Norco VPS - The First Bike to Rule the Shore?
When I was in high school I had already been bitten by the mountain bike bug for years. I would sit in class thinking about tacky dirt instead of assignments, and tall trees instead of math tests. I’d often grab a scrap of paper and write out my ‘dream bike,’ right down to each component, what kind of pedals it would have, everything.
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That dream bike for most of high school was a lime green 1999 Norco VPS-1. This was the bike that hardcore dudes on the North Shore were pedaling off stumps, riding huge logs, and descending through the rainforest on. I wanted one, bad.
I never got one though. I was stuck on a '97 Kona Explosif, which was a great bike, although not designed for much more than pinner XC trails.
Not too long ago I saw a '99 VPS-1, lime green, with a Marzocchi Monster T, locked up to a bike rack in Midway, BC, of all places. Seeing that bike got me thinking, rekindling memories of high school days spent lusting after that exact bike. It’s funny how certain things in life can be of significance and represent a whole lot more than just being a bike. That '99 VPS-1 for me rekindles hundreds of hours of time spent in the forest; building skinnies, ladders, drops, and fantasizing about one day owning a bike like the ones Wade Simmons, Richie Schley, Ken Maude, and Dangerous Dan were riding.
![photo]()
Perhaps, if surfing has Hawaii and skiing has Alaska, then the trails of North Vancouver are a sort of cultural epicenter for our sport. I decided to get in touch with some of the first guys who ever ripped it up on that Lime Green Norco VPS-1 to see what they had to say.
Peter Stace-Smith has been ‘The Man’ at Norco forever, pretty much literally. He has ridden the waves of the bike industry with Norco and has seen the progression of the sport and industry as both a rider and business man.
How long have you worked at Norco?
Coming up on 32 years now! Unreal eh? Let me tell you, a LOT has changed in 32 years. Heck, mountain bikes were not even around when I started here at Norco. It was 10-speeds and BMX bikes.
When did the first VPS bikes arrive? (Prior to that, I remember the awesome all orange ''bomber'' Dustan Adams rode at the Burnt Bridge DH race)
Yes, the first Bomber was released in 1997, with the first monocoque VPS-1 “Freeride bike” being released right after that in 1998. That bike was a game changer for us for sure. It featured Horst Link rear 4-bar suspension, 5-1/2” of travel (could be adjusted down to 4-1/2” and came with a Marzocchi Jr. T triple clamp fork, and Race Face forged cranks).
Did the VPS bikes arrive as part of the North Shore movement?
Yes, that is exactly what they were built for. They had shorter top tubes, and riser bars. Our whole goal in releasing the monocoque frame was to make them TOUGH. Around that time pretty much every bike that was ridden on the Shore seemed to have its head-tube ripped off pretty quick, we aimed to eliminate that. It really seems like it was one of the very first platforms able to handle the crazy stuff the North Shore dudes were trying to ride. Our goal was to build a bomb-proof frameset capable of handling anything and everything that these new crazy “freerider types” were doing.
![photo]()
Who were some of the first riders to really put that bike through its paces?
Riders such as: Duane Nichole, Ted Gilliat, Kenny Maude, Annie Bisson, Rich Prorok, and Cory Leclerc. Within a year bigger name guys like Darren Butler and Mike Kinrade were doing things that no one had thought of doing on bikes.
Who was behind the design and development of the original VPS bikes?
Well, kudo’s go out to our bike division and the foresight to see where this crazy niche was going. There was continual development work on these bikes as 2 or 3 of the keen riders who worked here were out there living the scene and totally immersed in it. The design work for all VPS bikes (along with all other hardtails and the rest of our bikes) are done in-house by Norco staff. This process over the years has got more “formalized” with the addition of our complete engineering department, but from about the early 1980’s every single bike was “designed” (angles, tubing choices, every single measurement, cable routing, shock placement, pivots etc.) in-house.
When were the glory years of the monoque style design and when did that end?
Ha ha. Glory years were probably from 2000 to 2004. Later in that cycle we found we were becoming limited with what we could do when using monocoque and went back to actual tube sets. At the same time hydroforming was becoming better and better and we found we could mimic the needs in strengths with a lighter and quieter frameset – and monocoque died a quiet death within another year or so.
It seems like Norco had a few years of perhaps not being as 'cool' as they had been in the past, what changes were made?
It is tough. Norco has always made great bikes and we have stood behind them, our dealer network, and warranties etc. Many people’s “first bike” or even first few bikes were Norco’s. I think the interesting thing is riders can’t get their heads around the fact we DO BUILD high end, performance bikes as when they finally want to spend 2-3-4-5 thousand on a bike, they tend to seek out other brands thinking that they will get something better? Many of these riders come back around full circle to ride on our top end bikes when disappointingly they have found they purchased a brand that was not as well supported, had poor warranty practices when something went wrong, and really didn’t ride better. We have also spent a ton of time, effort, and money in developing top notch bikes and sponsoring riders to get out there and show the world they can win on our bikes.
![A week up at Retallack lodge exploring their tenure trails with James Doerfling Kevin Landry Evan Schwartz and Mike Hopkins.]()
Where did the big monoque VPS bikes come from?
This monocoque section of tubing was a non-proprietary (as in developed by someone else) downtube section that became available to us in 1987 and was tested and then put into production in the 1998 season with the first VPS-1 bike (black and orange) that had a whopping 5.5” of travel (also adjustable down to 4”). It was quickly “refined” with much slacker head tube angle etc. and released again in 1999 as the green version you asked about.
Was this specifically for DH? Or a direct response to the growth of 'Shore Riding'?
