Think of The Coastal Crew and what comes to mind? Kyle Norbraten, Curtis Robinson, and Dylan Dunkerton - a triple threat of building, riding, and filmmaking ability; flannel wearing, 'brown pow' crushing, cedar slat cutting, berm slashing, big-bike-slaying Canadians. The Coastal Crew, as a brand name invokes happy connotations to quality mountain bike entertainment. There aren't many who've used the web more effectively to carve out a niche for themselves, from humble origins in small-town BC they are now three of the top names in freeride. They've come a long way since their now legendary Kranked 8 section (and Curtis/Dylan's breakout part in Kranked 7). They've got a new movie, ''From the Inside Out,'' and more projects on the way. The future looks bright for this Robert's Creek trio. Here are their thoughts:
Now that ''From the Inside Out'' is available to all, how does it feel showing people what you’ve created? Stoked on the response so far?
Kyle: We felt kind of nervous at first because you never know how the response will be cuz nowadays it seems a bit tough to please everyone, but the response has been really positive! It’s a rewarding feeling to share something that we put so much effort into. We want to keep improving so all the feedback is great whether positive or negative cuz it will help us to create an even better product next time.
Curtis: There has been ton's of awesome feedback, lots of viewers wanting to get out and ride after they watch the film. That's a big reason why I watch films, to get excited and want to go out and ride my bike!
Dylan: It is definitely a weight off my shoulders to have it done. We really had a short timeline to finish the film; I was worried the time limit could compromise the overall quality. It is very satisfying to see that people love it so much. Inside Out puts a smile on my face every time I watch it, and from the response so far it seems people feel the same way.
What was the timeline for ''Inside Out?'' When did you start planning? How long did you shoot for? Did you have the builds done months in advance?
Kyle: The timeline for Inside Out was basically a year from the spark of the first idea to finalizing the end product. We talked about the idea of collaborating with Anthill Films in September 2010 and through the winter we had a few meetings, planned strategies and set our goals. Our first shoot for Inside Out didn’t come until May 2011 and we wrapped our last shoot in October…so 6 months of filming. The only build we had done in advance was Brandons yard. The rest looked like this: a few riders took care of preparing their lines and trails, we built on location before shoots, and we built in between trips and shoots. We were really busy all year.
Curtis: Middle of January to mid-October 2011. Brandon’s yard was the first project we started. Dylan had just broken his wrist, so it was up to Kyle and myself to battle the winter build. This turned into the biggest build we had ever embarked on! Many months in the rain, snow, and wind, with help from some key friends to get it done. Endless hours building our own lines here and there whenever we had the opportunity as well. We started planning only a few weeks before Interbike in 2010, which only gave us a 6-month shooting window after all the building was said and done. Some builds were done leading up to a shoot, while others were left on the back burner until we were back from a film trip. A never-ending process!
Dylan: The idea of FTISO was conceived just before Interbike 2010. We began hunting for sponsorship at that point, before we had even completely come up with the final concept. Our goal was to have the DVD ready and on shelves Dec 1, 2011 to capitalize on Christmas sales. Throughout the winter Anthill laid the foundation for the project by dialing in all postproduction tasks. During that time I developed some new rigs, such as our cable cam/dolly system. Once things were dialed and tested, Kyle, Curtis and I spent a few weeks working on our first project under the name Second Base Films. The goal was to show what we as Second Base had in store for 2011, this was the result: http://vimeo.com/23498839. The majority of winter and early spring was spent constructing Semenuk’s yard and some of our lines for our segment. We luckily did have most lines for the film pre-built before the shoots started, with the exception of Rossland and Fernie.
Was it stressful shooting a full-length over such a short period?
Kyle: YES. But it was good times haha.
Curtis: Trying to line up riders schedules, weather, events, injuries, and other variables definitely raises serious stress levels! Dylan transformed into an almost robotic state, while one of us was driving to the next shoot, he was there editing on his laptop in the front seat of the van. Come the next destination, he had a rough edit done and we were already onto planning out shots and angles for the next shoot.
