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ONE KENDA press release
Cruiserday for all classes is over.
A long day and a lot of stories that will be be told over the coming months.
Oh well, here are some results from the ONE/Kenda team.
In 12 and under cruiser class Maliek Byndloss from the USA won everything, but messed up his first straight in the main, dropping him back to 7th spot.
In Junior Women cruiser class, Magalie Pottier from France recevered well from her crash in 20 inch.
She just missed out on 2nd spot, and finished in 3rd.
In Junior Men cruiser class, Edzus Treimanis from Latvia rode his ONE to the podium.
A 3rd place for Edzus.
In Elite Women cruiser class, Blandine Cottereau from France and last years world champion Gabriela Diaz from Argentina, didn’t make the main. Aneta Hladikova from Czech Republic did well. She had to settle for 4th after her move for first place didn’t work out.
Well done everyone !
ONE KENDA is sponsored by:
MXM Sport, BOMBSHELL, SHIMANO, BOLLÉ, THE Industries, WLM
DESIGN, BOMBA, THOMSON, FIZIK, ODI, ZITOUN, KENDA, NIKE 6.0, NIKE
Cycling and BMXPIX
BMXAustralia pres release
Jolliffe and Mankowski Finish Top Australians at Worlds
At just 19 years of age, BMX rider Billy Jolliffe has made the
finals of two World Championship races in Brazil this weekend.
The Tamworth rider was the highest placed Australian elite rider
when he finished 7th just in front of Jamie Gray (Sunshine Coast)
in 8th place. As the youngest rider in the final, Jolliffe also
turned heads in the preliminary races after placing first in 2
of the 3 motos. Jolliffe then followed up with a 2nd in the eights
and third in both the quarters and semi-finals to make it to the
top 8 riders. Jolliffe recently moved to Terrigal to focus on
his BMX racing while working full-time.
The High Performance rider, Jamie Gray was the best placed team rider after crashing in the first turn in the final. Gray also placed 8th last year in the World Championships in France. National Champion, Kamakazi (Gold Coast) made it to the semi-finals while Warwick Stevenson (Minto) made it to quarter finals. Both Wade Bootes (Gold Coast) and Michael Robinson (Brisbane) made it the eights. Prior to the World Championships, Bootes and Kamakazi were ranked 3rd and 4th in the World respectively.
National Junior Women’s Champion, Melissa Mankowski (Moranbah) placed a very creditable 4th in the World Championships. Mankowski finished just behind New Zealand’s Sarah Walker who placed third. Walker is part of the New Zealand High Performance Team who have been based at Lake Macquarie in Australia as they prepared for their assault on the Worlds.
The Elite Women riders, Renee Junga (Brisbane) and National Champion, Krystal Cranfield (Gladstone, Qld), both made it to semi-finals. Junga had sustained leg injuries in practice. Tanya Bailey (Perth) drew a very difficult moto and did not make it into the semi-finals. Junga and Bailey were ranked 4th and 5th in the World respectively before the World Championships.
Young Ashley McCutcheon (Warrnambool) is now World Champion in the 16 Boys category. Adelaide's Sam Willoughby got bronze in the 15 Boys.
Racing was brought forward by a day as a storm loomed over Sao Paulo threatening to delay the prestigious junior and senior final planned for Saturday. Rain affected some of Saturday's Cruiser events.
World BMX Championships results - San Paulo, Brazil
Elite Men
1 Javier Colombo/ARG 2 Randy Stumpfhauser/USA 3 Mike Day/USA 4
Michal Prokop/CZE 5 Florent Boutte/FRA 6 Steven Cisar/USA 7 Billy
Jolliffe/AUS 8 Jamie Gray/AUS
Elite Women
1 Willy Kanis/NED 2 Gabriela Diaz/ARG 3 Cécile Lazzarotto/FRA
4 Jana Horakova/CZE 5 Aneta Hladikova/CZE 6 Arielle Martin/USA
7 Kim Hayashi/USA 8 Laetitia Le Corguille/FRA
Junior Men
1 Moana Moo Caille/FRA 2 Martijn Scherpen/NED 3 Ramiro Marino/ARG
4 David Herman/USA 5 Kris Fox/USA 6 Kevin Sprengers/NED 7 Joey
Bradford/USA 8 Joe Sowers/USA
Junior Wormen
1 Shanaze Reade/ENG 2 Maria Ruarte/ARG 3 Sarah Walker/NZL 4 Melissa
Mankowski/AUS 5 Christine Miller/CAN 6 Lieke Klaus/NED 7 Amanda
Geving/USA 8 Romana Labounkova/CZE
Elite Men Cruiser (Unofficial)
1 Donny Robinson/USA 2 Danny Caluag/USA 3 Damien Godet/USA 4 Sergio
Salazar/COL 5 Billy Jolliffe/AUS 6 Tyler Brown/USA 7 Jarrett Kolich/USA
8 Thomas Allier/FRA
ONE KENDA press release
Here’s a short update on what went on in Sao Paulo, Brazil
in the Elite and Junior classes.
In Elite Men the title went to Javier Colombo from Argentina. Jamie Gray from Australia riding for the Phirebird Team, made it into the main event once again. 8th place for Jamie on his new ONE.
Aneta Hladikova from Czech Republic and Gabriela Diaz from Argentina qualified.
Gabriela was fighting it out with Willy Kanis. Willy always stayed just that little bit ahead Gabriela, so Gabriela had to settle with 2nd place, while Aneta took 5th.
Magalie Pottier crashed hard in the qualifications….
Today cruiser day……..
ONE KENDA is sponsored by:
MXM Sport, BOMBSHELL, SHIMANO, BOLLÉ, THE Industries, WLM
DESIGN, BOMBA, THOMSON, FIZIK, ODI, ZITOUN, KENDA, NIKE 6.0, NIKE
Cycling and BMXPIX
by Frankie Winter BMX QLD Inc.
Results Elite and Junior Elite Men and Women, Worlds 2006
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Elite Men
1 Javier Colombo/ARG
2 Randy Stumpfhauser/USA
3 Mike Day/USA
4 Michal Prokop/CZE
5 Florent Boutte/FRA
6 Steven Cisar/USA
7 Billy Jolliffe/AUS
8 Jamie Gray/AUS
Elite Women
1 Willy Kanis/NED
2 Gabriela Diaz/ARG
3 Cécile Lazzarotto/FRA
4 Jana Horakova/CZE
5 Aneta Hladikova/CZE
6 Arielle Martin/USA
7 Kim Hayashi/USA
8 Laetitia Le Corguille/FRA
Junior Men
1 Moana Moo Caille/FRA
2 Martijn Scherpen/NED
3 Ramiro Marino/ARG
4 David Herman/USA
5 Kris Fox/USA
6 Kevin Sprengers/NED
7 Joey Bradford/USA
8 Joe Sowers/USA
Junior Women
1 Shanaze Reade/ENG
2 Maria Ruarte/ARG
3 Sarah Walker/NZL
4 Melissa Mankowski/AUS
5 Christine Miller/CAN
6 Lieke Klaus/NED
7 Amanda Geving/USA
8 Romana Labounkova/CZE
How the Aussies are shaping up......
World 8 - Jamie Gray - Elite men (crashed in 1st turn)
World 7 - Billy Joliffe - Elite Men
World 4 - Melissa Mankowski - Junior Women
World Champion - Ashley Mc Cutchen - 16 Boys
World 3 - Sam Willoughby - 15 Boys
World 8 - Josh Callan - 15 Boys
World 3 - Luke Pretlove - 17 - 24 Men
Kamakazi - Elite Men - out in Semi's
Wade Bootes - Elite men - Cut out in 8th's
Michael Robinson - Elite Men - out in 8th's
Warwick Stevenson - Elite Men - out in 1/4's
Michael Fenwick - Elite Men - ? awaiting reports
Todd Pascoe - Junior Men - 5th in Semi
James Dixon - Junior Men - ? awaiting reports
Derrick Mellish - Junior Men - Crashed in 8th's
Ziggy Callan - Junior Women - Crashed in 1/4's
Renee Junga - Elite Women - 5th in Semi's (sustained injury to
ankle and knee during Practice, lucky to get through any moto's)
Krystal Cranfield - Elite Women - out in Semi's
Tanya Bailey - Elite Women - Did not make Semi's (Drew a really
hard moto)
Sam Shields - 16 Boys - Crashed in 8th's
Some events are still to be run, Event schedule was changed due to a big storm being forecast for the local area.
Still waiting for confirmation on above results, I'll bring you more news when it comes to hand, stay posted, Frankie Winter 3.29pm
Some Updates from abroad.........
