Video: Ben Wallace & Forrest Riesco Get Rowdy on Custom DH Training Track

Jul 12, 2021
by COMMENCAL BIKES & SKIS  


So it begins, the final push from a 2-year hiatus between the tape for Ben Wallace and Forrest Riesco. But they haven’t wasted any time in preparation for their 2021 event calendar. Forrest has been busy tweaking his bike and crafting a custom training track (seen in video) in his hometown of Gibsons, BC, and Ben has been focused on making a full comeback to the World Cup circuit. Although their goal wasn’t Leogang or Les Gets just yet, they’ll take on the Dunbar Summer Series and Canadian National Championship first, then Maribor, Lenzerheide, and Snowshoe as the final stop.

“Cole (Nelson), Ben (Wallace), and I came up with the concept last October, started building in November, and was ready to film by mid February. We wanted to build a track to prepare us for the World Cups; fast, steep, off-camber and big jumps. And for the final drop, we had some help from a local builder. Since filming began, we were able to get dozens of training laps with timed sections in. Racing is always on our minds. Every training lap in the winter is in anticipation for the next race run.”
-Forrest Riesco

“This was a really fun project to highlight the classic “countdown" to race season, one of the best times of the year. I got to work and train with two of my best friends to create something that we are all really proud of. Big thanks to Commencal for supporting my favourite project yet.”
-Ben Wallace

Watch Ben Wallace and Forrest Riesco ride in Countdown, a film by Cole Nelson.

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Catch these two and the rest of the Commencal Canada athletes at the Dunbar Summer Series,
July 18- 25.

Rider: Ben Wallace, Forrest Riesco
Cinematography: Cole Nelson, Matt Butterworth, Dolf Vermeulen
Photography: Paul Hodgson
Music: Santana- Can't You Hear Me Knocking

Author Info:
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Member since Sep 14, 2009
431 articles

24 Comments
  • 17 1
 Strange, did he get kicked out by canyon ?
  • 6 9
 Ben Wallace not Mark Wallace
  • 23 1
 @Bikerguy13: Yes and he is world champ, and flies planes.
  • 12 0
 He the fella that Mel Gibson played, where he kept chopping off heads and running around in the mud?
  • 3 1
 No you’re thinking of Mark Wilson.
  • 1 0
 @RideThicccBC: is he not the actor who says "wow"?
  • 1 0
 Nah i think he’s the guy who creates the Whalburger
  • 11 0
 Killing it guys! That drop is no joke btw
  • 2 0
 yup, stood on it this weekend, right now it's a blown out dustbowl too so it looked super sketch!
  • 5 0
 So this is what Ben Wallace has been up to since retiring from the NBA? Very cool.
  • 2 0
 Fear the (Mt) 'fro(mme)!!
  • 3 0
 He DID get a degree from the Pinkbike academy but they gave him a really hard time for not getting a technical while racing faster than anyone else.
  • 3 0
 Good to see Commencal support these guys. Straight up coastal ripping boys!
  • 2 0
 1:46 - holy wheel flex. I'm assuming that's engineered into the structure (?), neat to see it in action
  • 3 0
 These Commencal edits are incredible!
  • 1 2
 This Santana version of that song is really bad. Licensing the Stones’ version prolly would have been cost prohibitive, so I get it. But, woof.

Killer riding and trail building tho!
  • 2 0
 one of the steepest trail on the Sunshine Coast.Well done boys
  • 1 0
 They didn't even try to make a suspension promo video, but they did a way better job than Manitou.
  • 1 3
 Nice. But let's see some of you epic riders slay some gnar at pace, big roots, big rocks, un-perfect conditions. I see a lot of vids of rippers ripping blue trails, blue trails are rad...but there's more to a dh bike than that some would say.
  • 2 0
 Insane work
  • 2 0
 That was rad.
  • 2 0
 Always Rad!
  • 1 0
 These 2 are awesome. Can't wait to see them race World Cup again!







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