Brage Vestavik is at the absolute peak of freeride right now. The Norwegian viking is stacking up blockbuster segments and videos. And GT still cut him loose. But Vestavik has a new home here in Canada.
Brage Vestavik is joining Norco.
Photo: Ale DiLullo Photography
A Viking lands in the home of freeride
“Growing up, I was inspired most by seeing the North Shore and the mountain biking scene in Canada — it feels unreal signing with a brand that started here, in the birthplace of freeride,” Brage Vestavik says of his move to Norco. “Norco always symbolized freeride to me. A lot of my inspiration came from the early days with Ryan Leech, and Ben Boyko is one of my all-time favourite riders. Getting the OG Norco stickers from the magazines, with the rider holding the shovel, is burned into my mind as a kid!”
While Vestavik’s projects are always huge, huge can take time and a lot of work. The Norweigan says Norco’s willingness to support that is crucial.
“It’s been an insane journey getting to this point, representing what I want in mountain biking. My vision for riding, and the projects the crew and I are making, take a really long time to bring to life — months or even years. To have Norco trusting the vision, moving things forward together, is really special,” Vestavik said.
“Spending a lot more time in B.C., it’s the dream set-up having Norco’s office close by, and the first time a team has been around me to really take the bike to a new level. It’s a huge step for me and for freeriding, to see how far we can actually push it. I’m excited to be more involved developing new bikes with the engineers and whole team at Norco, testing and riding here in Canada, and just hanging with the crew. It feels like the perfect set-up to work toward the future of mountain biking together.”
Or, more simply:
“It all just goes back to biking, and that feeling of being free. I’m so fired up to see where we will take everything, and to just have fun and ride bikes together.”
Photo: Ale DiLullo Photography
Norco keeps building momentum
The freeride Viking joins an increasingly international and renowned roster at the Canadian brand. Homegrown talent Gracey Hemstreet is going up against the best in elite women’s World Cup racing – and frequently winning. She’s on the Norco Race Division team led by the G.O.A.T. of men’s downhill, Greg Minnaar.
Now, Norco is testing its bikes with Brage Vestavik, the best in freeride. Which makes sense, as the brand has several bikes in that range. From the downhill race bike to the Shore, Range, Sight and, for more trail-focused shredding, the new Optic, the Canadian brand’s line is built tough.
“Brage brings a level of creativity and commitment that pushes everyone around him. For us, this partnership is built on shared energy and real trust, and on the idea that the best projects take time, passion and intention; with everyone involved believing in the same goal. We’re excited to support Brage and can’t wait to see what we create together. We’re proud to welcome him to the Norco family,” says Elli Petersilie, Norco Brand Director.
“When Brage and I met for the first time, it didn’t feel like a negotiation. It just felt right,” Petersilie adds. “The conversation was easy, because our values align. Authenticity, doing things for the right reasons, with the right people, and letting the riding speak for itself — that kind of truth is rare these days, but it matters.”
Not that Vestavik needs any introduction, here’s Norco’s mini-bio on B-Rage.
Brage Vestavik is Freeride epitomized. Born in Mysen, Norway, Brage grew up building North Shore- style features and pushing his riding from early on. From the endless creativity of childhood, Brage’s signature ride style has developed into one of the hardest-hitting, most heavy metal experiences you can witness on two wheels. It’s experimentation pushed beyond limits, blowing through boundaries to access new realms. Today, Brage has not changed. His dreams are bigger, and the projects are more extreme, but his creativity does not accept the impossible. He inspires people to go beyond what’s known and to create their own reality on a bike.