Dylan: I have to say this project opened my eyes to how much stress I can take. It also opened my eyes to what we could accomplish in a time crunch, I’m quite proud of the fact we finished this film on schedule!
Living in the houseboat looked pretty awesome. What was the best part of making the movie?
Kyle: I think the whole experience of making a movie is the best part. We got to do what we love all year as a group. The road trip adventures, new riding spots, new lines and being able to shoot the sports best riders all makes this a dream.
Curtis: The houseboat was pretty amazing, perfect summer weather with all the right people! The best parts of making this film were all the hilarious moments along the way! Rough nights sleeping in the van, endless jokes and mockery to keep us laughing and having fun!
Dylan: Living in the houseboat was amazing! It had to have been one of the best perks of making this film. But to be totally honest the best part about making this movie was the time spent with my closest friends, and the endless laughter and ridiculous things that happened! Those memories will never be forgotten.
Kyle: Stevie’s shoot was the smoothest and easiest. He operates at a pro level with a casual fun feel and made the whole shoot flow so well.
Curtis: When we started shooting for Inside Out, we had Stevie as our first shoot, and man was that fun! Being able to arrive and have Stevie show us all the trails he had lined up for potential shooting made things very efficient! Every day we seemed to be on a roll, the light was working for us on most days, and shots were flowing. Stevie worked hard for us, and thanks to him we were able to finish off his segment in only a few days!
Dylan: The smoothest shoot was with Stevie, apart from a very slight weather delay, it was smooth sailing. Stevie knew exactly what he wanted to shoot, everything was good to go and he worked hard for it. We had a great group of riders, who put a lot of work in and provided us with amazing stuff. It was only Mother Nature that really made things difficult on most shoots. It was always sun when we wanted cloud, and cloud when we wanted sun, light is everything, but unfortunately we couldn’t always wait for it.
Kyle: Building Brandon’s yard was the most time consuming because it was such a major project. Shooting our own segment was one of the most difficult because we had so many days where we couldn’t shoot because of bluebird conditions or were shut down by light, rain or injuries.
Curtis: Brandon’s yard consumed a pretty large portion of the spring; also, trying to line up shoots that work with his busy schedule while he was on his way to winning the FMBA title wasn’t easy.
Dylan: The most time-consuming segment was Semenuk’s, we were the ones building the entire yard. It took much more time to complete than expected, which affected how much time we were able to put into building our own lines. Once the yard was done, shooting went very smoothly, as always with Brandon. Everything is first take with him. The most difficult section was shooting our own segment. We left shooting our seggy until last and it turned out to be the most difficult shoot of them all. We were so busy all season and had so many responsibilities and obligations that we really had to take a step back and be very responsible on the bike. Getting injured was not an option for any of us. But by the time our shoot needed to happen Curtis unfortunately was injured from his crash in Rossland, Teky was unavailable to help, and our intern was wasting his life working (instead of for us for free). This left everything up to Kyle and I. We were under a serious time crunch; Curt managed to get out on his bike for a day of shooting but crashed and reinjured himself the next day. Then Kyle had a spill shooting and broke his foot. We were down to the wire so it was up to me to ride the remaining lines to complete the segment. The final shot was taken two days before the world premier in whistler. It’s crazy to look back and think that I spent the last week of production shooting Kyle & Curt then editing my ass off at night, and then riding some of the biggest lines I have ridden during the final days. There was really no room for error at that point.
If you had to pick one section, which are you most proud of/stoked on?
Kyle: Choosing one segment is really tough cuz I’m proud and stoked about all of them. I’m really proud of Kenny’s segment because he finally got his opportunity to live the dream and create a movie segment for himself that showcases his narly riding skills.
Curtis: I personally really like Kenny's segment, so many unique lines that blow my mind every time I watch it.
