Dirt Diaries 2023 Winner – “Ready or Not”: Kelsey Toevs and Steve Vanderhoek’s winning entry for the 2023 Crankworx Dirt Diaries video competition. Shot over a period of two months in Kamloops, Squamish, Whistler and Vancouver’s North Shore. This was a passion project to dive back into the roots of what initially brought us together 16 years ago… having fun shooting bike movies. Hope you enjoy!
Roadkills – A Film By Ride Or Die: Join us on our two-week mission as we zigzag across British Columbia, Canada in our new company vehicle that we scored from Facebook Marketplace. We catch up with some of our best friends and shred a few of BC’s finest locations, toss some barspins, crush some beers, and create memories that will keep us laughing for years to come. So grab some popcorn and get ready to join us on the best trip of our lives. Riders: Ryan Howard, Paul Genovese, Isaac Wallen, Matt Miles, Matt Hunter, Graham Agassiz, Soren Farenholtz, Dawson Amann, Brandon Semenuk, Casey Brown, Jake Murray, Curtis Robinson, Dylan Dunkerton, Brendan Howey, Aidan Woolliams, Lucy Van Eesteren, Harrison Mendel, Ben Schleith, and Evan Young.
Café Americano: Join us for an immersive experience with adventure filmmaker, Joey Schusler as Yeti rider, Shawn Neer guides us through the Italian countryside in search of the best cup of coffee life has to give. On his way, Neer straps in for urban riding in the villages of Cinque Terre, shreds singletrack in the Dolomites, and finds himself lost in caffeine fuelled hallucinations and Alfa Romeo mechanicals before discovering what his journey was really about. So, prepare yourself a beverage, sit back and enjoy the journey. A film by: Joey Schusler, Ben Page, Thomas Woodson
Richie Rude Raw At Fort William: Richie Rude railing the freshly rebuilt World Champs downhill track in Fort William, Scotland. Sound on!
Gemma Corbera – Breaking Barriers In Chile: Why Chile? I would never have guessed! I started to hear the name and I started to notice it. I saw more and more videos and pictures on social media and I couldn’t believe it. Then, my friend Renata Wiese and Alan Mandel told me to go there in January for an event in Pytspark called “Todo o Nada,” “All or Nothing.” I went a few days before the event and the first day I fell in love with Chile. I was blown away! Beautiful views and unexplainable vibes. They have everything for riding: dirt jumps, DH for lapsitos, bike parks, rocky terrain, desert, volcanoes…. And besides having EVERYTHING for the bike, the people are incredible! Everyone is very motivated and people are very friendly. The truth is that I was really pissed to have to leave, I didn’t want to go home.
Dirt Diaries 2023 – AI: Second place finisher at Dirt Diaries. A 30-year-old filmmaker from Israel, Ohad has spent the past four years honing his art of filmmaking. In 2019, he spent his first summer in Whistler, where he had the opportunity to witness the Dirt Diaries competition for the first time. Since then, participating in the competition has been one of his career goals and is excited to have the chance to be competing this year.
Dirt Diaries 2923 “Three Guys on a Bike”: Third place video featuring three guys on a bike and their journey to learn more about how to become a mountain biker. Director: Kris Dontas.
Two Tone: After the lift stops spinning and the summers intensity settles, two riders don’t see the elements as a reason to slow down. Both in off-season scenarios, the comparison of the two segments with the visual contrasts neglects the similarity in the riding conditions. Directors: Laurent Bilodeau & Louis-Charles Pilon.
