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Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Volume: 13, Issue: 9
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Santa Maria Sun / Sports LeadThe following articles were printed from Santa Maria Sun [santamariasun.com] - Volume 11, Issue 16
Excuse our dustThe Santa Maria BMX team hopes bigger races and improvements to the local track will build the city's rider baseBY JEREMY THOMAS
Nearly 100 BMX riders from all over the state converged at the Santa Maria BMX track on the June 26 weekend, catching air, riding roughshod over jumps, and hightailing it around dusty embankments. The racers were on hand for the track’s biggest event of the year: Santa Maria’s own 2010 National Bicycling League (NBL) state qualifier. “This race is a great thing,” said SMBMX rider Ryan Porter. “It’s nice waking up in the morning at our house and just being able to come right out here instead of driving five hours.” Santa Maria is one of eight cities in California with an NBL-sanctioned track; the others are Fresno, Livermore, Lemoore, Lucerne Valley, Orange Cove, Prunedale, and Reedley. Each track is host to one state race during the season, which lasts until October. Much like NASCAR, points are awarded to top finishers and accumulated throughout the year, determining who will go on to represent California for the NBL’s President’s Cup, a national competition held in December. Santa Maria’s event was the fourth state qualifier of the year, consisting of three standard “moto” races and a “main,” a final single race determining place and trophy. Despite being at home, Porter and other racers said late changes to the track countered any advantage they might have had. “It’s a lot more pedaling than most people are used to, so we get a lot of smack talk from the other tracks saying our track is too slow or too much work,” Porter said. “But that’s the sport; you gotta pedal.” While BMX—bicycle motocross—has its roots in California, the state currently lags in rider participation. About 25 riders make up the California State Team, while other states send hundreds, according to Mike Porter, Ryan’s father and president of Santa Maria BMX. “The sad thing is, in the state of California, it really lacks compared to that of other states, like Florida or the East Coast, where it’s very popular,” he explained. “A city [Santa Maria’s] size would have a thousand riders belonging to the track and coming out.” Porter said one major reason for the meager participation is the lack of local tracks. These days, the closest NBL track to the Central Coast is in Fresno, a large track in a city park that receives grants and city money. In Santa Maria, where the track is still being developed, participation comes mostly by word of mouth. Porter and his son said they’d like to generate more buzz and get more young riders into the sport. “You can go around town here and see kids on their bikes, and you ask them if they’ve ever been to a BMX race, and they have no idea what it is,” the younger Porter said. “Their parents could’ve been out racing the flat tracks back in the ’70s when it was just starting, and nobody has any idea what we are.”
The biggest obstacle to hosting a larger regional or national event, according SMBMX’s president, is the county. “It takes a long time, and if you don’t have the proper political contacts and support, you’re never going to get through the county permit process,” Porter said. In recent years, other tracks in Buellton, Santa Barbara, Taft, and Santa Margarita have either shut down or converted from NBL to the competing American Bicycle Association. In Santa Maria, the county asked for $8,000 for the permit to build a larger track, which was more than SMBMX could afford. The organization instead received donations from bike shops and local businesses to make improvements to its current track in order to hold the qualifier. “It was rather ridiculous how much it seemed like people didn’t want us to do something for other people, but it’s finally here,” the younger Porter said. Fun, yes, but also it’s also competitive, according to fellow SMBMX rider Kayla Hughes. Hughes was one of several females to win a main race during the state qualifier. She’s raced BMX for two years, along with her cousin, sister, and mother. While the sport is huge among the girls in the Hughes family, it could be bigger among females in the community, she said. “You could introduce this to some girls, and they would love it,” she said. “Even some of the girls that don’t really do any sports would love it.” More so than most other sports, BMX is a family affair. Take, for example, the Pita family: 13-year-old Brandan leads the state in his expert class and is already a Grand National champion. He races along with brothers Ryan and Michael, mother Christine, and cousin Sienna, who leads all other 12-year-old girls in the state standings.
Santa Maria BMX has had some families with three generations of racers, SMBMX president Porter said, spanning all ages from 5 to 60. “When you travel, it’s a great thing,” he said. “You’re traveling as a family and with a group of people from Santa Maria, and you’re all doing the competing. Rather than the parent just watching their kids compete, they’re doing the same thing.” Riders said being host to the state race would give local ridership a temporary boost. Santa Maria BMX currently boasts about 25 regulars. SMBMX also holds monthly clinics to show new riders the basics. Even when they’re not racing, SMBMX members show their pride in other ways. In the days before the big state qualifier, SMBMX rider Hughes was out with her family, helping to build a fence and get the track in racing shape. “Having all these girls out here just shows that we appreciate the people who made this track,” she said. “It’s just a part of us. It’s something we can’t live without.” Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas can’t live when living is without you. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com. |
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