Wow, what a video! Andrew and the Vancouver crew have been killing it for years, first with Spyglass, then Fictional Finalism and now TAIF. From start to finish this really made me want to ride. There’s just something about watching a crew of close friends pick apart their city and creatively use everything in sight. Andrew kills it behind the lens as always. Those rolling fish lines are incredible, and the whole thing is cut up masterfully. The music is all on point, and the addition of film footage really adds a dreamy aesthetic to the whole thing, as well. Another masterpiece for sure. Dare I mention Jordan Hango’s closing section!? Hats off to Andrew and the crew! —Zach Krejmas

Interview: Jeff Zielinski

Meaning behind the title?
Thank Atlantis it’s Friday. A few years before Atlantis Vancouver opened (Thanks, Orlando for blessing Vancouver with a core shop for many years), most of the crew was already on a regular Friday gathering involving clips and sips. Once Atlantis opened, Fridays turned into even more of a ritual, which was then nicknamed TAIF. A large portion of the video was filmed on TAIF’s and I would say most everyone in the video, spent the better part of a decade gathering every Friday for clips, sips, and laughs. TAIF has special meaning to myself and everyone involved. 

Speaking of titles, why did you choose to only include the rider’s first names?
The main reason I stuck to first names, last names and nicknames, is just personal preference. The names in the video are the same names we would all use when hanging out. Personally, I just felt that it was more authentic to the crew.

The abundance of night footage, was that an aesthetic choice, out of necessity, or a little of both?
When filming the video I had no aesthetic plan to film night clips. They just happened naturally. With everyone working full time—hours more or less—night sessions were very common. Certain spots are also much easier to ride at night, after businesses close, and the city clears out. 

Filming wise… both the amount of, and length of the high-speed rolling fisheye lines really sets TAIF apart from the majority of BMX videos. It evokes a sense of actually being there with the dudes as they cruise around. Do you have a background with skating to film in such a way?
Thanks Z! Back when I started filming I was very inspired by skate videos and follow lines in particular—and I am still very inspired by skate filmers, as well as many BMX filmers who share the same love of filming lines on a skate. The way the filmer follows the subject really just makes videos feel more exciting and creative in my opinion. Filming on the skate, just allows the fish to get that much closer to the action and excite the eye that much more. I learned how to skate, so I could learn how to film on a skate. Filming lines is something I love doing, I find just as much gratification in nailing the timing on a line, as getting a clip myself. I am by no means a good skateboarder, but I would like to think I am okay at filming on a skateboard.

2021 saw a lot of independent full-length BMX video releases—including 4/5 NORA Video Of The Year nominees. What are your thoughts on the spike of DVDs as of recent?
It is refreshing to see that’s for sure. I think seeing so many independent full-length videos being released is a very positive thing. For me it shows that the core of BMX still strongly cares about longer form videos. It also shows that the riders are taking matters into their own hands. As nice as having a budget to produce a full-length film must be, the fact is all you need is a good crew of people to work with and some group cohesion to dedicate yourselves to a solid end goal. I hope this is just the start of BMX films taking a positive turn. My hope is more crews put in the work to produce quality longer form videos, and that more brands take notice to what the core of BMX is up to and follow suit in an organic way. I think if this year’s NORA cup video nominees are an indicator of anything, it is that the core of BMX is strong. 

The music maintained a similar vibe throughout and didn’t deviate all that much—in terms of genres. Did the riders have any say in their songs or were they all chosen by you?
All of the music was chosen by myself, with the exception of the opening song, which Riley (Abramyk) came through with the assist. When it comes to making videos, I try to have the music direction feel like you have listened to an album beginning to end. I want to evoke emotion in videos, excitement, reflection, laughs, happiness and even tears. The music I chose was a reflection of how I saw this era of the crew. I am very thankful that they all trusted me with music selections and to represent them the way I felt worked best for them individually as riders and as a whole collective crew. 

How does TAIF compare to other video projects you’ve done in the past?
TAIF is without a doubt my favorite project I have worked on. This video will always have a very special place in my heart, mainly because of the crew involved. I feel that as a crew, TAIF came together very naturally, and everyone’s riding is depicted accurately. Each rider brought their own feel and spot/trick selection to the video, but the video still had a cohesive direction as a whole. With each video project I have learned so much, filming and editing wise. Everything that I have learned from past projects has played a part in the creation of TAIF. 

