*** Motorized Foot Scooters in Washington State ***

Wenatchee, Washington ( Gene`s BMX Press ) -- 09/16/2003
Lots of reports in Wenatchee with the youth riding
motorized-electric foot scooter with in the streets.

Lots of legal issues and questions over motorized/electric foot scooter
on the roadways. "Is there a minimum age to drive one? What about
liability if a motor vehicle  has a accident with a motorized/electric
foot
scooter." This is just some of the questions I have been seeing in the
last week from people in the Wenatchee area.

Some people are just flat out mad to see young kids darting around
in the roadways with the motorized/electric foot scooters.

No driver license or insurance or of that - a Helmet!
"Yes it is a scarry thought"

But the 2003 Legislative Session New Laws Say:
"You may drive neighborhood electric vehicles
and motorized foot scooters on some roads."

A new section was added to chapter 46.04 of the Revised Code
of Washington which states in part, "Motorized foot scooter" means "..

Neighborhood electric vehicles must have four-wheels, be
self-propelled to a maximum speed of 25 MPH and are legal
only on roads posted 35 MPH or less. A vehicle license
and plates, a driver license, liability insurance, and
use of seat belts and child safety seats are required.
And...
Motorized foot scooters must have handlebars, two ten-inch
or smaller diameter wheels, and a gas or electric motor.
Foot scooters with reflectors approved by the state patrol
can be driven day or night. No vehicle or driver license
or insurance is required. (Effective August 1, 2003)

Online Reports - CC
Access Washington - Motorized foot scooters
http://access.wa.gov/news/2003/Aug/n2003712_9730.aspx
Washington State Department of Licensing
http://www.dol.wa.gov/ds/newlaws.htm
WSP - Releases August 12, 2003 - Motorized Foot Scooters
http://www.wsp.wa.gov/newsfaqs/newsarch.htm

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
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*** BMX state finals race into Northmoreland Park ***

Dispatch, PA -- 09/16/2003
More than 350 riders and their devoted legions converged on
Northmoreland Park Saturday for the Pennsylvania State BMX
Championships, the culmination of the bicycle racing season at
the state level.

There had been six qualifying races across
Pennsylvania leading up to Saturday's grand finale.

For those who've never experienced BMX racing, the races themselves
-- called 'motos' -- feature as many as eight racers on 20-inch to
24-inch
bikes, racing through a series of tight turns, rolling chicanes and
elevating
lifts. Racers compete in three categories -- rookie, novice and expert
-- depending on their skill.

And it's not just teenage boys pedaling through the track.
While there is a clear domination of youth, racers range in
age from 3 to 50. And there are a great number of girls
donning helmets and making the run, sometimes competing
against the boys.

Racers are awarded points in at least three preliminary races;
top point-getters move on to the semifinals and the championship race.

Whether they win or not, every rider receives a striking
48 inch-tall trophy, acknowledgement for a season of
accomplishment, achievement and
-- in some cases
-- sheer survival.

NASCAR-like atmosphere

Westmoreland BMX, sponsor for the race, was especially
pleased to be playing host to enthusiasts from as far away
Ohio and New York.

Campers and tents from near and far gave the normally quiet
park the look and feel of a NASCAR race, complete with
partying the night before and the familiar smells of barbecue
throughout the day. An estimated 1,500 people were on hand
as the first motos kicked off at noon.

"This is really a great family sport," said Tim Zell of Apollo,
the local track director.

Indeed, while Zell's son was racing, his daughter was busily
working nearby and wife Kitty manned a chinese auction
booth that raised money for the nonprofit organization.

Christine Yohe of New Kensington said she was probably
like a lot of the other people in attendance. Yohe got involved
several years ago when her son, 12-year-old Ryan Zeiler,
took up the sport.

"My friends and I came up here one day to see a soccer match,
and we heard they had the BMX track so we brought our bikes,"
Zeiler said.

"We really like it for the socializing," Yohe said.
"Initially, I was so against him racing, but now I thrive on it."

Yohe's early opposition to the sport had much to do with its
dangers and risk for injury. Racers go as fast as they can through
the tight, mostly dirt course. With as many as eight racers going
at break-neck speeds while jockeying for position, there are
accidents and the inevitable injuries.

Zeiler missed five weeks because of a broken collarbone
suffered during a race at South Park earlier this season.

Yohe, Westmoreland's public relations director, speaks matter
-of-factly about the injury and how much she loves the atmosphere
surrounding the races. But as Ryan pulls into the starting gate for his
first moto of the day, she suddenly transforms from rational human
into a screaming, rabid cheering section of one, visibly excited and
nervous at the same time.

Racers say they mostly came to BMX racing by accident.
For Zeiler, it was the location of the track near a soccer field.
For seven-year-old Cameron Johnson, a second-grader at
Stewart School in Lower Burrell, it was seeing a movie.

"I saw a motocross movie on the Disney Channel,
and I asked my dad if I could do that," said Cameron.

Since dad Scott saw his then five-year-old as too
young for the motorcycle circuit, he agreed to BMX racing.

ÒI tried other sports like baseball and wrestling,
which I really hated,Ó said Cameron. "But I really
like racing my bike."

BMX racing is like many other individually oriented sports.
Getting started can be relatively inexpensive but, the more
serious you become, the more time-consuming and costly it can be.

Gary Hites, owner of Hites Bicycle Shop in Butler,
said anybody can get started for as little as $250-$300.

"To get started, all you need is a bike and a helmet,"
Hites said.

More than a sport Yohe said her son bought his first
bike himself by saving birthday money and cutting grass.

"I think he really learned to appreciate that a lot more than
if we had bought it for him," Yohe said. "It taught him a lot."

But high-end bicycle frames -- such as Ryan's current bike,
made out of the same grade of aluminum used in aircraft
-- require custom building and can easily run over a thousand
dollars. Likewise, buying full racing suits and protective padding
add to the bill.

And, like the mothers and fathers of area soccer and hockey players
will attest, there is the time and expense of driving them to the
competitions. Zell estimates he has traveled more than 5,000
miles this summer alone, going to races near and far.

To Hites, BMX and racing are more than just a sport.
He started working for Huffy Bicycles in 1988 and
opened his own shop in 1991.

On this day, he proudly talks about his daughter,
6-year-old Ashley, racing despite a broken wrist
suffered in a nonracing accident. Ashley is ranked
at the top of her age group in the state.

"The great thing about this sport is that anyone of any age
can participate," Hites said. "There is no bench warming here.
Everybody can participate based on their own merits."

In one of her early races, Ashley is running second when
she goes down hard approaching the finish line. Safety
spotters around the track immediately signal a halt as
volunteers and a visibly nervous father rush to her.

After a few minutes, Ashley is dirty and a little shaken.
But a hug and reassuring kiss from Dad seems to set
the world right. Within half an hour, she is riding in yet
another moto.

For Westmoreland BMX, the successful day
of racing was the second in as many weeks.

"Last weekend we held races and $2 from every racer was
donated to Animal Protectors," Yohe said, noting that the
event raised $300 for the no-kill shelter in New Kensington.

The nonprofit racing group pays for all of the BMX races
it holds at the track and does not receive any funding from
the Westmoreland County Parks Department, which owns
and operates Northmoreland Park. Yohe said the Northmoreland
Park track is open during regular park hours and is available to
anyone with a bike and a safety helmet when there are no organized
races scheduled.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Sportworks Expands Bus Rack Business With Romeo Rim ***

WOODINVILLE, WA -- 09/16/2003
Sportworks, which has a large bicycle bus rack business,
signed a deal with Romeo RIM, a manufacturer of energy
absorbing bumpers for the transit industry. The partnership
will likely expand Sportworks bus rack business.

"Sportworks Bike-Rack-for-Buses are chosen by more and
more transit authorities who supporting multi-modal options.
We are excited to be working with Sportworks to put more
bike racks on more busses," said John Geisler, Romeo RIM's
vice-president of sales and marketing.

By integrating Sportworks brackets for its Bike-Rack-for-Buses
into Romeo RIM's HELP bumpers, transit authorities will be able
to install the bike racks without tools--thereby saving labor and
money. Look for Sportworks and Romeo RIM to introduce a
variety of innovations and enhancements to the bike rack/bumper
combination over the next 12 to 18 months.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
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*** IMBA Hosts First Congressional Staff Mountain Bike Ride ***

International Mountain Bicycling Association -- 09/16/2003
IMBA's first-ever congressional staff mountain bike ride
drew 25 people to Riverbend Park, Virginia, Sept. 12.

Senate, House, and committee staff joined IMBA leaders
and local advocates on what was for many, their first mountain bike
ride.

IMBA, the Maryland Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE),
and America Bikes hosted the event.

"Something so fun and simple as a bike ride can really bring
people together and help illustrate the importance of the sport,"
said MORE advocacy director Nancy DeVore.

IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal said, "This ride is
part of IMBA's effort to increase mountain biking's presence
in Washington, D.C. Between our dedicated lobbyist and legal
counsel, targeted federal land management agency work, and
simple things like hosting congressional bike rides, we're making
sure that government officials understand our sport and our needs."

