10 REASONS WHY YOU MUST GO TO

DANGER BAY /2023

BY LANDYACHTZ CREW

10 REASONS WHY YOU MUST GO TO

DANGER BAY /2023

BY LANDYACHTZ CREW

Attack of Danger Bay is known around the world as a must attend event for all people passionate about skateboard racing. The racecourse is short and sweet, and fun for people of all skill levels. Racing is often tight, and anything can happen along the short track! Spectators stand at the infamous carnage corner and cheer on riders as they barrel into the challenging left corner that often throws skaters into the hay bale barrier. Event organizer Bricin “Striker” Lyons provides race commentary and color, stoking out the crowd while he heckles the riders.  

In its 22nd year, Danger Bay is the longest standing race in downhill skateboarding history. This year it’s on May 19th – 24th with a variety of events over the week. We thought we’d break down the week and give you our top 10 reasons why you must attend Danger Bay 22!  

Egmont Grind push race and Pacific Big Air  

This is the first of many events to take place on the Danger Bay week and rewards the keeners that show up early with high flying action and a winding push race for glory. You will be subjected to exhaustion, speed, and a dock launch that will send you flying through the air (that last part is optional). There is no better way to finish off a 10-kilometer push race than flying off the dock into the ocean to cool off.

 

The dock is about 15 feet high, but the tides will dictate exactly how high the drop into the ocean is. Wes Sampson is an OG BC racer who is a certified diver on standby who will retrieve you out of the water should the opportunity present itself. Bricin Lyons doesn’t have many fears, but even the man the myth the legend is scared of this one.  

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Slide Comp  

SLIIIIIIIIIIIDE COOOOOOOOOOMP!! Every year, on Friday morning, the entire campsite makes their way to the slide hill. This is one of the most historic slide jams, where you can find glory or pain. The one and only Cliff Coleman used to compete at this event, and the slide comp is a global stomping ground for tech sliders to prove themselves.

 

Landyachtz would scout for riders at the slide jam and hook up the next generation of freeriders. These days, everyone loves soft wheels, thane, and big slides but there will still be tech sliders on the hill which is worth coming to the event to watch. The slide hill has medics on site for your safety and is an incredibly fun way to kick off the weekend. 

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Skate Hockey - who's on your team? Be there! 

Skate hockey originated in the 80’s and was invented by an old-school skate crew called JAKS. In the glory days of Coast Longboarding, there was a parking lot session every Saturday night at midnight somewhere in Vancouver. There would be anywhere from 20 – 100 people. Strike had a couple of the JAKS come out and teach us to play. Everyone fell in love immediately. It didn’t take long for a league to pop up with 8 teams from all over the city and Vancouver Island with the Championship game being played at Danger Bay.

Skate hockey has become a tradition during Danger Bay week. Every year, a skate hockey tournament takes place during the May Day festival in Pender Harbour and is one of the many spectacles at the event. Thousands of people roll into town for May Day and the Skate Hockey tournament is always a hit with the crowds. You can find a few friends and join in this year at Danger Bay, its free to enter and you can’t put a price on glory! 
 

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Bricin “Striker” Lyons – A Living Legend

Bricin “Striker” Lyons should be enough of a reason to go to Danger Bay, where you will get the chance to meet this once in a lifetime character. He is the founder of Coast Longboarding and the one who started the Danger Bay race 22 years ago. He hasn’t been to the event in a few years now because his family opened up a hostel on Cape Breton Island on the east coast of Canada. It’s called the Highlands Hostel. If you’re ever in the Maritime provinces on the East coast of Canada, check it out and go say hi to strike! 

 

Bricin is a truly gifted announcer and as soon as he gets on the mic, he starts serenading the crowds at the race with excitement, games and jokes. Even if you’re not racing it's still worth going to the event just to witness Striker with a microphone heckling the crowds. 

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travel

Travelling the Danger Bay is one heck of a journey through some of the most serene, beautiful landscapes in the world. Danger Bay happens on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada just a short distance from Vancouver, and is only accessible by a 45-minute ferry, which is usually full of skaters making the annual pilgrimage to Danger Bay. 

The wildlife and nature are abundant, the local community is quiet and hospitable. There are always lakes to swim in and the racers usually convene in the evenings to wind down and take a dip in some of the cleanest fresh water on earth. You never know who you will run into, the whole sunshine coast is like our playground for the week. Because it’s so close, people take the chance to make a pitstop in Vancouver before or after the event to meet up with locals and skate some world-famous skate spots like Leeside skatepark, south van alleys, cruise the seawall, hit downtown parkades etc.  

