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by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
Leaving Boston
I booked a Taxi van for a 4pm pickup after my last day at the
office. After waiting for 40 minutes it finally arrived. The driver
was in such a hurry that he forgot to close the back door to the
van, when he took off my bike was very close to sliding out the
back of the van. Not a great start to the final leg of the trip,
but things can't get much worse from there...can they?
When I got to Boston airport I checked the weight of my bags before I did the e-ticket thing. They were both around 5 pounds over the 50 pound weight limit, but when it came to my turn to check in the bags I seemed like the only person concerned with the weight issue, so once again I avoided paying for the bike, but also, this time excess baggage costs. Security is still a big issue at US airports, but I got away with carrying on my laptop, camera and my helmet bag, that's full of goodies that I picked up along the way for people, including 4 pairs of Vans shoes.
The flight from Boston to Washington was uneventful. But as soon as I stepped of that plane I had to board another to get me to Knoxville. It was the smallest plane I had ever be on that didn't have propellers. We were experiencing a lot of turbulence generated from Cyclone Ernesto, and since I had a window seat I was able to watch the lightening storm. I don't remember hearing anyone on the plane having a problem with the conditions, but that could have been because the engine noise was so loud. I finally got to Knoxville at about 11pm and headed straight to Jason Bergstrom's place.
At the NBL Grands: Thursday
Well we finally arrived at Louisville today, after a 4 hour
drive from Knoxville, and just in time for the 4pm practice session.
It cost me $15 to do it and I got 2 laps in 1 hour. The track
is fast, but a lot more technical than it looks in any of the
Transit DVDs, the first half is good for the power rider and the
last half is good for the more skilled riders, it will make for
interesting racing. I bumped into a bunch of guys I had met on
this road trip, and heading back to the car I saw the Pro-Gate
set up. They have a 4 man gate on display, which I will get some
photos of over the weekend. I was told their gates will be used
at the Supercross events and the Worlds next year and confirmed
for the Olympics. I asked them about the random gate set up, they
have it all built into the mechanism already and showed me a couple
of ways that it operates. What was interesting was the way it
does the random timing. The voice states something like "this
is a random call", and any time in the next 2.5 seconds the
gate goes through the regular NBL cadence (light/sound sequence)
and not the gate dropping without warning like I expected. I also
expressed interest in checking out the built in safety mechanism,
where if the gate drops and a person has a body part under it,
it won't hurt. I was initially a worry to have my foot under where
the gate should drop, but when it did I hardly noticed a thing,
it would certainly be nice to make that a standard across BMX
as a whole. After that demo we checked into the motel room, it
seems there are a whole lot of BMXers staying in the same place.
We headed back to the track to try and get some photos of pro
practice. There were a whole bunch of heavy hitters like Stumpy,
Donny Robinson, Kyle Bennett and others...actually I saw Jason
Richardson walking around too, not sure if he's planning on riding
though. The international flavour seems to keep growing as we
near the Olympics. I was surprised to see a strong Aussie contingent
with Australian super coach, Sean Dwight, leading Jamie Gray,
Glenn Codega and Michael Robinson. Remember 2 Aussies made the
AA Final last year, Luke Madill and Warwick Stevenson, and 2 Aussies
made the Elite finals at the Worlds this year, so you might want
to keep an eye out on those guys. Let's not forget the bunch of
Euro riders there, the only one I could recognise was Denmark's
Henrik Baltzersen.
Walking back to the car I bumped into Jerry Landrum from BMXmania and Colin Stiles from Transit and was able to have a chat with both of those guys. Jerry will be on his bike this weekend, and Colin will be doing his thing too. Colin also told us that he'll be a father soon.
Here's some photos from today:
Wyndham, Sunbury and Northern Park press release
Melbourne's North/Western clubs the Wyndham Warriors, Sunbury
& Northern Park BMX
Clubs are having a 3 track series that starts Friday night the
8th of September “UNDER LIGHTS”
at Northern Park BMX Club (registration by 7.30pm). (It was originally
scheduled for the 9th of September).
Saturday the 23rd of September at Sunbury BMX Club, (registration
by 12.30pm) (Was scheduled for the 30th of September which is
Grand Final Day).
And
Saturday 7th of October at Wyndham warriors BMX Club, (registration
by 12.30pm)
TROPHY TO THE WINNING CLUB COURTESY OF NORTHERN PARK BMX CLUB
AND RAPIDO CYCLES.
Anyone who wants to come along and give BMX a try is more than
welcome. This is not an Open meeting so Day Licenses will be available
at each event. Riders on mountain bikes are welcome, (must have
number plate and pad set).
Results from these race meetings count towards the Sunbury club
championship. Catering will be provided at all venues.
Please support the canteen as this is a great way for the clubs
to raise money.
This is a Class 8 event and therefore day licenses will be available.
Entry is on the day at each event, (just remember to bring your
license).
Enquiries:
Bryan Bull (Sunbury) 0425 779 608
Gary Morgan (Wyndham) 97422505
Rob Zucculla (Northern Park) 0424 600 698
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I haven't done any racing since Waterford a week and a half
ago, so here's just an update as to where things are at for me
right now. I have been in Boston for 10 days now, working, which
is the whole reason I am here in the United States, and I must
thank ManageSoft for their coincidental timing, aligning my trip
with the Grands. I had some important projects to complete and
training to give people. It's my last day at the office and everything
I have come here to do is finished. This means I can fully focus
on my racing at the Grands this weekend.
I fly out to Knoxville TN tonight, Jason Bergstrom will pick me up from the airport and I can dump a whole bunch of stuff on him that I have lugged half way around the world that's been pushing me over my weight limits. We drive to Louisville on Thursday and hopefully get some reasonable track time before the Grands.
I currently stand at #31 in the 35 & Over expert. Points are pretty tight, so there is room to move. I could have done better to this point had I not been undercooked (I had shut down my racing for winter), been sick and if I had a chance to get some more rounds in. But when I think of it I haven't had a serious crash, and it has been a once in a lifetime experience for me being an Aussie. To even be racing for a NAG (National Age Group title) is a highlight of my 25+ year racing career. I know anything can happen this weekend. I have been training either in the gym or in my bike at least every second day, so I am as prepared as I am going to be. I'd like to thank my old friend Danny Galea for his words of enouragement via SMS and Shannon Rademaker for his emails while I have been here, and all my other friends and bmxultra.com readers for their kind emails.
I am all packed and ready to fly. I hope to be updating the site from Louisville, but will see how things pan out. For those of you reading this and attending the Grands, have a safe trip and be sure to say hi.
South Eastern BMX Club press release
The annual CA$H DA$H is on again this year October 8th 2006
at the South Eastern track at Oakleigh in Melbourne's south eastern
suburbs.
After 24 years at the same track the CA$H DA$H is one of the longest running races in Australia. South Eastern is Victoria's oldest BMX club, established in November 1979 and still going strong. A report on the original race in 1982 is here: southeastvic.bmxa.com.au
and here is a link to this year's entry form:
http://southeastvic.bmxa.com.au/bmx/images/usrimages/1026_CA$H_DA$H_ENTRY_2006.pdf
[Editor note: I think the club has forgotten that the Cash Dash was cancelled once, but has continued to be one of the larger races in Victoria. Also the Northen Park BMX club is recognised as the oldest club in Victoria, however South Eastern has the oldest track.]
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
The news of Renee Junga being injured was quite a shock to
me, as I am sure it was with everyone else in the BMX community.
Hearing that such a talented rider with such a bright future could
have severe spinal injuries is difficult to comprehend. But then
to read that she has a "one-in-800 chance of regaining feeling
and movement in her legs" has me in complete disbelief. I
think I felt the same way when I heard of the death of the great
Mario Soto. I guess I just assumed that she would be back on her
feet just as Luke Madill now is.
Follow this link for the full update from the surgery from The
Age newspaper:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/marathon-surgery-for-junga/2006/08/26/1156012790371.html
As a result of Renee's injuries, the profits from the next BSX
event will still go to the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation,
as promised, but we will ask to have the funds allocated to the
spinal injuries section of the hospital.
One behalf of all bmxultra.com readers I would like to wish Renee
all the best for her recovery.
Psykopath press release by Daniel Hodge
Well the end of the national series have arrived, with the last
national finishing Sunday! The track was looking fast and so were
the Psykopath guys with Andy winning all his 3 motos and me taking
3rd, 5th, 1st,. Come semi final time we were both in the same
semi! I managed to get the 1st straight pull and led from start
to finsih with Andy coming over the line in 3rd. So main event
time, the gate dropped and it was me and Andy 3rd and 4th into
the 1st turn. Then we had are own little battles in to the 2nd
and 3rd turn but come the last straight I manage to come 2nd after
a bad crash happened inches away from the line, with Andy coming
through in 4th. So overall rankings for the seires was me (Dan)
coming 4th overall and Andy coming 9th. So has been a great season.
Now the British Championships! Bring it on!
Psykopath press release
Psykopath California State Pro Series went down in Prunedale over
the weekend at Manzanita BMX Park. Top 3 winners on Saturday were
as follows: 1st went to Allan "Hot Pants" Hudson, 2nd
went to Donald Goodwin and 3rd went to "Mr. T" Terry
Tennette. Sundays Top 3 WInners were as follows: Again 1st went
to Allan "Hot Pants" Hudson, 2nd went to Terry "T",
and 3rd went to Omar Sawyer.