Specialized, Subaru, Clif Bar, Trails.com, and SRAM provided
support. Regional retailers Shenandoah Bicycle Company,
The Bike Stop, Camp Horizons and City Bikes provided bikes
for staffers to ride.

Riverbend Park, located near Great Falls, Virginia, is home to
about 10 miles of trail. The park features 400 acres of forest,
meadows, ponds and streams with beautiful views of the
Potomac River.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
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*** Skaters roll into Glendale park ***

GLENDALE, AZ (AP) -- 09/16/2003
Hundreds of skaters from across the Valley are rolling into
Glendale to check out the city's new skateboarding digs.

"We were just waiting for this," said Christopher Rogers, 16, of Peoria.

"We used to go to Phoenix, Gilbert and Paradise Valley, but this is
about
10 minutes away. It's great."

The Foothills Skate Court at 57th Avenue and Union Hills Drive,
opened Tuesday to a throng of thrilled skaters. The
27,000-square-foot park is open to skateboarders
and inline skaters daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

"I'm glad it's finally open," said Mike Lopez, 23, of Glendale.

Parks and Recreation Director Warren Smith visited
the park last week and chatted with parents.

"They were very impressed," Smith said. "They say that the kids
are behaving pretty well. And the turnout, it's just tremendous.
The whole thing is just taken up with kids."

Matt Harrison and Jihone Du, both 19, drove in from
Mesa to try out the newest concrete course in town.

"It has a good feel," Harrison said.

Christopher Alcorn, 17, and Rogers took a breather at park
ramada, watching skaters glide in and out of the concrete gullies
or grind their boards on a metal edge. With the park so close
to their school, they plan to play there often.

"We're probably going to get better so much faster," Rogers said.
"We're gonna try to come out every day, whenever we're not in
school or at work."

Unlike most skate parks, Glendale outfitted theirs with ramadas
and grassy areas that help break up the vast slab of concrete.
The parks features a steel rainbow, dips and curves inside three
concrete skate bowls and various decking and metal perches
for skaters of all abilities.

Jennifer Grundy, 17, of Peoria has been skating for about a year.
She skipped school to get in a little grind time at the park
Thursday morning.

"It's always packed in the afternoon now that they finally got it open,"

she said.

Opening day was delayed for months after the city ran into
problems with the original company hired to build the park.
The work wasn't up to par and a second company was
eventually brought in to finish the job.

"Everybody was calling me telling me it was opened,
but I didn't believe it," Rogers said. "I'd heard that three times
before."

But it was true, and the finish product was met with rave reviews.

"When I got here, I wasn't disappointed," said Todd Joseph, 39,
of Phoenix.

Joseph, who has been skating since he was 12 years old, glides
effortlessly along the concrete walls, swoops into the air,
his board clinging to his feet.

He said he plans to make the park one of his regular spots.
"If this isn't the best, it's tied for the best."

Rex Golos, 40, of Peoria, has been skating since the 70s.

"This is a wonderful park," he said. "We think the construction
is meticulous. There isn't a visible flaw in the concrete. It's just
excellent."

The idea for the park was born a couple of years ago,
when a group of skaters approached Councilman Manny
Martinez about the need for a skate park in the city.

"They gave me a petition with more than 300 signatures on it,"
said Martinez, who represents northern Glendale. "I told them
to come out and make their voices heard, and they did."

BMX bikers are also making their voices heard as a city is
gearing up to open an X court the Western Area Regional Park
at 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The bikers canceled
a protest rally they planned to stage at the Foothills park after park
officials told them the Western Area park is on a fast-track and will
be bike-friendly. It is expected to open in the spring.

Julie Frisoni, a city spokeswoman, said the city is still working
on determining park features, but will "do what it can" to please
everyone.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

* Dinli Purchases Intellectual Property of Cannondale Motorsports
Division *

GREENWICH, Conn.,  /PRNewswire/ -- 09/16/2003
Moto Assets Acquisition Corp. has announced that Dinli Metal
Industrial Company, Ltd. ("Dinli"), a Taiwanese manufacturer of
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), has purchased the intellectual property
associated with the motorsports division of the former Cannondale
Corporation for an undisclosed sum. Dinli is now the sole owner
of the intellectual property for use on a worldwide basis. The sale
to Dinli does not include any use or association with or rights to the
Cannondale name or trademark.

Moto Assets Acquisition Corp. was formed by private equity
investment firm Pegasus Partners II, LP ("Pegasus") to acquire
the assets of Cannondale Corporation's motorsports division
earlier this year. At that time, Pegasus also formed the Cannondale
Bicycle Corporation to purchase the assets of Cannondale
Corporation's bicycle division.

David Uri, a Partner at Pegasus and the President of Moto Asset
Acquisition Corp., said that the sale to Dinli was consistent with
Pegasus' stated goal of divesting itself of the motorsports assets.
"We want to concentrate on growing the Cannondale Bicycle
Corporation, and on strengthening and growing one of the premier
brands of lightweight, high-performance bicycles in the world,"
said Uri. "We wish Dinli the best of luck in their future pursuits
as the exclusive owner of the intellectual property of the motorsports
division of the former Cannondale Corporation."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Banned Web site gets students' attention ***

FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON  -- 09/16/2003
The School District has added www.ratemyteachers.com
to the list of Internet sites that cannot be accessed from school
computers.

Officials said the site, which allows users anonymously to rate
their teachers, does not support the district's educational mission
and has a chat room feature that could make students vulnerable
to online predators.

The district also filters out Web sites deemed not
appropriate for minors, such as pornographic sites.

But the banning of the site last week apparently
caused a flood of student interest in it.

Dozens of terse anonymous reviews of Federal Way
High School educators were posted on the site last week.

The comments range from "extremely unhelpful, lost,
confused" to "saved my life."

Until last week, only a few reviews of Federal Way
High School teachers had been posted on the site,
and those had been added back in May.
---------
Geneb - Foot Note:
ACLU-Wa -  A look law case of topic and review........

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Skate Park opened Saturday ***

Cottonwood County, MN (AP) -- 09/16/2003
The long-awaited Windom Skate Park came together
quickly over the weekend, opening mere minutes after
construction was completed Saturday afternoon.

Construction on the park began Friday, went late into the
evening Friday and picked up early Saturday morning.
A large crowd of curious teens, skateboards in hand,
watched the final hour of construction.

True Ride, from Duluth, installed the park, which the local
skaters say is similar to skate parks in Worthington and Fairmont.
The skate park is located between Kastle Kingdom and the Legion
Field softball field.

The park has several challenging features, including a pair
of quarter-pipe ramps and a center island. There is also a
"fun box" and a street rail along the south side of the park.

The total cost of the project was $44,300. It was paid for
with grants from the Remick Foundation and the Tony Hawk
Foundation, cash from the Windom Utility Commission and
various fund-raisers and a donation of in-kind work from
Fortune Transportation.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

The Northern California State Chapmpionship Finals Were Held This
Past Weekend At OakCreek Bmx. Over 500 Riders Came To Race This Fun
Event. Cars Parked On The Side Of The Raod,Down The Road From The Bmx
Track,At A Local Gasoline Station,At The Track Big Feild,People
Camping,There Were So Many Parking Spots That Were Tooken...And
People Left Walking...To The Track In A 100 Degree Weather.Lots Of
Factory Riders,Pro-Am Race....(Paul Lange Beat Brandon Meadows)
...New Kids Riding On New Teams...Kyle Biagi....Rides 4 Redmen
Now..Dustin Black Rides For Redline Now...
My Brother 18xpert Got 1st Place...Ever At A State Race...Brought
Home The Gold Cup Trophey...

  I Would Like To Thanks... Sponsors For AbaBmx.Com
     ababmx,Tanget,Crupi,Staats,Answer,Photomatic.com,Hyundai,Yamaha
Wave Runner,Gt Bicyles,Moongoose, The 'n' Network,Exclusive One,And
All Those Bmxers Who Are Having Fun Racing.


ABA BMX RACING IS THE # 1 SPORT! :)

 BY THE WAY.....THE STATE CHAMPION SHIP THAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND....MY BROTHER 18 XPERT...CODY AKER.....GOT 1ST PLACE AND WAS ON THE LOCAL NEWS!  I WAS SO HAPPY!!

*** Riding For Gold ***

Tucson, AZ -- 09/15/2003
Corben Sharrah isn't your ordinary 11-year-old.
He's a World Champion and hopes to be an Olympic Champion too.

The BMX cyclist won his age group among international
competition last month in Reno, Nevada and this weekend
he'll try for his third straight state title.

"As long as I don't fall I'll win,"
Corben said with confidence.

Corben will be riding on his home course at Manzanita BMX raceway.
He started racing on the South Tucson Course six years ago and has
been doing it nearly three times a week ever since.

"He expects to win and is really driven,"
Jack Sharrah, Corben's dad, said.

The Olympics will feature BMX racing in Four years and
Corben hopes to be there.  "You have to be 15 and I'll be
by then so it should work out."