Dylan: I don’t know if I could choose to be honest. Semenuk’s seggy melts your mind, Kenny’s seggy toys with death several times, and Kyle’s train gap was so meaningful, it was ten years in the making. I am most proud of those three segments.
From a riders perspective, what was the scariest thing ridden?
Kyle: So many scary things went down during filming. For me the scariest or most intense feeling came from the first jump Kenny did over a train. From the distant sound of the train approaching, to everyone scrambling to their positions, to the loud rumble of the train coming into the canyon, to Cal yelling the drop in call at the top of his lungs and watching Kenny as he blasted through the exhaust cloud, my stomach was twisted in a knot of excitement! One of the coolest feelings ever!
Curtis: Hands down Kenny's 'Power Rock Face'! When Ken was setting up and getting ready to test this face I think we were all quite nervous. After looking at this face from top to bottom I was scared, this was pretty much a 'do or die' line. Kenny dropped in, going as slow as he possibly could, skipping across the uneven face and at the last crest he airs only inches above the rock all the way down to the bottom... the first words that spilled from his mouth? "I am never riding that again!"
Dylan: Not a doubt about it, Kenny’s rock face that is on the DVD cover. For one thing it looked completely impossible and totally vertical from the top but it also had zero room for error. If you crashed on that line you would be lucky to live. It was a boulder field on one side and clear-cut slash on the other. Fall one way get impaled with hundreds of sticks, fall the other way and smash every bone in your body on the rocks. Kenny is the F’n man!
What line was the most fun?
Kyle: I’d have to say my train gap was right up there. The run in was super fun and the gap was really smooth…plus feeling a train go underneath me makes that one of the funnest things I’ve ever ridden!
Curtis: A lot of the stuff we built for the intro of the film was some of the most fun we had for sure! Super fun natural terrain with some big features. Some we never even got to shoot, due to injuries from Kyle and myself. Can't wait to get back out there and get our redemption!
Dylan: All the lines from our segment were the best, nothing beats natural loam lines when you want to have fun!
Did you miss any shots because of injury, weather, or scheduling?
Kyle: I missed out shooting the rest of our coastal segment because I broke my foot. It was a bummer cuz there was a bunch of shots I wanted to get. I really wanted to spin the rock step down and that was the first thing I thought of when I hurt my foot. I’ll get redemption though.
Curtis: A few features were left un-filmed and unseen. Weather seems to be the main battle no matter where you go. When you want sun you get rain, when you want overcast you get sun! Always chasing the light wherever we go.
Dylan: Yeah that was kind of the story of almost every segment. Other than Stevie’s, Brandon’s, and the PG segment, every other segment was scheduled around or delayed by an injury. Weather is always delaying us, but that’s just how it is, you got to work hard when the light is good!
The entire movie was shot in BC, was that the plan from the start?
Kyle: When we thought about the riders we wanted to shoot with and the locations we wanted to go to, it just turned out that we didn’t even have to leave BC because everything we wanted was right here.
Curtis: This was something we have always talked about, simply because BC has so much insane riding and some of the most amazing locations in the world. Why leave your back yard when it has everything you want and need!
Dylan: Yup, that was the plan from the start, BC has it all when it comes to mountain biking. It’s the best place to be and we wanted to showcase that.
You guys are famous for shooting with a Canon 7D and a homemade dolly. What other gear did you add to your arsenal?
Kyle: Our main weapon for filming was the new Panasonic AF100 video camera. We also added a crane, slider dolly and a homemade cable cam set up that Dyl created.
Curtis: A couple new tools, and a proper video camera. Why who's asking? haha
Dylan: This past season I upgraded our dolly system and created a cable cam system. Also we have been using a small jib crane. The 7D is an awesome camera. We are still rocking the same one we shot all our webisodes on, and a large portion of Inside Out was shot with that camera too.
As the other half of Secondbase Films, what did Anthill Films contribute to the movie?