Psykopath Team won both days for Team Sheet with the following
riders all placing first place both days in their class: Nick
Valencia 22x, CJ Bunch 16x, Rainy Townsend 6g, Elite open Allan
Hudson. All other Psykopath riders did a good job, the weather
was excellent for racing and everyone seemed to enjoy each day.
It was also great to see Allen "Hotpants" back from
the injury he suffered in Las Vegas.
Listed below is the last race of the 2006 Psykopath Pro Series
Race. The race will be a one day event with a guaranteed $500
purse given by Psykopath Industries plus 100% payback, in addititon
there will be a 16 and over Open Money Class and a 30 and over
Open Money Class. Don't miss the final California State Pro Race.
Oct 7 Reedley* Airtime BMX* ProState Series Final 7:30-9:30 AM
11:00 AM
If interested in sponsoring the Pro State Series Final or being
a sponsor for the next years 2007 Pro State Series please contact
Psykopath_Industries@yahoo.com
Special thanks goes out to the NBL and the Staff at Golden State
BMX Stan Coburn, Nick Bruinsma and Mary Garcia. To Check Out Other
State Bmx Races go to www.CalBmx.com
Sirius Bicycles Press Release
Sirius Bicycles and Dirt Angels have teamed up on the track and
we are very pleased to announce the formation of the Dirt Angels/Supercross
All-Girl’s BMX Team. Taylor Argent (12 Girls), Krystal Russon
(14 Girls), & Rachel Bracken (15 Girls) are the fearsome-threesome
that will be rocking their “team issue” Supercross
Evo G-6 frames for the first time at the Queensland State Titles
next month.
Dirt Angels is a company devoted to girls of all ages who ride. They have designed a casual clothing range from Size 0 right up to XL in ladies. Most of their products are made from 100% Australian cotton. Cotton was chosen for its durability and its stain resistant qualities and being a natural fibre allows good airflow and sun protection qualities.
Dirt Angels are also releasing a riding range very shortly which includes: safety pants for motocross and a newly designed BMX riding pant. The Dirt Angels designed jersey is going to be much more comfortable for women riders as it’s made with the female figure in mind.
GIRLS RIDE HARD TOO!
Special thanks to Bill Ryan (Supercross).
by bmxultra.com
This just in, as an unconfirmed rumour. Monza Imports, current
Australian importers for Fox, have picked up GT Bicycles. Stephen
Robinson has his old job back as product manager. We haven't heard
if they have signed Luke Madill as their pro at this stage, we
will just have to wait and see.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
While in America I have heard strong rumours that there are
some big changes ahead for the UCI. Including more age divisions
for the world championships, similar to what the NBL have in place.
The one thing that concerns me however is the rumour that a random
gate will be introduced.
I hear the reason behind it is to even up the start. Personally, I can't think of anything more rediculous. The closer we get to the Olympic stage, the more changes we will see in our sport, and that can be expected, since there is so much on the line. The Olympics are something that could well define the future of the sport.
But, come on, let's not rip the heart out of the sport, it has already been confirmed to be in the next 2 Olympics, why make any significant changes like that now, after all these years? If we have 32 men and 16 women competing for their countries at the Olympics, these will be the best of the best. The gates will be close regardless of style/technique. To change to a random system and to put something like an Olympic gold medal on the line, all you are doing is putting the athletes at a greater risk of injury. Who wouldn't take the risk and try to predict the gate if it will put you in the history books as the first male or female BMXer to take an Olympic gold medal?
I think logic has been thrown out the window here. Rider's need to adapt to be competitive, that's what we have paid coaches for right? Random gates were introduced into 4X Mountain Biking to reduce the advantage that BMX racers have out of the gate. Let's remember this is BMX and the current gate system will be safer than any random system. Is it currently fair? Yes. Everyone has the opportunity to change their gate start to be just as quick as the next guy. What will they think of next? Berms or jumps that randomly change height and angle on the fly so people don't get too used to them? This is not track, this is not MTB, it's BMX!
NBL Press release
To
further promote the battle for the #1 Titles at the NBL Grand
National, the NBL has published an exciting ‘Grands Preview
Program’ inside the September issue of BMX Today Magazine.
The special ‘Grands’ pullout will be available throughout
the NBL Grands weekend and it includes Elite and Amateur standings
as well as head-to-head profiles, statistics, a BMX buyers guide,
an interview with UCI World Champion, Javier Columbo, and plenty
of color to make it come alive.
Get the inside scoop on the Kyle Bennett/Donny Robinson rivalry where only ONE point separates the two. Check out the ‘battle of the Amandas’ for the Elite Women’s title and what about that tough 18-21X class – Delizia?Upshaw?Pope? If you don’t get your copy in the mail before Louisville, don’t sweat it – we’ll have plenty more to hand out during the weekend. Special thanks to Avent/Bombshell, Standard, Clayborn, BMXpros.com, Redline, Formula, Dan’s Comp, Crupi, Hyper, Tangent, and VSI for their contributions to the Grands pullout.
Goody Goody! All riders will also receive a special NBL Grands ‘Goody’ bag when they register, stuffed full with stickers, coupons, catalogues and even a few special surprises. Make sure to ask for yours at registration or pick one up at the NBL booth throughout the weekend.
The NBL Grand National is brought to you by Hyper Bicycles (www.hyperbicycles.com), Camp Woodward (www.campwoodward.com), Tangent (www.tangentproducts.com), Sinz (www.sinz-racing.com), Vigor (www.vigorhelmets.com), J&R Bicycles (www.jrbicycles.com) and Rite Bike Racing. For more information on directions and lodging, visit www.derbycitybmx.com.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I was wandering around Faneuil Hall today, it's a market
place in downtown Boston. I was looking for a postcard that I
owe a friend, and I stumbled across a cool little find. There
was a market stall that had a bunch of Christmas decorations.
I was actually looking at the sports things they had, like Redsox
and Patroits decorations, when I saw some sporting figurines.
It was then that I spotted a BMX bike with rider. What is really
amazing is how much it resembles a photo of me racing at the ABA
Grands in Canada last year, the only thing missing are the bmxultra.com
logos.
Check it out (Right photo by GoBMX.com):
by Steve Hunter/BMXVictoria
The BMXV AGM was last weekend and as a result I have taken on
the role of Secretary of BMXV.
One of my jobs is to get information out to the members as quickly
as possible, but believe it or not we do not have a comprehensive
list of email contact details for all the Victorian BMX Clubs
at BMXV.
I don't want to be swamped with 500 email addresses, but could
I ask if at least oneperson from each Victorian BMX Club could
send an email to me at sebmx@optusnet.com.au
listing their Club President, Club Secretary and/or other key
contact person and the email address(es) for same.
In return I promise that they won't be getting spam from me; just
information that they need to know and to pass on to their membership.
This way we can get information about what's going on at BMXV
out to them as quickly as possibly, and at the moment there is
a lot happening, or about to happen.
We've got HRV on the Board now as Coaching Director and he's organized
a serious coaching program with the aid of Trevor Stamford and
Glen Suridge. They're a formidable team.
We've got training coming up for our volunteer officials (see
flyers attached) and we've got plans for promoting the sport around
the State.
All I need now is to be able to contact the members and keep them
informed as to what's going on.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
Well
I am back in Boston. I was at work when a package arrived from
ATi, so I opened it up and to my surprise it was a roll of customised
ATi/bmxultra.com stickers. See the sample to the left (I know
I could have cut it a little better, but I didn't have the greatest
scissors). I actually was playing around with a design a long
time ago and sent it to ATi, and I'd forgotten about it. The next
race I'll be going to is the NBL Grands in just under 2 weeks.
If you are there and want one of these limited edition stickers,
be sure to say hello and ask for one. Look for the One Bicycles/bmxultra.com
jerseys with either Bergstrom or Jenkins on the back. I plan to
take a few of these suckers back to Australia too. At the moment
I only really plan to race Bendigo and would like to get to Adelaide
for the South Australian titles too. Bellarine would be awesome
as well, but I want to hang out with Tracy and Oscar and just
chill for a while. After riding all weekend, I used Monday as
a rest day, just walking around downtown Boston for about an hour
or so after work.
I rebuilt my bike Tuesday after work and headed to a vacant car park to do some sprints, I got a few more funny looks from people, but I got a good session in. Foo Fighters were in town playing an acoustic show with Frank Black supporting. After training I headed down to the theatre district to see if I could get hold of a ticket. Since the show had sold out, all I could find were tickets for $89US or more on the internet. As I was close by the doors, a guy was asking people if they wanted tickets. I asked how much, he pulled out 4 and said I have one here for $50US, it's face value was $43US, I took a look at the ticket and it didn't look like a fake. The scalper looked at me funny, when I checked if the print would smudge, he said "they are legit...I am here to make money not steal it". I could see he wasn't happy with my reaction, but I wasn't about to throw $50 away. Anyway I give him my hard earned cash and it scanned at the door, so I was about to see the Foo Fighters. I had an upper balcony ticket, so up 2 flights of stairs, Frank Black had already been playing for about 30 minutes of his 35 minute set. I got to the usher who was obviously confused, he thought I walked in with someone else, and couldn't figure out why we had different tickets, anyway he sent me right up the back of the room. When Frank Black had finished, I found my real seat, which was a lot closer to the stage than where I was. Anyway it was an awesome show, something that I will remember for a long time. On the walk home a woman asked if I could spare some money so she could get home. It's something that I am getting quite sick of, there are a lot of people living on the street and I am quite sure that people don't choose to live that way, but there has to be services to help put a roof over their heads. When I said I didn't have any money, she asked if I had a car. I don't know what she was thinking but I started thinking about Hugh Grant's exploits, and high tailed it out of there.