Damien Callan & Anita Oliver have been kind enough to send in regular reports from Sao Paulo. All reports will be posted on this page as they arrive. Please check in regularly for updates. If you would like to send a greeting please email: winterfamily@switch.com.au
29.07.06 - 5.07am - Damien Callan
Hi all jusy a quick mail as i am buggered and it is late i have
to be up at 5.30 am the kids rode well but zig crashed in her
quarter she has hurt her knee. she is really keen to ride cruiser
tomorrow however will see how her knee is. she was the first of
the aussie girls to jump the first straight doubles even if it
meant we had to pull out the spare wheel. josh rode fantastically
through all his heats he won them all and his quarter and semi
unfortunately stuffed up his final finishing 8th, he was also
dissapointed. melissa m came 4th with the english girl thrashing
them all no girls made the elite final same with junior men however
jamie gray and billy joliffe both made the main no bubba bennette
or de wilda they all crashed in the semi de wilda breaking his
collar bone bummer jamie crashed in the 1st
straight again came 8th billy 7th ash 16 boys won a great effort
and sam w came 3rd luke pretlove 3rd as well must get to bed give
more details tomorrow damien
More reports are available on www.bmxq.org.au
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
Anyone would think I was Australia's real life Mr Bean after
an episode in the backyard where I was trying to clean up some
trees that I had cut down. I couldn't get a fire started to burn
them, so I used a little (which turned out to be a lot of) fuel.
After nearly BBQing my head I thought I would be much safer if
I just played with the website a bit. So here you have a forum
to play with. There is a poll in the general discussion section.
Feel free to take a look around and start up some topics. I am
pretty sure this is the one I will run with, so I will make it
look and feel like the rest of the site soon. Hopefully not after
I do something else that's equally as stupid as cooking my head.
Oh yeah kids don't play with matches and especially not around
fuel, burnt hair smells really bad for a really long time. I was
actually lucky I was wearing a hat or I could have been in a world
of trouble.
To check out the forum use this link: www.bmxultra.com/smf/index.php.
Feel free to email any feedback to webmaster@bmxultra.com or leave a message in the general discussion board.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I have seen the official letter from The Bicycle Authority
to its resellers explaining that the GT distribution agreement
was terminated on July 26, 2006. A new Australia distributor should
soon be appointed.
There is no indication of what this means for Luke Madill, still
recoving from his heavy fall at the Australian Championships earlier
this year. I can only assume that the deal Luke had was with The
Bicycle Authority and will make him a free agent for the time
being. Even though Luke is injured, a talented and popular rider
like him won't take long to pick up a new ride.
We would also like to take the opportunity to thank Stephen Robinson
of the Bicycle Authority for his support of the BSX event in January.
Although they weren't a sponsor of the event, they made a significant
donation for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. Stephen
also went to great lengths to ensure that Luke was able to make
the event on his way to Thredbo for the Australian MTB championships.
by Jeff Solomano - Wyndham Warriors.
The postponed Wyndham Warriors (Werribee) round of the Western
Extreme series is definately on this Saturday with registration
at 12 and Gates dropping at 2PM. Phone entries are still available
97492414. The very wet track was attacked by minibikes 2 weeks
ago who destroyed the race surface. Many hours of hard grind has
returned the track to raceable condition. This is a great chance
for country riders to "double up" with Eastfield Metro
plate the next day (hence the late start time).
by Brett MaliC
Cross Keys track has become a controversal talking point
in South Australia, mainly because the track is new and "big".
A few of SA's best riders have already voiced their concerns at
the size of the track and positioning of jumps.
Will the track be ready and ridable for the 2006 STATE TITLES in OCTOBER, but more importantly will it be ridable for the younger riders? You judge for yourself.
Photo1: AA Pro Wellman is dwarfed by the start hill.
Photo2: 6ft high doubles.
Photo3: Find the person.
by Shane Jenkins
In trying to get the top 100 working again and setting up a forum
I have found that it is time to move to a different server. So
bmxultra.com will be moving again. Hopefully for the last time
in a while, but it will be for the better. You should see more
photos and video, and all new forum and a few other changes around
the site that we'll keep secret for now.
If you experience any problems email us, but hopefully the site
won't be interrupted for long.
by Brett MaliC
BMXSA are currently waiting on the thumbs up from a major
sponsor for our 2006 State Titles. Once this is finalized we will
release all the details including prize purses and sponsors.
The program has not been finalized but at this stage we will be offering AA and A, Bruiser Cruiser, Bruiser 20" and Powder puffs. If we are able to get enough sponsorship we may also offer Open Voucher Money classes for the younger age groups.
There will be prizes for fastest lap, slowest lap, best stack, most determined sprocket and much, much more. The Open Sprockets class will get sprocket bags.
There is also the Bruiser Cruiser perpetual trophy on offer and we will be adding a Bruiser 20" perpetual Chrome Helmet trophy. The AA and A class will get money.
In other South Australian BMX news the Cove BMX Club have made the decision that they need new clubrooms, and they have started the ball rolling and are getting quotes.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
By 1987 my brother Bryce had raced at the World Championships
in Japan and pulled a second in class, he raced the following
year at Whistler but didn't have much luck, it was the start of
the end for him. I raced at the World Titles in Slough England
and got as far as the 1/4 finals after making the main in the
pre-titles. My sister Michelle had raced the World titles at Florida.
After regularly travelling interstate as a family and competing
at an international level my family were burnt out, and had found
other outlets. I was still chasing goals and I had the full support
of my mum driving me everywhere until I was old enough to drive
myself.
People were trying to pull me away from the "dying fad" as they called it. But by this stage I couldn't spend a day without riding my bike.
For the next 10 years (give or take) I have had moderate success, pulling some good results in AA pro. I was even voted by my peers as vice president of the Victorian Pro Riders Organisation which had the likes of Howie Waye as a member when Victoria offered some of the biggest money in Australia with the Grand Prix series.
I could see that BMX was struggling against the various other sports on offer so took an adminstrative roll in the sport while continuing to ride. Before I knew it I was the president of the Puckapunyal BMX Club, and the Northern Rivers Region, as well as being rider representative on the board of BMX Victoria. It's difficult to make a difference as an individual in this sport, but it was comforting to have the support of many like minded people. The problem was there were some people with their own agendas, that with long hours at work eventually got to me and I only maintained my position as President of the Puckapunyal club.
I find myself 10 years after starting bmxultra.com still completely addicted to BMX. I have bought a property big enough for a small BMX track in the backyard. Thanks to a whole lot of friends in this sport I have already run one race and a second is in the works. It's currently winter, I have this track in my backyard that's too wet to use most days, and find myself thinking of ways to build a portable pump track inside my shed, wooden jumps/rollers and berms that I can move around as needed. I work for an IT company that sends me to the US for work, when they give me dates the first thing I do is check the racing calendars and work out which races I get to. I have 4 complete race bikes in a room in my house and I use all of them on a regular basis. Most of my friends are people I have met through BMX. As far as BMX is concerned there is no end in sight for me and there's no end for bmxultra.com. I am addicted, I'll admit that, but that's all I will do about it.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
My name is Shane Jenkins and I am a BMX addict.
I was first introduced to BMX in the late 70's. There was whirlwind of media coverage which lasted a couple of years, including televised race meetings like the Hotfoot Victorian Championships on ABC, and even an brief appearance in the movie On Any Sunday, not to forget the handful of local and international magazines dedicated to the sport. For me it was a sport that was new and exciting, something very different to what the other kids were doing in the town where I was raised. It was a Godsend for me. In most rural Australian towns there were few choices, basically tennis, Australian rules football and cricket. None of which have ever appealed to me. I started converting my dragster, removing the mud guards, taking off the banana seat, putting V bars and Tange cromo BMX forks on it. That was until I was on a holiday in Queensland that I saw a shinny new Mongoose half cromo with blue Skyway tough wheels and, at that point, I knew that my addiction had taken hold. I had convinced my parents that I would pay for half the bike, if they would pay the other half. Some months later I had the best BMX bike in town.
Coincidently a BMX track was being built in a neighboring town, Puckapunyal. It wasn't long before I found myself at the first ever race meeting at Pucka, my whole family were hooked. The 40-16 gearing that was on my bike meant I was spinning my guts out, but when you are in front that's all you could do driven only by adrenaline and the non stop energy of a healthy 10 year old. I knew I was addicted to BMX, I just loved riding my BMX bike, but I had no idea that racing would take such a stronghold of my life. I did win my first race, and the next, in the final race of the day I bent my chain ring pedaling out of the last corner and lost the chain, throwing me over the bars. It was the first time I remember getting angry from disappointment of my own achievements. The feeling was overwhelming and before I knew it I had thrown my helmet to my foot and kicked it the rest of the way down the last straight and over the finish line. At that point I discovered two things, I wasn't a bad kick, and that it bloody hurt to kick a helmet like that. BMX has taught me a lot of things over the years, firstly to control my anger, and my feet are better for it, and to achieve goals or sucess you must work hard. You might hit a bump or two along the way, but eventually you will get there.
It wasn't long after that day that I started to travel for racing, and found that I had quite a talent. When I first started racing at the 1983 Victorian state championships, it was run over a series. I had missed the first round or 2, but found myself making all the mains and just scraped in to the #8 position not a bad effort with 60+ riders in the class. My little brother went even better, finishing second, it was enough for my parents to take us to Ashmore in Queensland for our first nationals. By that point we were racing every weekend, most of the time in Melbourne where all the competition was. I was oblivious to the fact that anything else mattered in the world, to me it was all about racing BMX.
