Norco Performance Bikes is excited to announce that '07 Crankworx Slopestyle Champion, Ben Boyko, has committed to a two year contract with the Norco Factory Team.

Ben's first season was simply amazing. He started the season building and riding in some of the knarliest weather conditions this side of the country had seen in years. (at one point he had to in and rebuild entire sections of a trail he was working on that were completely destroyed by fallen trees)

After a busy spring or building, filming and travelling, Ben was invited to participate in the multi-event Qashqai Urban Challenge in Europe, where he took the 4th place spot overall.

Not being the type to sit on his laurels, Ben immediately returned to North America to start building for his film segment in NWD:Smackdown.

Ben's greatest achievement this summer came when he dominated the competition and was crowned Champion at the world's pinnacle freeride event, the Whistler Kokanee Crankworx Slopestyle.

Ben and Norco have truly had an amazing season, and we look forward to offering Ben our full support in the coming two seasons.

A little bit of the inside line on Crux and my current sociological situation are what we will be coving here today kids…. Seriously I am already getting tired of the university lecture halls and all the rejection from my female classmates. To be perfectly honest though, I am in economics at the 3.25 year level and its mostly just Asian dudes in my classes… even more fun.

So basically when I haven’t been in school, I have been trying to pull my segment together for Ryan Leech’s new movie ‘Crux’.

Crux [kruhks]
1. a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point:
2. a cross.
3. something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.
Origin: 1635–45; < L: stake, scaffold, or cross used in executions, torment; figurative senses

It is funny, if you look at the definition, particularly definition 3, it draws an exact parallel to the way my filming has been going and the type of moves I have been trying. Also if we look at the origin, this also makes good sense, since I do not think I have had a day filming where I have not hurt myself.

For example, the other day when we were out shooting there was a fence bunny hop line I was trying to pull together. That’s generally a safe sort of line for me, but I somehow got my heel caught on the fence and went down backwards onto my head and back. It was good fun. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag but if you’ve ever wondered, “What happens to trials riders when they go down hard?” then my segment will answer your question.

Luckily, I am finally getting some momentum behind my segment though, which makes me pretty happy. So I am going to try and get another line or two for Crux but I know some super sick stuff has gone down and I am really looking forward to seeing the final cut.

Yesterday I hurt my ankle filming but it’s okay because it wasn’t my bad one (the one I go in for surgery for on November 19th), so I am actually happy about that in a weird way. The real bonus is that now both my ankles are the same size and one doesn’t look more swollen than the other.

On a side note for those of you who think I have a problem with RedBull, “you are wrong!!!!” the floor on the passenger side of my truck proves that I only moderately drink the stuff….that took two days.

Time for my Starbucks frappe where, conveniently, my dream girl now works. So I will -spend even more money at that corporate machine. Oh and despite how that VPS-Fest pictures look, I am still single. Do not panic! I am still on the market ladies. I bid you adieu.

- Dylan 'Cobra'

The second of six teasers for 'Crux' is now live!! Enjoy!

I sometimes hand write in a journal, as I’m sure many of you do too. I was just reading back on an entry I made while I was on my Trials of Life Tour, and wanted to share it with you...

(June 17th)

As I lay here in my hammock at Lake Superior Provincial Park, I realise I’m in a completely different world. Two months on the road resulted in an almost complete elimination of mass media (TV, newspaper, hollywood gossip etc.); instead I’ve been exposed to a spectacular country, great people, and some chill time like I’m enjoying now. So this tour has essentially been like a cultural cleanse.

We are all loaded with negative images and bad news daily, even hourly, and not just local horror, but global horror. Humans have only been living as a true global community for about half a century or so, and because of this, we are able to experience every negative event that happens around the entire globe, instantly. The problem is, I don’t think we were necessarily designed to absorb so much negativity, so after a while, we become numb to it. Jack Johnson actually hit it right in his song, The News, “Why don’t the newscasters cry when they read about people who die? At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes.”

...Back to the now. I decided to share this old journal entry and started typing it just before I discovered a friend of mine, Richard Juryn, had passed away in a kayaking accident. I had the intention of expanding my thoughts on western culture, but instead, I’ll sign off with a prayer of good feelings and strength for Richards family.

Ryan Leech

Hello everyone!

As my travel season winds down, the release of my new film, Crux, winds up....

CRUX defined: a particular point of difficulty.

This singular word precisely describes the riding formula of the film. Each and every line that the featured athletes, Ryan Leech, Dylan Korba, and Thomas Ohler ride has a CRUX. These three riders, aggressively pursuing Leech's Manifesto Style, execute mind-bending feats of bike mastery. Combining shear difficulty with an elegant and creative style, CRUX is a film that redefines technical riding standards.

Check out the first of 6 teasers!!

Enjoy!!
Ryan