Interesting enough, for BOTH. There really wasn’t that much distinction in the first few years, and anything burly was used for both. I chuckled when reading in the ’98 catalog that we simply called this our “Full Suspension” Series of bikes and that they were “designed for use in World Cup DH racing.'' In 1999 we seperated that into single chainring DH models, and 2000 marked the distinction between these two areas. Many of our photos were all “SHORE” or “FREERIDE” shots with teetertotters, ramps etc. From that year on, there were specific models aimed at this fast growing segment. Freeride was born and took off at full throttle, and riders like you mention above helped boost it into an international phenomenon pretty quickly.
Who was designing the bikes in the early days of VPS? Where were they being built?
As they are still today (and as pretty much every quality maker you can name right now), Norco did all the design work in-house, then had these frames built for us in Asia. Then the framesets were returned to Canada where final QC and assembly took place at our plant in Langley, BC.
The new 2013 line up of bikes is really, really strong. What are some of the most exciting bikes and how did they come about?
Yeah, thanks. Kudo’s once again to our bike team and our engineering guys, the bikes are beautiful and very purpose specific. We want to compete on a World stage and the new bikes show that. From the Aurum, our biggest travel race DH bike, down through the Sight (which just won Trail Bike of the Year from a UK-based magazine) through to our full carbon road bikes – they are all really strong. Again we know we are competitive on the pricing of these bikes and the components and gear they come with, so there is no reason to not support a Canadian brand. 2012 has been a great year and we ended up selling out of many of our models completely, so people are paying attention to what we are doing and buying the best bike for the buck! We are excited looking ahead to what is coming out in 2013 too.
Darren Butler has been around the freeride scene since the beginning. Years ago he lived on a ranch in Invermere, BC with his buddies Byron Grey and Dave Silver. These guys were some of the very first exploring the big mountains and were pioneering long, ski-style, freeride descents in the Purcell Mountains more than 10 years ago. Darren was a major force at the very first Red Bull Rampage as well as the ''Drop In'' TV series. Darren is now living in Vancouver with his wife Kelli and daughter Myla. They own Endless Biking, a tour and instruction company that has introduced hundreds of riders to biking.
How did your first VPS bike affect your riding?
The VPS bikes gave us the ability and the confidence to do things we had never done before, in terms of riding new terrain and features. These bikes were built to handle the type of riding we were up to. Up until that point, we were pushing hard tails well beyond their intended means and/or running squishy bikes with skewers (instead of 20mm thru axles). Isn't that hilarious? People won't ride XC bikes these days on skewers! I can honestly say that I pushed those bikes hard and they held up well.
![photo]()
Do you feel like you rode some of the first true freeride lines in the big mountains?
We definitely felt like we were doing something new, when we were in our big mountain zone. We still feel it is relevant today, which is pretty cool. Big natural features, un-ridden lines, remote locations, epic alpine views and only an imagination to hold you back. It felt pretty rad to hit some of that stuff, but photos and videos still don't really do it justice, everything is so big and so rowdy, the scree would shred your clothes and skin if you went down, the boulders and sharp rock could send you to the ER, a long ways away, and the large cliff bands and exposure in some places could end your career. To put it all together and ride some mountain aspects and lines that have never been done before (and many have not been repeated since) was certainly a pretty cool feeling.
How about skiing? Did that affect your approach to taking your VPS into the hills?
We were somewhat inspired by skiers and some of the lines and freedom they had, but we also wanted to paint our own painting and interpret the terrain with a fresh perspective. The mountain was our canvas, the bike was our brush. Without an extensive big mountain ski background, I had not skied any of these lines (neither had most of our crew) and we wanted to do something new, something that had never been done before on bikes. We had good friends who shred on skis so we knew some of their lines, but we wanted to mix it up, it is so different when covered in snow/rock too. We were really into the adventure, the unknown, the exploration of it all. It's part of what makes us tick as mountain bikers; discovering challenges, scoping/imagining lines (aka Line Disease) and pushing the boundaries to see what really is possible. This was a constant with our crew, imagination, creativity, and a desire to push the boundaries of our bikes and abilities.
How about big crashes? There must have been some epic carnage in the early days?
'The crash' on ''Drop In'' was certainly a life-changer for me due to the magnitude of the injury that resulted. Going big on lines that were new certainly presented risk and consequence, but these are calculated, measured risks that we took. Being durable and being able to tap-dance like a cat out of tricky situations is part of the package and we knew there would be some injuries along the way. Massive crashes were inevitable, but we took good care of our bodies and we were careful about what we rode, believe it or not. I think this situation was unique in the sense that the injury was pretty significant and took such a long time to recover from and had such an impact on my life. Shattering both heels and having to learn to walk again as a 26-year-old was an incredibly difficult experience, but one that I have gained so much strength from and I can continue to draw from today. I was really just getting started as a rider, we were working on some new stuff on our bikes, new zones and really starting to gel as a team (or shall I say 'band' lol). I certainly would've kept pushing as a rider for sure. We were just getting started with the slopestyle circuits, big mountain freeride events like Rampage, TV shows, videos, and webisodes. Sometimes I feel like there is some unfinished business there...
What were some of the scariest moments?
I certainly had some close calls, but none that scared me to the point of wondering if I should continue, I felt pretty strongly about my path in life at that point. Overcoming your fears is part of why we mountain bike, to learn to clear obstacles and challenges in life, just like we do on the bike. The rowdiest bail I had that made me wonder if I had gone too far was riding down a full hoodoo chute in Fairmont, BC. Our photographer (Solomon Rosenberg) was dressed in full armour (with full face helmet) to deal with all of the debris and falling rock as well as potentially a cart-wheeling rider! I made it all the way to the bottom (from the full top) puckered up, fully pinned, but giggling the whole way down and clipped the very last wall with my handle bar and it sent me pretty good as it caught me by surprise. A pretty violent crash indeed and no one that I know of has ever tried the line since. As I was riding an updated VPS each year, it gave me confidence in my bike as I knew it so well, one that I could trust to handle the pounding we gave them day in and day out.
