|
Posted March 31, 2005 Drama at Gunbarrel The jumps at Eaton Park (aka Gunbarrel) have been in a state of disrepair since last summer. A few dig sessions have happened, but there hasn't been much follow-through, and overall the place has gone to pot over the fall and winter. Over the past couple weeks some guys have done some digging. Commonly known as "those BMXers," they are named Matt, Rich and Cliff. They've all done a lot of digging. Matt has done a ton. One of their recent projects was to build up the inside line. To achieve speed for the mega doubles, they built a big berm that feeds riders from the top of the roll-in to the new inside line. That's all good, but this berm blocked the entrance to the Racer Main and Outside lines, both popular among intermediate jumpers. The guys built a kicker over the berm to feed into Racer Main, but a lot of riders (mostly mountain bikers) thought that was a weak substitute for the old, easy run-in. So there's a lot of hate going around, a lot of us vs. them, mountain bikers vs. BMX sentiment. Yesterday someone actually spray painted the jumps with things like "BMXers pick up trash" and "Enjoy it while it lasts." This is a public park that lots of ordinary people walk past, and the painter actually incorporated the F word into one of his admonishments. Not smart.
It's so easy to descend into tribal sub-expert jumpers. They just want to ride their bikes on the kind of terrain they enjoy. Matt said he was one of the people who lobbied the city to dedicate this land, and that he was one of the original diggers. According to Matt, at some point someone cut down the big jumps he'd made, and he stepped away from the spot. After seeing the disrepair of the jumps, he's decided to step back in, and he wants to restore the kind of big, lippy line Gunbarrel had in the beginning. Everyone who has ever dug at Gunbarrel thinks he's the only guy who's ever dug there, and that it's his own private park. When you discover that one of your lines (whether you made it or just ride it) has been changed, blocked or had its dirt stolen to create something else, that pisses you off. It messes with your sense of security because your world has altered without your control, and it messes with your self esteem because bigger, harder jumps demote you in the hierarchy. We need to realize this is a public park, and that is should satisfy the needs of a full range of riders. I propose: The pledge: Let's make sure the beginners have easy stuff, the experts have advanced stuff, and there's a nice progression in between. When you build advanced stuff, don't mess with the easy stuff, and when you build easy stuff, don't mess with the advanced stuff. The brain trust: Today was the first impromptu meeting of the "Gunbarrel Planning Committee." We need a core group of riders who will maintain a broad perspective and make sure Gunbarrel serves everyone. I volunteer, and it looks like Rich and Matt have volunteered as well. Gunbarrel might not be perfect, but dirt is easy to move, and if we do it right we'll only have to do it once. Pitch in: The fact is, most people who are committed enough to dig are also advanced riders. Guys like Matt will not spend a day filling in small table tops when they can build bigger, funner doubles. So the bottom line is, everyone who cares enough to complain and spraypaint should help dig. Not only their lines, but others' as well. I realize not everyone has the time or inclination to do a lot of digging (myself included). That's fine. If you can't swing a shovel, support in other ways. Bring out some Gatorade for the diggers, help plan things out, or -- at the least -- stop complaining, and stop spraying graffiti on the jumps. Step it up: Before you complain about a line, try it. If a new section seems above your abilities, see if you can work up to it and add it to your repertoire. It's all about progression. Just say hello: This sounds silly, but introduce yourself to everyone who rides at Gunbarrel (or wherever you ride). We're all in this for the same reasons. If we separate ourselves we'll fight over dirt and create hate. If we unite, we'll build a great jump park and have lots of fun. |
Fight terrorism: spend money!
|
|
Home Email Lee © 2004 Lee McCormack. All rights reserved. |