Corben is currently ranked number one in the nation among
his peers and has a chance for a national title later this month.
For now he's concentrating on the State Championships on Saturday.
Races are open to the public on Saturday when the gates open at 5:00 pm.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
   All Things Northwest in BMX!
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*** Gravity Games pull in 163,000 fans ***

Cleveland, OH (AP) -- 09/15/2003
People scalped tickets at the Gravity Games this weekend.

General Manager Wade Martin didn't really know why,
since ticket booths remained open, but figured that maybe
it wasn't such a bad thing.

"I thought that meant we hit the big time,"
Martin said.

If attendance is an indication,
the action-sports event probably did.

The games, combining skateboarding, in-line skating,
BMX biking, freestyle motocross and wakeboarding
competitions with a dose of live music and interactive
exhibits, drew an estimated 163,000 fans over five
days at North Coast Harbor.

Yesterday, in its final day, an estimated 35,500 packed the venue,
watching finals in freestyle motocross and bike street and strolling
through Festival Village, an area of colorful sponsor booths.

While competitors sought a piece of the prize purse,
young fans were allowed to bring their own bikes and
skateboards to ride on a smaller dirt course and skate park.

Roughly 51,500 people took it all in Saturday,
"a record-setting day, for sure," Martin said.

Organizers and local officials have yet to decide
whether the games will return to Cleveland next year.

But Martin said as long as the city continues to show support,
it's hard to think about going somewhere else.

"This week has sure helped the cause for us staying in Cleveland,"
he said, noting that everything from the crowds to the weather
"totally exceeded our expectations."

The games came to Cleveland in 2002 after three years in
Providence, R.I. They drew 153,000 fans last year, the
first time admission was charged.

For some spectators,
the games were better than they had imagined.

Olmsted Township resident Linda McDonald was surprised
by all the free stuff available at Festival Village, from Slim Jim
beef sticks to Duck Brand duct tape.

Clevelander Lisa Hubbart said yesterday's afternoon music
performance by Places To Park made it seem like there was
more going on than last year. And David Seeley of North Olmsted
was glad to see some of his favorite athletes, even though he couldn't
get a seat in the first-come-gets-'em bleachers.

Seeley kept a smile as he stood with 3-year-old son
Kyle perched on his shoulders to watch the freestyle motocross finals.

"This is the only one I came for,"
he said of the competition.

"I'd like to be sitting up [in the bleachers],
but this is fine."

He might have had a better vantage by staying home.
For the first time in Gravity Games' history, NBC produced
a live broadcast, airing freestyle motocross finals yesterday afternoon.

Martin said that coverage required more than the usual planning,
but it was worth it. Organizers started the competition a little early,
just to ensure it would fit into the two-hour time slot.

That wasn't the only change this year.

In March, Martin announced a new vision for the games:
They will be divided into four seasonal events
- Winter, Water, Mountain and Classic.

Planning is under way, and he said yesterday there is some
question about whether the four-event format will start in
several locations next year or in 2005.

It's one of many decisions that must be made by organizers,
including executives at Octagon, a sports-marketing company,
and Primedia, a targeted media company, which own the games.

Primedia Television President and CEO Jim Ritts said
his company is "reassessing" its involvement.

"Primedia, in general, has a very strong belief
in the future growth of action sports," Ritts said.

"But Primedia Television is not fundamentally in the business
of staging events." Ritts said Primedia will continue to have
a financial interest in the games, but a "diminished role."

Octagon President and CEO Rick Dudley said he will have
a better handle on the games' future within the next 30 days.

"We're right in the middle of planning '04," he said,
adding negotiations with NBC are a part of that.

Kevin Monaghan, vice president of business development
for NBC Sports, said the network loves the Gravity Games.

"We would love to continue our discussions with Octagon
about a future role," Monaghan said. "We remain hopeful
that we're still involved in this."

So does Martin.

He said he's convinced everything will "play out the right
way for all the parties" and added, "we're committed to going forward."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Skating on edge of fun at games ***

Cleveland, OH (AP) -- 09/15/2003
Ryan Sheckler could have gone pro two years ago.

But his mom, Gretchen, and dad, Randy,
didn't think it was an appropriate move for
someone barely in middle school.

The elder Shecklers finally gave in this year.

Good thing.

Their son, a 13-year-old skateboarder whom Tony Hawk
described in a phone interview as having a "gift," took gold
at the X Games this summer. And he's one to watch in today's
Gravity Games street competition.

"He's had a stellar rookie year," Gretchen Sheckler said Thursday,
as she watched her son practice alongside athletes he has long admired.

Ryan, a humble eighth-grader with braces, may well represent
the future of his sport. The San Clemente, Calif., boy is the
youngest competitor at the games, but he has a lot in common
with athletes who have been skateboarding longer than he's been alive.

Take Andy Macdonald. A vert competitor, the San Diego
resident started skateboarding 18 years ago, and he keeps
doing it for one simple reason: "It's fun."

An hour later, in a separate interview, the same words
came out of Ryan's mouth. He added he got hooked at age 4.

"My dad had a board in the garage," Ryan said.
"I just picked it up and never stopped."

Ryan is part of a generation growing up in what Macdonald
calls a "more skater-friendly" environment - a world with more
(but not yet enough) skate parks and fewer skateboarder
stereotypes than 20 years ago. Still, the old- and new-guard
are bound to one another.

"We're a pretty tight-knit group of guys, regardless of age,"
the 30-year-old Macdonald said, noting he and Ryan are
SoBe teammates.

That doesn't mean skateboarding is
destined to become a team sport.

Hawk, 35, recently said he doesn't think anyone is
"trying to guide the younger generation because
everything is done on an individual basis."

"The bottom line is you've got to keep proving yourself,"
said Hawk, who turned pro at 14 and recently started his
Boom Boom HuckJam tour with skateboarders, BMX
bikers and motocross riders.

Macdonald echoed those sentiments. "You're not going to
find rivalries. Part of professional skateboarding is that it's
not all about winning," he said. "You want everybody to
skate their best. You're really skating against yourself."

And, in Ryan's case, balancing homework obligations
with trips to the skate park near his home.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
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*** Riding For Gold ***

Tucson, AZ -- 09/15/2003
Corben Sharrah isn't your ordinary 11-year-old.
He's a World Champion and hopes to be an Olympic Champion too.

The BMX cyclist won his age group among international
competition last month in Reno, Nevada and this weekend
he'll try for his third straight state title.

"As long as I don't fall I'll win,"
Corben said with confidence.

  Corben will be riding on his home course at Manzanita BMX raceway.
He started racing on the South Tucson Course six years ago and has
been doing it nearly three times a week ever since.

"He expects to win and is really driven,"
Jack Sharrah, Corben's dad, said.

The Olympics will feature BMX racing in Four years and
Corben hopes to be there.  "You have to be 15 and I'll be
by then so it should work out."

Corben is currently ranked number one in the nation among
his peers and has a chance for a national title later this month.
For now he's concentrating on the State Championships on Saturday.
Races are open to the public on Saturday when the gates open at 5:00 pm.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Biker knows about thrills and spills ***

Salt Lake, UT -- 09/15/2003
Maybe the first sign that Damon Kirchmeier was a bit of a
spoke-spinning, adrenaline-crazed lunatic emerged when,
as a kid, he simultaneously pursued two slap-me-silly endeavors:
unicycle riding and fuel-altered drag racing.

From that point on, it was all downhill. Literally.

The 36-year-old Bountiful resident now is the second-best amateur
mountain bike downhiller in his age group in the world. He recently
finished with a silver medal in the Masters World Championships,
the defining moment of a longtime hobby gone berserk.

"It's a complete adrenaline rush, dropping off a 15-foot cliff with
a 90-degree turn at the bottom straight into a rock garden at 35 mph,"
he says. "It's fun."

A thrill a minute. It's dangerous, too.

Kirchmeier has busted up his body again and again, including
broken fingers and thumbs and ribs and hands and feet. He has
a titanium screw in one of his hands, and once suffered a severe
concussion during a race when he misjudged a jump over a ravine,
pushing his front tire down to meet terra firma, which would have
been a good thing to do, except he was still high in the air.
He rotated over and landed on his head.

"Your stereotypical downhiller is a chain-smoking, tattoo-covered
dirt bag," says Kirchmeier. "Maybe that's true, but this kind of racing
has become much more technical and skilled. Winning is no longer all
about whoever is stupid enough to stay off the brakes. It's not all
about
being an adrenaline junkie, although that helps."

Kirchmeier is nobody's stereotype.

He grew up in Northern California, chasing the thrill in his early
years as a part-time BMX racer. And there was the unicycle deal,
riding his single wheel to school everyday. When he was 15, he
started racing an alcohol-fueled funny car, which he regularly burned
down the quarter-mile in a few seconds. And later, he found a passion
in skiing.

But, after graduating from Oregon State in mechanical engineering,
Kirchmeier became a nuclear engineer, surviving the brain squeeze
that is the U.S. Navy's nuke school in Orlando, Fla., where a chosen
few are groomed via intense, classified class work to advance as
instructors to educate enlisted men and women in the fine points of
operating nuclear submarines and warships.

