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Brage Vestavik’s journey to the forefront of freeride filmmaking began at home, but not in the way you might imagine. Growing up in the small town of Mysen, an hour southeast of Oslo in his native Norway, Vestavik and his family were forced from their house after an electrical fire burned it to the ground. It took a full three years before they were able to move back in, and even then, much work remained.

 

“When we came back, there were still a bunch of dirt piles, planks, and materials laying around,” recalls Vestavik, now 25, of the ongoing construction site residing outside his partially rebuilt childhood home.

Shimano Original's This is Home: Brage Vestavik
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But Vestavik saw something else in his yard. He saw potential. Already enamored with all things biking, he started building jumps and features with those planks and dirt piles. And instead of chasing him off, his parents offered encouragement, promising their ever-enthusiastic son new piles of dirt in exchange for success at school. With that, a fire was lit. Vestavik’s been building—and progressing—ever since.

 

“That’s really how the whole thing started,” he says of what’s become his place among the world's best and most creative freeride mountain bikers. “It’s always just been natural for me to build the things I ride.”

Four people sitting on porch steps, smiling at the camera.
Four people sitting on porch steps, smiling at the camera.

Initially, though, there was limited riding around his home zone. Instead, he spent weekends chasing his dad, Arnebjørn Vestavik, around the trails near Oslo.

 

“My dad is the main reason why things have turned out the way they have,” adds Vestavik. “He’s my hero. My inspiration from Day 1. I always tried to ride like him, wanted to be him in a way. And he never pushed me. He was always fully open for me to choose what I wanted to do. I’m so thankful for that.”

 

Soon, the father-son duo, plus a group of close friends, were spending weekends at the races. Vestavik was a natural between the tape, quickly catching the eye of the Devinci pro team. That led the junior rider to the World Cup downhill circuit, where, under the tutelage of Steve Smith and others, he got his first taste of the sport's highest level.

Child's drawing of a person with a bicycle under a sunny sky, dated 21 February 2008.
Child's drawing of a person with a bicycle under a sunny sky, dated 21 February 2008.
Collage of children with bikes and motocross gear, holding trophies and posing indoors and outdoors.
Collage of children with bikes and motocross gear, holding trophies and posing indoors and outdoors.

“It was a smack in the face," Vestavik recalls. "Suddenly, I realized there were lots of other people riding pretty hard. That was a big learning curve but also really good years. I learned a lot."

 

Racing, it turned out, was not his calling. But building was. Dismayed by the lack of mountain bike community back in Mysen, Vestavik decided to create one. Inspired by scenes from the many freeride films he’d watched over the years, he and a tight-knit band of friends ventured into the woods and went to work.

Person holding two racing jerseys in a room with trophies and plants.
Person holding two racing jerseys in a room with trophies and plants.

The results are now legendary. Edits such as his X Games Real MTB 2021 entry that won the Fan Favorite Award and his jaw-dropping Red Bull Sound of Speed compilation rank as some of the sport’s most watched videos, illuminating a mix of daring creativity, relentless work ethic, precision talent, and a raw and powerful riding style that’s uniquely his own.

 

“It’s crazy now to look back at the old [model trail features] I made out of paper when I was younger,” he says of a collection of homemade dioramas depicting scenes that could easily have been lifted straight from the North Shore. “It’s basically the thing I am doing now, building the features I dreamt of as a kid.”

Handmade miniature ramps lined up on a green surface outdoors.
Handmade miniature ramps lined up on a green surface outdoors.
Person showing sketchbook with abstract drawings
Person showing sketchbook with abstract drawings

Vestavik also imagined a greater mountain bike community, something missing from his youth. Then he helped build it. For ten years now, he and his dad have been running Mysen’s local bike club.

 

“It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Or what level you are,” he says. “Everyone is just riding and having fun. It’s something me and my dad dreamt about but we could have never imagined seeing so many new kids coming in and wanting to ride, especially knowing those kids are from our town.”

 

This combined commitment to creation and community are what defines this budding star. His best days are spent building, filming, and riding with friends. For Brage Vestavik, This is Home.

Group of bikers with helmets in front of a red house in the woods.
Group of bikers with helmets in front of a red house in the woods.
Group of cyclists riding on a grassy path near a building.
Group of cyclists riding on a grassy path near a building.
Mountain bikers riding on a rocky trail in the forest.
Mountain bikers riding on a rocky trail in the forest.
Group of cyclists in helmets posing with bikes in a forest setting.
Group of cyclists in helmets posing with bikes in a forest setting.
People conversing in an empty train car with yellow poles.
People conversing in an empty train car with yellow poles.
Two cyclists ride near a moving train on a foggy day.
Two cyclists ride near a moving train on a foggy day.
Two men with bikes standing on a misty forest path.
Two men with bikes standing on a misty forest path.
Two mountain bikers riding through a forest trail.
Two mountain bikers riding through a forest trail.
Two mountain bikers riding through a dense forest trail
Two mountain bikers riding through a dense forest trail
Cabin with grass roof surrounded by forest under cloudy sky
Cabin with grass roof surrounded by forest under cloudy sky
Cyclist on a road near a Mysen sign, residential area in the background.
Cyclist on a road near a Mysen sign, residential area in the background.
Three people talking at a table in a plant-filled room with natural light.
Three people talking at a table in a plant-filled room with natural light.
Bicycle frames stacked in a cluttered garage with race number plates on the wall.
Bicycle frames stacked in a cluttered garage with race number plates on the wall.
Person pointing at a mountain biking poster on a wall.
Person pointing at a mountain biking poster on a wall.
Two men working on a bike and grilling outside a red house.
Two men working on a bike and grilling outside a red house.
Mountain biker riding through a forest trail
Mountain biker riding through a forest trail
Mountain biker riding through forest trail, kicking up dirt
Mountain biker riding through forest trail, kicking up dirt
Man standing on a rough, rocky path with a staff surrounded by greenery
Man standing on a rough, rocky path with a staff surrounded by greenery
Mountain biker riding on a rocky trail with dust flying
Mountain biker riding on a rocky trail with dust flying
Person standing on steep hillside with greenery
Person standing on steep hillside with greenery
Aerial view of a person biking on a trail through blurred green forest.
Aerial view of a person biking on a trail through blurred green forest.
Group of people walking in forest carrying tools and equipment
Group of people walking in forest carrying tools and equipment
Person carrying two buckets of soil in a forest
Person carrying two buckets of soil in a forest
Wooden platforms and paths in a forest
Wooden platforms and paths in a forest
Two mountain bikers riding down a wooden ramp in a forest
Two mountain bikers riding down a wooden ramp in a forest
Two excited men, one in a helmet, posing with open mouths outdoors.
Two excited men, one in a helmet, posing with open mouths outdoors.
A group of people enjoying an evening on a porch with warm interior lights.
A group of people enjoying an evening on a porch with warm interior lights.
Four people in helmets overlooking a wooded landscape and farm fields.
Four people in helmets overlooking a wooded landscape and farm fields.
Group of cyclists racing down a dirt trail in a forested area.
Group of cyclists racing down a dirt trail in a forested area.
Two mountain bikers riding on a dirt trail with dust flying
Two mountain bikers riding on a dirt trail with dust flying
Person in helmet falls while mountain biking, kicking up dust.
Person in helmet falls while mountain biking, kicking up dust.

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