Kyle: Anthill brought us the guidance and experience that we didn’t have in the film world yet. Without them we would not have a movie. They handled the work behind the scenes to ensure this project was possible.
Curtis: A handful of crane and cable shots in Brandon’s segment were done by the Ants, and many hours in the office so we were able to be out shooting.
Dylan: Anthill really stepped in and did basically everything involved with producing a full length DVD release that we couldn’t do. It was up to us to do all the filming, editing, building and some riding. But there is a lot more to making a DVD beyond the riding and filming. They gave us a great opportunity, and we have learned a lot from it.
You guys are accustomed to doing everything in house. Was it nice having Keith White handling the audio duties?
Kyle: It was great having Keith do our audio. The sounds and levels are as important as the visuals in the end product so it was key having Keith dial it in. He was great to work with as well!
Dylan: It was crucial to have Keith’s touch laid down on all the sounds for the film. He is an awesome dude with tons of talent, and is great to work with. Not to mention he crushed out all the sound under a last minute deadline. Thanks Keith!
''Inside Out'' seemed very reminiscent of ''Ride to the Hills'' (especially Vanderham in the alpine). Was that movie a big influence?
Kyle: Ride to the Hills is one of the most inspirational films for us. The riding captured in that film gave us a whole new look into the world of freeride mountain biking. We were just groms back then so it had a huge impact on our vision of freeriding. I sat there watching and rewinding that movie wanting to do what they were doing more than anything.
Curtis: Huge influence, it's all our favourite film, growing up in awe and only dreaming of doing what those guys do in Ride To The Hills!
Dylan: RTTH, and Kranked 5 were a few of the most inspiring films when I was growing up. Those films are what got me stoked on riding and sparked the passion for what we try to do today. It’s hard not to be influenced by those kind of things. Every image is so iconic from those films, and being able to shoot in
What/who else inspired you guys growing up?
Kyle: Riders and filmmakers alike were inspiring to me. For different reasons I looked up to guys like Vanderham, Zink, Strait and Shandro. I was inspired by the work of every video that came out from the Collective, Freeride Ent. and Kranked. Sterling Lorence is also someone that’s inspired me as well.
Curtis: As riders, the beginning of the freeride scene I idolized riders like, Vanderham, Shandro, and Simmons. Thanks to these guys for going out and doing what they love, helping create a dream for myself when I was 12. Now I am fortunate enough to have that opportunity and make that dream come true!
Dylan: My Dad is an amazing guy and has been my biggest inspiration growing up.
What/who inspires you now?
Kyle: All the same people and films that got me into this sport still inspire me but there is a ton of new inspiration from many different people, sports and videos. From downhill racers to up and coming young film crews, there’s a lot to be stoked about and draw motivation from. I’m also inspired by other sports like motocross, surfing and skiing. Marketing wise, I think the MTB industry can learn lots from these other action sports.
Curtis: A lot of the same from the past, but also a few within the world cup DH scene theses days. Brendan Fairclough, Sam Blenkinsop, this young generation is full of natural talent and endless style, pure entertainment!
Dylan: There is so much imagery out there now, and so many talented people so its hard to narrow it down to a reasonable list. A good example of what inspires me is the deadly combo of Matty Miles and Silvia Films. It’s so sick to see a crew of dudes come up and crush it so hard in front and behind the lens!
Aside from classic bike videos do you watch anything else? ''Planet Earth,'' ''All.I.Can.'' or ''Art of Flight?''
Kyle: Oh yah. We don’t have cable tv so we’re all about the visually pleasing films! It would be incredible to make a mountain bike film with a budget that allows you any tool or location you want. Hopefully one day we can be a part of a project like that…
Curtis: All of the above.
Dylan: Oh yeah! That’s It, That’s All and Art of Flight I feel are the best shot action sports films. Period. But there are so many amazing things to view, All.I.Can. is sweet, Life Cycles obviously, any sort of ‘’Planet Earth’’ style film. I follow Tom Lowe at timescapes, he does some insane time-lapse photography. ‘’Baraka ‘’is also a must watch.
