Chula Vista 2.0 Track Coming Along

This Saturday, BMX News will be on hand for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chula Vista “2.0″ Supercross track. Dirt is already moving, as you can see in the above photo, posted to Instagram by Arielle Martin on Monday. And as deep-in-our hearts as the current Chula track is, we are absolutely jumping out of our socks at the prospect of shooting the new track for the US Olympic Trials this June–a scant three months away.

The location of the 2.0 is just adjacent to the dining hall, and from the looks of it, may feature a dirt starting hill that will bonzai down into the London-style first straight (though we could be wrong, as we will not be seeing it live and in person for another 48 hours).

And that view! The photos are gonna be KICKIN! Well, afterall, “Chula Vista” does, translate to “Pleasant View,” and this one is a doozy.

Stick with BMX News Thursday-Sunday for coverage from the Mega BMX weekend at the US Olympic Training Center.

Here’s what the weekend’s schedule looks like:

Thursday – USA BMX and SX Practice; Assorted “Main-In-The-Pits” Coverage
Friday – Day One: USA BMX So. Cal Nationals
Friday Afternoon – UCI BMX Supercross Time Trial Superfinal
Saturday – USA Cycling BMX Amateur National Championships
Saturday – USA Cycling BMX Collegiate National Championships
Saturday Afternoon – UCI BMX Supercross “Big Show”
Saturday Evening – Official Ribbon Cutting for London-Replica SX Track
Sunday – Day Two: USA BMX So. Cal Nationals
Sunday Afternoon – USA Cycling BMX Elite BMX Championship (On SX Track)

WOWZA! The schedule is Stacked to the rafters. More packed than any race weekend we have ever shot before!

See you in the 619!

Photo by Arielle Martin, via Instagram.

Maris Scores in the Paint!

Maintaining the full-factory look-and-feel can be a full-time gig, in itself–unless, of course, you have the backstage players to make it happen while you’re out on sprint duty, or muscling up some squats in the gym.

This sneak peek into a forthcoming “day-in-the-life” stalker vid of “The Machine” brings the fans inside a pow-wow with Smith Designs Custom Paint to lay up some serious style on Maris’ new lid. Chances are, it will be the one he’ll wear in London this August, so it has to be all-that-and-a-side-of-guacamole.

We’ll let the motion do the talkin, but great to see this little ditty, shot and chopped by our favorite man-behind-the-cam, Justin Kosman. Can’t wait to see the full cut.

Also in a starring role in this little short is the Fox Rampage helmet that the guys are rappin about, and all the FA guys will be rockin this season. Check it out here

Click for the vid

Meanwhile, if you got a hankerin’ for that high-gloss, factory-fresh flav’, hit up Smith Designs on Facebook

UK Kitted-Up For London

Fashion, as with any art form, is a fickle business– you are only as popular as your last stitch, sketch, or sell-out SKU. For Adidas designer Stella McCartney, the eyeballs of a few billion critics will be set, squarely, on her handiwork, as the designer’s stylings hit center stage in London yesterday for the debut of the UK’s Olympic Team look.

The show was set in style at the Tower of London, and the 590-piece Olympic Collection was paraded out for a proud public.

McCartney told the BBC:

The ‘untraditionally British’ design features a contemporary take on the union flag

Something that was very important to me was to try and use that very iconic image but to dismantle it and try to soften it, break it down and make it more fashionable, in a sense.

Marching proudly in the mix was UK BMX star Shanaze Reade, as she hit the runway with six other Olympic and Paralympic athletes headed downtown in London Town this August.

As with most fashion statements, about a third are going to love it, a third are going to hate it, and a third are going to shrug, when asked for their candid opinion (until they get home to comment on it, one way or the other, on the Internet).

BMX-wise, the opinions are pouring in, via Facebook, and forums like VintageBMX.com. What say you? Get in on the discussion!

And, yes…Stella “McCartney,” not exactly Stella Smith or Jones…Ms. McCartney is the daughter of music legend Paul McCartney and the late artist-activist Linda McCartney. Fitting company for a hip fit, to be sure!

BBC Article

USA Cycling Funds 10 to First Two SX Races

USA Cycling BMX announced their funded team for the first two Supercross World Cup events of 2012 on Monday. A total of ten athletes—-five men and five women–will officially represent Team USA at next month’s Chula Vista Supercross (on March 30-31), then onto Randaberg, Norway on April 13-14.

