The Red Deer BMX Club is gearing up for a big season on the track.
After a later than usual start due to weather, the club has hit the ground running and are expecting a big summer.
One of the biggest highlights for them will be July 21 and 22, when they host Alberta BMX Provincials 3 and 4.
“We’ve hosted provincials in the past and we hosted the big Alberta Finals in 2016. That year it was the biggest rider count for an Alberta event in BMX,” said second-year club president Adam Lidgren.
“Provincial races in the middle of the year typically have 300 or 400 riders… it turns into a big event. A lot of time planning and organizing and then it’s all over in one weekend.”
He expects Provincials to be another big draw in 2018, with many riders around Alberta making the Red Deer BMX track a must-stop destination.
“It’s a lot of fun and a lot of people actually want us to host provincials because we have one of the best tracks in Alberta. For technical ability, we have a full pro set for the elite riders– bigger jumps and bigger obstacles,” Lidgren said.
“It draws a lot of people in. People really enjoy riding on our track. We have a lot of dedicated track people working on it all the time to keep it in top shape.”
Red Deer BMX is in DESPERATE need of sponsors for our upcoming provincials in July. We expect 350-400 riders, plus their families. So over 1000 people (likely more) from across our province through our gates. Provincials are a BIG DEAL in BMX. Please help &/or RT pic.twitter.com/ByCxOwUgFD
— RedDeerBMX (@RedDeer_BMX) May 23, 2018
The club continues to fundraise in order to provide a purse for the winning riders at provincials. They are also searching for sponsors that will help the event run smoothly.
This season they have close to 80 riders, which is a bit down over the past few years. They hope to attract a few more on June 3 when Alberta BMX hosts a day for the public to try the sport across the province at most BMX tracks.
“We’ve had a couple open houses this year which has brought us a bunch of new riders,” Lidgren said.
“BMX Day in Alberta, so all of the tracks are open for the public to come try. Sign a waiver and we have loner bikes and helmets. Come out and give the track a try, see if you like the sport. We usually get new people from that.”
Last year the Red Deer BMX Club had 22 riders go to the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina and another five are heading to the 2019 event in Baku, Azerbaijan this weekend.
For more information check out their website www.reddeerbmx.ca/
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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