What about the first Red Bull Rampage? You and Kinrade were the main chargers there from what I have heard?
Ha ha, funny story about the 1st Red Bull Rampage, thanks for asking. Please forgive me though, this answer is longer, but it's got some goodies in it.
Kinrade and I showed up for Rampage ready to go, three days ahead of anyone else. When we got to the venue, there were only Red Bull crew around nervously looking up the hill, wondering if they had gone too far with this event. They were truly wondering if the riders could deal with the raw and rugged terrain. These guys were not really big-mountain riders so they were scared out of their minds looking at the zone for the first time… so were many of the riders to be honest. So Mike and I hit the zone for 2-3 days of digging; building lines, clearing rocks, transplanting cactus, trying to pack booters, etc. We had tried a few of the big cliff drops and it certainly made the Red Bull guys feel better as they now knew we could actually ride it, although no one had yet gone top-to-bottom. So after digging in a line, we started to ride it. Kinrade and I sessioned bits of the course, but Wade Simmons and I were actually the first to do a full top-to-bottom run on the course as a train, it was pretty special for me and for the Red Bull crew. I looked up to Wade as a rider and the Red Bull guys were so stoked at what they just saw, we knew something special just happened, you could see it in our smiles, the twinkle in the eye.
So, a day or so before the event, the rest of the riders start to show up. Well, they were freaked out by the raw terrain too and didn't have the time to dig or the energy that Mike and I did from showing up early. Not having time to build a new line, they rode the existing line that Kinrade and I built. Kinrade and I were a bit bummed for sure (as we didn't get any creativity or digging points), we thought people would build their own line, not just ride someone else's. So, we started working on some other options. Vanderham and Shandro had been quietly working something steep, techy, and rowdy, something more low-key in the sense that it didn't stand out. All the Canadians were drawn to it as an option to the main line built that round. Kinrade and I worked on a line adjacent to their's and this low-key, techy-steep zone became known as the 'Canadian Bacon' line. The original line that Mike and I built became 'All American Beef,' built by 2 Canadians. These were the first two main lines of the inaugural Red Bull Rampage.
What’s it like being there from the start, or even before the start, and watching all the young guns coming up?
As an original big mountain rider, I am now inspired by a younger generation of riders who have taken these explorations of bike, body, and mountain to a whole other level. Kinrade is a good friend and someone I certainly respect as a rider. He's been pushing the boundaries for a decade now in the mountains around the world. Mike Hopkins, James Doerfling, and Garrett Buehler throw down some pretty cool stuff in the big mountains. I would add Kurt Sorge to the mix if he and some friends didn't stiff me on a spendy Vegas dinner tab a couple of years back (ha ha). Matt Hunter does a great job of pushing the boundaries of performance on a bike and exploring the backcountry and the mountains. Thomas Vanderham too, is silky smooth, even when it gets rough and rowdy, he certainly has style for miles. Bearclaw looks right at home in the big mountains. I haven't seen Brandon Semenuk in the big mountains, but I know he has the skills and creativity to put something pretty special together out there. Gee Atherton certainly has tons of big mountain skills that no one gets to see as he is racing all the time. After watching him slay Rampage, it's clear he crushes mountains like few others can. Cam Zink has truly put it all together and is doing what we dreamt of a decade ago - slopestyle like flow, style, speed, and tricks in the big mountains and on the trails; plus he's got some serious drive to keep the train rolling, which is pretty cool considering the physical beat down he has taken to get there.
Ken Maude is one of those guys who could be called ‘Mr. North Shore.’ He has been riding the Shore for decades, has been working in and out of local bike shops all that time, and was a big name freerider in the early days of North Shore-style riding. He was a key rider in the ahead-of-its-time film, ‘'Ride to the Hills,'’ and now owns Lynn Valley Bike Shop in North Vancouver.
Ken, when did you first start riding a Norco?
I first started riding the Norco VPS in 1998. I test road the black/orange VPS bike and did not want to give it back. I said everyone was cheating who owned one. I was on a Gary Fisher Fun Hog at the time.
Why was the VPS series 'the bike to have on the Shore' back then?
I think the main reason for the VPS domination on the Shore, was that it was a tough bike, and soaked up the bumps like never before. It also had great geometry at the time. Most big brands had nothing close.
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You were a team rider with Norco, how did that come about? How long did it last?
I rode for Norco for almost five years give or take a few months. At the time I was transitioning out of racing and into the movie/freeride scene. I was getting requests daily to go shoot videos and go ride all over North America. I had developed a strong relationship with the team at Norco with all the years in retail and selling Norco products. It just seemed like a natural fit and I was really stoked on the products. I think the benefit of timing was key.
We've seen many suspension designs come and go, do you think the VPS system was a really good one that stood the test of time?
The VPS was a sound system for sure, and Norco made smart adjustments to the design (switching from bushings to bearings, making the stays beefy, moving away from monocoque and back to shaped tubes). The main premise of the VPS was still there, the key was the FSR link.
You have been riding the Shore as long as anybody really, how is the scene there today? Are you happy with how things are turning out?
