mine around standard height with offload tires so I can get to the trails and pull my bikes out of the bed without needing a ladder.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag ThomasAdam (Dec 6, 2012 at 11:53)
 Iceland is truly an epic place!
Check out our gopro video of the epic sights: www.northboundanddown.com/2012/11/rekjavik-rockers.html
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag joib (Dec 6, 2012 at 15:29)
 Here is Emil, riding in some epic scenery in the Icelandic interior

www.pinkbike.com/video/267273
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag whalesandowls (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:23)
 this is the most beautiful countries in the world man!! the photos are amazingly good! my dream is to live in Iceland! Frown
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag lab7digital (Dec 6, 2012 at 5:10)
 I feel like I've read this article before!! :/

Still enjoyed it, great dinner time read!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag ollie-jones (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:22)
 Probably going to need a new headset with the amount of bar-spins that went down, holy shit!
[Reply]
  • + 3
flag ercover (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:21)
 Epic!
[Reply]
  • + 3
flag RoverDover (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:21)
 Nice Landrovers!
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag dillonchamberlain (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:33)
 beautiful coverage, a video would have been killer.
[Reply]
  • + 3
flag ChinoJ10 (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:32)
 Awesome article Ian !
  • + 3
flag brule Mod Plus (Dec 6, 2012 at 10:49)
 The article is by Simon Nieborak - Ian laid it out really nice for him though.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag DrippingPink (Dec 6, 2012 at 13:33)
 Epic Coverage and story, the pics are really great, amazing vibe, lot of good character shots.
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag trickadoodle13 (Dec 6, 2012 at 1:11)
 traveling around the world with your bike. *Daydreamin' *
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag agnostic (Dec 6, 2012 at 19:52)
 Where is a link to all the video footage?
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag enrico650 (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:49)
 Amazing trip, can not wait to see that video!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag MRLONDON (Dec 6, 2012 at 16:45)
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJWo4PKUVhM

SAM PILGRIM ON TAKE ME OUT!!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Keskiyo (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:06)
 Beutiful Iceland, nice pics!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Bikerhasi (Dec 8, 2012 at 7:08)
 That`s probably the first Kona I like Wink
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag yamirover (Dec 6, 2012 at 2:11)
 Yeeewwww Land rovers and awesome riding equals win!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Benji-man (Dec 6, 2012 at 5:38)
 Nice shots.. the captions, not so much
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag LTmtb (Dec 6, 2012 at 18:26)
 Iceland looks RAW! Great article.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Joelrider (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:18)
 No, He has an NS, I Have the GIANT GLORY xD
  • + 1
flag chyu (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:22)
 And there's a kona.
  • + 1
flag Joelrider (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:18)
 " We have the proof, we have the glory!" So they are wrong xD
  • + 1
flag trickadoodle13 (Dec 6, 2012 at 5:25)
 I also got glory Wink
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag xfreex (Dec 7, 2012 at 2:42)
 wow...great pics
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag gastonbx (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:36)
 Such great landscapes
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag alxxx (Dec 6, 2012 at 0:27)
 Nice trip!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag dfnugraha (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:04)
 COOL !!!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag barbarosza (Dec 6, 2012 at 3:50)
 when are we going ?
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Bobby-Gold (Dec 6, 2012 at 8:54)
 Awesome photography!
[Reply]

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