Langley BMX will be hosting an “epic” Canada-U.S. Borderline Nationals this August.
That was the word Bea Lindsay-Hawkins, a Langley BMX spokesperson, used to describe the event, which will run from Friday, August 2, to Sunday, August 4.
“This is going to be an exciting year,” Lindsay-Hawkins predicted, with top riders from across Canada and the US taking part.
”When we hosted in 2015, it was the largest outdoor BMX Canada event [and] we are hoping to come close to that again,” Lindsay-Hawkins told the Langley Advance Times.
“Our numbers have dropped a lot due to COVID, but we are starting to see a resurgence.”
Langley BMX will also be hosting the inaugural Canadian BMX Hall of Fame reunion and awards at George Preston rec centre on Saturday, August 3.
It is billed as a celebration of “the builders, riders and legends of bicycle motocross … a laid-back gathering of everyone who either helped build the sport or who shaped it’s character by racing, riding and being awesome.”
The non-profit, volunteer-run Langley oval BMX track, near George Preston, is the oldest track in B.C.
Founded in 1978, it has been rated one of the best in North America.
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BMX, which is short for “bicycle motocross” or “bike motocross” got started in the 1970s when Southern California cyclists started riding on motorcycle motocross dirt tracks for fun.
According to one online account, it was a 1972 motorcycle racing documentary On Any Sunday, that turned BMX into a national sport, thanks to an opening scene in the movie that shows young cyclists riding their bikes off-road.
After the sport took off, manufacturers began creating bicycles designed especially for the sport.
Races are run on specially prepared dirt race track over a series of jumps and bumps with banked corners known as “berms.”
More information about Langley BMX can be found online at https://www.langleybmx.ca.
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