Wednesday, my legs were a little tired, so I just went for a street ride for about an hour. Down through Boston Common, past the Cheers bar (the bar that inspired the TV series) to Newbury Street (which is like Chapel Street with boutique clothing stores and cafes) past Fenway Park (Boston Redsox baseball team home ground), down to the dirt jumps for a quick blast, it was already starting to get dark, so I wasn't there long. Then back along Boylston Street. One lady on the side of the road had a big smile on her face as I approached. I was only meters away when she said "nice bike", as I passed she said something about it being a little small, I think she was still talking about my bike. It's a very different ride to what I would normally do, since I live up in the hills over looking Melbourne. You would be lucky to see another person, let alone another car, actually you would see more Kangaroos than anything else. Although I am very used to the "simple life", with clean air and country living, I am fairly comfortable with my temporary home in busy downtown Boston. Now just to stay motivated to train for the grands and not sit back eating too many donuts and sucking back too many sodas.
by bmxultra.com
The Spring Classic, hosted by the Eastfield BMX Club in Melbourne's
far eastern suburbs, just hasn't been the same for me since the
last BMXCentral/BMXPress TV race there a couple of years ago.
But as they say the show must go on.
The Spring Classic is on again
download the entry form from the race calendar for full details.
sent to us by Brett MaliC
Training crash leaves BMX star in hospital.
An Australian Olympic BMX hopeful had to be airlifted to an Auckland hospital after suffering suspected spinal injuries in a training crash yesterday afternoon.
Twenty-year-old Renee Junga crashed as she was training at Rotorua ahead of the mountain bike world championships.
The Gold Coast-based Junga won a silver medal at last year's mountain bike worlds and was the 2005 Australian BMX cyclist of the year.
Nerang BMX club president Melinda Notley-Cole said Junga had hopes of competing for Australia when BMX made its Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008.
"This is so tragic ... the Nerang BMX Club and everyone I'm sure from our club will be terribly shocked," she said.
Update on Renee Junga - 11.30am Australian EST 23.08.06
Frankie Winter has just spoken with Sally Howie, Renee's mum, and she has permitted the release of the following
information:
Renee is in the Auckland City Hospital with 4 fractured vertebrae
(2 in middle of spine and 2 lower), a broken Sternum, 2 broken
ribs and perforated lungs. She currently has no feeling from the
waist down. It is expected that she will remain in the hospital
for 4 - 6 weeks and there may be a chance of an operation this
coming Friday. Doctors are hoping the feeling will return very
soon but are not sure of
the extent of the injuries. The 'up', is that Renee is very positive
and co-operating with the Doctors. Her wrist was sprained but
not broken. Elbows, shoulders and knees (the injuries she was
carrying from previous crashes) are all okay.
How did this monster crash happen? There was a tricky Table top
in the competition track that all the girls were having trouble
jumping. Renee thought she would give it a go. She jumped alright
but unfortunately over-cleared it resulting in a crash that broke
her helmet in 2 knocked, her out cold
and caused major fractures. Earlier that day she had reported
she was the first girl to complete the Wall Ride, a section of
the track that has the rider at 90 degrees to the ground. She
was shaken but elated that she made it. You know what they say,
No guts, no glory.
My money is on Renee making a full recovery and being back on her bike very soon. She is a tough contender who can get through what most others cannot.
If you would like to send a get well message to Renee, you can email winterfamily@switch.com.au and your message will be forwarded immediately.
Updates on Renee's progress will be posted on the QLD BMX site as they come to hand.
by bmxultra.com
Last year Bellarine put on a Spetacular race meeting with
a difference, putting Bellarine back on the map, this year with
the help of major sponsor Kuwahara, they are at it again.
Check out the race calendar and download the entry form for full details.
Bendigo BMX Club press release
For all the Victorian's out there, don't forget that the
Northern Rivers regional series is finishing up this weekend at
the newly remodeled Bendigo BMX track. For those planning on being
at Bendigo on Saturday afternoon the club will be holding gate
practice from between 3pm and 5pm for a gold coin donation. It
will be the same at the Goldrush in September.
Also while on the subject of Bendigo we have the Goldrush entry form in the race calendar, click here to check it out.
TeamWBR press release
In the past 6 week TeamWBR have been busy travelling with racing
and coaching World Wide. Here is a quick up date of the past few
race’s and results of some of the rider’s on the team.
BMX World Championships, Brazil:
Bootes had big expectations in Brazil and was having fun on the
huge track which was just over 400m long. Qualifying out of the
motos, Bootes found himself in the start of the elimination rounds
of the 8ths. Bootes was sitting in qualifying spot until the last
straight to where he was cut off the track by the rider in front
which allowed the 5th place rider to pass him on the line. With
a very disappointing finish to the UCI World Ranking series at
the World Championships, Bootes still managed to finish 5th overall
in the point’s series.
Lacey Oliver had a much better weekend to where she qualified
all the way to the 13 year old girls final. Lacey did here best
on the big track against the best in the World and managed to
come home with a 4th place finish. Oliver also entered in the
18 and under Cruiser class to where she did not qualify to the
final but did finish 4th at the pre Worlds Championships against
the older ladies.
Jeep King of the Mountain Round 2, WI – USA:
Bootes had a great start to the day where he qualified 1st. In
the semi final Bootes had the holeshot over Eric Carter in the
first run. In the second last corner, Carter made a smart block
pass. This ended up making Bootes colliding with Carter’s
back wheel and he ended up going down. Bootes tried to make up
the 0.93 of a second but came up short by 0.15 and transfer to
the final for 3rd and 4th against Brian Lopes. Bootes again got
the holeshot and also was passed in the same corner. This time
there was more body contact, to where Bootes went through the
banners over the corner. Next round Bootes came up short again
to take the win by 0.07 of a sec over Lopes and had to settle
for 4th over all.
NSW State 4X MTB Championships:
Jeff Lawrence had a great result at his first State Championships
in NSW. With finishing 1st in the semi of the under 17’s,
Lawrence was looking to step onto the podium in the final. With
another great holeshot, Lawrence lead the way into the first corner
and went for the wide fast line, but ended up getting edged out
by another rider that took the short line. From there on in, it
was single file and Lawrence finished off with an amazing result
of 2nd place. Lawrence is looking forward competing in the National
Series in a few months time.
Coming up:
MTB Worlds in New Zealand – Aug 25th
Jeep King of the Mountain RD 3, Vail, CO – USA - Sept 3rd
UCI Super Cross Series RD 1, San Jose, CA – USA - Sept 7th
TeamWBR is proudly supported by : Ozcrank.com, Percentage Designs,
One Ring, Volkswagen Australia, Hogs Breath Cafe, Velocity Wheels,
Hayes Brakes, Investco Merchant Bankers, JBL Audio, Strathfield
car radio, ATI, Fox Shox, IRC, Cane Creek, BSC, QuikShade, Bell
Helmets, Truvativ chain guide, Funn, Nike Cycling, Shimano, Sockguy,
Asterisk and www.TeamWBR.com
by Brett MaliC
2006 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REDLINE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cross Keys Bmx track. South Australia.
$6500 Prize Pool, heaps of prizes, heaps of give aways, Army Display.
Prizes for Fastest lap, Slowest lap, Best stack, Best save
PRIZE POOL:
$2500 REDLINE AAPro
$1000 SNAFU APro
$750 ODYSSEY Open Ladies
$750 BMXstars 14+ Female Cruiser(Powder Puffs)
$750 TOTALbmx 30+ Masters Cruiser
$750 30+ Masters 20"
SABMXA would like to thank:
Event sponsors: REDLINE, SNAFU, ODYSSEY and STANDISH CYCLES
Major sponsors: Exhaust Dynamics, T.J SMITH Building services,
TOTALBMX.com.au, BMXMAD.com.au, BE ACTIVE, Government SA. Minor
Sponsors: BMXstars.com, bmxultra.com, XBR newspaper, ONE Bicycles.
Race Sponsors: Australian Defence Force, Mr Wolf.
FEES:
Challenge 20”and Challenge Cruiser: $40
($30 for 2nd and subsequent family members)
BMXMAD Mighty Mouse Midgets (Sprockets), $25
TOTALBMX Masters Cruiser, $35
BMXSTARS 14+ Female Cruiser, $35
TJ SMITH BUILDING SERVICES Masters 20”, $35
ODYSSEY Open Ladies, $35
SNAFU BIKE PARTS A Male, $45
REDLINE AA Male, $60
Check out the race calendar for entry form and further details.
