Tulsa World: 'Grand' biking

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

'Grand' biking
A BMX championship is expected to bring in $3.5 million to the city.

Sibling BMX racers Alex and Abby Ruicker pose on their bikes at their hometown BMX track at River City Park in Sand Springs on Friday. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 11/22/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009 3:44 AM

SAND SPRINGS — Abby and Alex Ruicker are a couple of kids who like to ride their bikes. Doesn't sound like much of a story, does it?

But the sister and brother duo from Sand Springs — and hundreds of thousands of other young people around the world — aren't just taking spins around their neighborhood. They're part of a second-generation juggernaut. It's called BMX, short for Bicycle Motocross.

Beginning Thanksgiving Day, the sport's ultimate event, "The Grands," will be in Tulsa at Expo Square's QuikTrip Center.

The season-ending competition draws nearly 4,000 cyclists from around the world to participate in three events — the Race of Champions, the Pro Spectacular and the Grand Nationals.

The four-day event is expected to have an estimated $3.5 million economic impact on the city, according to the competition's sponsor, the Tulsa Sports Commission.

"It all comes down to Tulsa Thanksgiving weekend, when they crown their champions," said Mike Dodson, the commission's executive director.

Alex, 14, hopes to be one of those champions. He'll be competing in the 14 Expert division.

"I expect to make it to the main event, which is the top eight riders," he said Thursday night during practice at the Sand Springs BMX track.

Abby, who is 11, is a little less specific about her expectations — sort of. She definitely wants to win, and she definitely wants the prize that comes with it.

"The trophies there are like 7 feet tall," she said. "They're huge."

It would be a mistake, however, to attribute the sport's growing popularity solely to the laurels one might earn for crossing the finish line first.

As B.A. Anderson, the CEO of the 60,000-member American Bicycle Association, said, 99.9 percent of the participants are amateurs. What's at work instead, those familiar with the sport say, is a powerful blend of big-time athletics, old-fashioned tradition and youthful rebellion.

"We're a second-generation sport, so we're getting a lot of past members who are bringing their kids to participate," Anderson said, adding that the average age of an ABA member is 13.

Steve Arrowood, who operates the Sand Springs BMX track, said he's seen an increase in participation in the sport since it became an Olympic event in 2008.

"When it first started it was big and then it slacked off a little bit. Now it's starting to get big again," he said.

And then there's the issue of kids just wanting to be left alone to be kids.

As Alex put it, "This is a lot more competitive (than other sports) and there are not any coaches or anything to tell you what you can or cannot do."

BMX racing began in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Southern California and for years has been dismissed by some as a nonmainstream sport like skateboarding. But those days are over for both sports.

The ABA was created in 1977 and has been growing steadily — and not just among the young. The little girls and boys of the 1960s and '70s who helped create the sport are getting back on their bikes. And they will be represented at this week's event.

The 2008 Olympic BMX gold, silver and bronze medalists will also be on hand.

But save for Friday night's Pro Spectacular, don't expect the spectacular. The event's two major competitions, the Race of Champions and the Grand Nationals, are all about racing.

"The biggest misconception is that what you saw at the Olympics is what you'll see at the local level or even the national level," Anderson said. "At the Olympic level they start on a 30-foot-tall starting ramp; at the national and local level our starting hills are eight to 10 feet tall.

"An Olympic track is a local track on steroids."

American Bicycle Association’s Grand National Championships

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday

WHERE: QuikTrip Center, Expo Square

HIGHLIGHTS: Thursday is a practice day.

On Friday, the Race of Champions pits the top 10 competitors from each state in classes based on gender and age.

The Pro Spectacular is at 7 p.m. Friday. Gates open at 6:15.

Qualifying heats of the Grand Nationals — which is open to all ABA members — will take place Saturday and early Sunday with the championship races later in the day.

TICKETS: The only ticketed event is Friday’s Pro Spectacular. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling (918) 376-6000 or online at tulsaworld.com/exposquare.

Kevin Canfield 581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

5 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment Elusive, Owasso (11/22/2009 3:07:00 AM) Good luck Abby and Alex, I hope you reach your goal but if not you will have fun and wonderful memories.
	Report Comment Bubba, Bixby (11/22/2009 7:14:47 AM) Alex and Abby are good kids with some of the most awesome parents and siblings that I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
	Report Comment Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/22/2009 9:38:47 AM) Best of luck to both of you!
	Report Comment fld11, (11/23/2009 7:49:12 AM) Crazy.
	Report Comment dork74, Broken Arrow (11/23/2009 4:23:13 PM) Very cool! Good luck you two.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.