Carl from Element 51

Carl from Element 51 has strong roots in BMX as an old school dirt jumper, but he's not one to limit himself. He also spent several years riding mountain bikes on the North Shore of Vancouver before heading back out east and opening his shop. Carl is a rad shop owner. He's been in so many different areas of the bike industry it's hard to believe he's only 34 years old. In the short time his shop has been in business his orders with us have grown substantially. I've been at this game long enough to know that shops don't get that big that fast unless they know what's up and they support the scene.

When I first talked to Carl about doing a Re-session stop in his town we bounced around the idea of doing it at one of the local outdoor spots near the shop (it's always good for the shop owner if the event is close to the shop) but we couldn't find a good enough spot. So he said fuck it and set up a session at the brand new Taz Mahal skatepark in Montreal. It's not too close to the shop but it is one of the best indoor spots in the world so it's going to be super fun.

We're going to be heading to Element 51 at around 4:00 on Wednesday June 10th. Then after a quick dinner we'll be heading into Montreal for the Taz session. Carl also talked to the Taz people about staying open late for a bike only session. It's going to rule.

That's Carl above grinding the break mounts off his bike. Check out his small interview below.

How long has Element 51 been in business?
Element 51 is turning 2 years old in August but the actual shop has been in business for over 25 years.

What’s your background in the bike world and how did you end up owning the shop?
I’ve been around bikes for as long as I can remember, I guess it all started out with changing flats and taking out the trash at Orleans Cycles in Ottawa. I did a couple years as a bike courier in the capital then moved to BC when I was 20. I wrenched for a couple years at The Cyclepath in Vancouver then ended up working at Norco for 8 years, I have to give huge props to my old bosses Dave and JJ, these guys gave me the opportunity to learn everything I know about the bicycle industry. Then the next 12 years went something like this: Ride the most amazing trails BC has to offer, meet a cute French girl along the way, buy a house, settle in, talk about kids and next thing you know I was in a 30 foot U-Haul driving back to Quebec! I kept working for Norco as a sales rep for the next 2 years, that’s how I met the previous owners of Le Centre du Velo in St-Eustache. I had a really good relationship with them and they asked me one day if I knew anybody that was interested in buying their shop. That got me thinking and there I was 6 months later signing papers in the lawyers office with my best friend / brother in law Frank. That’s how Element 51 came to be.

How’s the BMX scene looking in your area these days? Are the riders more park or more street?
There is some serious talent here in St-Eustache. There's no real BMX park in the area so the riders here are more into street. But with Taz not too far now, some of the kids are really stepping it up on the ramps.

I definitely can tell you that we’re stoked, but how stoked are you on renting out the new Taz Mahal when the MacNeil team is in town?
Jay I can't wait! We've been thinking about doing an event like this ever since we opened our shop, but not this big!

Are you a Canadians fan or what?
I don’t think they let you live here if you're not...