That's all I have time for right now...more soon.
by Jason Bergstrom/bmxultra.com
I found a few more photos from the Stars and Stripes National
at South Park and thought you would like them.
Go to the South
Park photos and scroll to the bottom of the page.
by bmxultra.com
New Zealand's Sarah Walker is one of the fastest girls on
2 wheels, she's also gotta be the only elite rider that's keeping
a World Titles diary.
You can check it out at www.sarahwalker96.com/braziljuly06.htm
NBL press release
The National Bicycle League, in conjunction with USA Cycling (USAC),
will host eight (8) UCI BMX Continental races for the upcoming
2006-07 season. The UCI Junior (17-18) and Elite (19+) classes
will be featured at these races. Riders must have a USAC BMX International
License to compete in these events. The UCI Junior and Elite classes
will be run directly within the NBL race program, allowing athletes
to earn both UCI and NBL series points and prize money at the
same time.
USAC is further developing criteria to qualify Challenge class riders for the 2007 UCI World Championship in Victoria, BC, Canada. Expect to see an announcement after the 2006 UCI World Championships.
We are excited to be a part of the Olympic and World Championship qualification process for the USA and we look forward to an exciting year. With the recent announcement of USAC's Podium Program for BMX Athletes, NBL's commitment to further developing the top athletes in our country will be centered on the NBL National Series.
by bmxultra.com
What started off as an idea to point out the differences between
NBL and ABA for expert riders lead to me getting in touch with
Supercross' 30-34 X rider Jesse Guibault. I found his story a
little more interesting than the original intention, but you will
find some of the differences between the two US associations in
there as well.
Click here
to read the interview
Custom Cycle Supply press release
After years of distributing UGP number plates and select T-shirts,
Custom Cycle Supply now offers the complete UGP line of clothing
and accessories. Custom Cycle Supply, a BMX distributor since
1991, is located in Coral Springs, FL and has a reputation of
offering great incentives and buying programs for IBDs. Because
of Custom’s great approach to business and knack for helping
out the bike shop owner, UGP felt this was the best choice for
us to get our products in the hands of IBDs.
Look for UGP specific buying programs and in-store displays offered by Custom. Custom will also be offering exclusive UGP goodies that you can’t find anywhere else. Right now you can get a limited edition Retro number plates in special "Team" colors.
For more information on Custom Cycle Supply, they can be reached at 1-800-645-2453 or you can contact UGP at, 407-902-2987.
Arena Theatre Company press release
An international collaboration between Arena Theatre Company and
Manchester's Contact, SKID 180 follows a group of urban bmx riders
in a performance that integrates live bmx, film, animation, poetry
and sound.
Melbourne Season
27 July - 5 August 2006
Venue: Arts House: North Melbourne Town Hall
Bookings: www.easytix.com.au,
03 9639 0096, info@easytix.com.au
Concession: $18, Full: $28 (25 years and over)
Synopsis.
McStone, a young man and ward of the state, decides to make a
break from the authorities and establish life on the streets where
he meets a gang of bmx riders. As a misfit and a talented rider,
he becomes exposed to a new and subversive courier subculture
of revolutionary wheels. In a quest to shed light on McStone's
past, the gang break into the City of Paper, a mythic government
building where all official records are kept. But the gang's motives
prove more complex than first revealed, triggering a chain of
events that leave McStone reeling, but ultimately free to create
his own future.
Featuring a company of dynamic young actors, the production boasts a striking set design constructed of ramps, multiple screens and filmic image to produce a recapitulated view of Manchester. A contemporary urban fairytale, this is a work that truly celebrates new voices for theatre in every aspect of its creation.
SKID 180 is a co-production with Manchester-based companies, Contact Theatre and Digital Summer, set in the Manchester’s bmx scene. The three companies have been engaged in a collaborative dialogue that will have been nurtured over four years by the premiere season in 2006. The first stage of the creative development of SKID 180 took place in Manchester in December 2002, and involved Manchester and Melbourne digital artists, twenty Mancunian performers, three bmx riders and a DJ. The development was commissioned by Digital Summer in partnership with Contact Theatre, and supported by the BBC Northern Exposures. The second stage of SKID 180's development took place in Melbourne in November 2003, and the third in Manchester in 2004.
One Bicycles USA pres release
The NBL National Crew and South Park BMX have now entered
this year’s Elite spectacular into the record books! The
Stars N’ Stripes National race is one of America’s
favorite BMX events each year and an international contingent
of racers joined top U.S. riders to do battle on this challenging
and fast circuit. Props to the track director, volunteers and
NBL workers who diligently prepared the track for this year’s
competition and for running the event in such a professional manner.
As would be expected in any extreme racing competition, accidents
occurred as the racers’ pushed the envelope to tame this
legendary BMX course.
One Bicycle’s Elite riders from North and South America teamed up for the final rounds of the UCI Continental Ranking Series and the NBL’s Elite National Race Series. It is unusual for any factory team to have two pro riders qualify for the same main event in any National or International BMX competition. On Saturday, One qualified two men and two women in two of the NBL Pro Main events and One’s management and team are proud of this unusual achievement.
In men’s competition, One USA’s Pro Will Greathouse welcomed One Kenda’s World Elite rider, Emilio Falla, from Ecuador. On Saturday, both Will and Emilio made it through the motos and qualifiers to the Main Event. Emilio was very quick all day and finished 5th in the NBL main. Will was hot on his heals with a strong 7th place finish. On Sunday Will faced some difficult challenges in the transfer rounds and Emilio took the main gate solo, finishing 3rd in A Pro.
In Elite Women, One Kenda World Team rider Gabriela Diaz (Argentina) visited her favorite U.S. track, South Park, to do battle with America’s best as a tune-up for this year’s Worlds in Brazil. One’s Rachel “Thunder” Smith welcomed her teammate to the ‘home of the brave’ …or at least it seemed that way in the highly competitive Elite Women’s races. Gabriela quickly adjusted to South Park’s speed and on Saturday the ladies made it through the qualifying rounds in the NBL Elite class with 2 moto wins each! Up first was the NBL Main and both One racers had good starts and were positioned for strong finishes. However, Gabriela fell (injuring her hand) and Rachel also bit the pavement hard when she crashed just after Diaz. Rachel required assistance (thanks Polly!) and sustained, among other injuries, a separated shoulder and could not race the UCI Main. The weekend for both ladies was over but Gabriela should be fine for the Worlds and Rachel hopes to only miss a National or two while she heals.
For more updates or to view the new 2007 One Bicycles, visit www.onebicycles.com
BMXVictoria press release
On behalf of BMX Victoria and all the Team Victoria supporters,
we would like to wish our riders representing the Victorian state
team, the best of luck in the up coming 2006 world titles in Brazil..
Josh Callan
Ziggy Callan
Ash McCutcheon
Good luck guys..
Supported by: Profile, Sun Ringle, Intense Tyres, Tuff Neck, Total BMX, Gavin D (Official photographer)
BMXVictoria press release
Team Victorian is looking for coaches. Anyone interested
in working with the best riders in the state please contact Tony
Harvey @ tonyhrv1@hotmail.com
You must have good organisation and communication skills, a general knowledge of the sport would also be recommended.
One Bicycles press release
More and more get stolen. If you own ONE, take care of it and
be careful.
Maliek Byndloss' bike got stolen a few weeks ago in Florida.
At the European Championship in England there were a couple stolen.
Besides that the ONE banners on the track were stolen. Great job ! Thise were meant to sell to the highest bidder and the money would be donated to KIKA (Child Cancer fund). Thanks guys !
ONE KENDA is sponsored by:
MXM Sport, BOMBSHELL, SHIMANO, BOLLÉ, THE Industries, WLM
DESIGN, BOMBA, THOMSON, FIZIK, ODI, ZITOUN, KENDA, NIKE 6.0, NIKE
Cycling and BMXPIX
Sirius Bicycles Press Release
Here is a quick run down from Sirius Bicycles’ about what’s happening downunder…
…Dirk Winter (Formula/Fly Racing) is on the mend after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his knee. It is expected that Dirk will be back on his bike much sooner than originally thought. Dirk’s Formula team mate Cale Argent has also been sidelined with a similar injury. Mark Stagg from South Australia has been putting his new Formula Solution Pro XL through its paces & had the following to report, “The bike is just great - excellent out of the gate, I don't lift as high but my snap is a lot quicker & I seem to be able to lean a lot harder & sharper into the corners than what I used to be able to on the Avent. When jumping, the bike seems to throw me up & over into a better position for a smoother & faster landing.
Meanwhile Taylor Argent is back on her bike training for the Queensland State Titles in September & is one of three riders named to a newly formed all-girls team. Further details will be made available soon but I can report that the team will all be riding “Team Issue” Supercross bikes.