He completed the program and for five years taught Navy personnel
in Pocatello, Idaho, at a facility where mock subs and ships were set
up, how to execute their highly technical duties.

It was during that span when Kirchmeier fell hard for mountain biking.

"I spent as much time as I could on a bike," he says.
"I got hooked. At first, it was the thrill of the speed."

Downhill racing was an offshoot of mainstream mountain biking,
and, initially, it was nothing short of flaps-up insanity. Races
consisted
of maniacal runs down dirt mountainsides at speeds of up to 60 mph.
One race in California was called "The Kamikaze."

Over time, races became more specialized, more troublesome to
navigate, including difficult turns, obstacles, drops, jumps, where
controlling speed became as important as ignoring it. Typical
courses are one to two miles long, covered in three to five minutes.
Racers are timed, one by one, similar to downhill ski racing.

When Kirchmeier moved to Salt Lake City, where he earned an
MBA at the University of Utah and eventually started a small venture
capital company, he dominated local downhills, becoming the state
champion in '97, the Idaho Series champion in '98, a gold medal
winner at the Utah Summer Games in '99, and a top finisher in
age-group competitions in the NORBA National Championship
Series in 2002 and 2003.

He currently is the highest-ranked amateur masters competitor in Utah.

"It's a challenge," he says. "You work hard, you train hard.
There's a real sense of accomplishment in doing it. And yes,
it still is a thrill." Every minute.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Town's kids earn respect, skate park ***

Wichita, KS -- 09/15/2003
~~~
A group of about 10 boys in Anthony spent two years working
to raise the funds needed for the park. It opens to the public today.
~~~
Anthony Mayor John Scott had a challenge for
his teenage son, Joe, and Joe's skateboarding friends.

You can have the skate park you want, he told them,
but you have to come up with the $32,000 to pay for it.

Two years later, it's time to skate. The Harper County town
of 2,400 will open its public skate park today.

In collecting signatures, rallying support and doing any odd job
someone would pay them to do, the group of about 10 boys,
ages 12 to 17, earned the respect of the town.

"The damn thing worked, and I'm so proud of these kids,"
said Scott, who can spout skateboarding jargon like a pro.
"They busted their butts."

They had a lot of help, too.

The town's two banks each kicked in $2,000.
The local McDonald's donated coupons for the
boys to sell door to door.

The Wichita Ronald McDonald House Grant Foundation
awarded them $15,000, and the Tony Hawk Foundation
awarded $5,000.

The city agreed to donate the land (an empty parking lot)
and fencing (from an old baseball field), and will pick up
the insurance bill, expected to be about $150 a year, Scott said.

Lights, at a cost of about $550, will come soon.

Fifteen-year-old Dustin Elliott said he is amazed
with what he and his friends accomplished.

Experts from Joplin, Mo., and Duluth, Minn., came to
Anthony to help plan and build the U-shaped park,
complete with quarterpipe ramps, funboxes and a grinding plate
-- essential surfaces for skateboard stunts.

Dustin said he will spend every minute he can at the park,
which will be more enjoyable because of the work they did
to bring it to town. It will be a cool place to hang out in a
town with no mall, no Wal-Mart and only two fast-food restaurants.

Scott admits that some residents, and at times, the boys,
had doubts that their dream would come true. But not him.

"I knew some way, somewhere, somehow, this would happen,"
he said. "It was needed; it can be a draw for the town."

He hopes the park becomes a popular hangout for Anthony's
youths and attracts visitors to town to buy gas, hamburgers and
soft drinks.

But having a fun recreation spot isn't the only
success story the town will celebrate today.

The skate park, Scott said, proves how a group
of boys made their vision a reality.

IF YOU GO
ANTHONY SKATE PARK OPENING

What:
Anthony will celebrate the official opening of its new skate park.

Where:
916 N. Springfield in Anthony, 60 miles southwest of Wichita.

When:
Park hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The grand opening will be at 10:30 a.m.

How much:
The event, which will include prize giveaways, is free.

What to bring:
Skateboards,bikes or in-line skates and lawn chairs for spectators.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Skate park results from cooperation ***

Port Huron, MI -- 09/15/2003
Group looks to spur donations

Although Saturday's work marked a beginning for Port Huron's
skate park, it was a fitting conclusion to a process that began
three years ago.

More work remains to complete the park. But the Blue Water
Skate Park Committee and its supporters should have no trouble
if the support they've already received is any indication.

The skate park is a success chiefly because many groups and
individuals pitched in, both financially and with elbow grease.

The project began after a group of Port Huron
students made a request to the City Council in 2001.

The committee has raised about $120,000 so far. That includes
$50,000 from the city and $50,000 from the Community Foundation
of St. Clair County's Youth Advisory Council. Fund-raisers and
other donations added to the total.

The skate park represents the good that can be done when
public and private money come together. The park gives local
children something to do and a safe place to do it.

What also makes the skate park a success story came Saturday
as about 60 volunteers gathered to assemble the first phase at
Optimist Park on 10th Avenue. So far, the course takes up
one-third of the fenced-in concrete pad poured at the park.

The volunteers included children and teens who will use the
park and adults who said they wished they'd had such a park
when they were kids.

It's up to the skaters and the community
to make sure this success story continues.

Inline skaters, skateboarders and BMX bikers must take care
of the park, which is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. They must
show residents the park was a good idea.

In turn, members of the community should pitch in as the committee
continues to raise money. The cost of the completed project has
been estimated at $300,000.

Committee Chairman Rich Pond, a 30-year-old who still is an
active skater, hopes the park's opening will help with the fund-raising
goal.

"We're hoping it will help us gain momentum raising money,"
he said.

HOW TO HELP PORT HURON SKATE PARK

Anyone interested in donating to the park can send checks to
the City of Port Huron, 100 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, 48060.
Direct them to the finance department and label them "skate park."
For details, call the recreation department at (810) 984-9760.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Bicycle access supported for planned monorail line ***

Seattle, Washington -- 09/14/2003
  Bicycle riders would be able to carry their two-wheelers
onto a future Seattle monorail under proposals of the City
Council and the Seattle Monorail Project.

A council committee yesterday passed a resolution,
sponsored by Heidi Wills, supporting bicycle access
aboard the trains and bicycle storage at stations.

A recent monorail-agency survey of cyclists found that
90 percent would like to bring their bikes into the Green
Line train cars.

Bike access expands what one official called the "watershed"
of the monorail line, so that more people can reach the stations
even if they don't live within walking distance.

Monorail leaders already have told construction teams
to anticipate a bike-access requirement on the trains.

The monorail would begin operations by late 2007,
if it can overcome a severe shortfall in tax collections.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Driver charged in bicyclist's death ***

EVERETT, WASHINGTON -- 09/14/2003
Prosecutors charged Arlington resident Wayne Edward Moran,
60, in a hit-and-run accident that killed a bicyclist last weekend.

Both Moran and the victim, James Zentz, had been at the Hitching
Post Tavern near Lake Stevens before the accident. Witnesses
estimated Moran was driving 55 mph when his van hit Zentz from
behind, according to charging papers.

After inquiring whether the Everett bicyclist was all right,
and being told that he wasn't, Moran drove off without
giving any identification or offering help, the court papers say.

His common-law wife told police that when Moran came
home the night of the accident, he staggered, knocked
pictures off the wall and smelled of alcohol, charging papers say.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** bTrade Is Bell Sport's Choice for Item Sync ***

DALLAS, TX  /PRNewswire/ -- 09/14/2003
World's Largest Helmet and Bicycle Accessories Company
Relies on bTrade For Business-to-Business Applications

bTrade announced this morning that Bell Sports,
the famous helmet and bicycle accessories company had signed a
contract to license the bTrade Item Sync application, adding to
Bell Sport's implementations of bTrade TDAccess and bTrade TDPeer.

Jack Rubarth, CIO Bell Sports said, "bTrade is our choice
for EDI over the Internet and now for UCCnet Item Synchronization.
Of all the possible solutions that we had considered, the bTrade Item
Sync was the most flexible and powerful to address all of our UCCnet
Item Synchronization needs today and in the future."

Craig Wright, EDI Manager, added, "We're pleased to be working
with the high quality software and the fine support people we find
working at bTrade."

UCCnet is a not-for-profit industry-wide service to allow manufacturers
share important product details such as ordering codes, container size,
packaging constraints, weight and so on with their retailers and
partners.
Today, the consulting arm of EDS, A.T. Kearney, estimates that the
industry wastes $40 billion each year as a result of incorrect data.

We are delighted to be working with category leaders such
as Bell Sports, that believe that the UCCnet is a platform to
build an enhanced relationship with their major retailers," said
David Lonsdale, bTrade Chairman and CEO.

The bTrade Item Sync is a comprehensive enterprise application
or hosted service to allow consumer and food product companies
to share important product details with their retailers and partners
automatically.  The product works with the UCCnet service to
improve sales people productivity, accelerate new product revenues
and improve the accuracy of invoices, orders, waybills and other
important business-to-business documents.