Frankston BMX club press release
Frankston club would like to thank everyone for their support
and considerations regarding our new track developments.
Adjustments to the triple have been done and were well received
by all concerned.
We have run two Club meetings under our new “daylight nightlights”
and it was a lot of fun. With big Johnny “Stursie”
dishing out the dirt in the mike. The numbers were up on the second
club meet, which is great. We even had numbers to make a final
in the “open” class.
Phase one of the track development is finished, with phase two
coming soon.
The next club meet will be held on the 25th August and then every
two weeks after until further notice
We hope you all like the changes, and have a lot of fun trying
it at the final round of the Metro Plate (providing it doesn’t
rain eh)
by bmxultra.com
Thanks to the Australian S&M distributor, ECI, we have been
able to review the S&M Race fork. You may have seen them used
by pro riders like Australia's former UCI junior elite champion,
Michael Fenwick.
Click here to check
out the S&M Race for review.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I had a few hours to kill at the Detroit Airport yesterday so
I have uploaded the photos from the weekend already.
Click
here to check out the NBL Great Lakes National at Waterford MI.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
Last Wednesday I flew into LA from Melbourne and the first
stop was Answer BMX HQ, which you would already know about if
you have read the first installment of the Road tripping series
of articles.
Answer have a whole lot of history in the race scene, which you
are quickly reminded of the minute you step into the foyer of
Answer. The place is decorated with everything from team trophies
ranging up to 6 1/2 foot tall, to Golden Crank awards, to photos
of riders and covers of magazines and even a lot of their older
products. While Answer BMX has a rich BMX racing history they
also have a street/dirt/park product range called Drive, which
has been around for a long time and is rapidly changing the way
the products are developed and marketed in the industry. Gone
are the days of gloss black, matt black and raw and making parts
that are also functional for boat anchors.
Joey and Eric took some time out of their busy schedules to to show me around and allowed me to take photos of some of their latest products.
Answer BMX seems to be pushing their product along with new chainwheels and SL Scythe forks for juniors under 75lbs, their hubs are being widely accepted and it's quite common to see them around the US tracks. They are expanding the range of rim sizes, so pretty much have junior to elite and cruiser covered. Gold seems to be a colour that's doing well in the market and Answer seem to have a lot of it, right down the the Answer stem lock. A couple of things we couldn't get photos of was a new prototype stem that's very different to anything I have seen before. I am sure you will hear all about it when it's released, also they have cromo race bars, including the fairly standard pro size and a 7" rise 28 inch wide bar which isn't a common size.
Drive certainly seems to be a focused product range, having said that though, you could easily put their products on your race bike (ok, not the pegs) and not have to worry about weight issues. That includes the bars, forks, rims, and pedals shown below. The frame will certainly be strong enough and light enough, for the racer that spends more time riding street/dirt than racing. It comes with a sticker pack for the new owner to choose how they want it customised. The forks are the lightest of their type and just might give some of the lighter race forks a scare.
Redman is another product that Answer BMX distribute throughout the US.
We hear that Advanced Traders, Australian importers of DK, have picked up Answer BMX, so expect to be seeing these products and more at a track near you very soon.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
[Note: You might notice a bunch of photos with industry types
reading XBR newspaper, that's because some of bmxultra.com's work
is published there.]
I woke up at about 8am. I had Scot sign some copies of Joe Kid
so we could use them at the next BSX (backyard race) to auction
them off and raise a few bucks for the Royal Children's Hospital,
he also signed a prototype t-shirt for a new project he's working
on. After we were all done Scot told me about the foiled terrorists
at Heathrow and that LAX would be under very tight security, loaded
me up with food and drink as we said our good byes and sent me
on my way.
After
the GPS system in the PT Cruiser sent me up some desert back road
somewhere I finally found my way back to the SX HQ. I took some
photos of the SX products, talked BMX with Bill Ryan, then he
took me to the machine shop where they make the alloy SX cranks,
chain tenstioners, chain wheels, etc. The machine shop was jam
packed full of machines running at full capacity, so it was busy
and noisey, we didn't spend a whole lot of time there.
Back to the new Supercross products. They have a lot of interesting
things coming up including a complete version of the Alloy G6.
It will be an imported model, making it a lot more competitive
with the entry level to mid level race bikes, but still offer
a great product that you can just step onto and race. The high
end US made frames will still be available. The new-ish billet
chainwheels from SX (available in size 36-46 teeth) look very
cool and have been selling like crazy. There's a new top loader
stem that SX has nearly ready to be released. It has been tested
by the likes of Dave Bittner. What's different about it is how
it clamps to the fork steerer tube with just a single bolt to
lock it into place.
At about midday it was time to hit the road. I was going to try
to get to San Diego to meet up with Bruce Mayer and check out
ATi, but I had a flight to catch to Boston and just not enough
time. Bill organised for me to check out the Orange Show track
at San Bernadino on the way back to the airport. It was crazy
hot, so I set the bike up and cut a few laps, the heat got to
me pretty quick and the track was a little rough from a recent
rebuild, so I didn't do anything too crazy. They had some nice
facilities though, and it looked like they had local racing 3
or 4 times a week.
From there I pretty much dropped off the rental and took the shuttle
to LAX, that's when the extent of the seriousness of the threat
at Heathrow really hit me. Police check points leading into LAX
and security was stepped up throughout the building, restrictions
put in place so no liquids, hair gels, lip gloss etc was allowed
in carry on. While I found that out I was asked what was in my
luggage, when I said I was carrying a bike I was told I would
have to pay extra for my bike, it's usually an extra $100US, so
I got to check in and my "bike" turned into "sports
equipment" that you don't have to pay extra for. Go figure!
Just as well, after spending about $180US on car hire and $70US
on fuel, I had to cut corners some how and get back on track with
the budget.
Trumbull CT
Catching the redeye across the continent from LA to Boston was uneventful. I had organised cheap car hire in Boston, or so I had throught, that was before an extra day had to be added, and of course, insurance and taxes. So $300US later and I was off to Trumbull CT for the Constitution Classic. A few hours later and I finally found my way to the track. The track looked similar to what we have back in Australia, flat out straights, slightly down hill, nice big corners, and the jumps not huge, but quite technical at speed. Although I have to say the track was very narrow. I think my backyard 2 man track is wider in places. The motel I was staying at was in New Haven, about which is where Yale is, that was nothing special but had some handy resturants nearby.
After relicensing and paying my $45US per day in entries I was all set. It seems there were a lot of other 35 & Over expert riders up for racing on the weekend. With the likes of Kelly Kelly, Bob O'Gorman, Tom Johnson, Rich Farside, London Wilmot, basically a bunch of guys in the top 20 NBL rankings for the class. London's Bizzarro crew looked after me and made sure I had shade and plenty of entertainment for the day with the likes of Shaun DiPrete, Justin Lopes and Dave Bedford under the tent. Watching those guys talk was like watching the discussion about Madonna's Like a Virgin song in the Quentin Tarantino film, Reservior Dogs. Anyways, after getting tangled up in a wreck with London Wilmot and Rich Farside in the first race I managed 3-3-3 in the motos, Bob O'Gorman took the wins. In the main I missed the gate from lane 7, you can't give an inch in that class, and allowed Kelly Kelly to come across from 8 and shutting me down. I finished up with a 7th from 8 riders.
I had a cold that I was suffering from for over a week which took hold and after racing I slept through from about 4pm until 6am. I didn't feel much better on Sunday but I finally got a good night sleep. Racing started at 8am on Sunday with only a pro warm up. A bunch of the 35 & Over riders decided not to race on Sunday, apparently it's common to to have a higher moto count on the Saturday, so the two 30 & Over Expert riders were combined with 35 & Over expert. With a 2 moto transfer system I had Kelly Kelly and Shaun DiPrete. I finished up with a 3-2-2. I had lane 7 again in the main of 6 riders, Kelly Kelly was stuck out in 8 again. This time I out snapped him, with 3 riders fighting for 4th I was running out of energy quick and had to shut it down to settle for 6th.
When the racing is over the finalists receive a disk that can be cashed in for BMX bucks or a trophy on Saturday or a plaque on Sunday. You get $11 for first down to $7 for fifth to eighth if you take BMX bucks, not a lot considering the cost of entries, but it can be used to buy NBL merchandise, purchase products from the track vendors or pay for entry fees.
Click here to check out the photos (including 2 from Bizzarro's London Wilmot)
Boston
With the race over and done with I drove back to Boston, via Rhode Island, for the real reason behind my trip, business. I had dumped the rental car and headed for my room in the financial district in downtown Boston. I have to admit I got all sorts of funny looks and comments going up and down in the elevator with my bike through the week. One guy saying "you don't see that every day", I guess we, as BMXers, need to change that. There is no track close to downtown Boston, just the Boston dirt jumps down by Fenway Park so I went down and hit them up once. On the Tuesday night I saw Irish band, Snow Patrol, along with 18,999 Bostonians...or if Boston is known as Bean Town does that make people from Boston beans? Anyways I was pretty stoked having bought my ticket at the gate an hour before the show was to start, to end up with a 4th row seat.