Supercross are currently readying their 2007 line, which includes a production version of their alloy race frame, a complete race bike & a jumper, & a Scandium Carbon road frame… yes road frame! Speaking of Supercross… Andrew Gillett had another good result at the weekend placing 2nd in Pro Open at the Wild West Shootout held at Wanneroo (WA) on Saturday night.. Sam Baber missed out on the main in spite of a 3rd place finish in his semi due to an error by the finish line officials.
After winning Aussie & South Queensland titles, Chelsea King (Revtec) has her sights set on a state title & is currently training hard to add a 1Q plate to her collection. Rumour has it she may also be jetting across to New Zealand for the North Island Titles in October & again next Easter for the NZ Nationals.
Madison Janssen (Staats) will also have her sights set on a state title & will also be putting her new Staats Cruiser through its paces. Marc Willers (Staats/Fox) has again injured himself during training in his build up to the worlds. However if last year is anything to go by then that is par for the course for Marc as he injured himself prior to departing for Paris where he placed 6th in Elite Men!
Melissa Mankowski (Staats) has been in great form of late & is my choice to take out a world title in Brazil. “Miss M” is in better shape than she was last year in Paris where she placed 3rd in Junior Women.
The line-up for the Australian-based Staats team is all but complete. Josh Webb (formerly Phillips) is the most recent addition to the team. The full team roster will be announced after the worlds.
Ciari are currently working on a new stem design & have just released their Mini Cassette Hubs & Pro Crankset, which are modelled on the legendary Profile race crank but will be not nearly as expensive. Staats are also expecting their frame stock to arrive any day now, including frames in the new Ocean Blue colour.
Well that’s about it for now, suffice to say good luck to all Kiwi & Aussie riders competing in Brazil.
by bmxultra.com
BSX, Australia's only independent BMX race run by riders
for riders, will be on again during Track Attack, this January
on Monday the 22nd at Kinglake West, Victoria.
The purpose of the event is the same as last year. We will be raising as much money as we can for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. Providing the riders with a fun day with a relaxing atmosphere and give the spectators an entertaining event they will be talking about for the next 12 months.
BSX 2006 facts:
There will be some changes:
The race format will be the same:
The track is changing with bigger jumps and faster corners.
Here are the riders who are planning to compete at BSX 07 so
far;
(email webmaster@bmxultra.com
to put your name down)
Pro open
30 & Over Open wheel
BSX 06 was covered by BMXPress Magazine and XBR newspaper. We are told that Clict free ride MTB magazine should also have some coverage and is due out very soon.
Sponsorship opportunities:
Sponsorship packages for BSX 07 will be available soon, if you
are interested in sponsoring the event or even making a donation
to the RCHF email webmaster@bmxultra.com
BSX 07 is presented by bmxultra.com and proudly supported by Safe and Sound Production Services (www.safeandsound.com.au)
BMXAustralia press release
BMX Australia used the recent mid year national conference to
release the details of the 2006-2007 11-Round National Probikx
Tour for Junior Elite and Elite riders, incorporating the Champbikx
Series (14, 15 & 16 Age Categories) and 4 Australasian UCI
Ranking Rounds.
Based upon the same successful formula used in the 2006 Champbikx Series, the Probikx Tour will visit 6 states from December 2006 through to culminating in double point racing at the 2007 Australian National Championships at Lake Macquarie in May. The final allocation of events has seen substantial behind the scenes work by BMXA to ensure that not only National competitors, but also international riders can also utilise the series to bolster their competition leading up to the 2007 worlds in Vancouver, Canada.
The Probikx Tour includes
Time trials
All events run under UCI rules
3 separate double header meetings, and
A scoring system that gives all riders the opportunity to accumulate
points to stay alive in the tour.
Kicking off with a double header in WA, followed by major events in Nerang (QLD), Knox City (VIC) as part of Track Attack, Liverpool (NSW), South Australian State Titles, ACT State Titles, Mackay (QLD) and finally the Nationals, which will be held at the Lake Macquarie (NSW) track.
Whilst the Probikx/Champbikx series will conclude with the 2007 Nationals, the 10th and final round of the UCI Ranking Series will be held at the Pacific Oceania Continentals in June (Venue – TBA)
BMXA President Graham Arnold praised the efforts of the Probikx Events team and all nominated clubs for the support given in drawing up a calendar that takes into consideration athletes travel and coaching programs that will allow them to peak at key periods in their preparation for Nationals, Worlds and Olympics.
He also thanked Sean Dwight and Wade Bootes for their concerted input into the process so that it reflected the ultimate goal to benefit riders and their coaches. He also noted that the SA and ACT rounds will be held as a part of each State’s Open Championships, thus ensuring big attendances.
He noted that a national series had always been a critical factor in BMXA’s strategic plan leading into the 2008 Olympics
2007 Probikx National Tour
Events Schedule
| Event | Location | Date |
| Probikx 1 | Perth (WA) | 02/12/06 |
| Probikx 2 | Perth (WA) | 03/12/06 |
| UCI 4 / Probikx 3 | Nerang* (QLD) | 06/01/07 |
| UCI 5 / Probikx 4 | Knox* (VIC) | 21/01/07 |
| Probikx 5 | Liverpool** (NSW) | 10/02/07 |
| UCI 6 / Probikx 6 | Adelaide* (SA) | 24/02/07 |
| UCI 7 / Probikx 7 | Tuggeranong* (ACT) | 03/03/07 |
| Probikx 8 | Mackay (QLD) | 21/04/07 |
| Probikx 9 | Mackay (QLD) | 22/04/07 |
| Probikx 10 | Nationals (Lake Macq)** | 04/05/07 |
| Probikx 11 | Nationals (Lake Macq)** | 06/05/07 |
* = Points Awarded for UCI and Probikx series
**= Double Points Awarded
Probikx Tour Racing/Scoring Guidelines
Time Trail, 1 time trial on double-header weekends
All events run under UCI Rules
Probikx - Best 7 Scores + Nationals will count to overall series
ranking
Champbikx – Best 5 Scores + Nationals will count to overall
series ranking
A full list of guidelines and the scoring system for both the
Probikx and Champbikx Tour and National Squad selection criteria
for both High Performance and National Talent ID will be released
soon.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
It looks like (fingers crossed) I'll be in the US again in August,
based in Boston for work, and I'll have my trusty bike with me
again. The last time I was in the US I caught the Supercross Nationals
at Woodward which was the first National race for the NBL season.
And since the opportunity is there I am going to try to get to
the last 2 rounds at CT and MI and then to the Grands racing for
a NAG in the 35 & Over expert class.
This is an exciting opportunity for me so I will do all I can
to make it happen.
I need to start planning this right away and was wondering if
any of our US readers might be able to tell me a few things, like;
If you are able to help me out drop an email to webmaster@bmxultra.com.
by bmxultra.com
First straight pull
From Wayne Harricks
You old guys are looking too far into the past... If you are going
to look for guys with some serious pull think about the guys who
took the sport out of kids on their bike having fun and into the
gym. Guys like Timmy Ward Sean Dwight and Darren Hawkins. Guys
with legs the size tree trunks and stiffer then stiff riding styles!
Darren Hawkins recently turned up to some practise nights and
was right off Luke Madil's hip. Not too bad for a guy who stopped
riding two years ago. And I'm sure Sean Dwight would be just as
quick if he wasn't putting all his effort into winning us gold
at Bejing with the High Performance Team. So yeah just remember
some of the guys who managed to progress our ever evolving sport
in the late 80's through the nineties and into this century with
their unreal ability to ride 'kids bikes' like men.
From Jon McGlashan
I was under the assumption that Leigh Egan only won the 18 and
over, not taking anything away from him, he was a champion, if
you want to have a look at videos, look at 95 Colombian world
titles 18 and over with Kamahl Lord leading by about 4 bike lengths
by the second doubles and cruising around the rest of the track
to take the win, now that was pull. Titles; world 1 95, world
2 17 boys, world 2 15 boys not a bad effort I reckon. Another
one Jesse Carllson as a junior elite, note Australian titles not
sure what year but seen the vid, quicker than any of the elite
saucer's of that era by a mile.
Another star for the BS race
Cameron Mitchell raced and retired well before many of
the readers were racing or even born. Cameron won the world titles
in his class and open in Holland in 1983 and did the same the
following year at Japan in 1984. Having spoken with Jamie Hales
during the week, he said that Cameron would be interested in racing.
Cameron came to Kinglake to check out the BSX track a couple of
weeks before we held the race and despite having been off a bike
for 15 years he tried to hit up every jump. He wasn't real smooth,
and he hasn't been back since, but I think he still has enough
skills to hang with the guys down the first straight. I can't
tell you about leg speed, that's hard to judge off the 2 pedals
you need to put in at the start of my backyard track.
BMXAustralia press release
BMX Australia announced today that the 2007 National BMX Championships
will be hosted by the Lake Macquarie BMX Club. The event will
be held on the 3 – 6th May next year. The news means a major
boost for the region with the sport of BMX builds towards its
Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008.