As you can probably imagine, a lot has changed in 30 years of riding the Shore. I can remember going on rides and never seeing another soul out there, even on a Saturday. The trails were all natural and not a bridge or man made structure anywhere. We were riding little pinner XC bikes on crazy steep trails and getting bloody every time. Today the sport is bigger then ever! More new people are riding every day and the equipment is way more mechanically sound. I am excited the way the Shore is holding together. With NSMBA and TAP the trails are being maintained, which was needed badly. I think we are in good shape moving forward.
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You shot for some of the original MTB films, including ''Ride to the Hills'' by Jorli Ricker. How was that? How did it come about?
Again, timing is everything! I was lucky enough to be riding with guys like Wade Simmons, Richie Schley, and others. When you were riding with them there was always a camera around and so it naturally became a part of what I was doing. It lead to so many opportunities with sponsors and travel. It was a crazy time of my riding career. All the emphasis switched from racing to movies and we worked really hard on riding original lines.
Tell me a story about shooting for ''Ride to the Hills'' - anything interesting or unexpected happen? Where did you shoot? Where did you get the idea to jump off of that billboard?
It was a crazy time. A lot of energy was used to find new and creative lines. We would drive around looking all over the place for things to jump on and off of. It was one of those days when we found the billboard. It looked awesome from all angles and the filmers were stoked! After watching my friend Cody Bentall try to nail it twice and crash both times, I could see the line. I jumped up and hit it first go and stomped it. It felt amazing at that moment knowing I had done something new. I mainly shot the North Shore scene for ''Ride to the Hills,'' places like GMG on Fromme and a lot of Cypress lines. I did spend a bunch of time in Kamloops, but nothing turned out.
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Back when I was a kid you were one of the biggest names in freeride, you had a legendary 'Shore master' vibe going on. How does it feel knowing you've influenced MTB history?
I feel very lucky to have been a part of a generation that has had so much influence on the sport. I still love getting out there and riding the gnar today and I feel blessed to do that at the level I do.
You own a shop, Lynn Valley Bikes, what is your shop's mission statement?
Service first. We focus on high end service and we stock products we can stand behind.
Conclusion:
Norco was there from the start, and by the looks of their new line up of bikes, they aren't going anywhere soon. Thanks guys, for doing this interview. Thanks to Dave Silver and Garret Grove for the use of their excellent photos.
-Riley
![A week up at Retallack lodge exploring their tenure trails with James Doerfling Kevin Landry Evan Schwartz and Mike Hopkins.]()
That dream bike for most of high school was a lime green 1999 Norco VPS-1. This was the bike that hardcore dudes on the North Shore were pedaling off stumps, riding huge logs, and descending through the rainforest on. I wanted one, bad.
I never got one though. I was stuck on a '97 Kona Explosif, which was a great bike, although not designed for much more than pinner XC trails.
Not too long ago I saw a '99 VPS-1, lime green, with a Marzocchi Monster T, locked up to a bike rack in Midway, BC, of all places. Seeing that bike got me thinking, rekindling memories of high school days spent lusting after that exact bike. It’s funny how certain things in life can be of significance and represent a whole lot more than just being a bike. That '99 VPS-1 for me rekindles hundreds of hours of time spent in the forest; building skinnies, ladders, drops, and fantasizing about one day owning a bike like the ones Wade Simmons, Richie Schley, Ken Maude, and Dangerous Dan were riding.
Perhaps, if surfing has Hawaii and skiing has Alaska, then the trails of North Vancouver are a sort of cultural epicenter for our sport. I decided to get in touch with some of the first guys who ever ripped it up on that Lime Green Norco VPS-1 to see what they had to say.
Peter Stace-Smith has been ‘The Man’ at Norco forever, pretty much literally. He has ridden the waves of the bike industry with Norco and has seen the progression of the sport and industry as both a rider and business man.
How long have you worked at Norco?
Coming up on 32 years now! Unreal eh? Let me tell you, a LOT has changed in 32 years. Heck, mountain bikes were not even around when I started here at Norco. It was 10-speeds and BMX bikes.
When did the first VPS bikes arrive? (Prior to that, I remember the awesome all orange ''bomber'' Dustan Adams rode at the Burnt Bridge DH race)
Yes, the first Bomber was released in 1997, with the first monocoque VPS-1 “Freeride bike” being released right after that in 1998. That bike was a game changer for us for sure. It featured Horst Link rear 4-bar suspension, 5-1/2” of travel (could be adjusted down to 4-1/2” and came with a Marzocchi Jr. T triple clamp fork, and Race Face forged cranks).
Did the VPS bikes arrive as part of the North Shore movement?
Yes, that is exactly what they were built for. They had shorter top tubes, and riser bars. Our whole goal in releasing the monocoque frame was to make them TOUGH. Around that time pretty much every bike that was ridden on the Shore seemed to have its head-tube ripped off pretty quick, we aimed to eliminate that. It really seems like it was one of the very first platforms able to handle the crazy stuff the North Shore dudes were trying to ride. Our goal was to build a bomb-proof frameset capable of handling anything and everything that these new crazy “freerider types” were doing.
Who were some of the first riders to really put that bike through its paces?
Riders such as: Duane Nichole, Ted Gilliat, Kenny Maude, Annie Bisson, Rich Prorok, and Cory Leclerc. Within a year bigger name guys like Darren Butler and Mike Kinrade were doing things that no one had thought of doing on bikes.
Who was behind the design and development of the original VPS bikes?
Well, kudo’s go out to our bike division and the foresight to see where this crazy niche was going. There was continual development work on these bikes as 2 or 3 of the keen riders who worked here were out there living the scene and totally immersed in it. The design work for all VPS bikes (along with all other hardtails and the rest of our bikes) are done in-house by Norco staff. This process over the years has got more “formalized” with the addition of our complete engineering department, but from about the early 1980’s every single bike was “designed” (angles, tubing choices, every single measurement, cable routing, shock placement, pivots etc.) in-house.