Waterford MI
I had a 6am flight on Friday from Boston to Detroit. That's a 3:30am wake up. I'm glad I don't have to do that too often. Earlier Bill Ryan, from Supercross, had called Deanna, a Supercross factory rider and local to the Waterford area, to see if she could help me find accommodation. She ended up picking me up from the Detroit airport and taking me to Panera Bread, a cafe/bagel house, close to the track for breakfast. While she ran some errands I was able to catch up on some email, and website stuff from there. Waterford is about an hour North of Detroit, that would probably be a $100US taxi ride. It's truely amazing what some of our BMX brothers and sisters would do for each other, despite the fact they have never met, and for that I am forever grateful.
When we got to the track Deanna's son, Ryan, was also with us,
I unpacked the bike and cut a few laps. It was hot and very humid,
not the best conditions for riding, but at least it wasn't raining.
The track was a little different from what I saw on one of the
Transit DVDs. It was mostly down hill, with some fun jumps on
it. The 4th straight had a decission maker with 2 huge sets of
doubles for the pros and more skilled ams. The most known pro
riders at the track would have been Kim Hayashi and Amanda Geving.
Geiving was seen hitting up the pro side of the decision maker
with ease. We also met with Michelle and Justin Posey from NC,
Michelle is an active member of Vintage BMX. We all went out to
dinner some where that would have been about 30 minutes drive
from the track, that area sure has some nice resturants...and
lakes...they are everywhere, a water skier/wake boarder's dream.
Waking up Saturday morning I looked out the window to find that
it had rained heavily over night and didn't look like it would
let up any time soon. The track was covered so it would be ready
to ride when the rain stopped. 
We
waited at the track for a while and I spoke BMX with Tom Erickson
at the Mid West Felt tent for a while, then the announcement was
made that there will be a decision made about the race at 2pm.
The Mid West Felt guys looked after our bikes while we went back
to the rooms to stay out of the rain. I found myself watching
Scary Movie 4 with Justin, Ryan, and Shane Hall while the "parents"
were playing cards. The rain didn't stop until around 2pm. I thought
it was never going to stop and started to wonder if I had wasted
my time trying to chase a NAG, if both days were washed out the
end result would be that I would only have 4 of the 5 national
rounds that I needed. It was making me very nervous. 
Thankfully
that wasn't the case. By the time practice was over, racing didn't
start until around 4pm. But it was run through pretty quick with
a 2 moto transfer of about 85 motos. There were 2 gates of 8 in
the 35 & Over men. I was told I had a gate of heavy hitters
but managed 2-2-2 and a 3 in the main of 6. I had to work for
it though, coming from last after a slow start to work my way
through the field. As per usual the guys in that class were highly
competitive but very friendly. I saw John Miller (30-34 expert),
who's riding for Hyper now, back on his bike from an injury that
put him out for a while. He is currently capped out on both bikes
in the NBL series. He went down in a moto and has a suspected
break that could put him out of the grands. Oh and I got to meet
Deanna's English husband Alex. He'd spent some time travelling,
including a year in Australia, so it was a good opportunity to
talk about something different to BMX.
Sunday morning was an early one with racing starting at 8am. Only around 75 motos. This time 30-34 expert and 35-39 were combined. I think there were 6 riders in total, we would drop one for the final. I got 3-3-3 in the motos and finished 3rd in the main, after a good first straight sitting in second I nearly ran up the back of the guy in front and had to stop pedalling allowing a guy to slip through and I dropped back to third. I hadn't had a chance to watch the women's pro class since my class is the next one up after theirs and they run 2 or 3 races on the track at once. But the glances I did see Geving and Hayashi were trading the 1 and 2 spot quite often in the corners. There was no men's pro class, there weren't enough entries so those guys raced in the open.
Racing was done and my bike packed by 10:30am. After a quick lunch with Deanna and Michelle, Michelle drove me to the airport where I found plenty to occupy my time in the 5 hour wait. When I checked my bike in it was suddenly "sports equipment" again and I again managed to avoid paying the fee for a bike. The biggest costs for this leg of the trip were the flights from Boston to Detroit of about $250US and the entry fees of $45US per day.
I have to take this opportunity to thank Deanna, Alex, Michelle, and Tom for their hospitality over the weekend, I really appreciate it.
Click here to check out the photos
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
Wow, a week has passed already, a whole week, and I still
haven't got my stuff together to show off the preview photos of
the new products from Answer and Supercross.
Well here's an update of the trip so far.
I had hit the road on Wednesday 9th of August headed for the airport.
I had made sure that I had everything I needed for the trip, but
as per ususal I was pulling up close to the airport when I realised
I had forgotten something, the power supply for my laptop. But
hey, that's no big deal, they are easy enough to buy if I had
to, I called the office in Melbourne and had them send mine to
the Boston office. (It's a week later and it still hasn't arrived
yet, lucky there were spares at the office here.)
The flight left on time at 10:30 am.
I had a basic plan for the flight, catch up on a lot of sleep,
but the habit is to just keep watching the movies. By the time
I had watched Candy, Momento, V for Vendetta and Over the Hedge,
and I still wasn't tired, I realised that my basic plan had gone
right out the window. The big problem was I had to catch up with
some of the long time website parters, Bill from Supercross, Eric
and Joey from Answer and meet Scot Breithaupt. So straight off
the plane I was going to spend some time driving around California.
The first stop was Answer.
The flight arrived in LA at about 7:30 am LA time, that's about
11:30 pm Melbourne time I think, I might have had about an hour
of sleep for the whole flight. It was stinking hot in LA, a lot
different to the winter back home. By the time I had gone through
customs and found a car rental company that had cars to spare
and then finally got out to Valencia it was well past lunch time.
Answer had some cool stuff coming out, they showed me the designs
for the new range of Edge and Team gear and a new helmet design
as well as a new chainring, handlebars, stem, they have a whole
lot going on at the moment. They also showed me the Drive street/freestyle
range, they have some very nice looking forks that are crazy light
and very racable. The next stop was Supercross HQ. Eric from Answer
joked, or atleast that's what I thought, he said that Bill lived
halfway to Vegas. It was about 7:30pm and I was less than 200
miles from Vegas. I was in the middle of the freaken desert thinking
I was very lost, when I finally got to SX HQ, thank god for the
GPS that I hired for the trip. I chatted with Bill for a bit before
heading out to find somewhere to sleep for the night. It was around
9pm, maybe midday back home...and I was running on empty. It had
totally slipped my mind that I was supposed to catch up with Scot
and his new wife Jamie for dinner. So I gave him a call, apologised
for standing him up, but he was nearby waiting for my call. We
still got to catch up and have some dinner, when we first met
Scot had some goodies for me. I felt like I had a second wind,
and no it wasn't something that I ate. We chatted for a while
and I ended up staying at Scot's place in the spare room for the
night. I think it would have been midnight before I finally got
to sleep. It was the longest day I had ever experienced. I think
I was showing signs of fatigue when I jumped into the wrong side
of the car to drive back to Scot's from the resturant. Scot showed
me a bunch of stuff that he'd kept through the years, some rare
frames, clothes, original SE artwork.
That's it for the first installment, more to come soon.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
While at the Constitution Classic on the weekend I managed
to get a couple of quick photos, but since my class was right
after pro and there weren't many motos, there aren't a lot.
The last 2 photos are from London Wilmot of Bizzarro Racing.
Click
here to check out the photos from Trumbull CT.
by bmxultra.com
Sorry, it took me a bit of time to get these pics together.
Jason Bergstrom headed over to Cleveland TN for the Redline Cup
qualifier and managed to get a bunch of good photos.
Click
here to check out the photos from Cleveland TN.
Kuwahara BMX Worldwide press release
The new Kuwahara Laserlite frames have been developed and designed
utilizing crucial input from Kuwahara Factory Team AA Pro riders
Matt Pohlkamp and Warwick Stevenson to bring you one of the highest
quality and best handling frames on the market today.
LASERLITE
TEAM
Features -
Pro XL 7005 Series Aluminum frame with Hydroformed downtube
Funn Hooka-DH Hollow Axle Alloy Cranks
Internal Sealed Bearing Headset
Funn Thrilla-MX CNC Pro Stem
Sun Welded Rhyno Lite Rims
Sealed Bearing Cassette Hubs
LASERLITE
TEAM LTD ED
To Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kuwahara KZ 2.5 ET model
released in 1982, a Limited Edition Laserlite Team model bike
will be available featuring the ET Red/White fade Paint scheme
and custom anodised Gold components. Specs as per Laserlite Team.
This will be limited to 250 pieces worldwide
The 2007 Laserlite Team and 2KZ series which includes Pro, Pro
24", Expert, Junior and Mini sized bikes will be launched
at the upcoming Eurobike (Germany Sept 1st) and Interbike (USA
Sept 27th) bicycle tradeshows.
The 2007 Kuwahara range can be viewed online from Sept 1st at
www.kuwaharabmx.com
by bmxultra.com
The Eastfield BMX club, who host a round of the Track Attack
series, are working on some major track changes. They have started
on the third straight and the finish line shelter and have a whole
lot of other work planned.
