Steve Vanderhoek has been part of the Race Face family since some of his first bigger projects back in 2019. Known as one of the kindest people on Vancouver’s North Shore and someone we call a friend around the offices; we couldn’t be more excited to now see him on Race Face wheels in 2026 and into the future.
Over the past years, he has quietly been working on a lifelong project that digs deep into his mindset and battles with personal growth, the local riding and firefighting community, and the stories of his friends and family who were there along the way.
This next chapter Steve isn’t driven by logos or launch dates, but by the energy of the community that keeps pushing mountain biking forward. Looking ahead, Steve’s focused on creating space for more stories, more voices, and more moments that remind us why we all fell in love with riding in the first place.
Before the chaos of the season and film premieres, we caught up with Steve to chat about where he’s at, what’s coming next, and his new ERA build on his Devinci Troy.
It feels like a big year ahead for you—before we get into specifics, how are you feeling heading into it all right now?
I'm super stoked and so grateful for the opportunities! I’d be lying if I said I wasn't a little overwhelmed and stressed. Between the full-time gig at the firehall, going through the officer course, instructing, managing the bike career, trying to wrap a documentary and plan an event its feeling like a lot lol!
When you think about the months ahead, what are you most curious or excited to see?
I'm excited to finally release a dream long form film project and looking forward to using it to bring communities together and spread some amazing messages from everyone involved.
As you just noted, you’ve been deep in work on a big film project —what does finish it open for you creatively or personally?
I've been blown away by the support from the mountain bike community! I think I am most excited to travel around with the film. We won't be releasing it on a streaming platform for a while and want to use the opportunity to go wherever there is interest. Plan some rad events, share the ride and meet some amazing people.
What does “what’s next” look like for you once the film is out in the world?
Once the film "tour" slows down a bit, I just can't wait to be back in the backcountry zone and building the next line I have planned. This one is pretty messed up if everything goes as planned lol!
How has your relationship with riding changed lately, and how do you want it to fit into your life going forward?
I think I just love riding more every year. I'm so passionate about this sport and love sharing It with as many people as I can. I still love to push it but definitely don't find myself looking for that rush in every single ride anymore. I'm just as happy to go ride mellow, coach and see others progress. Any day on the bike is good.
As things evolve, what parts of the mountain bike community do you find yourself wanting to spend more time with?
I really enjoy mentoring people who are looking to push or level up their riding. If I can share some of my knowledge through experience and save them an injury or expedite their process of progression, then I'm super fired up. Biking is fun and the more we can create a safe and supportive community then the better it's going to get. Something someone said really stuck with me. "People don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel".
Are there any ideas, projects, or directions you haven’t talked about yet—but feel like they’re coming?
Other than creating really disturbing but artsy and unnecessarily overbuilt features in the backcountry, I feel like we are covering a lot!
A year from now, when you look back on this stretch, what would make you say, “Yeah, that was a good chapter”?
If I travel around with my crew and share our project and mission with as many people as possible, then I'll be saying that. I'm not looking for anything other than facilitating some good times. That's what my late friend Andrew Chu stood for, and we will carry on his legacy! #rideforchu
Thanks for sharing with us Steve and we are looking forward to all of this. Now to some more technical notes - You have been riding RF for a long time but new this year is wheels. In one sentence, how would you describe your first rides on the ERA wheels?
Damped, but responsive, forgiving yet snappy. I have been super mean to them these past weeks and I am really enjoying the setup. Looking forward to putting more days on them in the near future.
What is your ERA setup on the Devinci Troy?
Era Bar, 40mm rise, cut to 790mm, roll pretty much lines up with fork angle. Our good friend Wade Simmons showed me that one.
Cranks - Era Cranks, 160mm.
Era Wheels: 29 Front, 27.5 Rear