ADVENTURES
Shore
WTF
WORDS/PHOTOS Margus Riga
The North Shore of Vancouver BC is one of the hardest, harshest, gnarliest, scariest, most progressive riding areas in the world. A lot has changed in the last thirty years, and a lot hasn't. The weather still sucks, but the trails are a lot more fun to ride. There's also a lot more trails...both legitimate (city maintained) and illegitimate (privately maintained). And you can still find crazy, scary shit everywhere. But don't take my word for it. Just ask anyone who's ever lived here...
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Al Crisp. |
 | You need time on the North shore to acquire your 'Shore Legs'. Only once you have spent a considerable amount of time here, will you grow accustomed to the terrain and the riding techniques associated. Put another way...The Shore is like a good woman, unless you buy her a few drinks you're not getting a quality ride. - Cory Leclerc |
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One thing the Shore will never be... Boring. |
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James Doerfling, Ryan Berrecloth, Brett Tippie |
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Brett Tippie. Halloween ride. |
 | I live on the edge...of the North Shore! ha ha. Although I grew up riding the dusty, dry, semi-arid deserty hills of Kamloops complete with sagebrush, cactus, gravel pits and wide open skies...I now live on the edge of the North Shore rainforest...tilted on a steep angle complete with anaconda snake like root sytems, greasy green rock gardens and shelfs, natural wooden stunts and the ominous fog banks that roll in and out like a mid-grade horror movie. It's so much fun...complete with ear-splitting grins of bravado satisfaction and shin-splitting flesh wounds of reality. Although everyone has heard about the North Shore gnarl, complete with 3000 vertical foot paved roads to the top. I'm now learning there's km's and km's of wicked all-mtn/XC flow that's scattered everywhere too. The North Shore will give you not only big smiles but also big eyes and brown shorts...all in the same ride!!! - Brett Tippie |
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Brett Tippie. |
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You 'gotta pay to play. Tippie...paying for his sins, one boo-boo at a time. |
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James Doerfling. His first ride on the Shore. |
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James Doerfling |
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James Doerfling |
 | I have always said the North Shore is the Gnarliest place to ride in the world. Every trail is crux after crux. The fact that most of the time, it is wet and there are a lot of roots, says it all. - Richie Schley |
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Jay Hoots, on the rainiest day I have ever experienced up there. We literally got rained off the mountain. |
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Jay Hoots |
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Jay Hoots |
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Film days revisited. |
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Mario Lenzen. Mt. Fromme. |
 | Fear, unknown, learning, confidence, comfort, complacency...oops - ouch! - Noel Buckley - Knolly Bikes |
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Ross Measures. Cypress Mountain. |
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Ross Measures |
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Ross Measures |
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Ryan Berrecloth and Geoff Gullevich |
 | North shore; my home from day one. It's also home to some of the most diverse and technical riding in the world. If you can ride confidently here you can ride anywhere. - Geoff Gulevich |
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Geoff Gullevich, introducing Mario Lenzen to the drops. |
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Ryan Berrecloth. Always working on something new. |
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Wade Simmons with Ryan Berrecloth, and Brett Tippie with Andrew Baker. |
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Ryan Berrecloth and Wade Simmons |
 | I learned how to ride on The Shore, and it has shaped me into the rider I am today. It doesn't matter if I'm out for a hike, riding or building my next line, I always feel at home when I'm in the woods of the Shore...love this place! - Ryan Berrecloth |
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Wade Simmons. Lower Ladies. |
 | "Home." Wade Simmons |