Thousands At Sarasota For BMX
geneb
Sarasota, FL -- 05/17/2009
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Photo - Lady BMX�ers hit the track during the BMX 2009 Florida
State Series Championship race at the BMX track in Sarasota.
An estimated 1,000 racers and 3,000 spectators from across
the state attended a daylong schedule of BMX bike races here
Saturday, making it the biggest such event here in more than
a decade.
The races, sanctioned by the National Bicycle League, took place
at the BMX track at 1500 N. Tuttle Ave. The Sarasota BMX Parents
Council has been planning the event for months. An awards
ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Sunday at Lakewood Ranch
High School.
"It's been a long time since an event like this has ever happened
in Sarasota. There have been a couple of races here but nothing
this large," said track director and president Daryl Geary. "Each
year, the schedule is different as far as where the qualifying races
and championships are held, so we're really honored to have it here."
The newest summer sport in the Olympic Games, inspired by
Southern California daredevils in the 1970s, BMX racing involves
inline cycling on obstacle courses -- not a pastime for the faint of
heart.
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Photo - BMX�ers race over obstacles on
a dirt track during Saturday�s event.
Last weekend, 850 bikers participated in the state qualifier race in
Tampa. In Sarasota, the youngest rider expected to attend Saturday
was only 3 years old, and the oldest was 60.
The top 15 riders will be invited to compete
against BMX winners in other states.
"We have some world-class riders here, three or four pros, and this
is their home track. They are racing for their overall place ranking for
the year," Geary said. "They're chasing that number one number plate.
They're racing for status."
For such BMX aficionados like Bryan Kipp and
Kody Wong, prestige is admittedly the objective.
Kipp, a 15-year-old sophomore at Palmetto High School, has been
racing since he was 5, and has traveled to Brazil, Canada and Puerto
Rico for tournaments.
In February, he visited the Olympic Training Center in California
for an evaluation, and was invited to return again in June. In two
years, he will be eligible to sign up for the super-cross races, and
he is pulling for a slot in the 2012 Olympic Games.
"I've gotten to work with people that have already been to the
Olympics. I've gotten to work with the Olympic trainers. It's been
great," Kipp said. "I like going fast and meeting new people."
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Photo - Lorel Molina, Kaitlyn Bishop, 14, Tatum Wright, 14,
and Kris Bishop of Homestead cheer on Kris� son Christopher
Bishop, 18, who placed first in the novice division.
Wong is hoping for a similar experience. The 14-year-old eighth-grader
at Harllee Middle School has sharpened his skills in Canada and China,
and is already planning a trip to Australia for a BMX match in July. He
practices three times a week in Sarasota, and has placed in expert
categories in his age group throughout the world.
"When I was 10, one of my friends got me into BMX and I started
liking it and I just kept doing it. It's really challenging," Wong said.
The most challenging part is winning."
Wong did just that Saturday, finishing in first place
in the 14-to-15 year old age group on his cruiser.
Kipp also had a good day, earning second place
in the state in the "15 expert" age group.
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Photo - On the fence (left to right) Alex Makkos,10,
Niko Makkos,8, Jason Rotger,9, Giovanni Scorsone,9,
Billy Masters, 7, and Tyler Lewis,9, watch the races
during the NBL BMX 2009 Florida State Series Championship.
Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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