Riders from Michigan show their skills at the USA BMX Open House on Saturday
Inspired by last weekend’s winners of Michigan’s national BMX competition, dozens of local riders took to the track Saturday at a USA BMX open house in Waterford Township.
From experienced kids returning to the track to adult novices, all of the riders said they were excited to be at Waterford Oaks BMX Park, just a week after their fellow riders showed off their skills in front of competitors from out of state.
“It feels great because I know I want to be in her shoes and I want to get there someday and I know I can do it,” 12-year-old driver Raelynn Erlinger told The News.
Erlinger, of White Lake Township, had taken second and third place in the national competition a week earlier, she said.
On Saturday she returned to the racetrack and secured three first places in the 13-year-old beginners category.
“It was really fun,” Erlinger said of her recent victories. “Not as fun as I expected for the first national championship, but I really enjoyed it.”
Part of what makes Michigan’s BMX scene so special is its strong culture of sportsmanship, say Walt and Jeane Smith, a Waterford Township couple who also competed in Saturday’s competition.
The Smiths started riding after their 11-year-old daughter showed interest in the sport, they said. Walt and Jeane Smith are now regulars at Waterford Oaks BMX Park, although they’ve gotten used to their nimble daughter always leaving them behind, they said.
“It just kept going from there,” said Walt, 50. “Now we each have two bikes.”
Walt Smith took his first place finish on Saturday after competing in the 17-20 Cruiser class. Jeane Smith, 47, took third place in the 41-45 Beginner class.
Regardless of age or skill level, local BMX riders have a unique way of welcoming newcomers to the sport, Jeane Smith said. That camaraderie is one of the reasons she was most motivated after watching the national competitions last Saturday, she said.
“It’s exciting to see that,” she said. “The people you worked with may have taught you what you need. Our daughter met a lot of people at the state championships last weekend who were on the professional circuit.”
For 41-year-old Ruben Vazquez, it is his sons and the sporting community that keep bringing him back to the racetrack, he says.
The Troy biker watched proudly as his 9-year-old son, Marcelo, won first place in his own category at the national competition a week earlier, he said. His other son, 3-year-old Roman, also took third place in one of the national races, he said.
Still excited, Vazquez brought Marcelo and Roman back to the park on Saturday for another fun day on the track, he said.
“They love bikes and they love racing,” he said. “Training, practicing, coming to the local races, I think that’s the reward for them.”
Marcelo Vazquez, who took another first place in the Category 9 Novice on Saturday, told The News that what he loves most about cycling is the breeze around him as he defends his place in the race.
Saturday was Marcelo’s sixth race of the season, but certainly not his last, he said.
“When someone is behind you just have to push with all your might,” he said. “They want to get past and I just try to be faster. That’s why it’s fun.”
Biker Temprance Goldfarb, 16, said she could still feel the energy of the crowd surrounding the race track even from the sidelines.
Goldfarb, of White Lake, is recovering from a knee injury but hopes to return to the track at full strength soon, she said after finishing fourth in a 14-intermediate class race on Saturday.
Goldfarb said she appreciates the sport because there is always something new in BMX riding. The never-ending cycle of training and racing, coupled with strong community support, has helped her keep going while recovering from a torn ACL, she said.
“It’s kind of freeing,” she said of riding BMX. “I guess it’s a way to escape from life. I can get my mind off everything and focus on riding.”
Tim Weiss, a 53-year-old rider who hosted Saturday’s open day, said he loves the sport because he’s always learning something new.
Weiss, of Clarkston, rode his first bike race in 1997, he said. He bought every magazine and read everything he could about BMX riding as the sport grew in popularity in his 20s, he said.
Waterford Oaks BMX is a 50-year-old park and the second oldest BMX track in the world, USA BMX officials said in a July 1 press release.
“I raced the Waterford Oaks BMX race as a young boy about 20 years ago and have fond memories of this area. This is a really unique track that is a lot of fun and I think it will be a weekend of good racing,” said Connor Fields, a three-time Olympian for the BMX Team USA, in the press release.
Nearly 30 years after his first race, Weiss said he is proud to still be part of the local BMX scene.
BTS singer Jin’s No. 1 hit records sales increases of over 17,000%
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(918x567:920x569)/dwyane-johnson-d339c7438c09478c83e52ecdc9174658.jpg "Dwayne Johnson announces cast and release date of live-action film “Vaiana”")
Dwayne Johnson announces cast and release date of live-action film “Vaiana”
Members of the local tennis club talk about the many benefits
About The Author