Pictures available here:
http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j284/eastfieldbmxclub2/track_mods_12-08-2006/
Formula Bicycle Company press release
Sao Paulo, Brazil – Formula Bicycle Company sent four riders
to Brazil to get the job done for the good ‘ole USA. dR
Donny Robinson, Amanda Geving, Warren McDow, and Chad Kerley made
the trip to the southern hemisphere with gold medals on their
minds. The trip started out easy enough with dR, McDow, and Kerley
meeting up in Miami, ready for the long trip to Brazil. Amanda
flew out the week prior to hit up the World’s pre-race.
The group hit up Miami’s infamous South Beach during the
layover and got their first taste of a clothing optional beach.
Kerley, though appreciating the sights, was a little young for
this outing, so the group beat it back to the airport just in
time to meet up with Bill Geving to get checked in. After the
long flight to Brazil, including a stop over in Colombia, the
crew met up with NBL president Darol Carr in Brazil, grabbed their
rent-a-cars, and braved the crazy Sao Paulo traffic. If you completely
ignore all normal road rules and drive like a madman you will
fit in Brazilian traffic. After checking into the four-star Caesar
Park hotel Monday morning, the Formula crew was ready to relax
for two days before practice on Wednesday.
After a trip to the beach at Santos on Tuesday with Mark. Cheryl
and Alise Post and Joey Bradford, the crew awoke on Wednesday
to hear that practice was cancelled and the UCI crew was working
on the track. A practice was arranged at a local track in Sao
Paulo. dR and Warren opted out, but Amanda and Chad , who was
nursing a severely sprained thumb sustained at the ABA Vegas race
2 weeks prior and needed some track time to see how his thumb
would hold up, made the trip. The track turned out to be a nice
one, with a hand operated gate, and the track operator was super
stoked to have some of the worlds best riders on his track. Amanda
was riding fast and clean and Chad felt some soreness in his thumb,
but said he was ready. After a two hour session, it was back on
the road for dinner. Back at the hotel, the crew learned that
they did get the track fixed in time and that the US was the only
ones that didn’t get to practice. The US had team meetings
that evening and everyone learned that there was threat of rain
for the weekend, so the Elites were going on Friday and the Cruiser
day was switched to Saturday.
Thursday practice went off without a hitch. Chad’s thumb
was feeling better, only hurting him when he cased, but he was
clearing the huge first straight double easily with signature
Kerley crazy style. Chad was getting a lot of props for his fluid
style and skill, and many people who had never seen him were stoked
on how well he rode. Non US riders love stylish and skilled riders
and Chad made a lot of new fans during practice. Warren and Donny
concentrated on the second and third straight Pro Sections, trying
different lines and figuring out what speed it took to actually
make it through cleanly. dR looked good on the track. Amanda was
killing it down the first straight and was jumping the first double
with ease. Warren looked ultra fast and dR was impressed with
how Warren was pulling with the Elite riders down the first straight.
That night, dR shared with Warren his new outlook on racing and
they got each other psyched up for the next day’s racing.
Friday was forgettable for the Formula team. During warm-up, Warren
was cut off in the second straight pro section and crashed hard
over the second set, landing on his back and tearing some lower
back muscles in the process. He was already nursing a sprained
ankle from a crash in Vegas, but this one was serious. Despite
the pain Warren went out and won his first moto. He ran all three
and made it out to his eighth main, but by then the pain was too
much. The team doctor advised him to let it go and Warren was
crushed his day was over. dR looked good all through motos. Come
quarter time, Donny was in fourth going into turn two but tangled
with Mike Day and went down. Done. Amanda was the only Formula
rider who made the main. She looked fast in all her motos and
qualifiers, but come main time, an outside gate kept her from
getting to the front of the pack. She came out of turn one in
seventh and couldn’t get through traffic to pick anyone
off.
Saturday was a new day and Amanda and dR were ready to redeem
themselves. It had rained the night before and despite not having
covered the track until morning, it held up decently. Races were
delayed in the morning by a few hours, but the Elites were pretty
much on time. dR eased through motos and into the main. He was
not to be denied. Out of lane eight, he powered down the first
straight and railed around Danny Caluag in the first turn and
came out with the lead. After that dR checked out and had himself
another UCI World Championship to match his great friend and idol,
Mario Soto. He came across the line dead tired, his legs gave
out, and he fell to the ground in the finish area. But of course
there always has to be some controversy to stir things up. France’s
Thomas Allier protested how the gate fell. Apparently the gate
moved slightly before it actually fell and Allier felt it was
a mis-start. When dR heard that he might have to re-run the race,
he told them they would have to go on without him. Luckily, there
was no restart and dR was the new Elite Cruiser World Champ. Amanda’s
race went pretty much the same way, winning from the outside,
railing turn one to come out with the lead and she never looked
back. Just like that, Formula’s weekend went from bad to
awesome. One rider left, Chad Kerley on Sunday.
Sunday turned out to be a miserable, rainy day. It drizzled all
thorugh motos and was super cold with a biting wind and Chad felt
like his legs were really stiff. Chad made it easily through motos
and into the main where he was up against fellow Americans Lain
Van Ogle and Anthony Derosa. Out of the gate, Chad and Anthony
had the pop, but Chad’s legs were too stiff to jump the
double and he cased with immediate pain in his thumb. Derosa made
it over with more speed and lead it in and out of turn one. Chad
got squeezed in the first turn, slid out a bit, and nearly came
to a full stop. He came out of turn one in sixth, but with his
awesome track speed passed one rider in the second turn. Derosa
crashed down the third straight and he was in fourth. Come the
second to last turn, Chad pulled his signature move and pimped
TWO riders, running them both off the track, putting him squarely
in second, but Van Ogle was gone and the Tiger had to settle for
World #2. But his efforts pleased his new international legion
of fans who were begging for autographs and pictures from the
talented young rider.
The crew woke up early Monday morning, drove to the airport, and
after a 6 hour layover in Bogota, a 6 hour layover in Miami, the
crew was safe and sound at home. Not a bad trip for the Factory
Formula team, two World #1’s and a World #2. Bring on the
NBL Grands!
Formula has you covered with more options than any other manufacturer,
designed to totally dial in your ride. With 28 designs, Formula
offers the most frame sizes in the industry, including the Hybrid
series frames that are perfect for growing riders making the transition
from small bikes to big bikes. Formula’s Pro Series frames
are also available in 4130 Chrome-moly, giving riders the utmost
choices in frame designs. Plus, Formula’s frames are the
lightest in the industry, check the spec sheet at formulabicycles.com.
Formula has also been doing a limited amount of custom work, so
if you have a special size need or a design that needs built,
give ‘em a call.
Formula’s Solution race frames are out now and available
FACTORY DIRECT, though your local bike shop, or online at www.atistore.com
– only $299 for the aluminum frames and $269 for the cromo
versions.
Give the guys at Formula a call at 619-590-0530 or email at info@formulabicycles.com
to find out all the answers to your Formula questions. Make sure
to check out www.formulabicycles.com
for further info.
by Tony Harvey
Just a reminder that the selection races for the Victorian state
team 2007 start on the 20th of August. Any rider wishing to become
involved in the team Vic program needs to attend the following
races.
Riders will be judged against other riders of the same age. So in the case of 14+, any rider wishing to race 14+ instead will still be considered.
Any senior riders wishing to be considered needs to be racing Elite classes at both state and National levels.
State team selection does not give automatic selection for VIS bmx programs.
Victorian state team selection Races for “team 2007”
Riders must compete in at least 4 of 5 races, including the state
titles.
Riders will receive double points at state titles.
Riders will be selected from classes, 14, 15, 16 girls and boys.
Junior and senior elite or equivalent classes, men and woman.
by Tony Harvey
What a fantastic result at the recent world titles in Brazil.
Victoria sent three of our best riders over to represent, and
that they did.
Ziggy Callan put on a fantastic performance, finishing in the semi final on her 20', after crashing and injuring her knee. But she was able to regain composer and finish with a 4th in Junior women cruiser.
Josh Callan was also on fire winning everything on his 20', but after a bad start in the main and a crash he finished with an 8th. The next day he had a strong ride on his cruiser and once again made the main, but was unable to keep it together and dropped it in the first turn. It was an awesome job making 2 out out of 2 finals.
But what do you say about the new world champion Ash McCutcheon?
I took this kid to QLD earlier in the year and after we got back
I was wondering how he was even going to make it out of the country.
I have nothing but praise for Ash and after working with him over
the past 6 months he has turned out to be a great kid and a fantastic
competitor who does nothing by halves. Ash
dominated the main from start to finish and was the only Australian
to come back with a Number 1 title. This is a big boost for Victorian
BMX and for our state program. Well done big fella.
Team Victoria is supported by: Sun Rims, profile, tuff Neck, Dirt, Total BMX.
BMXAustralia press release
On the whole how were the first Worlds for Australia’s
High Performance Squad?
Sean: Disappointing results due to the fact a virus went through
the team as soon as we landed in Brazil. This most certainly took
the wind out of our sails.
What did you notice about these Worlds?
Sean: The USA is still leading the way; they have an
edge on everybody at the moment when it comes to competing. It’s
because of their ABA/NBL competition structure. Our 2007 Probikx
Series will give our riders the competition they need, this should
ensure the bar will be raised before the 2007 Worlds.
How did you see the Elite Men’s Performance?
