Beta’s Premiere Print Issue – Behind the Cover

We’re thrilled to announce the release of our very first print issue and couldn’t be happier with the cover, featuring mountain bike superstars, Wade Simmons, Thomas Vanderham, and legendary shooter Sterling Lorence behind the lens. Captured on an iconic B.C. trail with all the style and moodiness we love, this couldn’t be a more fitting beginning to our new venture. We sure hope you enjoy what we’re making enough to sign up for a Beta or Active Pass membership, which includes a subscription to our quarterly magazine (including access to the digital version anywhere in the world), along with an exclusive ad-free online experience and member-only content. Beta will also be available at Barnes and Noble locations in the U.S. and Indigo in Canada starting on March 30th.

In the meantime, here’s a look at the un-cropped cover image along with a few words about the photograph from the man, the myth, the legend himself, Sterling Lorence:

“As a photographer, sometimes when you least expect it—and with a little luck from the light—something special can happen right in front of you. On this specific photo shoot back in February 2020, I was tasked with presenting the process I use to bring out the life in riders in a photo. I tapped freeride legends Wade Simmons and Thomas Vanderham for the project because those two know how to help bring style and energy into an image. We hadn’t really planned out exactly what weather would suit the shoot, but for the venue, we chose a fast piece of old Shore trail that’s hard to ride, but brings out a dynamic energy. Plus, the trail itself is dramatic. While we were flirting with this section of trail to see if something could work, the weather suddenly shifted and the forest mist started to fill in. It turned gorgeous right in front of us. I started to feel like something special could happen if we worked fast, so I defaulted to panic mode. I had been liking this perspective looking up into the tunnel with the huge trees towering over the trail. The fog has a way of creating a nice, clean, contrasty canvas in the woods, which can sometimes carry a dull undertone of darkness. Often when shooting two or three riders, only one person actually looks good and the timing isn’t quite right for the others. With Wade and Thomas in front of the camera, the chance of success goes way up. Ultimately, there was only one sequence of those two and Luna, Wade’s dog, where they all had dynamic energy and style. We all gathered around my camera to look at the shots and, right away, we knew we had something special here. It was at that moment too, when I realized that an image like this warrants more than a quick digital fix on the internet and I am ever grateful for magazines bringing shots to life forever in print.”