Captyvate Self Filmed 2023: For 2023 we’re taking it to a new level! Join me as I fly down the Wollongong escarpment in my latest self-filmed mountain bike video. In a city heavily focussed on the ocean, the beach, and surf culture; locals often neglect the mountainous forests that roll to the shore. This is my safe haven and disconnect from suburbia. Where most are scared to wander, I thrive. Mountain biking has taken me around the world and back so I can confidently say that there’s no place like home. None of these trails are legal, nor are they machine built. They’re all a product of passionate locals often found on the fringe of the city. This video is entirely self-filmed, spanning over six filming sessions and over 48 hours in Adobe Premier Pro editing for final export and upload. Rider: Ty Bowmaker. Location: Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Perspective – Kőszeg: Kőszeg is a town in Vas County, Hungary, located right next to the Austrian borders. The town by default is famous for its historical character, but in recent years, it has become a truly unique, one-of-a-kind riding destination within the country for mountain bikers. Hungary lags behind its neighbouring countries in terms of mountain bike culture, but thanks to the efforts of Ziskó “Puby” Balázs, this place stands out in Hungary’s mountain biking scene, providing a genuine alternative to the more distant trail centers in Europe. Through this story, we aim to showcase how a local community can come together for a shared passion and create a place where mountain bikers can meet, learn, and grow. Even amidst strong headwinds regarding the legalization of the local trails, these guys have built a community that can take pride in their achievements. They will undoubtedly continue to serve as an inspiring force for Hungarian mountain bike enthusiasts in the future.
Lifers – Greystoke BMX: Peter Adam takes his video production in a whole other direction with the release of Lifers, a film focused on a select group of riders in DIG’s birthplace of Belfast, Northern Ireland who all started riding around 1980 at the height of ‘The Troubles’ in their hometown. Riding against the backdrop of violent sectarian, state, and terrorist conflict, made BMX in Belfast let’s say, ‘a little more challenging’, than it was for most riders growing up in the eighties elsewhere. As several of the riders drifted out of BMX later that decade, Lifers follows their story as riding came back into their lives in the late nineties and pushed them all to a new level of appreciation and enjoyment, despite their age. Once BMX gets you it is truly hard to let go and Lifers gives us hope that riding BMX can be as fun when you’re older as it was when you started. You’ll still be better off slipping a pedal than slipping into old age. Enjoy.
Big Boy – Just Livin: Big Boy is simply “Just Livin.” Lately he’s been spending time between riding bikes and working as a stuntman in the film industry! As you’ll see in this video, stuntman is exactly what Big Boy is! Filmed over the last few years this video features spots in mostly Florida, and tricks that Big Boy has had on his mind for a while. He worked hard on this one and killed it! I think it really sums up his riding from big moves to spots that are just fun. Enjoy.
Clint Millar – 49th Birthday: Typically filmed all in one day on his actual birthday. He wanted to give it all he could this time around. This year we spent four days riding and filming at a few parks with good friends. All while celebrating Clint’s 49th we came out the other side with a great video. Not to mention, another great 80’s soundtrack to boot. We hope you enjoy. Now for that 50th next year? Video: Cooper Brownlee.
Ryan Sheckler – Rolling Away: Ryan Sheckler and the most prolific names in skateboarding and sports discuss the importance of skate videos and the work-ethic required to produce a game-changing video part. The film follow’s Ryan’s three-year, injury-fought journey of filming “Lifer,” the action sport icon’s most monumental video part to date. “I’ve been skating for almost 31 years and now I’m 33 years old. It’s crazy to think about it that way, but that’s what “Rolling Away” and “Lifer” is all about. It’s the culmination of my journey with skateboarding and proof that it’s unlike any other sport.” – Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Sheckler – My War: Two broken bungees, 100-degree heat and a torn ACL tried to keep Ryan from riding away on this three-trip battle. Even after the make, he still lost some blood. Ryan’s a fighter.
Hanging Out With… Akwasí Owusu: By now, you have probably caught a glimpse of Akwasí Owusu’s dumpster-bashing wallride wizardry, but what do you know about the skater who put it down?
Simon Hillis – Legend In The Making: This Bali-born skier shreds pow like he’s never known anything else. Simon Hillis moved to Rossland, BC at the age of three and grew up skiing alongside local legends like Dane Tudor at Red Mountain, BC. When he was seven years old, he became the mountain’s youngest ever sponsored athlete and quickly ascended through the ranks of competition.
Junk Wizards: Heath and Addy stumble upon a junkyard in the South Australian bush and begin their search to find a ladder for the outdoor toilet they’re building back on the farm. They find their ladder – along with a truckload of other useful rubbish which they soon repurpose, building a solar oven and baking a solar-powered chocolate cake.
Your Train Is Delayed – Why? A history lesson on the New York City transit system.
Big Elvis: Pete is an Elvis Presley impersonator in Las Vegas, but Pete is not like any Elvis impersonator you may have in mind. Pete is Big Elvis! At his peak, Pete tipped the scales as a 960-pound performer, but not only is Pete preternaturally talented (one fellow impersonator asserts that he has a better voice than The King himself), he also believes himself (with good reason!) to be Presley’s actual, living son.