The city of Adelaide hosted the titles since 2004 and 2006 but a recent decision by the BMX Board of Management returned the National Titles to the previous system. Once again all states will be given an opportunity to bid to host the National Championships.
“The Lake Macquarie Club and venue met all of the major criteria,” said BMX Australia President, Mr Graham Arnold. “The track and the location are the best and the club host regular events like the recent Pan Pacifics,” he added.
“The Board were impressed with the enthusiasm of the hosting club and considered the club and the venue the most suitable for National Standard racing,” Mr Arnold.added.
The secretary of the Lake Macquarie BMX club, Darren Westwood, was ecstatic with the news. “It’s an opportunity for the home grown kids to have a go,” he said. “My driving force was that some local kids may financially never get to an Australian Title,” he explained. “This way they get to race against the best on their home track.”
All of the top names in Australia and New Zealand are expected to attend with riders such as current National Champion, Kamakazi and Wade Bootes who are ranked 4th and 3rd in the World respectively. Australia’s top women are also ranked in the top 5 in the world with Renee Junga 3rd and Tanya Bailey ranked 4th.
Lake Macquarie Club is currently the biggest BMX club in New South Wales with 255 members. Some of the top local riders include Adam Sanderson (1st National 13 -14 year cruiser), Scott Walsh (5th National 15 –16 cruiser) Paul McLaughlin (6th National 17 –29 year cruiser) and Brock Griffiths (8th National 8 year). Steve Upton, one of Lake Macquarie founders and a life member, receive a well-deserved 4th in 45+ cruisers at the Nationals. Some of the up and coming local female riders include Rachel Jones, Alice Minahan, Breanna Gould–Goldsworthy and Kimberley Freeman.
The club has hosted several major events this year with the Pan Pacific Oceania’s and the Freak Challenge Open Day in June. It has also recently been home for the New Zealand BMX High Performance Team while they prepared for Oceania UCI events and the upcoming World Championships.
According to Westwood, one of the deciding factors was the track itself. “It’s known as the best track in Australia,” he said. The 430m track has a unique surface according to Westwood, “We’ve used packed sand provided by the Daracon Group from the quarry at Speers Point.”
The club is aiming to make enough money to install a new canteen with profits taken over the three days of racing. “The whole committee is devoted to provide a top quality event,” stated Westwood. “The planning starts now!” The event is expected to profit the club and also bring 1800 entries plus spectators which should generate around 2.3 million dollars for the region.
Gavin D press release
I will be shutting down my current ONLINE GALLERY for good and
do not expect that any photos prior to the second half of this
year will make their way back online. So people have until the
end of this month to order (or at least write down the numbers)
of any photos they want. I will be creating a new online gallery
for future work.
Ph 0412 246012
Fx 03 9221 3380
www.gavind.com.au
NBL press release
Congratulations to Formula’s Donny Robinson and Fly/Supercross’s
Krystal Hime
The NBL/UCI Elite Series, which ran parallel to the UCI North American Continental Series, came to a close at the NBL Stars N’ Stripes National in South Park, July 2nd and Formula’s Donny Robinson and Fly/Supercross’s Krystal Hime have won their respective Elite Men and Elite Women’s titles. In keeping with the tradition of offering the most lucrative level of Elite racing in the country, the NBL added the program as a ‘series within a series’ to further promote the UCI North American Continental races, paying out more than $13,000 in purses and $10,000 in year-end awards. The NBL/UCI series included all eight UCI North American Continental races in a total point format. Awards will be presented at the NBL Grand National in Louisville, Kentucky.
Congratulations to the Champions and thanks to everyone who participated in the series. The NBL Elite Series comes to an exciting finish, September 3 in Louisville at the 29th Annual NBL Grand Nationals. The NBL National series is brought to you by Hyper Bicycles, Camp Woodward, Tangent, Sinz, Vigor, J&R Bicycles and Rite Bike Racing.
NBL/UCI Series - Final Results:
Elite Men
1. DONNY ROBINSON 177-8 - $2,500
2. ROBERT DE WILDE 157-8 - $1,500
3. JARRETT KOLICH 110-8 - $1,000
4. RANDY STUMPFHAUSER 109-7
5. JAVIER COLOMBO 95-8
6. MIKE DAY 84-8
7. MATT POHLKAMP 83-8
8. KYLE BENNETT 70-8
9. JASON ROGERS 67-8
10. GREG ROMERO 63-8
Elite Women
1. KRYSTAL HIME 153-8 - $2,500
2. SAMANTHA COOLS 125-5 - $1,500
3. STEPHANIE BARRAGAN 119-6 - $1,000
4. ARIELLE MARTIN 115-7
5. KIMBERLY HAYASHI 109-8
6. AMANDA SORENSEN 66-4
7. CASSIE BUSHNELL 32-3
8. CHANTEL BLANCHET 31-3
9. WILLY KANIS 22-1
10. RACHEL SMITH 21-3
ONE KENDA press release
Final rounds 9 and 10 of the European Chamionship
Round 9 and 10 of the European Championship for Junior/Elite Men and Women were held in Cheddar, England.
Cruiser day
Magalie Pottier (France), Edzus Treimanis (Latvia), Blandine Cottereau
(France), Aneta Hladikova (Czech Republic) and Arturs Matisons
(Latvia) were the riders that represented ONE/Kenda at the European
Champinships.
For the girls it was the first year to have an official Junior and Elite Women cruiser class.
Magalie Pottier took a 2nd place, after battling for 1st place with Czech Republics Romana Labounkova.
Aneta Hladikova was leading the whole track, but lost the title by just an inch !
Arturs Matisons could have taken the title without any problems had his handlebar not come loose…..it dropped him to 4th place.
Round 9
ONE/Kenda’s Magalie Pottier had a good weekend. A 3rd place was a good result maintain her 4th place in the ranking.
In Elite Women, Blandine Cottereau from France and Czech Republic’s Aneta Hladikova. Blandine took 6th place and Aneta 5th.
In Elite Men Arturs Matisons from Latvia crashed with the number 2 in the ranking Artis Zentins. From Latvia. This was enough for Arturs to grab the title in Elite Men.
Round 10
Magalie Pottier managed to finish in 3rd place again and secured 4th place overall in her first year in Junior Women and missing the frist two rounds due to an injury.
Edzus Treimanis finished 5th the main, leading him to 8th place overall.
Roy van den Berg from the Netherlands finished 4th overall without making mains in round 9 and 10.
In Elite Women Blandine Cottereau and Aneta Hladikova were both in main again.
Blandine took 6th and Aneta 5th.
Blandine finished 5th overall with Aneta in 6th.
In Elite Men Arturs had been trying the Bombshell Lite cassette hubs all year. These are lighter then the Pro cassette hubs and made for smaller riders. Arturs prooved they are good for the Elites as well.
The new Elite Men champion watched the main event from the side.
His team mate Maris Strombergs from Latvia took 11th overall.
Next stop, the World Championships in Brazil
ONE KENDA is sponsored by:
MXM Sport, BOMBSHELL, SHIMANO, BOLLÉ, THE Industries, WLM
DESIGN, BOMBA, THOMSON, FIZIK, ODI, ZITOUN, KENDA, NIKE 6.0, NIKE
Cycling and BMXPIX
by John Glannan J & C Racing www.jandcracing.com
As you may know, Chris Hubel was the kid who was airlifted
out of South Park on July 1st. He is Recovering well, but has
to remain in Pittsburgh for at least 2 more weeks. His injuries
include: his back with 2 crushed vertebrae and a jaw that was
broken in 2 places. His insurance was declined. His mother is
staying in a “family house” a few miles from the hospital.
To make a donation click this PayPal donation button below, this
family really needs the BMX community’s help.
Intense Tire Systems press release
Intense
Tyre Systems is proud to announce the arrival of the Micro Knobby
1.5 tire. After launching the most successful tire in recent years
with the Micro Knobby 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 tires, Intense adds on the
20 x 1.5 size.
The Micro Knobby is the fastest rolling tire on the market, that
still gives you plenty of grip. It has been the must have tire
for smaller riders all over the world and now you too can get
a set if you use 1.5’s.
Match these up with one of Intense Tire Systems new Race Lite
tubes and you have got the best set up for tires and tubes on
the track!
The ITS Micro Knobby can be found in stock at VSI and dealers world wide.
For more information on the line of the Intense Tire Systems, please check out www.intensetires.com or www.intensebmx.com
Intense Tire Systems are proud to be associated with the finest Bicycle dealers’ world wide. Intense BMX Products are a division of VSI Products. – www.vsiproducts.com
12/07
Review: Sun Ringle CNC Octane Mag pedalsby bmxultra.com
We had the pleasure of reviewing the Sun Ringle Octane Mag pedals.
If you are in the market for some new platform pedals for training
or racing, you have to check these out.
