Gene`s BMX News

*** Redmond To Host ABA BMX Great Northwest Nationals ***

Oregon Sports Authority -- 10/16/2007
The ABA (American Bicycle Association) has signed an agreement
with the Deschutes County Fairgrounds to host the 2008 ABA BMX
Great Northwest Nationals bicycle motocross (BMX) race.

The event, presented by Team BMX Oregon and the Oregon Sports
Authority, will be held at the Hooker Creek Event Center in Redmond,
April 4-6, 2008.

Thousands of BMX racers of all ages and abilities will compete in
multiple events as part of the ABA's national series, which spans
across the U.S. and Canada.

"The Great Northwest Nationals has been a staple of the ABA BMX
National Series. The move to the Hooker Creek Event Center at the
Deschutes County Fairgrounds is going to be amazing.

This entire facility is spectacular and the arena will be one of the best
we will visit all year. This location could not have been obtained without
the support of Tracy Stephens and Mick Parsons from Smith Rock BMX,
Lance Maguire of Emerald Valley BMX and Arran Gimba of the Oregon
Sports Authority," said John David, director of new track development
of the ABA.

The Hooker Creek Event Center, a multi-purpose indoor arena, is the
largest of the buildings at the Fairgrounds that constitutes some 279,000
square feet of space under one roof. The complex has hosted over 100
sporting and entertainment events each year. The variety of events
includes, but not limited to, professional sports, concerts, monster
trucks and supercross.

"BMX is an emerging sport in the Northwest, and it's wonderful that
we are able to bring this premier event to Central Oregon," said Drew
Mahalic, chief executive officer of the Oregon Sports Authority. "We're
ecstatic that Oregonians will get a golden opportunity to see some of
the most spectacular BMX races in the country for free."

The Great Northwest Nationals mark a significant accomplishment for
the non-profit Oregon Sports Authority, which is launching its first model
chapter in Central Oregon for the purpose of enhancing the region's
economy and quality of life by attracting sports events, and supporting
area youth sports programs.

ABA (American Bicycle Association), formed in 1977 and
headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, is "The Sanctioning
Body of BMX".

The ABA organizes BMX racing for boys, girls and adults, nationwide
and Canada. With 60,000 active members, 274 racing facilities and
a 27 event-national race schedule; ABA is the largest promoter of action
sports. To find races in your area or view the national event schedule,
visit http://www.ababmx.com

The mission of the Oregon Sports Authority is to position the state of
Oregon as the preferred location for select amateur and professional
sports events, franchises and related activities in order to enhance the
quality of life of Oregonians and to stimulate the state's economy. For
more information, visit http://www.oregonsports.org

ACC - http://www.oregonsports.org/aba-bmx-gre ... -nationals
ACC - http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard ... _bike.html

ACCC - http://www.genesbmx.com/Northwest-Nationals.html

i can't wait!! That facility is awesome and will be perfect for a national event. Now all we need to do is make it big enough that they will want to do it there for years to come and make it a pro event.

pjcruiser,
You are right, the facility is awesome and so is the BMX event.
I will say this, the BMX event is one of the best in the northwest.
But - it does have a big down fall with it. To sum up the downfall
here is my `Commentary Quote' about it. Via posted on my GNWN
Web page - http://www.genesbmx.com/Northwest-Nationals.html

10/13/2007 - Gene`s BMX Commentary Quote: `A 2008 BMX Track Of Wast'

Once again the ABA BMX Great Northwest Nationals,
A BMX Track Of Wast in 2008! For six years the Northwest Nationals
has been in Pasco, Washington a nice place to host the event. But on
the down side of things, that is six BMX tracks that was made for a
three day BMX event and then they rip them out after the three day
BMX event, Making the Track for the Northwest BMX Nationals a wast
in all. The ABA BMX can build some nice BMX tracks. But they "Build a
BMX track for a three day BMX event, Then they rip it out"- hmmm!
So, here we are in year 2008 moving the ABA BMX Great Northwest
Nationals event in to Redmond, Oregon with once again building the
BMX track in a indoor arena for the three day BMX event, Then they
will rip out the BMX track after the BMX race event is over. -- This is
a Big Wast to the BMX community in the Great Northwest. You would
think that the ABA BMX would be better off by going town by town, city
by city in the Great Northwest, that would be the Washington, Oregon,
and Idaho states and building up its BMX tracks by making the BMX
track for the ABA BMX Great Northwest Nationals three day event in
communitys, towns and citys that do not have a BMX track in them,
Build the BMX track for the event But then leave the BMX tracks for
the communitys, towns and citys to promote the sport BMX. As it is
now, That is seven 7 BMX tracks that have been wasted that could
have been put in to communitys that don`t have them.

Build it, LEAVE it and Don`t WASTE it, It would and it could
HELP the BMX Racing community grow in the Great Northwest.

it would be kinda cool, but probably wouldn't happen. lack of dirt and space for building tracks and leaving them behind would be the answer you would get from the ABA, i would guess. They usually rent the dirt for these events and the place that provides it, takes it back when they are done. I think it would be very cool to have a national track left behind, but who's property would it be on and who would be liable for the track after the ABA leaves?

Well if you think about it, How do the Skate Parks
fit in to every small town in the USA? The skate
parks seem to be popping in to just about every
town/city out there. So why not build a bmx track
in just about every city town in the USA. Like Iv
said as it is now that is 7 BMX tracks of wast.......

You say:
Who would be liable for the track after the ABA leaves?

I do not know what the stats are for liability
in the Oregon and Idaho states for parks.

But I do know them for Washington and it is set up
with are nice RCW and WAC laws that targets to Liability
of owners: witch are the towns, citys and countys coverage.
That is how most of the skate parks are ran in most
of the towns,citys countys in Washington and seems to
work well since 1997 using it for them, So why not use
it for a BMX track too.

I can say I do know of two (2) Recreational BMX Tracks
here in Eastern Washington and have been in place since
the 1980s. They are hosted in place at city parks and
they seem to be working well using the RCW laws
for the liability not to say it they somewhat promote bmx.

This is just an idea as for what Iv been seeing over the
last 7 years Im going to say that is a big wast and people
are always asking why are riders and moto counts down at
events, Well this could be a step to guild them counts up.

My thought is why wast a track for a 3 day event.
Why not build it in a place where they could leave it
and better the sport of bmx for the towns/citys that
dont have much. Just a thought But what do I know...