Matt MacDuff’s Custom Darkfest Shore

A bike as punk as Big Air itself.

Matt MacDuff doesn’t just ride big — he lives it. Whether he’s sending jaw-dropping gaps or pushing just how huge a bike can go, his custom Norco Shore is built to take the biggest hits, and to be trustworthy in the air and at insane speeds. After dialling in a Big Air-specific custom rear end with the engineering team last year, Matt’s locked in for Darkfest.

This year, the setup gets even sicker with a new look courtesy of Fresh Paints of Whistler. The punk approach and the flames go hand in hand: we captured the energy of Big Air in a bike that’s an extension of Matt and his mindset.

The Darkfest Shore has the same custom rear end design that Matt developed with Norco Senior Design Engineer, Colin Ryan. With a shorter rear end, and a 27.5”/26” wheel setup, it handles big hits with ease and is more maneuverable in the air. This year, the setup gets even sicker with a punk look courtesy of Fresh Paints of Whistler.

The fiery frame and hand-lettered graphics aren’t just for show, they tie back to the energy of Matt’s legendary compound–his testing grounds for building the biggest jumps in the world–and his brand. and merch. The punk approach and the flames go hand in hand: we captured the energy of Big Air in a bike that’s an extension of Matt, his mindset, and what Big Air means to people:

Big Air MTB is a sub-genre of MTB like DH racing, cross country, or slopestyle. When the bikes are travelling above 60kms and hitting jumps, you’re now doing some proper big airs!

You’ll find the bikes start to operate differently because of the tremendous speed and force brought on them to make the gaps. Dealing with these forces requires new skills that are fun to learn with high consequences if you fail. The sense of danger creates a strong camaraderie among your fellow riders that can spawn friendships and memories that last a lifetime!

– Matt MacDuff

Matt is extremely calculated about how he’s testing the limits of big air riding, because at that level even small mistakes can translate to big crashes. He goes to events like Darkfest for inspiration and community, but also as a proof of concept for jump shape and speed requirements. He’ll take what he learns from Darkfest and apply it to building new features at his compound, for incremental steps towards reaching his goals of building and riding the biggest features in the sport.

Matt’s Darkfest Shore is built to go huge, and it also represents his approach to bikes and life–because Big Air is about an attitude, energy, and style as much as going big on a bike.