About bTrade:
bTrade is at the heart of the world's greatest trading networks.
Since 1990, bTrade has been delivering B2B infrastructure
solutions to the Fortune 500 and over 200,000 of their most
important business partners.  bTrade customers include:
-- every university and college in America;
-- every major FedEx customer and transportation supplier;
-- every supplier to the world's largest airline;
-- every authorized Honda dealer in North America;
-- three out of four insurance companies in the United States;
-- one out of four companies with 401k benefit administrators;
-- major suppliers to the world's largest retailer;
-- major customers and service partners of three of the world's largest
financial services companies;
-- most departments and agencies of the U.S. government; and,
-- thousands of companies in the food and consumer packaged goods
industries.

bTrade is the first software company to create a comprehensive
B2B Blueprint.  We are B2B.  More information is available at
http://www.btrade.com

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** New park will bowl over skaters ***

St. Louis, MO (AP) -- 09/14/2003
Mix 3,600 sacks of cement, 1,200 feet of grindrail and 500 feet
of guardrail. Now toss in a few ollies and kickflips, and you've
got the recipe for the largest skateboard park in Missouri.

For 14-year-old Ben Tegeler of St. Charles County,
the park is a skateboard enthusiast's dream.

"There's nowhere to do ollies (jumping into the air while the
board is gripped onto your feet) or anything around here," he said.
"When we go to parking lots to skate ledges and gaps and stuff,
we always get kicked out."

The skate park will change all that with its 33,000 square feet
of smooth surface. It has four bowls of varying depths
- from the beginner bowl with 3-foot tapered curves to the
advanced bowl with sides that have a vertical drop of 9 feet.
The park's bowls have metal lips called grindrails, which
skateboarders use for tricks.

The St. Charles County Youth Activity Park is set to open at 10 a.m.
Saturday. The facility is at 7801 Highway N, one-fourth of a mile east
of Highway 40-61 near Dardenne Prairie.

County officials say it's the largest park of its
kind in the state and one of the biggest in the Midwest.

Ben, who says he's been skating for three years, thinks the
intermediate bowl will be just his speed, but plans to spend
a lot of time in the street park, which has stairs and guardrails,
perfect for tricks.

Ben's mom, Robyn Mertens, said she is relieved to know that the
park will be staffed by the parks department to ensure her son's safety.

"It's supervised; that's the best part," she said.

The Youth Activity Park was designed for skaters ages 12 to 18.
After some recent complaints from residents, the county is looking
into expanding the age range of those who can use the park.

The skateboard park is just one part of the 25-acre, $5.4 million
project; two other phases will add a dirt bicycle track, soccer fields,
sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, mist sprinklers and an
activity center building with an indoor-outdoor climbing wall.
Walkways surrounding the park provide a place for in-line skating.

The park is designed with five ponds that feature waterfalls,
streams and fountains. Three shaded picnic areas and a
7,000-square-foot clubhouse should be completed by next year.

Seating will be built into the berms surrounding the skate
bowls to allow spectators at skateboard competitions.

The county also plans to equip the park with a sound system,
lights and Web cameras, so that registered park users can
check out the weather conditions on the Internet before coming out.

Except for the age limit, the park will be open to
anyone who registers and complies with its rules.

All participants are required to provide a birth certificate or
legal proof of age and a $5 registration fee to get a park
identification card.
When registering, anyone 17 or younger must be accompanied by a parent
or legal guardian. Park users will be required to wear a helmet.

Bettie Yahn-Kramer, director of Parks and Recreation, said
that 90 skaters had registered as of late Wednesday, but that
the county had fielded calls every day this week.

The skate park will be open from 3 p.m. to sunset Tuesday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to sunset Saturday and noon to sunset Sunday.
Daily admission is $2. Capacity at the park is about 70 skaters.

Ben Tegeler says he'll be there when the park opens Saturday.

"I've seen the pictures of it, and I can't wait," he said.
"It's going to be awesome."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Skateboard park, sprinkling system among next year¹s parks projects
***

Amarillo, TX (AP) -- 09/14/2003
Half-pipes and smart sprinklers are among park
projects in the works for Amarillo next year.

The Amarillo Parks and Recreation Commission during its meeting
Tuesday announced that a new skateboard park and a computerized
water sprinkling system are among capital projects the department
will begin this year. Projects will total just over $1 million in costs.

The city commission allocated $175,000 for a skate park that will
be in Thompson Park, between the volleyball courts and North
24th Avenue.

The first phase of the park likely will be concrete, but future
additions to it may be modular, allowing the course to be
altered periodically, said Duane Strawn, assistant director
of the Parks and Recreation Department.

ŒŒMy concern is I don¹t want the kids to get tired of it,¹¹
Strawn said.

Department personnel have talked with Grindline, a company
that has built a park in Trinidad, Colo., which many local
skateboarders frequent, Strawn said.

The city will begin a five- to seven-year process of putting
watering systems for parks and public areas onto a centralized
computer system.

The system will be controlled at the Parks Maintenance Center,
and it will improve water and labor efficiency, Strawn said.

The system will regulate individual park watering based on
evaporation levels, and it will shut off sprinklers when it¹s
raining or a water main breaks.

Controllers and special valves already are in place at some parks,
and Eastridge, Margaret Wills and Hilltop parks will be among
the first brought on line.

The department also will begin a joint project with the Globe-News
to construct a plaza dedicated to volunteerism at Medical Center Park,
west of the Don Harrington Discovery Center.

The plaza will include a two-level
sculpture that replicates the Reach Out ...

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Daredevils on wheels to compete this weekend ***

Seattle, Washington -- 09/13/2003
The life of a bicycle messenger is about more than delivering legal
notices on time. It's about marrying speed to agility. It's about
spotting the hole in midday traffic and seizing it. It's about taming
the big city on two wheels while most of us toil on four.

More than 500 masters of this most urban of careers will begin to
gather tomorrow in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood for
the 11th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships, a kind
of Olympics for the Huffy and shoulder-bag set.

The Seattle organizers, the Courier Association of Seattle,
want to put on games that will raise the visibility of the city's
own 100-strong bike-messenger community. To that end,
the organizers have won city backing and lured corporate sponsors.

"There's a huge element here of feeling like a host," event coordinator
and veteran messenger Peter Clark said. "We wanted to bring the
world to our city to share our style, our flavor."

More than a series of races, though, the games are a chance to
bring together an already tightly knit global community that stretches
from Tokyo to Seattle to Berlin.

After hours, informal games of "messenger polo" and speed races
are common in these cities. But competitors from around the world
will test their limits this weekend in a series of more structured
events,
designed to showcase the essential skills for any courier.

The cargo race, for example, requires competitors to carry as much
weight as possible, in the form of newspaper bundles, five-gallon
water containers and car tires, while still maneuvering their bikes.
The "bunny hop" tests bike-jumping skills.

The winner of the "track stand" competition will have stood still
— and upright
— on a bike for the longest period of time.

The games will culminate on Sunday in a calf-straining, four-hour
race over pavement, cobblestones and partially exposed rails,
where the main objective is to make as many "deliveries" as
possible through the South Lake Union neighborhood.

"They'll feel it, I promise," Clark boasted, referring to the
competitors.
He described the race course through the light-industrial neighborhood
as "epic" in terms of difficulty, almost gleefully adding: "The
messengers,
both male and female, who win the main race will suffer."

The race will have separate men's and women's winners,
an acknowledgment of the estimated 25 percent of messengers
who are female.

The courier association worked with the Seattle Police Department
to arrange street closures and security for the event. The goal is to
create a challenging course that's nevertheless safe and separate from
the traffic on Mercer Street and Westlake Avenue, which border the
event area.

The messengers who'll compete this weekend share not only
a love for the job, but a fierce individualism and pure joy in
pushing the limits.

Clark prefers to describe the hazards as "managing your exposure
to danger." He said messengers, because of the need for total alertness,

are some of the safest people on the streets.

"The appeal is that as you work through town, you have this heightened
sense of awareness," he said. You can "feel" the rhythm of streets,
he said, that edgy confluence of wheels, feet and traffic signals.

"You have an intimate understanding of the heartbeat of the city,"
Clark said. "It's thrilling."

Working as a bike messenger has its risks, especially in hilly,
rain-slicked Seattle. But that's part of what pulls messengers together
— the feeling they're performing a vital business service at potentially

great peril.

"I crash occasionally," bike messenger Cully Stimson said this week
during a coffee break downtown. Stimson, who plans to compete in
the games this weekend, stretched out his legs to show off a patchwork
of healed scrapes and cuts. "I don't worry about it."

A gathering spot and exhibit titled "Intersection" will be set up at the

Consolidated Works warehouse at 500 Boren Ave. N.,
to showcase bike-messenger art and music, and to function as a
place to network and socialize. There will also be a memorial for
messengers who've died on the job.

"Because it's a very dangerous job, we all have the same ethos for
how we live our lives
— it's a lifestyle," said messenger Jake Houghton,
an organizer of the exhibit space who also plans to
compete in the main race this weekend.

"It's not just a competition; it's really a celebration
of messenger culture around the world," she said.

