Lethbridge provincial BMX meet provides short track challenge

By Lethbridge Herald on July 25, 2022.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Several young BMX riders from all over the province round the track during Day 2 of competition at the Windy Coulee Big Bridge Provincial Cup at the Lethbridge BMX Club.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge BMX Club hosted the fifth and sixth of eight provincial meets over the weekend in the Windy Coulee Big Bridge Provincial  Cup at the city’s track in the north end.

Around 930 BMX riders convened on the city for the event over two days.

“Everything from five-year-olds, who are just learning how to ride their bikes, to seasoned veterans,” said John Lavorato, a Lethbridge BMX Club volunteer for the last five years, when asked about who was riding.

“Like I said, a lot of older riders and we have our pros, our junior pros, our junior devos are here from Alberta. We have some riders here from Saskatchewan as well.”

Lavorato said it’s gives a lot of publicity, when asked about hosting a provincial meet.

“Hopefully it’ll bring some people in, so we can get more membership,” he said.

Riders experienced a smaller track in Lethbridge.

“We don’t have the space, but hopefully we can get some expansion going,” he said.

“It’s a good track, but there’s bigger and better out there.”

Lavorato said it can be a different skill set when it comes to a smaller track.

“Shorter tracks or the smaller tracks, (there is) a lot more pedaling. The bigger the tracks gets; you know if you’re coming off an eight-metre start hill — you do pedal — but you’re going to hit the bottom of that hill going  60 kilometres an hour.  And a lot of it is bike manipulation of how they gain speed kicking down the back side of the jumps.”

Lavorato said numbers are decent on the circuit.

“We’re not at pre pandemic levels yet, we’re getting there,” he said.

“It’s quite large for a south track. Usually the north track gets bigger numbers.”

Lethbridge BMX Club had 11 first place finishes, 10 second place finishes and six third place finishes from 48 riders on Saturday. Day two had 13 gold medals, nine silver medals and six bronzes out of 47 riders.

Riders will now prepare for the seventh and eighth races in Okotoks on Aug. 20-21.