Here's a little story for you as I kick out post numero uno on MILWAUKEEBMX.blogspot.com
It starts about two and a half years ago at Ben's Cycle on Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee. I'm in normal bargain hunting mode (Ben's lists tons of stuff up on eBay) and notice a little sign near the cash register that says "Metro BMX ... bringing BMX back to Milwaukee ... call ..." A lot of friends and I had reminisced about the early days of Milwaukee area tracks, the Ranch, Oak Creek, State Fair Park and others ... but, despite the shared disappointment that nothing like that existed now, none of us seemed to have really have the inclination to get something going again. And, here it was ... a little piece of paper ... with an idea for a plan.
Get a couple good cranks:
This is a real good place to introduce John Mittlestadt, a great new friend, and BMX dad extraordinaire. When I was 13, I knew another dad like John, his name was Murray Patz, and he did more than you can imagine to promote BMX in the town I grew up in. We probably all knew a kid with a dad like John way back when ... he's the dad we all secretly wanted ours to be like. Stoked on BMX and making sure we had a place to race ... and, promoting "our" sport along the way.
John's son Dana is a racer and his daughter Leah has helped with promotion. In the interest of helping them scratch their BMX itch -- John's has worked diligently since the moment he made those posters; listned to thousands of ideas; sifted through hundreds of potential track sites, patiently negotiated a deal through a series of meetings that lasted nearly a year; reviewed the pros and cons of the major sanctioning bodies; and after all of that -- finally called a meeting a couple of weeks ago among those who expressed interest in starting a new club. Since I'm a also a dad of a 6 year old with big dreams of "jumping the dubs" and "winning trophies", John didn't have to tug very hard to get me to help. But, let me be absolutely clear about this ... John did everything to lay the groundwork for what is unfolding as this is written ... and for that, he IS the man.
Pumping and gaining momentum
Which brings us to this moment.
If all goes well ... GROUND BREAKS on construction for the new Milwaukee BMX track on Monday, June 12th.
Things have happened so quickly that it's really kind of mind boggling. John has been talking with John David at the American Bicycle Association, and yeah, we're definitely going ABA. I had a great conversation with Bill Curtin at ABA earlier this week about all sorts of cool things we could bring to our track, Bill was really successful with new rider retention at his track in MA ... and basically gave me the recipe book for how to keep new riders coming back again and again. Jason Leikam, a Milwaukee local who has been a friend for more than 20 years now (jeez ... has it really been that long?) invited his friend, Steve Spencer, who is like the #2 track builder for ABA at the moment, to throw in his 2 cents on our track design. Steve recently redesigned Utah's Rad Canyon BMX track ... and a lot of people are just raving about the new layout. Spencer and Billy Allen are like the Frank Lloyd Wright and Santiago Calatrava of BMX track design.
Tuesday of this week, I got my first chance to walk the site with local track builders Mike Froh and Bryan Dickerson, along with Tim Eiring and John. It's easy to tell that we're all pretty equally stoked as after the discussion about the track broke up, about a 30 minute bench racing session followed near the track.
I'll tell ya ... Mike Froh and Bryan Dickerson are both friends, and excellent track designers / builders (together or individually, they have put together the Elkhorn / Walworth BMX tracks for probably the last 7 to 10 years straight. Their tracks are fun, have flow, and are always baby's butt smooth. Mike's involvement at Elkhorn probably goes back even further than that as Bryan came back into racing around 2000, if memory serves. We're totally fortunate that these two really experienced and totally professional guys have stepped up to help work out the details of the track after Steve completes the initial layout. Speaking of the initial layout, here it is:
Rockin' and Rollin' through the rhythm
Spencer will be in Milwaukee for the first part of next week, and with tremendous cooperation from John Kaishian, the operator of Crystal Ridge Ski Hill in Franklin, who is allowing Spencer the use of his earth moving equipment, we hope that a great deal of progress will be made in roughing in the layout and jumps. Finish work will be done by a bunch of us little monkeys running around with rakes and shovels. Mike's experience as a landscaper, having operated a wide variety of equipment from skid steers to large earth movers, will also prove invaluable. Mike has additionally volunteered to build the gate, and John and I will keep trying to convince the ABA to lend a hand with the sure start and air ram for the gate. If all goes well ... I believe we're going to have a real life track, complete with a gate, by sometime around August. If you know somebody who volunteers for to help with this work ... make sure they feel your love ... this is going to take a lot of effort to get the thing up and running.
At the finish line, a new beginning
Okay, I know I'm being pretty over the top with the little headline things ... but, seriously ... when Steve and the local guys complete work on the track, it's a whole new beginning for BMX in Milwaukee. The plan, at the moment, shoots for holding a couple of new rider clinics later this summer, with a goal of running one or two races, before we close up for the winter. ABA is really helping out a fair amount for the small amount of pay-back that we can try and deliver in 2006. But, optimistically, 2007 will be a great year for Milwaukee BMX.
Thanks!
Personally, I want to thank everyone who has kept John's plan in motion over the last two years. Particularly his wife, who I have not yet met, for allowing him to follow through. John Kaishian, of course, for being the one in a hundred that said "yeah, sure, why not?". All the dudes who made the meeting in West Allis a few weeks ago. The guys at ABA for being supportive and filling our heads with big ideas. Spencer for putting together a totally killer design that looks like it's going to really have a ton of flow. Froh and Dickerson for committing to making the design sing. And, yeah ... my mom ... for getting her ratty little 8 year old his first BMX back in the late 1970's, an old Huffy MX style thing with a #4 number plate.
I think we've got the momentum to carry us to where we want to be. And I'm hoping that you'll join in and enjoy the ride.
Kevin O'Donnell
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