Time to dust off the bikes as the Cranbrook BMX season opener is a week away.
On May 4 riders from all over will be in Cranbrook to showcase their skills and show what the sport is all about.
“We have some pro racers coming out, some coaches from BMX Canada because they want to support our track,” said Laura Niehaus, Cranbrook BMX.
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Niehaus is expecting 25-50 out of town racers coming from all over British Columbia, Alberta, Washington and Idaho.
The day will start with Coun. Mike Peabody going head-to-head against some pro racers.
Then the first-time riders will be able to get on the track and try it out, all they have to do is bring a bike and a helmet.
“It will be a really good experience for kids who haven’t raced before. It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have for this race, just come out and check it out or come out and watch even if you don’t want to race,” said Niehaus.
Regular age group races will be next up, with them having a gate drop.
These races, Niehaus says will give kids who have never raced the opportunity to see what it is all about.
“There will be seasoned riders so they can see what you can do with BMX, and they can see how races are properly run,” she said.
“They can see the variety of bikes there are, the kind of gear that’s available and things like that .. and there will be lots of BMX families so they can ask questions, get information and really learn what it really is.”
BMX was derived from motocross racing and is a sprint race on a dirt course made of various jumps and rollers, which makes every track different. BMX became an Olympic sport in the 2008 Summer Olympics
There will also be a gear swap at the season opener, which means racers from out of town will be bringing their used bikes.
“They are going to bring them so kids in town if they are interested in bikes they can buy a used one instead of having to buy a new one,” said Niehaus.
The races will start at 3 p.m., with registration happening that day from 1-2:30 p.m. Races are all by donation, and the money goes towards insurance to put on these types of races, and the maintenance of the track. Cash and cheques will be accepted.
More information about Cranbrook BMX and the season opener can be found on their Facebook.
jessica.dempsey@cranbrooktownsman.com
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