When were the glory years of the monoque style design and when did that end?
Ha ha. Glory years were probably from 2000 to 2004. Later in that cycle we found we were becoming limited with what we could do when using monocoque and went back to actual tube sets. At the same time hydroforming was becoming better and better and we found we could mimic the needs in strengths with a lighter and quieter frameset – and monocoque died a quiet death within another year or so.
It seems like Norco had a few years of perhaps not being as 'cool' as they had been in the past, what changes were made?
It is tough. Norco has always made great bikes and we have stood behind them, our dealer network, and warranties etc. Many people’s “first bike” or even first few bikes were Norco’s. I think the interesting thing is riders can’t get their heads around the fact we DO BUILD high end, performance bikes as when they finally want to spend 2-3-4-5 thousand on a bike, they tend to seek out other brands thinking that they will get something better? Many of these riders come back around full circle to ride on our top end bikes when disappointingly they have found they purchased a brand that was not as well supported, had poor warranty practices when something went wrong, and really didn’t ride better. We have also spent a ton of time, effort, and money in developing top notch bikes and sponsoring riders to get out there and show the world they can win on our bikes.
Where did the big monoque VPS bikes come from?
This monocoque section of tubing was a non-proprietary (as in developed by someone else) downtube section that became available to us in 1987 and was tested and then put into production in the 1998 season with the first VPS-1 bike (black and orange) that had a whopping 5.5” of travel (also adjustable down to 4”). It was quickly “refined” with much slacker head tube angle etc. and released again in 1999 as the green version you asked about.
Was this specifically for DH? Or a direct response to the growth of 'Shore Riding'?
Interesting enough, for BOTH. There really wasn’t that much distinction in the first few years, and anything burly was used for both. I chuckled when reading in the ’98 catalog that we simply called this our “Full Suspension” Series of bikes and that they were “designed for use in World Cup DH racing.'' In 1999 we seperated that into single chainring DH models, and 2000 marked the distinction between these two areas. Many of our photos were all “SHORE” or “FREERIDE” shots with teetertotters, ramps etc. From that year on, there were specific models aimed at this fast growing segment. Freeride was born and took off at full throttle, and riders like you mention above helped boost it into an international phenomenon pretty quickly.
Who was designing the bikes in the early days of VPS? Where were they being built?
As they are still today (and as pretty much every quality maker you can name right now), Norco did all the design work in-house, then had these frames built for us in Asia. Then the framesets were returned to Canada where final QC and assembly took place at our plant in Langley, BC.
The new 2013 line up of bikes is really, really strong. What are some of the most exciting bikes and how did they come about?
Yeah, thanks. Kudo’s once again to our bike team and our engineering guys, the bikes are beautiful and very purpose specific. We want to compete on a World stage and the new bikes show that. From the Aurum, our biggest travel race DH bike, down through the Sight (which just won Trail Bike of the Year from a UK-based magazine) through to our full carbon road bikes – they are all really strong. Again we know we are competitive on the pricing of these bikes and the components and gear they come with, so there is no reason to not support a Canadian brand. 2012 has been a great year and we ended up selling out of many of our models completely, so people are paying attention to what we are doing and buying the best bike for the buck! We are excited looking ahead to what is coming out in 2013 too.
Darren Butler has been around the freeride scene since the beginning. Years ago he lived on a ranch in Invermere, BC with his buddies Byron Grey and Dave Silver. These guys were some of the very first exploring the big mountains and were pioneering long, ski-style, freeride descents in the Purcell Mountains more than 10 years ago. Darren was a major force at the very first Red Bull Rampage as well as the ''Drop In'' TV series. Darren is now living in Vancouver with his wife Kelli and daughter Myla. They own Endless Biking, a tour and instruction company that has introduced hundreds of riders to biking.
How did your first VPS bike affect your riding?
The VPS bikes gave us the ability and the confidence to do things we had never done before, in terms of riding new terrain and features. These bikes were built to handle the type of riding we were up to. Up until that point, we were pushing hard tails well beyond their intended means and/or running squishy bikes with skewers (instead of 20mm thru axles). Isn't that hilarious? People won't ride XC bikes these days on skewers! I can honestly say that I pushed those bikes hard and they held up well.
Do you feel like you rode some of the first true freeride lines in the big mountains?
We definitely felt like we were doing something new, when we were in our big mountain zone. We still feel it is relevant today, which is pretty cool. Big natural features, un-ridden lines, remote locations, epic alpine views and only an imagination to hold you back. It felt pretty rad to hit some of that stuff, but photos and videos still don't really do it justice, everything is so big and so rowdy, the scree would shred your clothes and skin if you went down, the boulders and sharp rock could send you to the ER, a long ways away, and the large cliff bands and exposure in some places could end your career. To put it all together and ride some mountain aspects and lines that have never been done before (and many have not been repeated since) was certainly a pretty cool feeling.
How about skiing? Did that affect your approach to taking your VPS into the hills?
We were somewhat inspired by skiers and some of the lines and freedom they had, but we also wanted to paint our own painting and interpret the terrain with a fresh perspective. The mountain was our canvas, the bike was our brush. Without an extensive big mountain ski background, I had not skied any of these lines (neither had most of our crew) and we wanted to do something new, something that had never been done before on bikes. We had good friends who shred on skis so we knew some of their lines, but we wanted to mix it up, it is so different when covered in snow/rock too. We were really into the adventure, the unknown, the exploration of it all. It's part of what makes us tick as mountain bikers; discovering challenges, scoping/imagining lines (aka Line Disease) and pushing the boundaries to see what really is possible. This was a constant with our crew, imagination, creativity, and a desire to push the boundaries of our bikes and abilities.