Do you have a favorite section in the video?
This is a hard question to answer. The short answer is no. Everyone’s part inspires me to ride and film. The riders in the video are not only some of my best friends, but also inspire me with their individual creativity on and off the bike.

The video was filmed in Vancouver, BC and Calgary, AB, correct? What’s it like riding street and filming in those cities—finding fresh spots, bust factor, etc…
With this being the 4th or so full length filmed by the same crew over 8 years, it can get tricky to find fresh spots in Vancouver. That being said, I’d say as a crew our ideas of how to ride spots has changed, and old spots or spots we thought were not spots became spots as our riding has matured. Hango is seeing the city in the 4th dimension I’m pretty sure. As for bust factor, I’d say in my experience Van is pretty chill, certain spots you can get kicked out of, but you can just try later that night or another day with a different security guard working. We did one trip to my hometown of Calgary for TAIF and there are some fun spots for sure, just have to take the time to look for them…

A wealth of BMX history has come out of Vancouver over the years. If TAIF is any indicator, the scene looks as strong as ever. How would you describe it?
In my eight years of living in Vancouver, I can confidently say that it has an unreal talent of riders and has had a strong scene with many crews! How would I describe the scene… creative, multiple tight knit crews, and a whole lot of fun!

Filming wise, what was the day to day like—assuming everyone has work or school, was it mostly weekend warrior / after work missions?
Most of the video was filmed on weeknights and weekends as most of the crew would get out pretty regularly after work/school. I would just try and be out as much as I could with the camera, and whoever made it out to ride made it out. I’d say everyone was out riding and hanging a whole lot over the course of filming. Getting clips came naturally as we would just cruise and if someone had an idea in an area of the city we would head that direction and go from there.

Hango’s section… holy shit! Did he have more time to film or does he just generally stack footage harder than most?
He generally just stacks footage at a high rate. An average session for Hango could be a video part. He usually has his clips mapped out pretty well, and knows what he wants to do, and makes it happen. That being said, the session never revolves around his ideas, he will just casually say “there’s this bump over there I want to check out”, or something like that. Great team player. 

Thoughts on seeing his section get nominated for NORA Cup Number One Video Part?
Filming a ten minute section of unreal street mastery for a friend’s full length video!? What more can be said about the character of Hango… A solid human, great friend and an unreal rider who I am proud to have documented a part of this caliber with.

Riley Abramyk led off the video and filmed most of the super 8, and he also put out a full-length of his own. How much of a collaborative effort went into the making of the video?
Riley is kind of like my little brother. We spend a lot of time together brainstorming ideas and shooting the shit. He took the reins on shooting the super 8 for TAIF and also filmed most of my part, as well as opened up the video with his best part to date. I am very grateful for his help behind and in front of the lens! When it came to editing TAIF we were both living hours away from each other. Riley ended up getting the super 8 developed and sent over more or less the intro to TAIF (I only made a few small changes). From there I took the reins and showed Riley a rough cut of the whole video around March. Collaborative efforts of both the riders and the creatives, played a massive role in the creation of TAIF. Also, if you have not, do yourself a favor and check out Riley’s full-length video Don’t Mind Us!

Do you want to wrap this up with some thanks?
A big thanks goes out to everyone who was involved with TAIF—riding wise, filming wise, creatively, and personally. A lot happens over the course of a few years, and I can’t thank Riley Abramyk, Jordan Hango, Jack Leonard, Owen Dawson, Chris Cadot, Brad Hill, Taylor Elvy, Chay Nelson, Colton Ponto, Isaac Barnes, Jason Teet, and Matt Desson for being the best of homies. I am so thankful to the crew for all the good times/memories, trusting me to capture their creativity and portray TAIF the way I saw it. A big thanks goes out to everyone who watched TAIF and supported us by purchasing the video! I am humbled by the good words and support from the BMX community. The support earned is being put right back into another video, with the first trip planned for spring! Thanks Z / OurBMX for taking the time for this interview, and all the riders and brands that support myself and the riders in TAIF.  On to the next…

Click here to purchase the TAIF full-length.