Richters ready to ride
me, a lot of growth.
“It's incredible exercise, but I think it’s the people that keeps coming back,” said Erin. “Everybody is so incredibly supportive and everyone helps everyone else. It’s just an incredible family atmosphere. I just love the people and it’s so much fun and having so much encouragement just makes you want to keep doing it.”
The first four races took place in Edmonton and Red Deer with the final series heading to St. Albert Aug. 2526.
“Edmonton had over 500 riders and Red Deer had over 600,” said Darren Williams, president of the Lethbridge BMX Association.
“It’s actually been growing every year. We’ll probably be a little bit smaller because we’re so far down south. There are a lot of tracks up in central and northern Alberta, so they have a large membership up there. Three hundred fifty is about what we’re expecting, 400 would be a good race for us.”
“We have a local membership of about 130 and we would see probably half of those competing at provincials, so about 70 to 75.”
Riders have to attend a minimum amount of races (four) to qualify for the yearend awards, said Williams.
“You don’t have to do all eight of the races, you can do four plus the finals and that gets you an award for your class at the end of the season as well as a ranking. If you win the overall series for the whole year, you’re ranked number one in your class or the next year.”
This weekend’s race will be smaller than the stops in Edmonton and Red Deer, but the Lethbridge BMX Association has been well represented on the circuit in past years.
And like Erin and Jackson, there’s a family theme as the generational BMX torch gets passed.
“We’ve got a really strong local club at the provincial and even the national (level),” said Williams. “Last year the national championships were in Calgary and we had a lot of the older dad riders come back with national championship plates. Our mom and dad class is really strong here.
“Most of the moms and dads that did it when they were kids, now they’ve had kids and they brought their kids to it and they’ve started doing it again. There are a lot of family riders where the mom, dad and children all ride together.”
As the riders rode under some sweltering conditions Wednesday, Williams said the Lethbridge BMX Association home course is ready to host Alberta’s best this weekend.
“It’s groomed and it’s pretty much ready to go,” he said. “We have a few more little minor things to finish up in the next day and a half, but we’ll be ready.”
Friday is a practice day with the races starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Williams said the professionals race at the top of the the hour, every hour.
“So they'll be the first race at 10 a.m. and then they’ll race again at 11 and then noon and at one.”
Admission to this weekend’s races are free.
Follow @DWoodardHerald on Twitter