Due to the Olympic Games in August, the 2012 season is on a fairly short runway, with only three World Cup events before the the World Championships in May (23-27). The final World Cup event, prior to the worlds will be in Papendal, Netherlands on May 12-13.

USA Cycling typically selects funded riders one race at a time, based on performance criteria set forth in the “BMX Supercross Selection Principles” PDF. But, due to the timeframe being so short between the first two races, it was decided that the Team selected for Chula Vista would also don the Team USA jersey in Norway.

Interestingly enough, if you’re a US Citizen, you don’t have to be “funded” to fly the USA colors. Mike King tells NEWS: “We don’t discourage anyone from wearing our National Team jersey, and see this from time to time if a rider is unsponsored.” Something else we didn’t know…if your money is where your mouth is, and you are paying your own way to the race, performance will have its rewards. If you hit the podium at a World Cup event, your travel expenses will be reimbursed, AND you will receive a “podium bonus” of $1000 for first, $750 for second, or $500 for third from USA Cycling. That is pretty awesome, and we’re not sure a lot of people know about that fact (hence the reason we’re writing about it).

USA Cycling BMX Funded Team for Chula Vista and Randaberg

Men
Connor Fields (Henderson, NV / Chase BMX)*
David Herman (Wheat Ridge, CO / Free Agent-Rockstar)*
Nic Long (Lakeside, CA / Haro Bikes)*
Mike Day (San Diego, CA / GT Bicycles)
Corben Sharrah (Tucson, AZ / GT Bicycles)

Women
Brooke Crain (Visalia, CA / Haro Bikes)*
Arielle Martin (Spanaway, WA / Intense BMX)*
Amanda Carr (Punta Gorda, FL / Endeavor-Paul Williams)
Amanda Geving (Largo, FL / MCS Bicycles)
Alise Post (Saint Cloud, MN / Redline Bicycles)

*The asterisks next to the rider names indicate the athlete met USA Cycling’s “automatic selection criteria” (they are listed alphabetically within groupings). This criteria covers Elite Men who are ranked in the top three in the overall SX rankings; top two for Elite Women. Regarding the other five spots, USA Cycling BMX Program Director Mike King told NEWS “The remaining riders were nominated based on a 12-month performance-evaluation window and from our last two training camps.”

Arielle and Connor are fresh off World Cup wins at the 2011 World Cup season finale in Chula Vista, so we’re anxious to see them do their thing, right back where we left off. The balance of the field have been training hard, and looking strong…we’re expecting some big things from them. Nic will be fresh from an injury suffered in January, and is expected to be back tearin it up by Chula.

The three World Cup events and the World Championships are critical for both UCI Nations Ranking points (which directly control the number of start spots for the London Games). Team USA is in third place at present for the Elite Men’s Nations Rankings (Australia and France are 1-2, respectively). Among our guys, Connor has the points lead, with 1304, then David (1237), then Nic (1214).

The Nations picture is just as rosy for the women–moreso, in fact–with the American Girls in second for Nations Ranking points, behind Australia. Taking a granular look at how the points break out within Team USA’s Elite Women, we have Brooke leading with 1584 points, Arielle (1388), and Amanda Geving with 1136.

And while the Nations Rankings determine how many riders each nation can send, it is the USA Cycling BMX “Power Rankings” which help determine WHO, from Team USA, will be sent to fill those earned slots.

The Power Rankings will determine the first “automatic” spot on the London 2012 Team, following the World Championships. The 2012 Power Rankings started at the London World Cup (Olympic Test Event) last August, and include all the World Cup Races this year (Chula, Randaberg, Papendal), as well as the USA Cycling BMX National Championships (in Chula Vista on April 1), and finally, on to the World Championships on 5/25).

Boosted by their respective wins of the 2011 Chula World Cup, Connor and Arielle are sitting atop the Power Rankings going into the Calendar 2012 events.

With 31 days between now and the first Time Trial gate in Chula Vista on March 30, keep your eyes here on BMX News for as-they-happen updates on Team USA’s sprint to London.