* Where to go
The 11th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships are
Saturday and Sunday in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood.
From 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day there will be street races and
games in an area bordered by Denny Way to the south, Fairview Avenue
to the east, Westlake Avenue to the west and Mercer Street to the north.

The public is invited to all the outdoor races, free of charge.
There is an admission charge to visit "Intersection," a cultural
exhibition
at Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave. N. Entrance is limited to
people over 21 and costs $20 for a weekend pass or $5 for individual
events.
For more event information, please go to http://www.cmwc03.com

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Boom Boom HuckJam returns ***

Portland, Oregon -- 09/13/2003
~~~~~
Tony Hawk’s show will be back in Portland
with big names, big ramps and big stunts.
~~~~~
Tickets are selling at an accelerating pace for skateboarder
Tony Hawk’s second time to Portland on his Boom Boom HuckJam Tour.

Hawk’s original show at the Rose Garden last fall sold out,
so two HuckJams have been scheduled this time around.

Hawk, the most skilled skateboarding marketer in the history
of the sport, has brought together a collection of skateboarders,
BMX bicycle riders, Moto X freestyle motorcyclists and rock
music for a show that appeals primarily to a young crowd.

“Last year was such a success,” Hawk said,
“and there is no doubt that this year is going to be bigger and better.”

Hawk’s performances at the Rose Garden will be at
7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 and 1 p.m. Oct. 5.

The Saturday show is the only one of the pair that is likely to sell
out.
It didn’t appear that 12,000 tickets to last year’s show would go,
but 3,500 were sold on the day of the performance.

Promoter Lowell MacGregor of Double Tee Promotions said
the expensive seats — the 1,850 that sell for $75 each and the
2,900 that sell for $50 each — will sell out for both performances.
Tickets at lower prices — 5,700 for $40 and 4,600 for $25 for
each show — probably will be available at the door for the
Sunday show and may sell out for the Saturday performance.

“It’s such a weird marketplace right now, you just don’t know,”
MacGregor said. “This is going to be a late-buying crowd.
It’s an event that’s going to sell a lot of tickets in the final three
weeks.
Sunday they will probable be available at the door, but for Saturday,
you probably had better get them now.”

MacGregor didn’t get what he expected at last year’s sellout,
but he had a lot of fun with the final product.

“It was one of the most gratifying shows I’ve done in a long time,”
he said. “Every time I saw a little head, I saw a big head. I expected
a completely different crowd, mostly all skaters, but what it was was
family, the best bit of family entertainment I’ve been involved with.
It was boys and girls, 4 to 40, and the parents were gasping when
the motorcycles jumped, and the kids got to see their idol, Tony Hawk.
It was just huge.”

The tour kicks off Oct. 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia,
and stops in Tacoma on Oct. 3 before coming to Portland.
A year ago the tour began in Portland.

Reviews were strong the first time around.

Much of what makes Hawk’s show unique is the elaborate
system of ramps he transports around the country to
complement the skills of his daredevil teammates.

Much of what appeals to the young crowd is the music,
this tour performed by Anarchy Orchestra.

Hawk’s publicist describes the group as “a polyrhythmic
ensemble whose repertoire features extended instrumental
versions of classic punk and alternative tunes. Think of the
Blue Man’s Group Band at a rave at 3 in the morning,
and now you’ve got a picture of the Boom Boom HuckJam.”

Skateboarders who are joining Hawk for the tour include Bucky Lasek,
Andy Macdonald, Lincoln Ueda and Sergie Ventura. BMX riders are
Dave Mirra, Mat Hoffman, John Parker, Simon Tabron and Kevin Robinson.

Motorcycle riders are Cary Hart, Ronnie Faisst,
Dustin Miller and Clifford Adoptante.

New to the tour this year is skateboarder Bob Burnquist,
one of the best loop riders in the world. He rides a ramp
that forms a loop that’s been dubbed by the skating team as
“The Loop of Death.”

Hawk built his reputation as a vertical skater, learning his tricks
and winning competitions in the bowls and halfpipes all around
Southern California. He hasn’t always been embraced by the
younger generation of street-style skaters — the ones who jump
curbs and grind on park benches — but he hasn’t had trouble
selling tickets nationwide for his unique HuckJam presentation.

“It’s a glitzy rock ’n’ roll circus on wheels, with action sports
and music stars under one tent,” wrote the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s sort of like the Ice Capades with a halfpipe,
and a house band instead of ice.”

The tour will run for seven weeks, working its way
from coast to coast, ending Nov. 16 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The only city besides Portland, where it was so popular
it warranted two performances this season, is Boston,
where Boom Boom HuckJam will be Oct. 25-26 at the FleetCenter.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Portland lands bike company ***

Portland, Oregon -- 09/13/2003
A fast-growing California bicycle parts manufacturer plans to
pedal its headquarters and about 100 jobs into Portland by
the end of the year.

King Cycle Group will spend up to $1 million renovating a building
in the Northwest industrial district to house offices, an assembly line
and warehouse, Matt O'Rourke, the company's vice president, said
Thursday in a telephone interview.

The Shasta Lake, Calif., company's relocation represents a significant
victory for the city of Portland, which is suffering from a high
unemployment rate and a reputation as a difficult place to do business.
In explaining its decision, King Cycle credited both Portland's
traditional recruitment pitch
-- quality of life
-- and the city's recent efforts to be more accommodating to businesses.

Business has boomed for King Cycle Group, growing at least 20
percent a year for more than a decade. Annual revenues now
approach $6 million to $7 million, the company said. But California's
escalating taxes and real estate prices -- which have made it hard to
retain hourly, blue-collar workers -- combined with difficulty hiring
professionals in a small-town setting, led the company to look
elsewhere for a home.

O'Rourke scouted cities nationwide but he said the
company chose Portland because of its affordability and quality of life.

In other cities, "either the cost of living was out of control or
it was someplace like Sacramento where it's just city for miles
and miles and miles," he said. "Portland solves nearly every
problem better than any other place.

"Plus, we are serious bike riders," O'Rourke said, "and if I've
ever been to a city that's more bike-friendly than Portland,
I don't know what it is."

City officials have courted King Cycle for the past two months,
offering expedited permits and other concessions, including tax breaks,
O'Rourke said. Neither O'Rourke nor city officials would provide
details of the tax breaks Thursday. O'Rourke said the breaks were
still being negotiated.

After moving in, King Cycle Group expects to hire about 40 to 50
employees from the Portland area within a year. The company
expects to have a total work force of about 100, but O'Rourke
said he expects a number of its California workers to make the
move to Portland.

City Commissioner Randy Leonard said King Cycle
is the type of business the city wants to attract.

"They represent a lot of what Portlanders are about: they're clean,
they're going to provide good jobs for Portlanders and they will
start paying taxes," Leonard said.

King Cycle will be able to receive building permits and become
operational within three months, Leonard said. Last year,
the process for a similar project would've taken nine months, he said.

In the past year, Leonard said, the city's Bureau of Development
Services,
which he oversees, has eliminated unnecessary and duplicative reviews.
The city also has called for more cooperation among city departments
that were "usually at odds," such as Development Services,
Environmental Services, Transportation and Water bureaus, he said.

In addition, Leonard said he has given his employees more
discretion to make decisions that facilitate projects, "as opposed
to putting up roadblocks," referring, in part, to obstacles that led
Columbia Sportswear to move from Portland to Washington County
two years ago.

Portland's unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in July,
the most recent month for which figures are available.
But the economy has shown tentative signs of improvement
in recent weeks -- from improved sales projections by Intel
to Merix's announcement that it will build a circuit-board
plant in Wood Village.

With signs of an economic turnaround, the city plans to announce
several other businesses that will be relocating to Portland, Leonard
said.
The city is midway through negotiations with a business with about
100 employees, he said.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Skateboard ramps in the mail ***

Alaska (AP) -- 09/13/2003
Local skateboarders, inline skaters and trick bicyclists
may  be getting what they want - and before Christmas.

The Chugiak-Eagle River Parks and Recreation Department has
ordered multi-use ramps and rails to be installed at Eagle River
Commons Park.

The equipment will likely by delivered by Oct. 1,
said department employee Linda Vizenor.

In total, six pieces will be delivered: a four-foot bank, a four-foot
quarter pipe, a two-level pad, a box and rail, a curved kicker and
a grind rail.

"We had a group of kids that are interested in the sports help us
decide what to order," said Vizenor. "This won't be the skateboard
park we tried for with the bond package, but it will be an area for
skateboarders and other users."

In April, a municipal bond for projects in the Chugiak-Eagle River
area was approved by voters in the service area but rejected by
Anchorage voters. That package would have set aside $150,000
for the creation of a skateboard park. Vizenor said that plan is not
dead,
but this new equipment will suffice for the time being.

"The particular equipment we purchased can be reconfigured and
added to a skateboard park if we ever pass a bond," said Vizenor.
"This will be on a temporary basis with the hopes that a more
permanent location can be set."

When assembled, the area will encompassed 50 feet by 85 feet
on the asphalt area of the Commons Park. The equipment, built
by Rec Ramps under contract from Division 10 in Anchorage,
will arrive ready to assemble at a cost of between $15,000-$17,000.

