Snake River BMX holds Idaho state championship race at Sandy Downs
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IDAHO FALLS — BMX riders from across the state gathered August 25 through 28 at Snake River BMX at Sandy Downs in Idaho Falls.
The race determined final standings for 2022 and crowned champions across a number of different age groupings. The race brought out teams of riders and individual riders, giving them a venue to show an enthusiastic audience what they can do.
“We start out with Strider riders,” SRBMX president Casey Christensen told EastIdahoNews.com. “Strider riders are anywhere between one and five years old. We do three rounds of racing with them and at the end of it, all the Striders get a trophy.”
Older riders rode for a shot at trophies and bragging rights throughout the coming year.
“Pedal riders get three rounds,” Christensen said. “The first two rounds, everybody gets to race. How well you do in each round determines if you go to the main event in the third round. How you do in that round determines if you get a trophy for first to fourth place.”
“A lot of these kids that qualify don’t only get a trophy,” he added. “We do an awards ceremony where we hand out these plates for their bikes that say ‘State #1,’ ‘#2,’ etcetera. So next year when these kids are racing, they’re going to have those plates on their bikes as bragging rights. Like, ‘Dude, last year I took first place.”
Snake River BMX is an official chapter of USA BMX and has over four decades of history in the Idaho Falls area. Christensen said that the sport gives kids who may have trouble finding their niche a place to blossom.
“It’s a sport where kids in the community who don’t fit in in other sports can find a place to connect with other kids,” he said. “Some kids are on teams with coaches and other kids aren’t on teams. You can excel in this sport as hard as you want to push yourself.”
BMX is also a sport that helps build strong family bonds. Christensen said he’s watched kids he used to race with grow up, have families of their own and pass on their BMX love to their children.
“If you go out (into the bleachers) and talk to all these families out here, you’ve got people whose grandparents raced, their dad raced or their mom raced,” Christensen said. “Now their kids race or their grandkids race. It’s very much something that sticks in the family. You’ve got the dad out here watching his kid race and then it’s the dad’s turn to go race. When it’s over, they come down and high-five each other and talk about their race. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved.”
“Everybody, pretty much, rides a bike,” he added. “You go into any neighborhood in the country and every kid’s got a bike. Being able to bring these kids out here and ride with their friends on a track, to go over obstacles – you’re jumping and doing all these kind of tricks – it’s just fun to come out with your family and ride your bike and have competition with your friends.”
The BMX season runs through the end of October (depending on the weather), so there’s still time to get some track time for yourself or your kids. If you need bikes, Snake River BMX has some that are available for rent.
Visit Snake River BMX at their official website or the Facebook page for information about registration and fees to be a member of Snake River BMX. You can also follow Snake River BMX on Instagram to keep up with coming events.
