BMX Park Celebrates National Bike Month

Elida Beeman is a 14-year-old who started  BMX 

racing at age 7.  She is number one in national competition for both 20′ and 24-26” in 2010 and 2011.

Photo by BMXnews.com

By Nadine Defensor

 

LANSING, MI — In bicycle motocross racing (BMX), one has the opportunity to soar in the air while racing down the dirt track demonstrating individual talent and expressive tricks.

 

This extreme sport began as a movement in the early 1970s in Southern California, where a number of kids restyled their 20” Schwin bicycles, went out to a vacant lot, and practice bike tricks for enjoyment. This phenomenon then spread all over the country and became a new racing sport.

 

Michigan’s capital, Lansing, is no exception as it caught up with the hype, opening its own BMX Racing Track, known as the Capitol Area BMX in the late 90’s.

 

Capitol Area BMX’s history began in 1998, when a group of parents and former BMX racers wanted to re-introduce the Bicycle Motocross Track into the Lansing Community. Though a BMX Track facility known as Capital Area Supercross existed a few years earlier, it closed down in 1994, since the sport’s popularity subsided then.

 

For a solid year, this group of people worked hard to survey and gathered funds to raise awareness for BMX racing again. They also convinced the Lansing City Council that BMX was a project that could keep the kids engaged and occupied, by being an outlet to ride safely while also having fun. Finally, with the help of The National Bicycle League and the Parent Board set up, the new BMX track was created 1999 and was named to we know of it today. It held its first race on August 19, 2000 and drew 155 riders and at least 600 spectators that day.

 

According to Kenetha Gibson, president of the Capitol Area BMX Association, the sport allows children to develop their skills at an individual pace, while also learning about winning, losing and trying again. Gibson hopes to promote greater awareness on the sport in the Lansing community by introducing it to every elementary student within a 40-mile radius of the city.

 

Capitol Area BMX is also the home track of 14-year-old Elida Beeman, the state’s #1 titleholder in 20” bike for five years. She also currently holds winning title in Midwest for four years and is also number one in national competition for both 20′ and 24-26” in 2010 and 2011. According to Beeman, BMX racing makes her happy since it’s something that she’s really good at.

 

Beeman shares, “I love to ride at my home track Capitol Area BMX, because everyone there is my friend and they are always cheering me on. I practice there; I like it because everyone there likes to just have fun. And we all like to help each other out on the track if we need it.”

 

This an exciting season for Capitol Area BMX as many events are being held. One of the most anticipated events this year is Olympic Day, which will be held on June 23. This day it will be free for everyone to race at every track nationwide, in which BMX is recognized as an official Olympic sport. Every track nationwide and abroad will hold a race June 23rd through July 1st, leading up to opening day of the Olympics in London, England.

 

Interested in BMX Biking?

 

Though it is labeled as an extreme sport, BMX racing is one of the safest of all youth sports today. Part of this is due to the mandatory requirement of safety equipment every time a rider is on the track. Riders must wear long sleeves, gloves, long pants and a helmet. As riders get more involved in racing, so does the safety gear; with padded elbow jerseys and padded (on the knee, hips and shins) racing pants.

 

So if one is interested in biking, it is recommended to purchase a 20” BMX style bike, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. Bikes can be purchased at Wal-Mart at a reasonable price of $99. A few alterations will also be made on the bike such as taking off the front brakes, reflectors and its brackets, chain guards, kick stand and wheel pegs as this can present dangers and injuries and to a rider and others when one falls or crashes.

 

New riders can receive a free race to try out the sport, before committing to a year license with USABMX, the sanctioning body. People also have to carry a USABMX license in order to take part in races and practice days. Insurance Members are also allowed to race at any track in the USA and abroad with that license.

 

If you would like to get started in BMX, visit www.usabmx.com, for more information or you can visit Capitol Area BMX’s website http://www.cabmx.org/, or check their Facebook page (Capitol Area BMX) for track location, event schedules and information as well as the costs of licenses and rules of racing.

 

Visit the track, and take part in a free race or come in as a spectator and watch the action for free.

 

Capitol Area BMX is a volunteer run track facility, and are always looking for helpers to keep BMX alive in Lansing. 

 

 

This was printed in the May 20, 2012 – June 2, 2012 edition