Click here to read the review.
by bmxultra.com
It seems there are very mixed reactions to an Aussie national
series, which was to be expected. Many people making the assumption
that it would replace our national championships, which it could,
but you would certainly want to test the waters first, especially
in the current economic climate. The idea of 6 rounds in 6 states
is a good one, but to make it easier and cheaper to get to you
would probably have to adopt the US style of 2 races per weekend,
one Saturday and one on Sunday, each counting towards series end
points. Also max out the number of events required to make it
at the end. Instead of dropping a couple of worst rounds take
the 4 or 5 best rounds. You would hold a double round in each
state, or maybe even two in larger states like NT and Qld, a rider
wouldn't have to travel more than twice to make the minimum requirements
then go to the final race which would be the real decider.
The reason I brought this up in the first place is because there
is very little motivation for riders to race certain races, especially
throughout the winter in Australia when important races like the
world championships are on. The only race that pulls all (well
most) riders is the Australian Championships which is just the
single weekend. What if we could have that intensity of racing
and those numbers in all classes all year round? I am sure it
would give all the riders a reason to want to race. From a sponsors
point of view a national series for all classes, promoted the
right way, would mean greater exposure to the full range of BMXer
(not just elite and 14-16 class) across the country for a longer
period of time. And think what it could for the sport, it would
certainly help develop the guys too young for 14-16. Newbies looking
at coming into the sport can check out these particular races
and see there are healthy numbers in their classes and give them
something to aspire too.
Adam Robb
A national series, what would this series accomplish??
A national ranking? You get one of those at the National Championships
each year.
Or do you want two #1 Riders in every single class?? Now that
would be silly.
The reason the UCI races are so big is because all these riders
are trying to qualify to represent Australia at the Olympics.
The reason the ChampBix classes are so big is because riders like
Callan, Chasty, Winter and the like are trying to get a head start
with the
whole Olympic process.
I don't think a national series would work, I don't think there
is enough riders and families out there racing that can afford
to take a few days off and travel
around the country every 2 months, especially with the way our
economy is right now.
Elite riders get a UCI ranking for our region, not a National
ranking.
Why don't the states get together and produce a state series,
each state runs a series exactly the same as each other, then
have a shoot out or something
like that at the Nationals, then there would be a # 1 state...
That is something that riders would be able to afford.
Anyways, that's just my 2cents.
John Seiler
Well an aussie series would be fine but I really think being in
Queensland we should start with a state run series from the top
to the bottom, because that would be expensive enough to race
at let alone interstate travel. I mean from Rockhampton it's 12
hours to Cairns or 6 hours to Brisbane, man QLD is huge, so going
to races in QLd is a mammoth effort let alone a National Series.
You have said it before about growing grass roots, lack of classes
at Aussies, I think we need to concentrate on quality race meets,
like ACT titles, BSX, the huge Track Attack next year, things
where somebody in QLD might go. I am going to trek south for a
race of that quality and then come back and spread the word to
other clubbies. But for a National Series all you really get are
the cashed up racers only not the whole family wanting to race.
Look at the Champbikx what ratio is it to how many raced the whole
series to how many riders in Australia are licenced for that age
group. Would be some good stats to see.
Danny Booby
I think a National Series is well over due in Australia. Ran the
way that Brian described I think is an excellent idea, a National
champion should be someone that is consistent through out the
year and not someone that jumps on a bike once a year to race
for a title. Allowing riders to drop their worst two rounds gives
you a chance if you can’t make it to an event or if you
had a fall ( we have all seen or been a rider that has rode well
all weekend just to fall in the semi or final ) !!! Ran as a series
throughout Australia, around the year would also allow for better
promotion of the sport and will be a chance to pick up some large
corporate sponsorship as they will receive a large audience and
12months of exposure instead of the 4 days they receive at the
moment. The only down side I can see is that people will find
it hard to attend these events especially with the rising fuel
costs, but if you incorporate the series into existing events
such as the Mount Gambier race meeting in June, maybe one in Melbourne
during the Track Attack series, Canberra State Titles could be
another and one up in Sydney and Queensland, most people probably
attend these events now so it won’t be any difference in
cost.
by John Vockenson
I have looked at this debate from both sides over the last few
years having had a rider come up through the A/AA system then
move onto the UCI system.
Shane has a point when he says that younger riders benefit when they have the opportunity to race competitively in AA pro class and that it is a proving ground for younger riders. There is however a down side that we have all conveniently forgotten about and that is the number of promising young riders lost to the sport because the jump from A to AA is such a big step. If you take Shane's example of Michael, sure he did well at the Nationals but he has had many many AA races where he has struggled to make semis and this has to affect the psyche of any rider. The inclusion of the Junior elite class gave him the opportunity to test his skills from time to time in an even competition and as is the case with all riders at this level the test is to be competitive at the highest level in your own class. This builds confidence which in turn keeps the rider motivated.
The A/AA system has had no maintenance in the time that I can recall hence we have a $1,500 limit defining a AA rider that has not changed in years and is not tied to CPI or any other reasonable bench mark. When this limit was set, I am guessing, that prize money payouts were around $200 - $300, they are now regularly $1,000 and often a lot more. This means that riders as young as 15 are going thru to AA, in many cases in around 12 months. Many promising young riders just did not cope with the magnitude of this task, there are too many other choices out there and they were lost to our sport. I do not propose to name riders specifically but I am sure anyone who has been around this sport for a few years can come up with a few names.
Prior to the introduction of the UCI events and the changes around the sports inclusion in the Olympic's, our sport was headed downhill. We had no National series, no career path for the serious pro riders and declining numbers.
We are happy to puff out our collective chests and proudly announce to the world that BMX is in the Olympics but that brings with it the inevitability of change. Look at all the wonderful things that have come to our sport as a result, UCI National series, Champbikx National series, Probikx National series on the way, funding to run an elite High Performance team and a national junior development squad, all sorts of coaching and rider development programmes etc. Media friendly staging of our major events is another part of the process of change. All these things are what our elite level riders have been screaming out for for years. Without all this change and alignment with cycling bodies both Nationally and internationally our sport goes nowhere, that is a fact. Given our Olympic aspirations we have to accept that at some level, certainly the elite level, UCI compliance is inevitable.
The issue of course comes when you try to integrate our existing system with the UCI system. We all want the best of both worlds. Personally I cannot see how we can run a A/AA system unless it gets a major overhaul. Given the issues with a poorly managed A/AA system Frankie was right on the money with her comments regarding the problems with the A/AA system and I think it is unfair to criticize Frankie as being biased. We have a right to expect that the officials working in the sport at a state level or higher, have a responsibility to move the sport forward and capitalize on our one-off Olympics opportunity. I think it should also be pointed out that people like Frankie and her state based colleagues around the country not only work for the elite of the sport, there is a huge effort that goes into developing and considering the needs of all riders.
So, where does all that leave us. In my view UCI at major events, being state level upwards, is a must, primarily because it is an age based system. At this level we are showcasing our sport to the entire country [and potential sponsors] and it does not look good when you have 14/15/16 year olds competing against riders who are 20+.
Young riders need a level of competition that will challenge them as Shane quite rightly point's out so at regional level either you run a renovated A/AA system or you run the Pro open format. The pro open format at regional level seems to fit the bill because you will generally create a much more exciting event for spectators if you combine all the 14+ riders to give you enough riders to run semis. Generally with A/AA the numbers are split which defeats the purpose of providing hard competitive racing for the 14/15/16 year olds.
by bmxultra.com
First straight pull
Dave Comport - SE Team Manager Australia
I have sat back and read with a lot of interest all the comments
about the BS race in Aus and who has the first straight pull...how
this guy did this and that guy did that but seriously now let's
set the record straight, for the first straight that is.
The fastest first straight pull. I think some of you guys need
to got back to school and study your history of BMX.
The QUICKEST rider ever down the first straight in Australian
BMX history has to be Jamie Hales. No question about it.
http://media.putfile.com/1982-Australian-Titles-Opens
Take a look at the 1982 Aussie Titles video and see how, out
of the second corner, Hales jumps away to a 2 bike length lead
with a few quick pedals. Now that's fast! No clips, no 21.5 inch
top tubes, and on a bike that flexes so much you would think you
are on a rocking horse. Or how about from as greasy lane 8 in
1983 at Ashmore where he has at least a length lead and get across
to win...only to be robbed by what has to be the worst display
of officiating in any sport ever in Australia when they rubbed
him out because of a mistaken identity when a team mate infringed
on another rider. His record of achievement in the most competitive
time in BMX is second to none.
What about the monster himself Leigh Egan. Didn't he win a WORLD
PRO TITLE!!! He gets the most POWERFUL first straight EVA IN AUSTRALIA.
And the FASTEST...How about Paul Adams and Glenn Rawson a draw.
Power and quick = Fastest. These two had it all in their prime.
Again check out these guys titles I doubt there are many, even
today, that rival the achievements of these three (The King himslef
Warwick Stevenson excluded)
All of us mere mortals wish we had even a 10th of these riders
speed then and I guess even now. This was in a era when BMX was
all about racing, rubbing and going fast. The golden era.