It was paid for from the parks and recreation operating budget
and a donation by Conoco-Philips," said Vizenor. She said the
ramps will be assembled by department staff and will solicit help
from local youth.

"This is a start towards a great project for Chugiak-Eagle River,"
said Anchorage Assemblywoman Anna Fairclough.
"I know my kids are excited."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Skate park ready to roll out ***

UNION CITY CA (AP) -- 09/13/2003
One of the largest skate parks in the Bay Area will open Saturday
at Union City's William Cann Civic Center Park with performances
by professional skate teams and local bands.

The park will feature several ramps, a half pipe, grinding curbs,
stairs and concrete pyramids for Bay Area skaters. It is owned
and operated by the city.

The 19,400-square-foot, $531,000 facility is the second-largest
public skate park in Northern California, said recreation supervisor
Scott Ferris.

Admission to the park is free this weekend. Starting Monday,
Union City residents will pay $1 a day and out-of-town skaters
$2 a day to use the park. In September, season passes
-- good until June 30, 2004
-- will cost $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents.

In October, prices will go up. Daily passes will increase $1
for both residents and non-residents, and season passes will
be $50 for residents and $80 for non-residents.

The City Council agreed to raise prices at the
skate park last month because of the city's budget crunch.

Ferris will run the skate park's day-to-day operations,
and at least one city staff member will be on hand to
make sure skaters are wearing proper safety gear.

"People who come to the grand opening won't be allowed
to skate if they don't have the right gear," said city spokesman
Roberto Munoz .

Helmets and elbow and knee pads
must be worn by all skaters using the park.

Skaters under 17 years old must be accompanied
by a parent at the park, Ferris said.

"We only allow skateboarders and inline skaters
-- no BMX bikes because they cause too much
damage to the park," he said.

The grand-opening ceremony will start at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Four local bands, the Chamber of Commerce and two
restaurants are donating their services, so the event won't
cost the city anything, Ferris said.

Parking for the grand-opening ceremony will be
available at James Logan High School, Munoz said.

"We put the word out to the skateboard and inline-skating community,
so we expect a few thousand," he said.

Regular skate-park hours are 1 to 7 p.m. on
weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

In November, skate park hours will change to
1 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Under age but licensed to drive? Not anymore ***

Ahmedabad, (Express News Service) -- 09/13/2003
If you’re an under-age driver, you had better think twice before
vrooming off to school on that two-wheeler. Because with the
traffic cops in combat mode, getting away will be real difficult.

The city traffic unit on Thursday morning conducted a drive outside
the premises of six schools in the city. All students driving
two-wheelers
were asked to show their driving licences. If they didn’t have them, the

vehicles were towed away and the students asked to get their parents
to the traffic court if they wanted the vehicles back. As many as 150
vehicles were seized on day one of the drive.

The drive — conducted under the supervision of DCP (Traffic)
Vikas Sahay — was conducted outside St Xaviers Loyola High School,
Asia English School, GLS, Prakash High School, H B Kapadia School
and S T Kapadia School — on Thursday morning before the students
entered the school premises.

ACP (in-charge traffic department) S K Dave said:
‘‘Following a meeting on on Wednesday, we decided to conduct
a drive in all schools and also seize vehicles with fancy lights and
number-plates.’’ Dave said the department had deputed one police
inspector, five constables and a crane outside all six schools.

‘‘We have seized 70 vehicles from GLS, 17 from Asia High School,
22 two-wheelers from students at Paldi Square, 19 from students
studying in H B Kapadia school and one from a student near
Prakash High School,’’ Dave added.

Terming the drive ‘‘successful,’’ Sahay said the department has
long been receiving several complaints about minors driving
two-wheelers and flouting traffic norms. ‘‘Over 150 two-wheelers
have been seized from students who did not possess a licence,
and a memo has been issued to them all,’’ he said.

‘‘To get back vehicles, their guardians will have to go to the traffic
court and pay the penalty,” an official, who was carrying out the drive,

said. Stating that the drive did not disturb classes, Sahay said:
‘‘In some cases, students resisted our attempts so we had to call
their parents.’’ Some parents were very happy. Satish Yagnik,
father of 16-year-old Jiten Yagnik, an Asia English High School
student, expressed happiness at the police seizing his son’s
two-wheeler.
‘‘I am totally against him driving the vehicle without a licence,
now I’ve told him to get tand now I have asked him to get
the vehicle back without my support,’’ Yagnik said.

Vinay Tomar, father of Jay and Rahul who study in H B Kapadia School,
appreciated the Traffic Department’s move. ‘‘Teenagers these days feel
inferior if they are asked to ride a bicycle to school,’’ he complained.

However, some teachers felt that such drives are meaningless as
the students will soon be back with their vehicles, without licences.
‘‘They should ensure that action is taken against parents and not
the children who flout rules,’’ suggested an Asia English School
teacher.

Meanwhile, the drive will continue on Friday. The target will be
St Xavier’s Mirzapur and Diwan Balubhai school at Kankaria,
Sahay said.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Plan For BMX Track Gets Green Light ***

Lyme Regis, UK -- 09/13/2003
BMX bikers in Lyme Regis could soon have a purpose-built track
of their own if a suggestion from a parent in Henrys
Way gets the go-ahead.

Town councillors are assessing the viability of creating a BMX track
at the playing field in Anning Road after mum-of-two Roz Moore
contacted them in June.

She said: Im well aware of the problems obtaining a permanent
skate park has caused, but has anyone suggested a BMX track for
bikes? Youll probably find that most boys and girls own a bike.

Mrs Moore said she had the idea after watching the number of
children living in Henrys Way and nearby Queens Walk and
Applebee Way who liked to ride their bikes up and down the
cul-de-sac, sometimes putting a ramp in the road to jump over.

She said: This is the suggestion: To use the strip of land on the
edge of the playing field in Anning Road in between the footpath
and the football pitch for a downhill earth track with a couple of
small jumps and a single track beside this to cycle back to the top.
With high fencing either side this would be perfectly safe.

Mrs Moore also pointed out that a BMX track is
made of earth and would create very little noise.

Councillors on the playing field enhancement sub-committee
greeted the suggestion with approval at their meeting last week.

Town mayor Barbara Austin said it was another
facility for the children and should be encouraged.

Chairman of the sub-committee Ken Whetlor said: Lets
go ahead with that as soon as possible. Lets make sure we
do something for them as there is nothing we can do about
the skating thing at the moment.

Now the committee will conduct a site visit with Mrs Moore
and the football club to check that the track would not get in t
he way of the football pitch on the playing field.

FACT FILE
BMX biking was born in California in the 1970s
and took off in the UK in the early 80s.

BMXers were immortalised in the 1983 film BMX bandits
starring the young Nicole Kidman.

BMX stands for Biking Motorcross Extreme.
They are simple robust bikes with powerful brakes and no gears.

A bit like skateboarding, there are a number of moves or
tricks that a BMXer can perform on his or her bike,
such as a Bunny Hop or Endo.

BMXers should usually wear safety clothing such as a helmet,
gloves and elbow and knee pads.

BMXers, skate boarders and roller-bladers or in-line skaters
often share skateparks, such as the one in Bridport.

However a BMX track such as the one suggested would
be on surface of wooden scalpings and be suitable for use
by anyone with a BMX or similar style bike.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Revenge of the N.E.R.D. ***

The Boston Phoenix Media Communications Group -- 09/13/2003
~~~~~
N.E.R.D. is headlining a soft-drink-sponsored summer tour,
plus Ted Leo, Tommy Stinson, and more
~~~~~
We almost cornered Chad Hugo, the quiet Neptune, by phone last week,
but he slipped off to the studio before taking our call. Fair enough:
he’s a
busy man, and in demand. Ghetto freaks bump Neptunes tracks in Jeeps;
skateboardy white kids worship them like the devil. The Neptunes’
Star Trak Presents . . . Clones (Star Trak) compilation just debuted
at #1; Hugo protégé Kenna is about to become a star; and the
Neptunes’ live-band incarnation, N.E.R.D., is headlining a
soft-drink-sponsored summer tour while simultaneously attempting
to record its next album, which is tentatively titled Fly or Die.
We would’ve reminded Hugo that N.E.R.D.’s first-ever appearance
was at a Phoenix event at Axis, for which he and Pharrell Williams
wheeled themselves on stage on BMX bikes and brought out a dozen
strippers in George W. Bush masks. In any case, N.E.R.D. join the Roots,

O.A.R., Talib Kweli, and dancehall legend Supercat at the Tweeter
Center (617-931-2000) in Mansfield on Monday.