How about big crashes? There must have been some epic carnage in the early days?
'The crash' on ''Drop In'' was certainly a life-changer for me due to the magnitude of the injury that resulted. Going big on lines that were new certainly presented risk and consequence, but these are calculated, measured risks that we took. Being durable and being able to tap-dance like a cat out of tricky situations is part of the package and we knew there would be some injuries along the way. Massive crashes were inevitable, but we took good care of our bodies and we were careful about what we rode, believe it or not. I think this situation was unique in the sense that the injury was pretty significant and took such a long time to recover from and had such an impact on my life. Shattering both heels and having to learn to walk again as a 26-year-old was an incredibly difficult experience, but one that I have gained so much strength from and I can continue to draw from today. I was really just getting started as a rider, we were working on some new stuff on our bikes, new zones and really starting to gel as a team (or shall I say 'band' lol). I certainly would've kept pushing as a rider for sure. We were just getting started with the slopestyle circuits, big mountain freeride events like Rampage, TV shows, videos, and webisodes. Sometimes I feel like there is some unfinished business there...
What were some of the scariest moments?
I certainly had some close calls, but none that scared me to the point of wondering if I should continue, I felt pretty strongly about my path in life at that point. Overcoming your fears is part of why we mountain bike, to learn to clear obstacles and challenges in life, just like we do on the bike. The rowdiest bail I had that made me wonder if I had gone too far was riding down a full hoodoo chute in Fairmont, BC. Our photographer (Solomon Rosenberg) was dressed in full armour (with full face helmet) to deal with all of the debris and falling rock as well as potentially a cart-wheeling rider! I made it all the way to the bottom (from the full top) puckered up, fully pinned, but giggling the whole way down and clipped the very last wall with my handle bar and it sent me pretty good as it caught me by surprise. A pretty violent crash indeed and no one that I know of has ever tried the line since. As I was riding an updated VPS each year, it gave me confidence in my bike as I knew it so well, one that I could trust to handle the pounding we gave them day in and day out.
What about the first Red Bull Rampage? You and Kinrade were the main chargers there from what I have heard?
Ha ha, funny story about the 1st Red Bull Rampage, thanks for asking. Please forgive me though, this answer is longer, but it's got some goodies in it.
Kinrade and I showed up for Rampage ready to go, three days ahead of anyone else. When we got to the venue, there were only Red Bull crew around nervously looking up the hill, wondering if they had gone too far with this event. They were truly wondering if the riders could deal with the raw and rugged terrain. These guys were not really big-mountain riders so they were scared out of their minds looking at the zone for the first time… so were many of the riders to be honest. So Mike and I hit the zone for 2-3 days of digging; building lines, clearing rocks, transplanting cactus, trying to pack booters, etc. We had tried a few of the big cliff drops and it certainly made the Red Bull guys feel better as they now knew we could actually ride it, although no one had yet gone top-to-bottom. So after digging in a line, we started to ride it. Kinrade and I sessioned bits of the course, but Wade Simmons and I were actually the first to do a full top-to-bottom run on the course as a train, it was pretty special for me and for the Red Bull crew. I looked up to Wade as a rider and the Red Bull guys were so stoked at what they just saw, we knew something special just happened, you could see it in our smiles, the twinkle in the eye.
So, a day or so before the event, the rest of the riders start to show up. Well, they were freaked out by the raw terrain too and didn't have the time to dig or the energy that Mike and I did from showing up early. Not having time to build a new line, they rode the existing line that Kinrade and I built. Kinrade and I were a bit bummed for sure (as we didn't get any creativity or digging points), we thought people would build their own line, not just ride someone else's. So, we started working on some other options. Vanderham and Shandro had been quietly working something steep, techy, and rowdy, something more low-key in the sense that it didn't stand out. All the Canadians were drawn to it as an option to the main line built that round. Kinrade and I worked on a line adjacent to their's and this low-key, techy-steep zone became known as the 'Canadian Bacon' line. The original line that Mike and I built became 'All American Beef,' built by 2 Canadians. These were the first two main lines of the inaugural Red Bull Rampage.
What’s it like being there from the start, or even before the start, and watching all the young guns coming up?
As an original big mountain rider, I am now inspired by a younger generation of riders who have taken these explorations of bike, body, and mountain to a whole other level. Kinrade is a good friend and someone I certainly respect as a rider. He's been pushing the boundaries for a decade now in the mountains around the world. Mike Hopkins, James Doerfling, and Garrett Buehler throw down some pretty cool stuff in the big mountains. I would add Kurt Sorge to the mix if he and some friends didn't stiff me on a spendy Vegas dinner tab a couple of years back (ha ha). Matt Hunter does a great job of pushing the boundaries of performance on a bike and exploring the backcountry and the mountains. Thomas Vanderham too, is silky smooth, even when it gets rough and rowdy, he certainly has style for miles. Bearclaw looks right at home in the big mountains. I haven't seen Brandon Semenuk in the big mountains, but I know he has the skills and creativity to put something pretty special together out there. Gee Atherton certainly has tons of big mountain skills that no one gets to see as he is racing all the time. After watching him slay Rampage, it's clear he crushes mountains like few others can. Cam Zink has truly put it all together and is doing what we dreamt of a decade ago - slopestyle like flow, style, speed, and tricks in the big mountains and on the trails; plus he's got some serious drive to keep the train rolling, which is pretty cool considering the physical beat down he has taken to get there.