Riders up for Aussie BS stops so far:
Craig Fisher
Hey I'm only 37yrs old so I just might have an advantage being
the youngest rider on the gate so Lock Me In Eddy!
Damn Brett MaliC, must be fit if he can still last to the fist
turn before he's "buggered", I'm delirious & double
visioned by the last beep on the gate but still very keen to do
some drag racing with ya all.
See ya in November.
by bmxultra.com
With the emails coming in It seems there is plenty of room for
improvement on this years Aussie Titles DVD. I know there was
so much work involved for the guys who put the Aussie Titles from
Tassie and South Australia the following year together, so much
so they decided it was more benficial to pull the plug. And I
still think they put together a great package despite the fact
people had to wait a while for their life long memories.
Graeme Anderson
I also purchased the Aussies DVD of the 14,15,16 classes. As mentioned
by Greg Siinmaa the quality is poor and I too am very disappointed.
For the price charged you would expect a professional quality
product and this is not what we got. There are gaps in most races,
Usually from the entry into the first corner until well into the
second straight probably caused by poor camera placement but also
by poor editing. This is where most of the race defining moves
where made and you don't see them. In addition many races show
nothing but the lead rider which is very disappointing for parents
who want to see their children.
$30.00 is not a lot to pay for a DVD however for that price you
only get three classes, to buy the complete set would have cost
$260.00 plus delivery which is outrageous for a product of such
poor quality. It would be interesting to hear from people who
purchased DVD's of other classes to see if they also feel the
same way.
Andrew Howieson
I would have to agree with Greg on a number of the things he mentioned.
Overall the DVD wasn't too bad but nothing that I would pay $35
for. It would of been a lot better with some music, rider interviews,
maybe with the winners of all the finals. It would of also been
much more user friendly with chapter selection and maybe the age
groups divided into different sections.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it was the worst thing in the world but it could have defiantly been improved.
Dave Smith
Here here Greg! We got our dvd today and had the same reaction.
We had to purchase 2 separate dvd's to cover the two boys and
both basically sucked. Not only was the quality of the production
average, but the stupid inset of some rider being watched by the
first-aid blocked the view of Jaidyn [No. 2 son] passing another
rider in the last straight. Maybe Gavin D could be employed to
oversee future productions with his experience.
by bmxultra.com
Here's the first response to our new discussion about an Australian
national series for all classes, thanks Brian. For the rest of
you, come on guys we all know you can do better than that, don't
be shy.
Brian Kelly
I think an Australian national series is a tops idea. I'm all
for it! I think it should be 6 rounds, (one every two months so
most people can make it to most rounds) The final round of the
series should be what we now know as the Aussies, and it should
be double points. A minimum of 4 rounds need to be raced, ( not
just entered, but actually rode in! ) with the "Aussies"
being compulsory for a national rank. Best 4 results count toward
your final ranking, with your two worst scores being dropped.
Assuming you've ridden all 6 rounds, of course. What does anyone
else think?
by Greg Siinmaa
We just got the official video of my sons age group at this years
Aussie Titles @ Adelaide (14,15 & 16 boys/girls) and even
though it was only a $35 outlay, my family and I are very disappointed
with the actual quality of the filming, editing and audio. For
something that looked so professional at the event it has come
out (in one word) S#*thouse. The commentary is all you can hear
apart from when it is interrupted by a burst of music out of nowhere
at the most inappropriate times. None of the atmosphere of the
spectators is captured at all. The editing is woeful. The bikes
come into a corner the next shot misses the whole corner action
and has the riders half way down the next straight.
The last DVD we got was the Aussie Titles from Tassie and if this
one was half as good as that I wouldn't complain.
I have seen better home videos of the event. I reckon when you
are paying for something it should be to a standard.
Maybe these guys need to see some of bmxultra's Home Brew DVDs
to get some idea of what to do.
What does anyone else think?
by bmxultra.com
bmxultra.com team rider and photographer, Jason Bergstrom,
has been at it again with his trusty camera. This time he hooked
up with a good friend of ours Aussie, Shannon Rademaker, for the
Stars and Stripes National at South Park. Click here to check
out the some of the world's best BMXers at one of the world's
most famous BMX tracks.
Click here to check out the rest of the photos from South Park
Intense Tyre Systems press release
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by bmxultra.com
Since there's not much going on around the BMX scene as far
as news goes (althought we do have South Park photos, thanks to
Jason Bergstrom, but won't be able to post them today) we'd like
to know if you think there would be any benefit in having a national
series for all classes in Australia.
The UCI Oceania series for elite classes and the 14-16 Champ bikes
series is attracting good numbers and good competion. I don't
think including all classes for an overall national ranking would
take anything away from those races or classes, but only help
to make the meetings bigger and make it worth while attending
major events.
If you have any thoughts email webmaster@bmxultra.com
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
A while ago I mentioned that we will be replacing the classifieds
section of the site with a forum. Unfortunatly for the last 4
weeks things have been so crazy that I have only had time to shutdown
the classifieds and download a forum to test and that's as far
as it has progressed. There will still be a week or so before
anything else can be done because of some deadlines that I have.
Here's where I need your help. If you are currently a member of
a BMX forum or, even better, multiple forums we'd love your feedback.
We'd like to know what forum(s) you find easiest to use, also
why, and what functionality you would like to see in a bmxultra.com
forum.
If you can help out I'd really appreciate it. Drop me an email to webmaster@bmxultra.com.
by bmxultra.com
Ok, our regular readers might be a little tired of this BS
stuff, but while it's snowballing we'll keep things going, besides,
it's a slow news week.
There has been some discussion on how this should be run, here's some of the ideas so far;
Riders up for Aussie BS stops so far:
First straight pull
Here's another comment as to which rider had the best
first straight pull.
Glenn Suridge
I think the guy with the awesome first straight pull was David
Smart. If you had him in your race you knew you were going to
get blown away. Anyway I have been blown away by everyone on that
list so count me in.
30 & over money classes at South Australian titles
We have just received an email from Brett MaliC saying
that there will be bruiser cruiser and bruiser 20" classes
at the South Australian titles this year 30 Sept/1 Oct at the
Cross Keys track. Last year there was $800 up for bruiser cruiser,
so it's pretty good money for the 30 & Over riders.
Here's something different that Brett mentioned in his email:
The main event is Bruiser Cruiser, TOTAL BMX sponsored it, and
they have donated a mounted "chromed old farts open faced
helmet" trophy. Plus the winner gets the perpetual trophy
that Trev Stamford has.
J & C Racing press release
J & C Racing now have 3 riders in the hospital. Chris
Hubel was hurt in Pittsburgh very badly; he is in the ICU at UPMC
Presbyterian in downtown Pittsburgh. Brek LaFave was released
today and the other rider Zak Green, he was hit by a car last
night. Zak is in the ICU at Beaumont hospital in Royal Oak, Mi.
Chris Hubel (17 nov.)had a very bad crash in Pittsburgh Saturday.
His back was operated on this morning and all signs look good,
his hands and feet wiggle as expected. That does not mean that
he is out of the woods yet, and there are still more things to
be repaired. His parents will have to stay there for at least
a week to 10 days before the doctors will even think about moving
him. Please keep them in your prayers.
Donations for Chris are being accepted through:
Cycletherapy Bike Shop
3545 Elizabeth Lake Rd
Waterford, MI 48328
248-681-8600
Or you can donate $10.00 through the J & C Swag shop and receive
a sweet "HUCK UP THE BUCKS FOR CHRIS" sticker. Of course
all proceeds will go to the family. Use this link www.cafepress.com/jandcracing.64263072
by bmxultra.com
2005 Australian 30-34 Class champion Simon Anderson has put
his hand up to take on Australia's finest 30 & Over riders
including AA Pro legends Brett Scruse and Danny Galea. Taking
our list to 9 riders, but it's early days yet, and we are trying
to find ways to make this race a free entry so more riders will
give it a go.
Riders up for Aussie BS stops so far:
Email webmaster@bmxultra.com to have your name added.
Sam Johnston
This BS Racing, can I nominate a rider with first straight pull?