Sean: Bit of a mixed bag. Physically, Michael (Robinson)
was in pretty good shape but he got struck down with virus about
7 days out. Warwick (Stevenson) had a tough season with injury
then he spent the last week beforehand in bed with the ‘lovely
virus’ that hung out with us. Jamie (Gray) did well. He
was consistent all year. What he achieved is remarkable by making
two World Championship finals in a row. He’s done it all
from home soil, which should be applauded. Kamakazi’s aggressive
style got him though to the semi-finals. Making it through to
the semis was an achievement in itself, a fall in the semi final
cost him a spot in the main event. Wade (Bootes) was just in the
right place but just at the wrong time.
What about Billy Jolliffe making 7th?
Sean: Billy’s been going well all year. It was
great to see him get 2 World plates (20” and cruiser). He’s
done this year all by himself. I’m looking forward to seeing
him develop.
How did you see the Elite Women’s Performance?
Sean: The women’s classes world-wide have clearly
stepped up.Our girls have been working on their skills and improving
their fear factor. Krystal (Cranfield) and Renee (Junga) made
the semis. Tanya (Bailey) was pushing the envelope and that’s
a good sign. She had a couple of crashes. There is some work to
do. I’m looking forward to seeing them do it.
How did you see the Junior riders?
Sean: Melissa (Mankowski) came fourth. She backed up
last year's result so that shows consistently. James Dixon was
beaten in the quarters. Todd (Pascoe) was unlucky not to go further
in the program. Both of them have no fear and their skills are
great. This ‘new generation’ of riders looks good.
How about our only World Champion, Ashley McCutcheon?
Sean: It’s great. Anytime someone wins it’s
exciting. He was overwhelmed. He kept saying, “What have
I done?” Hope he hangs around the sport long enough to grow
to full potential. It’s great to see riders like Ashley,
Joshua (Callan) and (Sam) Willoughby coming through, they are
all good kids as well as being brilliant bike handlers. The future
is bright.
How would you sum up the Worlds?
Sean: Drama, I think everyone was glad to get out of
there and back home to put on weight they all lost from being
sick for most of the camp. Look out for the Aussies in Canada
next year, fingers crossed they will all be healthy next time.
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I am in Boston now getting settled in for the business leg
of my trip to the US. I have just arrived from Trumbull dropped
off my rental car and thought I'd give another quick update.
There were 91 motos on Saturday and 86 motos on Sunday at the Trumbull national. The biggest named rider there was Kim Hyashi. There were 2 gates of the open masters, or pro open, or whatever they call it these days. 10 riders in 35-39 expert on Saturday including Bob O'Gorman (W3) and current points leader Kelly Kelly, the rest of the field was stacked, trust me. I still have a cold, but I'm working through it. I got 3-3-3 in the motos and a 7 in the main on Saturday and 3-3-3 and a 6 in the main today. Bob O'Gorman took Saturday's win. On Sunday a bunch of guys decided not to race, so we were combined with the 30-34 expert class, making up 2 gates of 4 riders, 3 from each making the main. Bizarro's Shaun DiPrete took the win in the final. Trumbull was just what I needed for my wakeup call before I hit the grands. I have some work to do on the bike over the next few weeks.
While I was cooling down on Saturday after my third moto I was
approached by Michael Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post. He saw
that I was from Australia and wondered how I ended up racing my
bike in Trumbull. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.connpost.com/localsports/ci_4176166
More details about the weekend and full updates when I have a power supply.
by bmxultra.com
We have a whole pile of news building up, but I dont have
my laptop's power supply with me, it is waiting for me to arrive
in Boston (long story).
The tour is going well. I have been to both Answer and Supercross and have some photos of some very new and exciting products. I got to spend a few hours with the OM of BMX. He has supplied us with some items to auction off at BSX2007. We have 2 signed copies of Joe Kid on a Stingray and a signed OM t-shirt. We'll find a way to make the auctions work, maybe people can make bids in the forums for now. He has a whole lotta exciting news to come in the next couple of weeks, but you will have to wait for that. One thing I can tell you is that the OM is a new parter for bmxultra.com.
I checked out the Orange Show track at San Bernadino yesterday, it was hot but I got about a half a dozen laps in. I am at Trumbull, CT, right now, for the NBL national. The track is pretty cool, lots of flow and fast. The funny thing is it's very narrow, so the snap and corners will be very important. Actually it's so narrow, that if you have lane 1 or 2 and you dont get across by the bottom of the hill you will be off the track, lucky the American's don't have starting lanes.
That's it for now.
by Dominique Gerwig bmxmag.net
We would like to inform you that will be organized in Lyon (France)
in November the 1st Indoor Pro Open (saturday night November 18th)
for Elite and Junior riders (both M and W)
* Total prize money is more than 10000 euros (13000 dollars) split
in: more than 8000 euros for men and 2000 euros for girls.
Men price money (€)
1 3000
2 1500
3 1000
4 600
5 400
6 400
7 200
8 200
9 to 16 100
Women price money (€)
1 1000
2 500
3 300
4 100
5 100
6 100
7 50
8 50
* as you can see on the attached file, 40 riders (32 men and 8
girls) are called "guests"
We would like that these riders are Top Pros coming from USA,
South America.... and Europe.
Those Top Pro riders willn't have qualification motos but will
be included in the further rounds with other Elite and Juniors.
* the track will be designed and built by Carmine Falco former
Elite rider.
* website for this event is: www.probmx69.com and is updated frequently.
Right now you can already have a look on two 3D schemes of the
track and general informations on hotels booking.
* Classical races for all classes (from 9 up to Vet) will also
take place all along this week end.
* among those races, a big Pasta party will be organized during
the event and a crazy Bmx party in one of the famous night club
of the city on saturday night.
* Lyon is located in the east part of France close to the Alpes,
is 450kms far from Paris and 150kms from Geneva. Lyon International
Airport (Saint Exupery) has frequent connections with all the
european cities.
I am for this event in charge of relations with media (websites,
magazines and tv) and collaborate with the organization. Organization
commitee is a 3 heads one: JJ Godet (father of the Elite
rider Damien) who has a huge experience of this kind of event
because he has organized in the past
the Rennes Indoor (West part of France) and was a member of the
organization commitee of the
last World championship in Paris), Carmine Falco (former Elite
rider and track builder)
and Evenor association(which is organizing SX (motos) Indoor in
Lyon since a long time, Sx indoor in 2006 will be one week after
Bmx Indoor).
For any further information you will need (or anybody who needs!)
don't hesitate to contact me: dgerwig@free.fr
Don't miss this awesome bmx event in Lyon!!!
by bmxultra.com
We'll be heading to the US tomorrow morning and will be on the
road for a few days. If there's no new news on bmxultra.com you
can be sure it will be coming so keep checking back.
SE Bikes press release
SE has taken another step back into "retro coolness!"
No longer do you need to spend top dollar on E-Bay for a torn
up, faded old school SE jersey. Now you can buy a brand spankin'
new retro SE jersey made by Hot Shoppe. Large vent holes, old
school wings, legendary light blue & brown colors, large wings
down the shoulder, you name it. It's all there.
Sizes: Youth Med, Youth Large, Small, Med, Large, XL, XXL
MSRP: $60
Be the first on your block to make all of your dad's friends jealous!
Always check www.SEBIKES.com to see what's shakin' at SE.
ONE Bicycles press release
ONE Bicycles is proud to announce their new distributor for New
Zealand.
Degeneration BMX will service the New Zealand racing market at events, but has also an online sales site.
Matthew Cockburn, a business man for years now, is keen on supplying riders in New Zealand with quality products.
Degeneration BMX is going to promote ONE by assigning equipment to some top riders.
ONE Bicycles and Degeneration BMX are looking forward to a secure and long relationship.
ONE KENDA press release
ONE KENDA BMX RACING TEAM’S US Representative Maliek Byndloss
is back in the States enjoying his 2nd place World Title !
Maliek has had a great run this year.
By mid 2006 Maliek had captured the Florida State 11 Expert 1st
Place Title. Continuing his work ethic, he is now in 1st Place
going into the NBL’s National Championships on 20”
and in 2nd Place on Cruiser. With this under his belt, Maliek
took off to Brazile to compete in the UCI World Championship of
BMX.
If you have never attended the Worlds, it is a race for all the
highest ranking riders in their Class. Hence the race is nothing
but awesome competition from day 1, moto 1. This year’s
race did not disappoint.
Maliek entered his Main event in Gate 5. The other riders? Only
the best other seven riders in the World. When the gate dropped
it was a complete drag race to the hole shot. Maliek, and 2005’s
World Champion Jordi Schippers, barely got the jump on the rest
of the pack and Maliek closed the door on Jordi at the very last
second going into turn 1. Jordi stuck close to Maliek as the two
began to pull away from the pack.
It was hardcore racing from both champions and just past the mid
way point the rest of the riders began to close in on the two.
Coming out of turn 3 Jordi managed to gain enough momentum to
clear the following double. Maliek was forced to manual. Coming
down the back side Jordi had the speed to move out in front.
The two kept close together finishing with Maliek taking the 2nd
Place title. It was a great race for the two greatest athletes
in their class!