Ken Maude is one of those guys who could be called ‘Mr. North Shore.’ He has been riding the Shore for decades, has been working in and out of local bike shops all that time, and was a big name freerider in the early days of North Shore-style riding. He was a key rider in the ahead-of-its-time film, ‘'Ride to the Hills,'’ and now owns Lynn Valley Bike Shop in North Vancouver.
Ken, when did you first start riding a Norco?
I first started riding the Norco VPS in 1998. I test road the black/orange VPS bike and did not want to give it back. I said everyone was cheating who owned one. I was on a Gary Fisher Fun Hog at the time.
Why was the VPS series 'the bike to have on the Shore' back then?
I think the main reason for the VPS domination on the Shore, was that it was a tough bike, and soaked up the bumps like never before. It also had great geometry at the time. Most big brands had nothing close.
You were a team rider with Norco, how did that come about? How long did it last?
I rode for Norco for almost five years give or take a few months. At the time I was transitioning out of racing and into the movie/freeride scene. I was getting requests daily to go shoot videos and go ride all over North America. I had developed a strong relationship with the team at Norco with all the years in retail and selling Norco products. It just seemed like a natural fit and I was really stoked on the products. I think the benefit of timing was key.
We've seen many suspension designs come and go, do you think the VPS system was a really good one that stood the test of time?
The VPS was a sound system for sure, and Norco made smart adjustments to the design (switching from bushings to bearings, making the stays beefy, moving away from monocoque and back to shaped tubes). The main premise of the VPS was still there, the key was the FSR link.
You have been riding the Shore as long as anybody really, how is the scene there today? Are you happy with how things are turning out?
As you can probably imagine, a lot has changed in 30 years of riding the Shore. I can remember going on rides and never seeing another soul out there, even on a Saturday. The trails were all natural and not a bridge or man made structure anywhere. We were riding little pinner XC bikes on crazy steep trails and getting bloody every time. Today the sport is bigger then ever! More new people are riding every day and the equipment is way more mechanically sound. I am excited the way the Shore is holding together. With NSMBA and TAP the trails are being maintained, which was needed badly. I think we are in good shape moving forward.
You shot for some of the original MTB films, including ''Ride to the Hills'' by Jorli Ricker. How was that? How did it come about?
Again, timing is everything! I was lucky enough to be riding with guys like Wade Simmons, Richie Schley, and others. When you were riding with them there was always a camera around and so it naturally became a part of what I was doing. It lead to so many opportunities with sponsors and travel. It was a crazy time of my riding career. All the emphasis switched from racing to movies and we worked really hard on riding original lines.
Tell me a story about shooting for ''Ride to the Hills'' - anything interesting or unexpected happen? Where did you shoot? Where did you get the idea to jump off of that billboard?
It was a crazy time. A lot of energy was used to find new and creative lines. We would drive around looking all over the place for things to jump on and off of. It was one of those days when we found the billboard. It looked awesome from all angles and the filmers were stoked! After watching my friend Cody Bentall try to nail it twice and crash both times, I could see the line. I jumped up and hit it first go and stomped it. It felt amazing at that moment knowing I had done something new. I mainly shot the North Shore scene for ''Ride to the Hills,'' places like GMG on Fromme and a lot of Cypress lines. I did spend a bunch of time in Kamloops, but nothing turned out.
Back when I was a kid you were one of the biggest names in freeride, you had a legendary 'Shore master' vibe going on. How does it feel knowing you've influenced MTB history?
I feel very lucky to have been a part of a generation that has had so much influence on the sport. I still love getting out there and riding the gnar today and I feel blessed to do that at the level I do.
You own a shop, Lynn Valley Bikes, what is your shop's mission statement?
Service first. We focus on high end service and we stock products we can stand behind.
Conclusion:
Norco was there from the start, and by the looks of their new line up of bikes, they aren't going anywhere soon. Thanks guys, for doing this interview. Thanks to Dave Silver and Garret Grove for the use of their excellent photos.
-Riley
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I wish them luck...all the bikes are looking pretty sweet these days. It's getting very competitive, isn't it?
Smike is pretty true with what he said. Technology changes everything. Back then, you had 45-60lb bikes, that sagged quite a bit, so the head angle wasn't all that bad, now you have a light bike, and it's down to the riders weight.
We will probably see things change quite a bit. The steeper the stuff, and the faster people ride, you might see another 5-10 degress of slack. Heck, in the future we might have anti-gravity bikes, that don't use wheels. Stuff changes due to progression of technology, not due to rider ability. These guys were flying way high, but do you think bikes got light, and slacked out due to it? Heck no, they got that way because that is the way racing went, just like BMX racing did in the mid to late 90's. Racing has shaped freeriding more recently.
I myself respect the original gen of big mountain riders because they were doing big stuff on heavy bikes. Same with bmx. Mirra doing the double back was revolutionary, now your seeing 3 and 4x tail whips, triple and quad backflips... all because everything is feather light. It's not skill that is creating modern craziness, it's technology that allows it. Still it comes down to the pioneers who did it on rugged heavy bikes. So the next gen will have something new, that progresses it even more, and the more it happens the more it won't look like riding.