Junior modfather Ted Leo has a new mini-LP, Tell Balgeary,
Balgury Is Dead (Lookout!), due next month that includes a tip
of his hat to the Jam with a version of their "Ghosts." And Leo’s
out on a solo tour that’s upstairs at the Middle East (617-864-EAST)
in Cambridge on Friday — the same day that tickets go on sale to
senior modfather Paul Weller’s October 24 gig at Avalon
— as well as at AS220 (401-831-9327) in Providence on Saturday.
Former Spinanes frontwoman Rebecca Gates opens both shows.
A bassist for the Replacements before he was a replacement in
Guns N’ Roses, Tommy Stinson bashes and pops his way through
old faves and new solo material on a tour with the Figgs and local
boy Jake Brennan that hits the Met Café (401-861-2142) in
Providence on Friday and the Middle East on Saturday. Stone-age
fuzz kings Nebula have a new disc, Atomic Ritual (Liquor and Poker
Records),
and a tour with garage-soul queen Lisa Kekaula’s group the BellRays;
both bands are downstairs at the Middle East on Friday and at the
Met Café on Saturday.

A full year and change after the release of their magnum opus,
Surrounded by Thieves (Relapse), former Sleep guitarist Matt Pike’s
woolly-mammoth doom-metal outfit High on Fire are still on the road.
This time out, they’re opening for the world’s goofiest hesher,
Andrew W.K., who unleashed another round of heavy-metal
show-tuneage last week with his new The Wolf (Island/Def Jam).
They’re at Pearl Street (413-584-7810) in Northampton on Friday.
And Andrew’s spiritual forebear, the great David Lee Roth, brings
tunes from his cover-heavy new Diamond Dave (Magna Carta) and,
we hope, a handful of Van Halen classics to the Palladium
(800-477-6849) in Worcester on Monday.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Gravity Games 2003 ***

Cleveland, OH (AP) -- 09/12/2003
~The never-ending search for bigger and better~
If all the flooding, blackouts and quirky happenings of the last few
months weren't enough to spice up the dog days of summer,
you can still start the autmun season off with a bang as the
Gravity Games hit town once again this September 10-14.

The games, one of the world's premier action sports events,
return to Cleveland in 2003 "bolder and bigger" than last year,
according to David Gilbert, president of the Greater Cleveland
Sports Commission. Featuring more than 200 of the world's
best extreme sports athletes in skateboarding, bike, freestyle
motocross, aggressive inline skating and wakeboarding, there's
no reason to believe this year's games won't serve up enough thrills,
chills and occasional spills to satisfy any action-starved Midwesterner.

Cleveland, a town far from extreme sports' West Coast Mecca,
turned out to be an apt venue for last year's event.

"Cleveland set the stage for an incredible event in 2002," says
Wade Martin, Gravity Games' general manager. "The support
of the fans, city officials, media and local businesses made the
2002 Gravity Games an amazing success. The Cleveland fans
played a dynamic role for the competitions. They are not only
savvy and knowledgeable about the sports but they are
enthusiastic and supportive of the athletes."

A Cleveland Success: Last year the Gravity Games drew
some 164,000 spectators to the lakefront and brought an
economic stimulus of an estimated $25 million to the area.
Also, NBC's televised coverage garnered an Emmy nomination
in 2002 and the network will once again be broadcasting Cleveland
hospitality across the nation.

Cleveland will be welcoming back some of the biggest names
in the business. Alternative sports dignitaries, from skateboarder
Bucky Lasek to BMXer Dave Mirra, will be showcasing what
makes them great on street, dirt, vert and water courses. When
not risking it all for a shot at Gravity glory, the stars will be on
hand to sign autographs and mingle with fans.

Freestyle Motocross Soars: There's nothing area fans seem to
love more than freestyle motocross, which turned out to be 2002's
premier event with diehards packing the stands to capacity for every
competition. With the highest altitude comes the biggest risks, and
freestyle motocross offers both in abundance. Those who tuned in
last year witnessed the historic unveiling of the FMX backflip by
both Mike Metzger and Travis Pastrana. Never before had the
trick been performed in competition, and the contest boiled down
to a duel between the two. Though Metzger was the first to perform
the backflip, Pastrana proved he could do it better and walked away
with gold.

Though at least six competitors are now able to perform the stunt,
this year's breakthrough trick seems to be the 360, first performed
in competition less than a month ago at the X-games by Brian Deegan.
At that event, Pastrana stole the show once again in true Pastrana
fashion by besting Deegan with a 360 of his own. Though the Gravity
Games won't be the first to showcase the 360, it will have one thing
the X-games lacked -- perennial contender Mike Metzger. Metzger
will be returning to the dirt after sitting out the X-games due to a
concussion.
Expect Metzger to pull out all the stops after last month's absence as
he
seeks vengeance for 2002's runner-up finish. Among the others looking
to take the top spot is home-bred Trevor Vines, originally from
Conneaut,
Ohio, and one of six Ohio natives competing in this year's games.

Vert Competition is Hot: In other events to watch out for,
it will be interesting to see whether or not Marc Englehart can follow
up on his underdog victory in the inline skating vert finals last year.
After a solid first attempt, the no-name Englehart unleashed a flawless
second run to topple favorites like Australia's Shane Yost, defending
champion Taig Khris and Japan's Takeshi Yasutoko to become the first
American to win an inline vert contest at such a prestigious event.
Dubbed the "feel-good" story of the 2002 Gravity Games,
time will tell if Englehart's victory was anything more than miraculous.

The Festival Village: When not taking in the latest in airborne
acrobatics
this weekend, spectators can peruse Festival Village, an interactive
exposition of the alternative sporting lifestyle complete with music,
games,
displays and plenty of giveaways. Amateur athletes can test their skills

skateboarding or inline skating an obstacle-filled street course, or try

tearing it up biking a BMX dirt course laden with jumps, banks and
berms.

For those who want the feel more than the real, video games and
sports simulators allow even novice action sports enthusiasts an
opportunity to get in on the activity. Also, fans can check out the
latest in gear and fashion with a collection of top industry
manufacturers
on hand to showcase their wares.

Hot Musical Acts: National acts such as Jane's Addiction and Simple
Plan will be adding additional atmosphere to the Village with shows
on the Main Stage Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings,
as well as Sunday afternoon.

Where It's At: The Gravity Games 2003 will take place at
North Coast Harbor behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
and the new later dates are intended to avoid the sweltering summer
heat of last year's games. Student-friendly event times ensure no event
begins before 3 p.m. on weekdays so those back at school have a
chance to come out and enjoy the action.

New This Year: Changes this year include the addition of a
video-gaming competition sponsored by the Global Gaming League,
which will pit home-grown button mashers against professional gamers,
as well as the first ever all-female skateboard vert demo. In Gravity
Games
past, besides only a sprinkling of representation in male-dominated
sports,
women have been limited to wakeboarding events. This year's
demonstration is the first step towards female divisions in other sports

as well. While the pool of qualified female athletes is on the rise,
downhill sports are on the, well, downhill. The street luge and the
downhill skateboarding contests have both been cut from this year's
schedule. With the technical prowess of FMX and other trick-oriented
events hogging the limelight, no one seems to be feeling the need for
speed anymore.

Despite the loss of some events, you can be sure that those athletes
in attendance will be doing all they can to outdo last year's Gravity
Games.
Pushing the limits in a perpetual search for the next breakout stunt,
the athletes continue to up the ante with bigger air and bolder tricks.
After witnessing an unprecedented melange of all-out stunts in the
finals
of the Big Air Motocross competition at this year's X-games, biker
Nate Adams commented, "It's reached a whole new level now. I am
excited for the future." The future starts this weekend.

-----------------------------------------------

Gravity Games 2003 Event Schedule:

Wednesday 9/10
Festival Village opens, 2 p.m.
Bike Dirt Prelim, 3 p.m.
Inline Vert Prelim, 6 p.m.
Bike Dirt Final, 6:45 p.m.

Musical Performance by Hoobastank and Die Trying, 8:15 p.m.

Thursday 9/11
Festival Village opens, 2 p.m.
Men's and Women's Wakeboard Prelim, 3 p.m.
Bike Vert Prelim, 4:30 p.m.
Inline Vert Final, 8 p.m.

Friday 9/12
Festival Village opens, 2 p.m.
Men's and Women's Wakeboard Semi, 3 p.m.
Skateboard Vert Prelim, 3:30 p.m.
Inline Street Best Trick, 6:00 p.m.
Bike Vert Finals, 7:30 p.m.

Musical Performance by Jane's Addiction and Yellow Card, 9:00 p.m.

Saturday 9/13
Festival Village opens, 11 a.m.
Bike Street Prelim, 1 p.m.
Men's and Women's Wakeboard Final, 1 p.m.
Motocross Prelim, 4 p.m.
Skateboard Street Final, 5 p.m.
Skateboard Vert Final, 8 p.m.

Musical Performance by the Anthem and Simple Plan, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday 9/14
Festival Village opens, 11 a.m.
Amateur Challenge Bike Final, 11 a.m.
Amateur Challenge Skateboard Final, 1 p.m.
Skateboard Women's Street Demo, 1:30 p.m.
Musical Performance by Places to Park, 1 p.m.
Skateboard Street Best Trick, 2:30 p.m.
Motocross Finals, 4 p.m.
Skateboard Vert Best Trick Final, 6:30 p.m.
Bike Street Final, 8 p.m.

On the net - http://www.gravitygames.com

CC - The Associated Press (AP)

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com