A man, with a child in the carrier on the front, rides the newly rebuilt Squamish BMX Racing Club track; smiles cross both faces, as they dip and whirl through the corners.
The club's president Vairdy Frail also watches the pair, who don't belong to the club.
They are members of the public trying out the course, which is perfect, she says.
"It's really great because the whole community gets to enjoy it too," she said, noting that the track is open for public use from dawn until dusk whenever it isn't being used for club practices or races.
"Come on any bike—like you just saw that dad with a little kid. They're on a mountain bike ... so anyone can come and try it out,” she said, as excited club members began to arrive and take to two wheels to get some rides in on the track prior to the first race night of the season.
The new track had been a dream of the club for years, Frail said, noting former club board member Scott Murray spearheaded it, and current vice-president Paul Sherman has carried it on.
Volunteers devoted hundreds of hours this spring rebuilding the track.
The paved corners became a reality due to "generous" donations from sponsors and a $45,000 grant from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Frail said.
Alpine Paving did the work and gave the club a "good price" on it, she added. Club members fundraised for the difference.
"We now have paved corners and a completely new and improved track," she said.
Frail said the whole track looks paved, but the straight stretches are redone, with a couple of different layers on top of the dirt.
"It just creates a much smoother riding surface for the riders, which is safer, and a lot less maintenance," she said.
"In past years, after every rainfall, we'd be out there and there'd be so much erosion. It should last forever ... with minimal maintenance."
She added that the new track will be more predictable for riders.
It also extends the riding season, noted Sherman, who was sweeping out the corners of the track just before the first race.
His son, Hamish, a top BMX racer in Canada, was standing by and said he really likes the new track.
Sherman echoed that everyone is welcome to come try out the course, but not when it is raining.
"When you get moisture on it, it just becomes a little soft. and then they leave tire tracks. But it dries out really quickly," he said, adding a few hours after a rain, the surface will be ride-ready again.
Hydroseeding was also done around the track to prevent erosion and control sediment, and volunteers come regularly to water the grass, which is still coming in.
’We’ve almost doubled’
The club now boasts 250 to 300 members, which is a feat in itself.
"We've almost doubled since COVID," Frail said.
"And lots of little kids, which is super cool. It's the future. ... There's sometimes 20 or 30 kids that are under five on their bikes going around."
She credits the revamped course for at least some of the increase in members.
"I think the new track is really appealing to people. I think they're really excited about it."
She stressed that anyone interested should come to a club night at the track and check out the sport.
"Everyone is welcome to the Squamish BMX Club. We welcome new members, we welcome anyone who wants to bring any bike and try it out. Anytime, you can come and try it out, your first time is always free. We always just say come and try it out whether you want to try a practice. Or if you're more ambitious, you want to try a race, just come and try it out."
BMX riding is a great crossover for other sports, whether it is mountain biking or other sports, like ski racing or snowboard cross, she noted.
Big race weekend
The new course will have a big debut in July, with the Squamish BMX Club BMX Fest on from July 12 to 14.
It will be an action-packed weekend that will attract riders from all over B.C., Alberta and the U.S.
Frail says there will be racers of all ages and abilities attending.
Friday night, there's a pre-race.
Saturday is the Northwest Gold Cup Series race with triple points, and Zero 2 Hero Qualifier.
Between 200 and 300 riders are expected, along with their families.
The club has the nearby municipal campground reserved for those from out of town.
The Gold Cup race being triple points is a big deal, because it means riders earn triple the amount of points for their standings.
"They don't happen very often. And for Squamish to host one, it's a big deal," Frail said.
The weekend is another good opportunity for locals to come and check out what happens at the track.
Learn more by going to the Squamish BMX Racing Club website, or its active Facebook page.