The other REALLY annoying is (and I don't want to imply that this is an "always the case" thing) the attitudes some of the younger riders get as if to say "WTF are YOU doing here old man???" to which I always just want to smack them and say "see THAT trail??? I helped build that... See THAT jump (the Lair comes to mind as well as Blackrock and Post-canyon) and line??? I helped build THAT too...so learn to respect and give some props to the people who helped make your riding experience POSSIBLE KID"... Now in contrast, there are a TON of really cool younger guys who ARE respectful of those who came before them and appreciate the work we did and that we used to ride these trails on bikes they'd call "unridable" these days
Great article, especially the Rampage story. But they should have posted some pics of the new Norco's to show the companies progress cause those old ones look pretty ugly now.
liking the information you posted about your background
I was there back 'in the day' starting BMX racing in 1981, and then MTB riding in 1986
BMX names like Eddie Fiola, Bob Haro, Craig Campbell, Andy Ruffell, Pistol Pete
then the MTB names like Jonny T, H-Ball, Tinker, Ned 'The Captain', Dave Cullinan and in the UK Jason McRoy, Dave Hemmings, Tim Gould and many others who inspired me to ride hard and have fun, starting with the XC (which included DH and observed trials in 1 competition) and then got into the DH racing, all the time whilst riding BMX on trails, park and street
got into the FR thing in a big way in the early 2000 with the original Specialized Big Hit and then the Banshee Scream, and lived the dream for several years, as a sponsored rider for Banshee and Da Kine, then Devinci, and made 3 different vacation to B.C. to ride the Shore and Whistler and got to meet and ride with legends like Bender, Simmons, Shaums March, Robbie Bourdon, Darren Butler, Joe Schwarz and the awesome guy that is John Cowan
this inspired me to create a mecca for freeriding here in the UK, spent 8 years building the old Esher Shore freeride park which had 4 km of North Shore, dirt jumps, slopestyle and then an awesome pump track before it finally fell prey to legal problems in early 2011
loving those good old days....still riding very hard but its all road riding and cross country for me now, at the ripe age of 39
thanks for sharing the memories
.......... And that crash made me curl my toes up and cringe like a bitch! That looked painful!
so gnarly
At the time, we knew the bike was special but had no idea how big the VPS would be. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined what people have done on a VPS. The day we designed it was very clear. Myself, Dave Watson and Dave Overguard (Norco) with Pat, you and others coming in and out al excited about replacing the then deprecated "Bomber". David Watson and I just got back form the 1996 World Championships in Cairns Australia and were excited to race a brand new bike. Dave eventually went to race for Rocky so I ended up as Norco's Male Pro Elite downhiller.
One thing not a lot of people knew was that the VPS also ruled the Dual Slalom Scene in 1997 and 1998. In 1997 at the Canada Cup level I scored two seconds and two 3rds out of 4 races making it the overall winner (no official title was kept). I won most BC cup and Whistler races as well as teh BC lower mainland series. In 1998, the same bike was further specialized for dual slalom (which became dual) and I qualified first for 4/5 national level events. The dual Slalom configuration features a 650 lb rear spring on the shock, only 4.5 " of front travel, a single 45 tooth chainring on an MRP (which I still have), raceface cranks (185's for max torque out of the gate and Maguros instead of disks. The latter change was made in conjunction with the Norco engineers. We wanted to reduce the unsprung mass on the wheels and also reduce the rotational energy required to accelerate the bike. Getting rid of the disks and going with less spokes made a huge difference in getting it out of the gate fast. That bike is shown here in dual competition in Whistler (yes - I was racing with a cast on my broken left arm!)
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=240094495296&set=a.224400110296.266132.627630296&type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=240094495296&set=a.224400110296.266132.627630296&type=3&theater
Not many people realize that the factory works bikes were actually very different than the first commercial bikes in the first two years but by year 3, the bikes I raced with Dustin (who beat me for first by only 1.2 second at Burnt Bridge on an identical bike), Cory, Ken Maude et al were identical to the bikes the general public could buy.
I also can tell you that I was the first and only person to race the VPS at the World Cup level.
1) the lime green norco vps bikes that people could ride down anything
2) getting bloody: we used to joke that if you didn't give blood, you didn't ride that day... every single time... of course, pads, armor, full faces, etc make a whole lot of sense now...
Although they talk about a strong warranty program: I had a 2006 norco team dh that I saved up every penny to purchase at full retail when I was 14. I broke that frame and as a warranty I received an extremely used ( probably a demo) dh frame back. I'll never recommend a Norco ever again because of that. I'm sure they have it figured out now.
Next year I got a grass roots racing sponsership from Norco and rode the VPS DH from 2004 till 2007, racing all over western canada. I still own the 2007, rocked 3 whistler trips this summer. the 2007 might ride a bit higher than most of the rigs these days, but it still stands up well and weighs 40lb.
Long story short: Thanks Norco! You made the more aggressive side of this sport WAY more accessible to me, and this will have an impact on my riding forever. Keep it up.
other bikes like Brooklyn,banshee,big hit,cliff cat,bb7,sinister,rotec and kestral all are collector huck bikes that are quite possibly the strongest on the market.
(how the hell do you add a link???)
www.pinkbike.com/photo/7070688
Bought used at Whistler a few years back - rode 2 days then NVan for 4 on Fromme.
Self shuttled to ride CBC on Cypress. Wasn't that what the original crew used to do ??
2 days at Highland Bike Park (New Hampshire) and 1 day Bromont QC this year.
Quiet ride too no squeaks Rack and ride quality with the 66 up front...can't kill this thing only an Ardent sidewall and spoke/ding.
Awesome article!
QUESTION - Can anyone tell me why the chainstay on my shore has "VPS" forged in it ?- Is this a nod to it's origins ?
www.pinkbike.com/photo/76936
If anyone could make this picture show that would be awesome. thanks
a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/8500140/">http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/8500140//a>
Really? Aren't you forgetting the Brooklyn Machine Works Super Tucker? It had 9'' of rear travel and a Monster T in the front. It was presented at the 1997 Interbike in Las Vegas and I'm pretty sure it could handle pretty much everything you could throw at it.
FYI:
www.pinkbike.com/news/article852.html
I to also dreamed of a norco vps