The second annual BMX Jam at the Estevan Skate Park on Sunday afternoon gave local riders a chance to showcase their talents, while raising money for a deserving organization.
Organizer James Perry said they had close to 60 riders this year, which was an increase over the inaugural edition. They also had more spectators than a year ago.
“All of the out of town guys had nothing but awesome things to say. They said it’s one of the best jams they’ve been to. Nobody got hurt, and lots of kids of all ages participated. I’d say it was an incredibly successful day. And the weather was absolutely perfect.”
More than half of the participants were from out of town.
The jam was a non-competitive event that offered a laid-back atmosphere. Rather than giving each person a minute to perform as many stunts as possible, or dividing them into different age categories, they had people performing stunts one at a time through the park.
“If you do something cool, you get something,” said Perry. “And when I say do something cool, it’s almost more of people competing against themselves rather than each other. So if someone does a really hard trick, and he knows how to do it, that’s cool, but we want to see more of the kid who is landing an easy trick, but it’s really hard for him.”
The stunts performed Sunday included backflips, tail whips, spinning tricks, bar spins, rail rides and no-hand tricks. In the long jump, one participant soared 30 feet from a little ramp that was about two feet tall. Perry called it a crazy distance.
The best part of the day, though, according to Perry, was the interaction between the older and the younger riders. Since it’s not a competitive event, the older participants are more eager and willing to help out the kids.
“You don’t have that pressure of doing a minute run, whereby everybody at the skate park is going to be watching you for a minute straight. That way you also learn skate park etiquette of everybody taking their turns and not doing what we call ‘snaking,’ when somebody is trying to do something and you go where they are.”
Proceeds from the BMX Jam will be directed to Special Olympics Youth in Estevan. Perry said they raised more than $2,800.
They received money from an e-transfer in which people made donations, as well as the sale of food and raffle tickets for a new BMX bike.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to or heard of a BMX jam that fundraises for something, so in terms of that, I’m super happy with how much money we raised. It’s kind of a weird combo, a skate park event that raises money.”
And it couldn’t have happened without his family and friends, the riders who participated and the sponsors who backed the jam, he said.