I just re-watched your (Curtis and Dylan’s) ''Kranked 7'' segment, how did you land a spot in that movie?
Kyle: I’ll let those boys answer that one.
Curtis: Dylan was working with Bjorn Enga of Radical Films, and we threw the idea out there and we built and filmed that segment in 3 months. Pretty crazy how it all worked out, Dylan was still in high school and I had a job in a woodworking shop. We made our weekends count!
Dylan: We had been helping Bjorn Enga of Radical films with Kranked 6, and then I began editing for him, so we had our foot in the door at that point. The following year we presented Bjorn with the idea of doing a segment, he was stoked! So we went out and built and shot in the bush for a few months and that was that. Big thanks to Bjorn for that opportunity, that really got the ball rolling.
Was that a turning point in your career?
Kyle: The turning point in my career was moving to the Sunshine Coast. That is where I met Dylan and Curtis and from there everything fell into place and I realized that was where I was supposed to be.
Curtis: Definitely big thanks to Bjorn for trusting us in producing a proper film segment and having a ton of fun doing it!
Dylan: Almost, that was the perfect set up for our Kranked 8 segment.
Your ender segment in ''Kranked 8: Revolve'' is widely regarded as one of the best sections ever. Did the response from that reinforce your direction in the sport?
Kyle: Definitely. We were given an opportunity to create our own segment with our own ideas and trails and the response was incredible. The response let us know that we were doing something right, and we were stoked cuz it was exactly what we wanted to be doing!
Curtis: It was definitely cool to see viewers appreciate the fun that was had in this segment, it's the reason why we ride in the first place, fun with your friends! We never intended to shoot things to feed the viewers what they want. We just built, and filmed everything we wanted to see ourselves, and it turned out that a lot of people supported our view on free ride. So we continued!
Dylan: We spent a huge amount of time and planning on that segment. We also got much more involved with the production side of it. It seems to have paid off, that segment went viral. I think that was the turning point for The Coastal Crew.
After Kranked, your webisode series made ‘The Coastal Crew’ a household name. Were those videos originally meant as a stepping-stone into a full-length?
Kyle: No not really. Our webisodes were just created because that was what we wanted to do. We wanted to have fun riding bikes and make short videos out of it. The positive response was more than we ever imagined. Doing a full length was a step in our growth as riders and filmmakers that we decided to take.
Curtis: We put all of our pennies together and bought a camera and just wanted to shoot as much as we possibly could! There was always small talk about a full length but it was always just bs at the time. For a little while at least....
Dylan: Not at all. We had no idea what we were getting into, we just needed our own camera. Once we bought the 7D we just began to shoot for fun. I had the experience as a filmer/editor from working with Bjorn and we just grew from there.
Will your next movie be an online release like Aaron Larocque’s ‘’What’s Next?’’ or Anthill’s upcoming ‘’Strength in Numbers?’’ Do DVD’s matter in a digital world?
Kyle: We aren’t sure what the format of our next project will be. I feel DVD’s still matter even though everything is digital now a days. I like that a DVD is something physical that you can hold or put in a collection. Internet content is hot for a week then something else awesome drops and current content gets buried away (not in every case though).
Curtis: You will just have to wait and see. Ideas are flying.
Dylan: I want an online release to work, it would be awesome! But the DVD is certainly not dead. It’s hard to say what the best distribution model is.
Where do you guys want mtb to go in the future? Freeride focused? X-Games? More mainstream popularity?
Kyle: I would love to see the gravity side of mountain bike go more mainstream! That is what it needs to help it to grow and become wealthier and widely recognized. MTB slopestyle in the X-Games would be amazing...its just tough when you take a gravity fed sport and place in the middle of a major city. I think freeriding needs a TV show and I would love to see the World Cups back on TV! I just want our sport to grow and become stronger!