Mike Day Auctions Bike for Friend

BMXers are a rare breed, indeed. Disciplined, passionate, competitive when it counts…and always willing to step in to help a friend in need.

So, when the family of a close friend found themselves facing the challenges of Leukemia among their youngest, Olympic Silver Medalist, Mike Day said “what can I do to help?”

In cases like this, every bit of support helps and, even if there is insurance helping with the largest expenses, everyday expenses can creep up real quick. Mike’s Custom 2011 GT Speed Series bike was in the garage, and pressed into service to help his friend.

“I’ve donated jerseys and some small stuff to charity auctions and fundraisers before…but I really want to give something ‘bigger’ this time…and this was a bike that I actually raced last year, so I thought it might bring some interest.” Said Mike in a recent phone interview with News.

And interest, it has brung. As of Feb 23 at Noon, the bid was up to $900, with 27 bids on the books. The auction still has three days to go (ends Feb 26, 201219:07 PST), so we can expect that a flurry of last minute bids will come at the tail end, as MDay365 fans, and BMX Collectors come out of hiding and bid it to win it.

We asked Mike about “The Pros Closet,” the organization selling the bike for him. He told us: “The family will get 100% of the money from the auction. I got connected with (The Pros Closet) through a mutual friend. He had worked with them before, and had a very positive experience.”

We may just slip in at the last minute and put in a “Hail Mary” bid.

Click here to view the auction on eBay

Props to Mike for his generosity, and “how can I help” attitude. Truly one of the good guys of our sport.

Podcast: USAC BMX Coach James Herrera

Earlier this week, BMX News brought you news of the US Olympic Committee “Cycling Coach of the Year” Award going to USA Cycling BMX National Team Coach, James Herrera. Ever since visiting the OTC in mid-January, we have been talking about getting James on the Podcast show for an interview about what, exactly an Olympic BMX coach does…and to talk about nutrition, and how our readers can best coach their riders, whatever the level.

This proved to be an excellent opportunity to congratulate James on the award, and get the full-scope of his story, from curb jumping his BMX Bike near his home in El Paso, TX in the late 70′s, Racing Nationals in the Southwest in the 80s, and on to his hiring as National BMX Team Coach last year.

James observes a vegan diet–meaning no animal products whatsoever–and we wanted to find out if this is a practice he recommends for his athletes, and other high-performance BMXers.

We took some of our time with James to get some tips and tricks on how parents, sponsors and other support people can work with their favorite Amateur to optimize their training and other aspects of their BMX racing career.

It is a very informative interview, and we think you’ll enjoy it.

LISTEN NOW

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USAC BMX James Herrera Wins Coach of the Year

Last year, (March 31, 2011, to be exact), BMX News reported the hiring of Coach James Herrera as head coach for the Elite and U23 (under 23 years) programs for USA Cycling BMX at US Olympic Training Center/Chula Vista.

Fast-forward 326 days, and James has accomplished a lot in preparing Team USA’s BMX athletes for their trip to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London this August. The feedback from the athletes has been profoundly positive, and the results were quick-and-tangible. Arielle Martin directly attributes James’ coaching in helping her top the podium at the Chula Vista World Cup last fall, saying in a recent forum post: “I credit my first ever SX World Cup win last October to James and his exceptional coaching.” We look forward to more of that kind of success as next month’s Chula Vista SX signals the calendar-2012 season opener.

Cycling, as a whole, is a pretty big world. BMX Racing competes for recognition on the stage with Road, Track, and Mountain (among Olympic disciplines). Only through outstanding performance can our sport advance its profile.

This weekend, The United States Olympic Committee awarded James Herrera their “2011 National Coach of the Year for Cycling” Award. USA Cycling has over 1,400 coaches, so for this award to come to BMX Racing is quite an accomplishment, and speaks volumes for the recipient.

BMX News is very happy for James, and the whole staff at OTC/Chula Vista. This award is proof-positive that BMX Racing is on a solid footing in the cycling community, and definitely on the radar of some important people, leading into London 2012.

James is currently hip deep in an Elite training camp out at the OTC, but News sent off a couple quick questions, which will serve as an appetizer of sorts, with the main course being a Podcast interview we hope to record later in the week (covering the award, but BMX coaching, in general).

News: Were you aware of the award prior to winning it?