Tight Racing – 2 different race tracks  

The racing is some of the best in the world. Even though the track looks easy, carnage corner sees lots of action every year and is an amazing place to watch the racers fly by. The worlds best have competed here (Kevin Reimer, Douglas Dalua, Scoot Smith, Louis Pilloni, Jim Z, Chris Chaput, Jackson Shapiera, Katie Neilson, Zak Maytum, Mischo Erban, Landyachtz Co-owner Tom Edstrand, Brianne Davies, Jody Wilcock, Adam Pearson, Landyachtz Team Rider Prince Dillon Stephens, current champion Dane Hanna, Wolfgang Coleman, Nate Lang, King Brian, Patrick Switzer, James Kelly, Adam Yates, Kyle Martin, and X Games medalist Lee Dansie). Some have won, some have lost, but everyone always enjoys racing this track. It is far from the most technical track in the world, but it is the hardest race in the world to win.

Danger Bay week involves two racetracks, the second being the famous Jakes Rash hill. This is a winding road, full tuck, 80kph + with lots of corners, no slides, and huge packs, but if you take it slow the top speed will be 40kph and is a great hill for beginners because the corners aren’t very tight. This year at Danger Bay there will be freerides on both hills, so you can come skate even if you aren’t racing and experience the thrill of rushing past a crowd. 

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Campsite vibes 

The Danger Bay campsite is notorious for being one of the best places on earth. There are bands, raves, campfires, good decisions, bad decisions, lots of amazing people and the famous dirt race. The dirt race always happens in the middle of the night on the campsite (but no one knows when it will happen). 

The campsite never sleeps. During the day there is amazing nature walks and there are always lots of people milling about to meet with and talk to. People travel from all over the world to come to this race and they all convene on the campsite for the entire week of the event, so it truly is an incredible vibe. There are little mini parties spread out throughout the campsite all night, you can jump from one campfire to another visiting with people and creating memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life. 

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May Days 

This year is the 78th annual May Day festival. This festival includes a parade where the longboarders create their own float and join the annual parade in Pender Harbor. The population of the town triples during the festival, and this is also where the annual skate hockey tournament takes place. There are lots of vendors, food trucks, local business and other festivities to check out throughout the day, making this a highlight of the Danger Bay week. This is two-time World Champion Dane Hanna’s hometown, and he has been asked to lead the parade this year, so you won’t want to miss that!  

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COMMUNITY 

This event and the community that happened here on the west coast of Canada go hand in hand. Come to Danger Bay to witness and be an active part of over two decades of longboard history. You wonder how longboarding became the sport that it is today? Come to Danger Bay to find out for yourself. This event is sort of like a family reunion where there is a fantastic combination of familiar faces and fresh personalities every year. Some of the people that were spectating from the sidelines of the racecourse are now professional racers competing on the world stage.

Dane Hanna is a fantastic example of this, he grew up skating on the Sunshine Coast and look where that got him. Danger Bay is a place for all walks of life, everyone is welcome and encouraged to experience it for themselves. You will get to meet people like Jody Wilcock inventor of the Hollowtech board, Tom Edstrand Landyachtz co-owner and inventor of the Evo, and of course you will get to spend time with the one and only Bricin “Striker” Lyons.  


Volunteer  

Every year at Danger Bay, an army of volunteers gets recruited. These volunteers are a mix of seasoned veterans and rookies. There is lots of opportunity for you to help out with the event, if you are interested in doing so. You will get to witness the inner workings of an event that has over two decades of experience and understand what it takes to run a successful, safe and fun longboard race. This event cannot function without the help of the Volunteers, so they are the real MVPs. 


THE MOST FUN PLACE IN THE WORLD

Over the years, we have seen Danger Bay evolve into one of the worlds most famous longboard races. We have seen people build friendship, find love, shred the gnar and make lifelong memories. Come see it for yourself!

THE MOST FUN PLACE IN THE WORLD

Over the years, we have seen Danger Bay evolve into one of the worlds most famous longboard races. We have seen people build friendship, find love, shred the gnar and make lifelong memories. Come see it for yourself!


surviving danger bay 11 / classic video

Take a trip back and get some tips on how to properly experience the weekend.