No doubt in my mind one of the best first straight riders ever
was Glen Bellinger, is he still around? I still remember Sydney
Indoor final- Brett Scruse, Howie Waye, etc had no chance. 87
Florida worlds not a rider beat him to the first corner, Qld worlds
he dragged Bas De Beva to the first corner. All the above by the
second corner it was a different story.
by bmxultra.com
It's understandable that people will have different ideas
about certain things, it's what makes us individuals. It seems
to me that every state governing body in Australia, except Queensland,
has accepted that AA/A pro is the way racing should be run at
state level to provide riders in those classes with appropriate
competition and classes in which they can developas riders more
rapidly and at an earlier age. I found the letter from Frankie
Winter a little bias when stating differences between AA/A pro
and Elite, but like you and me, she has a right to her opinion
and as state coaching director of Queensland, I am sure she was
writing with the best interest of the riders of Queensland in
mind. The funny thing is Queensland seems to have very strong
representation in the pro classes and the riders got there through
a AA/A pro system. Here's a good example, do you think that riders
like Michael Vockenson really would have doubled at the Nationals
this year in Junior Elite had he not progressed through A pro
and been riding competitively in the AA Pro class all while he
was too young to compete as a Junior Elite rider? It's obvious
that unless we can provide the competition at a younger age that
outstanding riders like Michael need, we just won't have the necessary
proving grounds that produce such champions. You should also have
noticed that the NBL has a much higher membership level than Australia
does and they haven't abandoned AA/A to prepare their riders for
Elite classes, in fact, they run a special and seperate elite
series much like the UCI series that is running in the Oceania
region. Sorry Frankie, I don't mean any disrespect, however it
seems that I am not the only one who found the article a little
biased, here's a letter from a reader:
John Seiler
Did you notice when the two sides were presented how biased towards
the elite it was, "A/AA does not attract high levels
of competitors (bad for sponsorship opportunities and promotion
of the sport)" and then at the end it said how the BMXQ
delegates stated "that most members did not understand
the benefits of Junior and Senior Elite Classes and as a result
were reluctant to embrace a new concept." Well as a
parent I am reluctant to embrace a concept that is just biased
towards people with the most money and the rest go by. I mean
BMX is a family sport and if my 16 year old can race A then move
up to AA, if he is good enough, then that is what I want him to
be able to do. We don't have the money for World titles, UCI rounds,
or New Zealand racing. So why even think of ever getting rid of
A/AA racing just so the Elite can race everywhere and as for sponsors,
well our local Open in Rockahmpton had 14 Money riders, yet if
we had Elite only it would have been about 3 riders so I find
it easier to get more sponsors when you can include more riders.
And besides, if you want people to embrace a concept do a road
tour through the state and sell the concept to club members not
just roll up at the QLD titles with Junior and Senior Elite and
nothing else for the A/AA .
by bmxultra.com
It looks like it's the time of year for Victorian Country
clubs to modify their tracks, check these out.
Bendigo
Here's what we were sent by Jamie Bullows - Bendigo BMX Club president/Track
director
"Here are a few pics of the Bendigo track upgrades. I did
about 23hrs over the weekend rebuilding it. A lot of the work
was done by myself, Brandon "Boxhead", Koby (a 5 yr
old hard worker) and his nan chris and Dale the back hoe driver.
What a legend he was! He was there from 8.30am until 6.30pm on
Sat working flat out and said he'll come back with a bobcat to
finalize surfacing and minor trick ups. we had a few of the teenage
riders and shaun and family turned up during the day to lend a
helping hand and thanks to all of those guys. Brock Tuckerman
turned up after work at about 1.30pm to put in a few hard hours
work and Ian and his son Jacob dropped by at the end of Sat for
a small bit of work but made up for it on Sunday puting in a full
day. Sunday we spent shaping and rolling in all the new sections
and will be back this weekend with a wacker packer to smooth it
all out and put some surface on the track and hopefully we can
get a few more helping hands out there. I've been doing a bit
of riding on all the new sections and all new jumps are sweet
as with nice flowing lips that do all the work for you and you
can carry a lot more speed around the reshaped corners. The new
rythm section after the "Bendigo" doubles is a little
tricky but once you work it out out flows well. It should make
for some interesting racing with the changes and I think all riders
will have fun with it no matter what the age and it'll be a great
sight seeing 8 AA's hitting up the 1st doubles side by side."
Shepparton
Lance from Shepparton sent us photos and short descriptions, from
what we can make out the biggest changes were the huge doubles
at the end of the first straight (left), and the step up in the
third straight before the triples (center).
Wodonga (AKA Border)
We don't have photos of their new changes, but since
they will be hosting the 2007 Victorian State Championships, you
can be sure they will have put a lot of thought into it, and that
there will be more changes to come. We did see some video of the
last straight rhythm section, which looks very tight, keeping
riders on their toes right to the line.
BMX Victoria press release
New Procedures for entries in 2006
Entry forms for the SE Bikes 2006 Victorian Open BMX Championships will be available shortly.
To make it easier for riders to obtain an entry form they will be available on many popular BMX web sites.
In addition entry forms will be available at all Victorian race meetings and selected interstate meetings from Mid July.
Entry forms will not be posted out as they have been in previous years.
PLEASE NOTE: As entry forms will be available for almost four months before the closing date there will be no late entries accepted.
by Frankie Winter. State Coaching Director BMX Queensland
Inc.
A General Meeting was held on 24 – 25 June in Brisbane.
It was attended by BMX QLD Inc. Board of Directors and Zone Delegates
(2 from each Zone). One of the items for discussion was the Elite
Level Classes being offered at the 2006 State Championships.
Southern Zone Delegates put forth a motion to replace the Junior and Senior Elite Classes with A and AA Open. The 8 Zone Delegates then left the room to meet on this matter in private before returning to the room to vote on the motion. The resulting vote was in favour of offering A & AA Open Classes at the 2006 State Championships. It was noted by the Delegates that most members did not understand the benefits of Junior and Senior Elite Classes and as a result were reluctant to embrace a new concept.
The following information will attempt to clarify the myths and
assist the members of BMX QLD Inc. to make informed decisions
during discussion with their Zone Delegates in the future. It
will point out the Pro’s and Con’s of hosting Junior/Senior
Elite or A/AA Open Classes at State Championship Competitions.
Note: None of the below effects Challenge Classes.
| Junior/Senior Elite | A/AA Open |
| Event open to International and Interstate Riders | Event Open to Interstate and International riders |
| Officially Recognised Championship Class | Not officially recognised as a Championship Class |
| Determined by age using the Year of Birth Format in conjunction with the UCI Season. Eg: the UCI Season runs from Sept 06 to July 07, riders turning 17 in 07 would be permitted to compete in Junior Elite Classes from Sept 06 | Determined by amount of prize money won at previous events. Once a rider has reached a total of $1500 in their log books they transfer to AA |
| Provides opportunities to compete against similar competition ability and age | Riders compete against competitors who have achieved a similar amount of prize money and not ability. Riders as young as 14 may be competing against 30 year + riders |
| Competitions running these classes will attract a higher level of competition such as the National HP Squad (good for sponsorship opportunities) | A/AA does not attract high levels of competitors (bad for sponsorship opportunities and promotion of the sport) |
| Junior/Senior Elite Classes can be run under BMXA Rules (they do not have to be run under UCI Format) | A/AA Open is run under BMXA Rules |
| Riders competing in Junior/Senior Elite Classes at UCI Events can not transfer back to age classes at events offering Junior/Senior Elite Classes within a 12 month time frame | Riders who have transferred to AA may apply to the State Body to transfer back if they can prove the level of competition is too hard for them. |
| Junior/Senior Elite Classes offered at State Championships provide competitors with the ability to compare related rankings at State, National & International Level | Difficulties are experienced in policing Riders classes as some riders are using more than one log book to ensure they remain in A Open and do not exceed the $1500 threshold |
| Junior/Senior Elite Classes provide opportunities to showcase Elite Level Talent to State and National Sporting Institutes. | Riders aged 13 – 16 who are eligible to compete in A/AA Open who are hoping to obtain positions on the State Squad will have to compete in age classes as well as A/AA. |
by bmxultra.com
We have been through this discussion before of what is better
for BMX in Australia AA/A or Elite, actually I think it was back
in October/November time. The fact that it's coming around again
points out that we have a problem with our sport. It seems to
be primarily because there is a disconnect between what the riders
want from their sport in Australia and what the parents/officals
want.
Going one step further; very few riders, especially pro riders, particiate when it comes to driving the direction of the sport, leaving it to the officials/parents have to make decissions based on their knowledge and experience. It's not neccessarily because the riders are lazy, many of them work full time and have to try to train just as hard as the next guy to stay competitive. By the time a rider has finished with their career they are usually too burnt out with, or over, BMX. But this doesn't mean that deligates can't be given the opportunity to talk to riders before making decissions.
I think AA/A pro means bigger numbers than Elite when it comes to pro racing, and numbers are easier to sell to sponsors. Also an advantage of AA/A is in the A pro class, riders who are developing get to race some of the more senior riders who wouldn't hang with Senior Elite but do well in A. Some of those guys have more racing experience than they would care to admit. You can learn skills, gain strength, etc from coaching, but one thing you can't learn is race experience, the smarter the guys you are racing against the smarter you have to be to hang with them, knowing what to do if you are in a bunch going into a tight corner or over a big jump. Some times we learn by mistakes but unless put in pressure race situations.
I could go on and on about this, but I am just one rider who has been racing since 1981, including many years as a AA pro, but what would I know?
Now what we need is riders who compete in the AA/A and/or elite classes to tell us what they think about the whole pro thing, which way do you think we should go an why. Don't bother talking to me about this at the track, because it doesn't help anyone, write an email. Email webmaster@bmxultra.com.