Check out the excitement on video at: WK Sao Paulo, Brazilië
The other news we can bring you is that multiple World Champion,
Gabriela Diaz from Argentina, won the UCI World ranking in Elite
Women.
ONE Bicycles and all the ONE KENDA riders want to thank all the
sponsors for their support!
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
Team Phirebird Media Release
Big congratulations goes out to Jamie Gray for retaining his W8
plate in Sao Paulo, Brazil last week!
The Australian BMX community and Team Phirebird are amazed with his consistency, Jamie is one of only two riders [Mike Day] to appear in both the 2005 and 2006 finals adding to his reputation as a consistent big time rider.
Interview:
TPB - Congrats on making another World Titles final Jamie, tell
us how do you feel about your result!
JG - What else can I say other than I am a World Title finalist
for the 2nd year in a row! Yes, it would have been nice to make
it past the 1st corner, but the world #8 plate will do just fine
for another year. I still have another 2 years to punch away at
that gold medal; they say good things come to those who go and
get it!
TPB - Is there anyone you would you like to thank in your support
network?
JG - First of all a big thanks goes out to Cycling Australia and
the High Performance squad, and the HPP coach Sean Dwight for
getting me to the Worlds & for all their support throughout
the year. My man Glenn Codega from Phirebird Raceways; couldn't
have done it without ya mate! I'd also like to thank ONE Bicycles
for giving Team Phirebird a new ride for the Worlds. Elite Cycle
Imports for their support of Team Phirebird. Michael at Cycleworld
on the Sunshine Coast [my work]. Mum & Dad - I Love you both!
Last but not least, everyone out there that believed & supported
me through 2006. Team Phirebird are GO!!!
by Tony "HRV" Harvey
Training is starting again at Eastfield for the state titles which
are only 3 months away.
Location: EASTFIELD BMX Track, Vic
Dates:
August: 19th
September: 2nd, 9th, 23rd.
October: 7th, 21st,
November: 4th, 11th,
Time:
9am – Till 10.30am
For further information contact Tony Harvey at tonyhrv1@hotmail.com
Bombshell press release
UCI BMX World Championships
You’ve all read about the craziness that was Brazil. Bombshell
riders brought back a number of titles for their countries on
their Bombshell F1 Forks, the best fork in BMX Racing:
Javier Colombo ARG Elite Mens W1 (SE)
Randy Stumpfhauser USA Elite Mens W2 (GT)
Jamie Gray AUS Elite Mens W8 (ONE)
Damien Godet FRA Elite Cruiser W3 (REDLINE)
Tyler Brown USA Elite Cruiser W6 (AVENT)
Jarrett Kolich USA Elite Cruiser W8 (AVENT)
Gabriela Diaz ARG Elite Womens W2 (ONE)
Aneta Hladikova CZE Elite Womens W5 (ONE)
Aneta Hladikova CZE Elite Womens Cruiser W4 (ONE)
Joey Bradford USA Junior Mens W8 (GT)
Edzus Treimanis LAT Junior Mens Cruiser W3 (ONE)
Shanaze Reade ENG Junior Womens W1 (KOXX)
Magalie Pottier FRA Junior Womens Cruiser W3 (ONE)
Alise Post USA 18 & Under Womens Cruiser W2 (AVENT)
Manon Valentino FRA 16 Girls W3 (AVENT)
Teagan O’Keefe RSA 14 Girls W3 (AVENT)
Teagan O’Keefe RSA 18 & Under Women’s Cruiser
W6 (AVENT)
Maliek Byndloss USA 11 Boys W2 (ONE)
Maliek Byndloss USA 12 & Under Cruiser W7 (ONE)
SPONSORSHIP
Rider Sponsorship is open 365 days a year on SponsorHouse.com.
Log on now to connect yourself and get hooked up with Bombshell.
www.SponsorHouse.com.
Team and Elite Sponsorship is open now through September 15th. Please mail a resume, with photo, schedule, roster, accomplishments and anything else you feel best promotes you or your team. All items sent become the property of Bombshell, Inc. and will not be returned.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Your Name Here. Bombshell is now accepting offers for 2007 and
2008 Corporate Sponsors. For details please contact Cathy at 619-448-4508.
INTERBIKE 2006 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
September 27 – 29 Bombshell will be at the Interbike Expo
located at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas Nevada. Booth
# 4825. Call today to schedule your appointment.
Bombshell is proudly sponsored by Avent Cycles, Fly Racing Gear, Manitou Forks and Shocks, Shimano Components, Jagwire Cables, Maxxis Tires and Tubes, Thomson Stems and Seatposts, MRP Chain Guides, Tangent Pads / Plates / & Grips, SDG Seats, S&M Bars, Animal Custom Jerseys.
For more information check out http://bombshellparts.com
by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com
I have raced at 18 national championships all over Australia,
all of which have been a single weekend. It's always been pretty
cut throat. We all have made our decisions of advantages and disadvantages
of running a national championship in this way. That's without
experiencing the other side of the coin.
Over the next few weeks I would have competed in my first US national series with the NBL. And I have already been hit with expensive airfares and car hire before I have even started. I am not talking about the international flight but rather the domestic flights to get around the US. There are ways to do it on the cheap, it's common to see people setting up camp for the weekend at the track, or packing motel rooms like sardine cans. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper if I didn't have to fly around, but a road trip is out of the question due to my schedule.
To qualify for a national NBL ranking as an amateur, the basic idea is to race at a minimum of 5 nationals (apparently 2 regional races can count towards national points) and the Grands. The nationals are seperate events for Saturday and Sunday, meaning each weekend counts for 2 nationals. So that means at minimum you could get away with racing over 2 weekends, assuming some of the national events have 2 national races and a regional, like they did in September at Woodward.
There are quite a few NBL nationals and regionals throughout the US, so assuming that you live in the US and have good points, you could get away with not having to pay too much for travel.
To put this all into perspective, let's say we were running a national series with regional races that helped contribute to the points in Australia. You could have 2 national weekends in each state and a bunch of regionals too. The only interstate riding you might need to do is to go to Grands, the final round. That is unless you were trying to cap out your points, there is a maximum score you can get at each round. 5 perfect rounds would set you up for a good ranking at the Grands, which by the way I think is a triple point round.
To me it seems the only disadvantage of a national series set up like this is if a foreigner wants to jump in on the action. It would certainly help BMX in Australia with bigger races through the year and riders would be able to rely on consistancy more than luck.
We have the fourm set up now, so all dicussions of articles will happen there, fell free to sign up and have your say. www.bmxultra.com/smf/index.php
Bicycle Film Festival press release
The Bicycle Film Festival is in Chicago August 10-12.
http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com
It is our first time in the Windy City. We look forward to some bike movie fun in Chicago.
We are screening "Warriors: The Bike Race" with MASH. Do not miss it. It will be tons of fun.
"Joe Kid on a Stingray - The History of BMX" is screening on Saturday August 12 at 5:00 PM.
"A Sunday In Hell" which I consider one of the greatest cycling films ever made is playing as well.
I recommend getting your tickets ahead of time at the site.
http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com
Our friends Rooftop Films is screening BIKE Aug.4 at 9pm in NYC.
http://www.rooftopfilms.com/show_06-bike.html
I hope that you can make the Chicago shows or at least tell your friends out here to come out.
SE Bikes press release
It is with great pleasure to announce that SE’s Javier Colombo
is the 2007 U.C.I. Elite Men’s Pro BMX World Champion. The
race took place this past weekend in Sao Paulo, Brazil on one
of the best World Championship tracks to date. Javier rode strong
throughout the day and qualified to the 8-man main event, beating
out over 90 of the world’s best riders from over 20 different
countries.
In the final, Javier had a great start on his PK Ripper Team bike and went into the first turn in 2nd place, just behind former National Champion, Randy Stumpfhauser (GT Bikes). Javier rode a strong lap and stayed within striking distance of Randy throughout the two pro sections and five turns. Coming out of the final turn, Javier charged hard and pulled up along side of Randy. With approximately 25 ft to the finish, Javier rode the final jumps with more aggression and passed Randy by a half of a bike length for the U.C.I. World Championships win!
If you would like to see the 45 second clip of Javier wining the main event, click the following link. Javier is in 2nd place for the entire race, right up to the finish line where he passes Randy for the win.
http://www.martijnscherpen.net/
by Brian Lacey Pres., Eastern Region
Victoria's Eastern Region BMX clubs are anxious to assure everyone
who might be thinking about January 2007's Track Attack series
that the recent events with the Australian distributorship for
GT Bicycles won't effect the running of the series. It might give
our treasurer chest pains, but there is no question that the series
will run, and will definitely run with the vastly increased prize
money.
So book the annual leave and be with us in January, entry forms
will be out in a couple of weeks.
The Eastern Region would also like to take this opportunity to
thank Stephen Robinson for his help in the past, where the support
from GT helped develop the Track Attack series into one of the
most successful things in Aussie BMX.
by bmxultra.com
The bmxultra.com forums are back up and running again after
a reload. The idea of the bmxultra forum has been a long time
coming and is obviously needed in Australia, however it's not
restricted to Australian's. We have finished our testing and will
start to integrate it with the rest of the site over the next
few weeks or so.
click here to check it out: www.bmxultra.com/smf/index.php