Shore is core, and there is no one better than Race Face’s own Steve Vanderhoek to show you why. Five years after dropping his original edit on the legendary 5th Horseman trail on Vancouver’s North Shore, he comes back to his roots, rebuilds this iconic trail, and adds some new and exciting "Steve” lines.
Film by Kelsey Toevs (Additional footage from Geoff Livingston and Jason Lucas)
Images by Dylan Sherrard
Q&A with Steve:
It has been 5 years since you properly shot something on 5th Horseman – what made you come back?
Despite all the projects we have worked on over the years and the amazing locations we have been to, this trail always stands out as my favorite.
It has so much history for me and has been a place I have personally progressed my riding and coached many of my friends. Back in 2020 when we shot the first video it was super "Run and Gun". Kelsey shot it mostly with one lens and I had no plan or clue what I was doing. I have had my eyes on a bunch of creative moves, and Kelsey's skills and equipment have gone through the roof over the years.
We thought it would be cool to create something a little more polished but still a tilt of the hat towards the video that started both of our careers in this industry.
This trail has been a staple on Vancouver’s North Shore for decades, with many builders and deep history; How did you go about the rebuilding? What was important for you to keep/add?
That's definitely a huge consideration and very important to me to not alter anything that makes the trail what it is. I think what makes this trail so special on the shore is the progressive nature of it. Flowy on top with the most savage tech on the bottom. I did my best to bring some new school building techniques and berms to the top to really make it flow and allow for more speed for some of the gaps.
When it came to new features, I made sure they didn't get in the way of those that wanted to ride the trail how it has always been. Just gave more side-hit options for those that wanted to spice up their ride! Moving forward, I would like to focus on drainage and adding support for the trail in a few areas where erosion has really taken its toll. The steps can never be touched haha!
A big part of this project was the countless hours of building it took to revive the trail, and you didn’t do it alone – how important has it been for you to bring friends and fellow riders along with you for the digs and rides?
I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends and the community.
It's so easy to put the shovel and buckets down and walk out on freezing cold rainy days when you're alone. But with the right crew and some tunes, every day there is a party! Can't beat seeing the smiles on people's faces as they cruise through on a ride to test a fresh berm or bridge on a trail they have ridden their entire life. Super rewarding.
I think it's so important to show everyone that trails don't maintain themselves but as a community we can pull together to provide a sustainable world class trail network.
Everything looked gnarly on this trail. What was the hardest or most challenging feature to lock in?
Hands down the opening gap to the ladder. It was the inspiration for this film and one of the last things I shot. It was a 37ft gap to 20" wide down sloping bridge. I must have pulled beside it 10-15 times testing my speed before I finally committed to that one. I won't be going back for that again!
You are one of the riders who is most particular about his setup this trail demands you to have things dialed in perfectly. Tell us about some of the intricacies in how you set up some of your Race Face components on the Devinci Chainsaw. 
Bar/stem setup is always so personal, but I always lean on riding things I trust won’t fail big hits, and the Atlas setup hasn’t let me down. In terms of setup details, I always look at the side profile and roll to match the headtube angle. That gives me a good gauge of where the roll should sit and works for me.
Cockpit Setup: Race Face Atlas Bar, 35mm Rise, 800mm Width
Cranks: Race Face Atlas Cranks, 165mm Length
The new Turbine Pedals are hands down the best pedals I have ever used. Never slipped a pedal once during filming on the wettest and coldest days of the winter, which is saying a lot considering the harsh impacts and how slick it is out here.
A big heartfelt Thank You from all of us at Race Face to Steve and all the builders who maintain and continue to make our shared backyard one of the best places to ride bikes.
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