James: I was aware that I was nominated for the award, but didn’t really think a BMX coach would ever win. The pool of BMX coaches under the USAC umbrella is incredibly small compared to all the other cycling disciplines. But hey, we’re a pretty medal-capable sport!

News: What does winning Coach of the Year mean to you?

James: I’m definitely on some hype from winning the award. It speaks volumes for our staff, athletes, and program. Our program has grown by leaps and bounds from what I remember in 2007. We’ve taken a much more calculated, scientific approach to training, recovery, and nutrition, are working closely with our sports partners, and Mike King and I have a great working partnership. One of our mottos is, “take care of the process and the results will follow.” That was the plan when I was first assumed my role with the team, and it’s still what guides us today. Our athletes are doing well and the results speak for themselves. Ultimately, the Coach of the Year award validates the success of our program. The award has my name on it, but it really should include our JDP and U23 coaching staff, Mike King, the CV OTC, USA Cycling, and our athletes who are going to clean house in London.

Congratulations to all involved, and continued success! Watch for the full interview later in the week.

—Mike Carruth

New Pro Season Stepping Off In Oldsmar

BMX News is gearing up for the Elite Season Opener this weekend at the USA BMX Gator Nationals in Oldsmar, FL.

All signs point to a massive Elite turn out for the Gators, and as part of Saturday’s race, the UCI North American Continental Championships (Class 3…the most points outside the World Cup series or the World Championships).

We have been getting “we’ll be there” responses from teams and rider from as far North as Maine, and as far West as Washington State on the Amateur side, so we look forward to bringing you two days of rock-solid racing, with awesome action photos and a complete story on both days’ first straight pulls, and last-turn lead changes.

Keep it right here each night for how it all went down, and if you just can’t wait…follow @bmxnow on Twitter for as-they-happen updates from the infield.

USAC Elite Camp Brings The Best to Chula V

A major contingent of Elite “Team USA” BMX Supercross talent flew in to the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA last week for the first Elite Development camp of 2012. BMXNEWS.COM was granted exclusive access to shoot some action during one of the training sessions.

We clipped the set down to the 49 best shots of the session, and are bringing them to you as soon as we got them dialed in. It was an amazing day for shooting in San Diego, and the riders were definitely in the zone.

The camp included 19 athletes in all, but Joey Bradford and David Herman had other commitments for the photo session timeframe. And Nic Long, Felicia Stancil and Tyler Brown posted early injuries and could not ride. We wish them a speedy recovery!

Other stars out of orbit this camp; Connor Fields and Alise Post were out of the country and Mike Day and Corben Sharrah were out of town on GT biz. We vowed to catch them on-course next time.

Click Here to View the Gallery

A big thanks to: Mike King, Andrea Smith and James Herrera at USA Cycling for letting us peek into their day. Team USA is readying some amazing talent for London, and this glimpse into their routine gives us a special kind of pride as Americans. Equal thanks goes to Amanda Carr, Amanda Geving, Arielle Martin, Barry Nobles, Brooke Crain, Dani George, Donny Robinson, Jared Garcia, Jason Rogers, Josh Meyers, Kory Cook, Tyler Faoro and Weston Pope for their style and willingness to “do that again!”

—Mike Carruth

Above: Barry Nobles gets it done on the second straight aboard his new DK scoot.

BMX Timeline Updated

The last time we updated the “History of BMX Timeline” was just before the 2008 Olympics. Wow! A lot has happened in our sport since July 2008…so, at the prompting of a good friend in the industry, we decided to open up the history books and bring the timeline up to date.

The above photo from the 2011 NBL Grands this year is one that would have been deleted straightaway once we got back to the room and started editing out the bloopers. Except this image would prove historic in a small way. It’s a photo of Dalton Scales-Conklin of Kentucky, winning the The 14-15 Open Main Event. “What’s the big deal?” you ask? Well, it also happened to be the final rack of the 2011 NBL Grands, and with it, the final lap of the NBL’s 37-year history.

We added Dalton’s win to the History of BMX Timeline, along with Anne-Caroline Chausson and Maris Strombergs’ wins at the 2008 Olympics. And of course the full tick-tock on the ABA/NBL merger in 2011, and a bunch of other stuff in between.

Download the Timeline as a PDF, and feel free to share it with friends.

—Mike Carruth

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