Get ready, mountain bikers, a new two-wheel sport is set to descend upon Squamish that will take riders out of the trees and onto the tracks. Bike racers will soon take to zooming off jumps and around corners to cross a finish line in less than a minute.
Squamish's first BMX (bicycle moto-cross) track opens Sunday, Aug. 12 during the Squamish BMX Racing Club's grand opening at Brennan Park, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"People aren't aware of what BMX is all about so we want to let the community know what the sport is and how easy it is to get involved," said club member Cindy Cardiff.
Squamish's track will be the only one along the Sea to Sky Corridor. And with the next closest track located in Langley, this new addition to Brennan Park gives everyone from veterans to newcomers a place to practice and race that's close to home.
"Definitely what makes it unique is that nobody is on the sidelines," said club president Jim Douglas. "Whether it's mom or dad, down to four- or five-year-old kids, everybody can race."
Douglas said the sport provides an opportunity for youth and families to get involved with a healthy activity, and added that since being named as a medal sport in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, BMX racing has taken off.
"First and foremost we want to offer a facility for the youth and community of Squamish so they can enjoy the sport," Douglas said.
Track designer Alex Eddington worked in much of the usual BMX features, and included the standard length for world cup qualifiers. "It's got your doubles, triples, jumps, it's got a start gate and other than that, it's also a really well-designed track," said Douglas. "We've gotsome really positive feedback."
Douglas said that the club is hoping to build on the relatively small BMX community Squamish currently has.
"This just allows Squamish to produce even more top athletes in the biking community, whether they race BMX or cross train with BMX."
The grand opening features racing starting at 12 p.m. (registration is at 11 a.m.) and there's even a mountain bike category for those who don't have a BMX bike but are looking to try out the sport.
Douglas said he's had to interrupt eager youth already racing around the track in order to put the final touches before the opening day.
"They're all chomping at the bit to get going," he said.
Membership to the club is a yearly $55, but for the grand opening, racers will get a free one-day membership. The day's events include a trade fair with some of the local bike shops, a barbecue fundraiser for the club, and demonstrations. BMX club t-shirts and hats will also be on sale.
The track has been under construction since the spring of 2007, and Douglas said its completion is thanks to great support from the community - financially, with materials and with labour.
The District of Squamish provided the land and gave the club a $10,000 grant in January of 2006, said Douglas, adding that Digasaurus Excavating and Simon Hudson Homes have been the club's two biggest supporters.
Douglas hopes to have weekly races up and running soon after the grand opening, and the club is looking for volunteers who want to get involved with BMX racing in Squamish. For more information go to http://.squamishbmx.com.
