Cochrane BMX will offer a great opportunity to the community this evening (July 13) to see the excitement and buzz occurring at our local track.

Our BMX riders are well into their season and there is no sight of slowing down anytime soon.

Brad Christensen, President of the Cochrane BMX Association shares they have a huge roster of riders this season. "Our registration has blown up, we are about two people shy of 200 and we were 162 last year so we grew a big step this year. We've been growing consistently over the last five or six years but this was a big change. We are one of the bigger clubs in Alberta now, so it's good to see the trend of growth for the overall sport and Cochrane." 

The club is well into the season and attended their first set of Provincial races back on June 23rd and most recently Nationals which were held in Drummondville, Quebec on July 7th. Christensen says it was an amazing trip. "Overall we sent fifteen riders from Cochrane to Drummondville this year which is a big showing from Cochrane.  Eight of those riders came back with a National ranking plate and that is the goal of every rider that goes out there. It's not easy to get; only the best of the best go out to race at these events from all over Canada. Everyone goes with the intent of trying to rank and qualify so it was really great to see our riders come back with a high number of riders getting an N plate."

Our local club is certainly gaining attention throughout Alberta as one of the best clubs, shares Christensen. "We have definitely over the last three years developed our riders appropriately and at the right speed. We've got some amazing rider development programs going on in Cochrane right now. One of our head coaches, Zach Croft, has been helping these kids over the past couple years and just went to Quebec and finished with an N4 in the junior male category, which is an amazing accomplishment. So to have these coaches like him, Karsten Millman and others, working with our kids to make them faster is great to see."

This weekend the Cochrane track will once again see a flurry of activity. Tonight beginning at 7 pm, Cochrane BMX is hosting one of four Friday Night Lights races and besides excitement, there will be lots of giveaways. "We are expecting upwards of 200 or more kids coming out from Okotoks, Calgary and Airdrie. This race series just started out last year as a fun way to create some friendly competition with all our friends from the outlying communities, any rider and ability can ride in them. It's kind of an introduction if you are unsure of trying a provincial race; it's half the size of a provincial race, if you haven't raced outside of Cochrane it shows you where some of the other riders skills and development are at and gives a fun way to introduce a bigger race to some of our newer members."

On Saturday (July 14), an all-girls camp will take place at the track. "Cassidy Monaghan one of the elite Alberta riders will be here and offering a great opportunity for some of the girls who may not want to ride or train with the boys or feel intimidated. It will be a great introduction camp for all levels and abilities."

Following all the action of this weekend, Cochrane BMX will head to Red Deer on June 21/22 for Provincial Races 3 and 4. Christensen says, although, it is extremely busy right now he is "just head over heels about everything going on this year and pretty excited about everything BMX."