VENTURA — It's been one week since a new BMX track opened in Ventura, and it's already had a tremendous effect on the youngsters who hang out at Ray's Bicycle Shop.
"More than half of these kids have not been out on a track before. Now they can't wait to get over there," said Ray Schultz, owner of the shop on East Telephone Road. "Now that the track is open, they can't get enough. They crash and they get bruised, and they get out there and do it again."
They endure the pain and the bruises and the scrapes because they want in on a sport that is growing more popular every day. New tracks are springing up across the country, and more and more teenagers are begging their parents for the bikes, clothing and accessories that go with it. Many adults are also joining in the craze.
The American Bicycle Assn., the largest BMX-sanctioning body in the U.S., has a membership of more than 60,000, and officials say there is no indication that the number of people involved in BMX racing will do anything but increase.
The Ventura BMX is located on a quarter-acre of federal government property at the National Guard armory on Arundell Avenue. It opened May 17 with a clinic on safe riding, put on by SE Racing, a bicycle and accessories manufacturer. About 30 riders age 6 and up watched three SE pros demonstrate the do's and don'ts of BMX racing.
Among them were boys like 12-year-old Mike Eubanks of Ventura, who said the best part of BMX is the competition.
"If I wasn't doing BMX, I would just be riding my bike on the street. I like BMX racing a lot," he said.
Bicycle motocross, or BMX, is a pedal-power version of arena-style motorcycle racing. The similarities of the two sports are numerous: Both use dirt tracks; jumps and banked turns ensure an exciting race for participant and spectator; and racers compete in qualifying heats or "motos" as they advance to the main event and a shot at the championship trophy.
Attitude makes for a great show--crossing the finish line is one thing; crossing the finish line in the air, one hand off the handlebars flashing a No. 1 sign is entirely another.
California is likely the birthplace of the sport. With 36 tracks from Eureka to San Diego, the state leads the nation in BMX raceways, according to the American Bicycle Assn.
Ventura BMX raceway is the second in Ventura County. The other, Sycamore BMX Raceway in Simi Valley, has been open since 1982. Both are operated by nonprofit corporations.