Roadkills – A Film By Ride Or Die: Join us on our two-week mission as we zigzag across British Columbia, Canada in our new company vehicle that we scored from Facebook Marketplace. We catch up with some of our best friends and shred a few of BC’s finest locations, toss some barspins, crush some beers, and create memories that will keep us laughing for years to come. So grab some popcorn and get ready to join us on the best trip of our lives. Riders: Ryan Howard, Paul Genovese, Isaac Wallen, Matt Miles, Matt Hunter, Graham Agassiz, Soren Farenholtz, Dawson Amann, Brandon Semenuk, Casey Brown, Jake Murray, Curtis Robinson, Dylan Dunkerton, Brendan Howey, Aidan Woolliams, Lucy Van Eesteren, Harrison Mendel, Ben Schleith, and Evan Young.
Café Americano: Join us for an immersive experience with adventure filmmaker, Joey Schusler as Yeti rider, Shawn Neer guides us through the Italian countryside in search of the best cup of coffee life has to give. On his way, Neer straps in for urban riding in the villages of Cinque Terre, shreds singletrack in the Dolomites, and finds himself lost in caffeine fuelled hallucinations and Alfa Romeo mechanicals before discovering what his journey was really about. So, prepare yourself a beverage, sit back and enjoy the journey. A film by: Joey Schusler, Ben Page, Thomas Woodson
Richie Rude Raw At Fort William: Richie Rude railing the freshly rebuilt World Champs downhill track in Fort William, Scotland. Sound on!
Gemma Corbera – Breaking Barriers In Chile: Why Chile? I would never have guessed! I started to hear the name and I started to notice it. I saw more and more videos and pictures on social media and I couldn’t believe it. Then, my friend Renata Wiese and Alan Mandel told me to go there in January for an event in Pytspark called “Todo o Nada,” “All or Nothing.” I went a few days before the event and the first day I fell in love with Chile. I was blown away! Beautiful views and unexplainable vibes. They have everything for riding: dirt jumps, DH for lapsitos, bike parks, rocky terrain, desert, volcanoes…. And besides having EVERYTHING for the bike, the people are incredible! Everyone is very motivated and people are very friendly. The truth is that I was really pissed to have to leave, I didn’t want to go home.
Dirt Diaries 2023 – AI: Second place finisher at Dirt Diaries. A 30-year-old filmmaker from Israel, Ohad has spent the past four years honing his art of filmmaking. In 2019, he spent his first summer in Whistler, where he had the opportunity to witness the Dirt Diaries competition for the first time. Since then, participating in the competition has been one of his career goals and is excited to have the chance to be competing this year.
Dirt Diaries 2923 “Three Guys on a Bike”: Third place video featuring three guys on a bike and their journey to learn more about how to become a mountain biker. Director: Kris Dontas.
Two Tone: After the lift stops spinning and the summers intensity settles, two riders don’t see the elements as a reason to slow down. Both in off-season scenarios, the comparison of the two segments with the visual contrasts neglects the similarity in the riding conditions. Directors: Laurent Bilodeau & Louis-Charles Pilon.
Captyvate Self Filmed 2023: For 2023 we’re taking it to a new level! Join me as I fly down the Wollongong escarpment in my latest self-filmed mountain bike video. In a city heavily focussed on the ocean, the beach, and surf culture; locals often neglect the mountainous forests that roll to the shore. This is my safe haven and disconnect from suburbia. Where most are scared to wander, I thrive. Mountain biking has taken me around the world and back so I can confidently say that there’s no place like home. None of these trails are legal, nor are they machine built. They’re all a product of passionate locals often found on the fringe of the city. This video is entirely self-filmed, spanning over six filming sessions and over 48 hours in Adobe Premier Pro editing for final export and upload. Rider: Ty Bowmaker. Location: Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Perspective – Kőszeg: Kőszeg is a town in Vas County, Hungary, located right next to the Austrian borders. The town by default is famous for its historical character, but in recent years, it has become a truly unique, one-of-a-kind riding destination within the country for mountain bikers. Hungary lags behind its neighbouring countries in terms of mountain bike culture, but thanks to the efforts of Ziskó “Puby” Balázs, this place stands out in Hungary’s mountain biking scene, providing a genuine alternative to the more distant trail centers in Europe. Through this story, we aim to showcase how a local community can come together for a shared passion and create a place where mountain bikers can meet, learn, and grow. Even amidst strong headwinds regarding the legalization of the local trails, these guys have built a community that can take pride in their achievements. They will undoubtedly continue to serve as an inspiring force for Hungarian mountain bike enthusiasts in the future.
