CROWDFUNDING NORTH KOREA

Surrounded by suspicion and unknowns, North Korea isn’t on everyone’s bucket list of holiday destinations. When it came to funding this expensive trip, Dan and his crew encountered a risk-averse bike industry largely unwilling to be associated with a trip to the country. But luckily some saw the benefit of breaking taboos and the value of direct experiences. Alongside EVOC and Magura’s help, the team set up a crowdfunder to raise the shortfall in the usual sponsorship. Launched (unwittingly) on a US-based site, it was closed down within hours due to the financial sanctions imposed against North Korea. Thankfully, a second attempt, on a UK site, raised a decent contribution to the group’s costs. Backers were sent postcards as a reward. Dan, Max and Harald extend a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped bring this story to light.