Club moulding model mountainbikers

The next generation of keen Nelson mountainbikers are learning the tricks of the trade.

Krankin’ Kids is a mountainbiking programme aimed at seven to nine-year-olds and 10 to 15-year-olds wanting to learn the basics.

Krankin’ Kids Founder Emma Bawtree started the programme last year due to a demand from parents wanting coaching for their children.

Bawtree said she was surprised at how many students enrolled.

‘‘We thought we’d have 20 kids and see how we go.’’

Numbers have climbed from 40 in the first term to 108 this term with a waiting list.

Unfortunately, the girls weren’t represented in the leisure activity as much as their counterparts.

Bawtree said less than a quarter of the students were girls.

In contrast, the boys were ‘‘gung-ho’’ about getting on their bikes.

Bawtree said it was entertaining watching the boys get their bikes off the back of the car when they arrived. They were eager to launch into it at the start of each lesson.

‘‘They can’t get their bikes off fast enough. Not even a ’Goodbye mum’, they’re off.’’

The course ran after school three evenings a week over eight weeks with three levels of ability.

It included how to balance on a bike, control with brakes and gears, descending, climbing and cornering well.

Along with learning how to manage a bike, the programme showed how to look after a bike and taught trail upkeep.

Bawtree said giving time to building a new track or maintaining an old one was an important part of understanding the role of mountainbikers in the community.

Throughout the courses, she noticed the students became much more confident.

‘‘We get them in control and knowing how to use their bike and body correctly.’’

A big focus in the courses was safety and avoiding crashes.

‘‘There’s always going to be little spills but we can try to reduce the bigger ones.’’

Bawtree hoped to get community funding for next year as at $150 per student, the fee barely covered the running costs.

Most of that goes to pay the 16 top quality coaches as the course runs with one coach to six students.

PHOTO: BEN POINTER The kids finished off the term by helping build a new trail, they were pretty stoked with the results.