Curtis: Not really too sure, Where ever it may go. We will always be searching for the next best location with maximum potential that lies within every new landscape.
Dylan: I think MTB should be everywhere, Olympics, X Games, Big Mountain, Slope Style, any kind of growth is great for the small sport of MTB.
How do you spend the winter months? Are you snowed in and going crazy?
Kyle: We don’t get much snow at the lower elevations so we are usually able to dig and ride through the winter. When the sun sets early we usually bust out the headlamps and road bikes and shred the quiet neighborhoods making stops at all the beach accesses. There is a lot to do all the time so we stay productive.
Curtis: We are always out building for as long as we can before we are frozen solid! Luckily enough we don't have the craziest winters; more rain and wind then anything else. Early Spring riding conditions are usually the case!
Dylan: We are lucky here on the coast, usually we only miss out on a few weeks of riding a year. So far this winter I have ridden almost every day it wasn’t raining. I’m cool with winter being like that.
What are your plans for the 2012 season? Working on a sequel?
Kyle: Well the plans for 2012 are to keep riding, building and shooting the sickest stuff we can! We’ll continue to keep the content flowing and keep our fans stoked on riding bikes! Plans are still being boiled together in a big cauldron so stay tuned.
Curtis: Working on something for sure, going to be another crazy season, you will just have to stay tuned into Second Base Films, and The Coastal Crew!
Dylan: We will be doing another major project, but you have to wait and see what!
Do you have any advice for aspiring young riders, builders, or filmmakers?
Kyle: Stick to what you love to do! You can make anything happen if you want it and work hard enough for it. My outlook on life is: you only live once, so you’ve gotta make the most if it while you’re here, so have fun.
Curtis: Set goals, enjoy yourself, and if you really want something you have to work hard for it!
Dylan: Work hard, keep your builds safe and clean, good glass is key, and just because you have a dolly it doesn’t mean you’re getting good shots. Practice makes perfect!
Kyle: Mountain biking is one of the coolest action sports in the world and I am really stoked to be a part of a group that is contributing to its growth! It is exciting times as our sport develops before our eyes. I think there will be really cool things happening to the image of our sport in the future as the natural progression of things go.
Curtis: I love my bike, and I'm a twin.
Dylan: You should know who Nicolas Teichrob is. Check out his site: here.
Any final shout outs?
Kyle: Thanks to all of our fans and friends for all the positive and supportive feedback through everything that we do! We couldn’t be doing this without such a strong following. Thank you to Anthill for trusting us. Thank you to our sponsors for all the support. And thank you to all the riders and filmmakers who constantly push our sport and help it grow in the right direction.
Curtis: Everyone that has believed in us, and that have helped us make our dream come true.
Dylan: Of course. Huge thanks to Anthill for taking us under their wing this year. And we can’t thank our sponsors enough for keeping us going: Scott, SRAM, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Chromag, Sombrio, Evoc, Leatt, Smith Optics (Curt & Dyl), Oakley (Kyle) ,Troy Lee, Cane Creek, NRG, and Paint House Customs.
by far the most inspirational group of riders that i have ever watched. these guys are the reason why i got into mountain biking because i just could not stand watching there amazing videos without being a rider myself. they have motivated me to work my ass off all summer to save up for a nice bike and to pick up a shovel and get outside and just start building what ever i can. sure it might not be as professional looking as there amazing stuff they have built but thats not the point for me. riding something that has meaning to you and that you have put time into makes the ride that much cooler. the addiction for riding and building is going to continue to take over and its only gonna get better and more fun from here on out. so for that i would like to thank the coastal crew for pretty much changing my life.
love these guys! they're such an inspiration for me and a huge part of the reason i put so much time into building. keep the vids coming cuz they're the best out there!
Now that ''From the Inside Out'' is available to all, how does it feel showing people what you’ve created? Stoked on the response so far?
now convince all your friends to ride so this sport can grow and get even better 