Lifers – Greystoke BMX: Peter Adam takes his video production in a whole other direction with the release of Lifers, a film focused on a select group of riders in DIG’s birthplace of Belfast, Northern Ireland who all started riding around 1980 at the height of ‘The Troubles’ in their hometown. Riding against the backdrop of violent sectarian, state, and terrorist conflict, made BMX in Belfast let’s say, ‘a little more challenging’, than it was for most riders growing up in the eighties elsewhere. As several of the riders drifted out of BMX later that decade, Lifers follows their story as riding came back into their lives in the late nineties and pushed them all to a new level of appreciation and enjoyment, despite their age. Once BMX gets you it is truly hard to let go and Lifers gives us hope that riding BMX can be as fun when you’re older as it was when you started. You’ll still be better off slipping a pedal than slipping into old age. Enjoy.
Big Boy – Just Livin: Big Boy is simply “Just Livin.” Lately he’s been spending time between riding bikes and working as a stuntman in the film industry! As you’ll see in this video, stuntman is exactly what Big Boy is! Filmed over the last few years this video features spots in mostly Florida, and tricks that Big Boy has had on his mind for a while. He worked hard on this one and killed it! I think it really sums up his riding from big moves to spots that are just fun. Enjoy.
Clint Millar – 49th Birthday: Typically filmed all in one day on his actual birthday. He wanted to give it all he could this time around. This year we spent four days riding and filming at a few parks with good friends. All while celebrating Clint’s 49th we came out the other side with a great video. Not to mention, another great 80’s soundtrack to boot. We hope you enjoy. Now for that 50th next year? Video: Cooper Brownlee.
Ryan Sheckler – Rolling Away: Ryan Sheckler and the most prolific names in skateboarding and sports discuss the importance of skate videos and the work-ethic required to produce a game-changing video part. The film follow’s Ryan’s three-year, injury-fought journey of filming “Lifer,” the action sport icon’s most monumental video part to date. “I’ve been skating for almost 31 years and now I’m 33 years old. It’s crazy to think about it that way, but that’s what “Rolling Away” and “Lifer” is all about. It’s the culmination of my journey with skateboarding and proof that it’s unlike any other sport.” – Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Sheckler – My War: Two broken bungees, 100-degree heat and a torn ACL tried to keep Ryan from riding away on this three-trip battle. Even after the make, he still lost some blood. Ryan’s a fighter.
Hanging Out With… Akwasí Owusu: By now, you have probably caught a glimpse of Akwasí Owusu’s dumpster-bashing wallride wizardry, but what do you know about the skater who put it down?
Simon Hillis – Legend In The Making: This Bali-born skier shreds pow like he’s never known anything else. Simon Hillis moved to Rossland, BC at the age of three and grew up skiing alongside local legends like Dane Tudor at Red Mountain, BC. When he was seven years old, he became the mountain’s youngest ever sponsored athlete and quickly ascended through the ranks of competition.
Junk Wizards: Heath and Addy stumble upon a junkyard in the South Australian bush and begin their search to find a ladder for the outdoor toilet they’re building back on the farm. They find their ladder – along with a truckload of other useful rubbish which they soon repurpose, building a solar oven and baking a solar-powered chocolate cake.
Your Train Is Delayed – Why? A history lesson on the New York City transit system.
Big Elvis: Pete is an Elvis Presley impersonator in Las Vegas, but Pete is not like any Elvis impersonator you may have in mind. Pete is Big Elvis! At his peak, Pete tipped the scales as a 960-pound performer, but not only is Pete preternaturally talented (one fellow impersonator asserts that he has a better voice than The King himself), he also believes himself (with good reason!) to be Presley’s actual, living son.
Photo: Toby Cowley