In the face of less than ideal weather conditions, the 麻豆社国产BMX Racing Club managed to do an admirable job hosting the Provincial BMX races this past weekend.
According to club president Vicki Schenk, the track endured in the wet and rainy weather.
"The weather was definitely not co-operating but we're really happy with how the community came out and supported this event," she said.
Schenk said the three day event saw 150 riders compete on Friday (Sept. 24), 218 on Saturday (Sept. 25) and 240 on Sunday (Sept. 26). She said the numbers were on par with previous years and a little bit higher, especially on Sunday (Sept. 26).
Local riders who won their classes included: Robyn Schenk in the Girls age 7 category, Maja Woolley in Girls age 9, Miriam Bailey in Girls Cruiser 41 and over and Jackson Goldstone in Boys age 6.
There were also a number of second and third place local finishers in each group.
Schenk said some of the local riders might have had a "home track advantage."
She also praised the 麻豆社国产riders who aren't afraid to race in the rain, unlike some of their counterparts from other areas of the province.
Riders converged on 麻豆社国产from all over the province and Schenk said they were impressed with the track and the quality of 麻豆社国产riders.
"We had an organizer from Victoria tell me that he can't believe how fast we've grown," she said. "I also had a ton of emails from people telling me they loved the friendly, positive atmosphere we had during this event."
Schenk said she was proud of her group for pulling off a race of this magnitude in adverse weather and she pointed out the next goal for her group.
"We would like to try and get a Nationals race here," she said, adding that they will find out if their bid is successful at the end of October.
"I think this weekend proved how smoothly we can run an event, even in bad weather."
Schenk said the support from the community has been great, especially after a fire burned down the club's old shed back in June.
"It's been such a community effort," she said. "The whole community stepped up and we've built such a good club now."
She also thanked the many volunteers who helped make the event such a success.
"The volunteers are a huge part of our club and they really did a great job this weekend," she said, noting that they provided a lot of help making the track rideable in the wet weather. She also added that local businesses also stepped up, providing tents and other equipment to host the races.
Next up for local riders will be the Nationals, which take place in Chilliwack starting on Friday, Oct. 8.
For more information on the club, visit www.squamishbmx.ca.
