DAY ONE McKinleyville BMX Track users burst forth on opening day, Aug. 22. Matt Filar | Union
McKINLEYVILLE – Within days of the grand opening of a new BMX track in McKinleyville, the facility had to be locked up in the evening to prevent kids on electric motorcycles from damaging the track.
Before suffering the wrath of kids on electric cycles, the BMX track at the corner of School Road and Washington Avenue had unlocked gates, allowing pedal-powered bicyclists access the track after hours.
But within days of the Aug. 22 grand opening, the McKinleyville Community Services District announced on social media that the gates would be locked.
“Sadly, due to unauthorized e-moto use and damage, we are forced to start locking up the new BMX track at 5 p.m. until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” stated an Aug. 26 posting by the MCSD on Facebook. “As a friendly reminder, only pedal bikes are allowed on the track. All motorized vehicles and toys damage the track and can cause safety issues. No e-motos, e-bikes, RC cars. Pedal mountain bikes, striders and of course BMX bikes are allowed. Let’s all work together to be responsible, kind to fellow riders, and take care of this new asset to our.”
The situation was discussed during the Sept. 2 meeting of the Board of Directors of the McKinleyville Community Services District, which owns the track and park.
“The electric motorcycle kids/ hoodlums are definitely tearing it [the track] up, so unfortunately we’ve had to lock it up at night so they can’t get their motorcycles in there,” MCSD Manager Pat Kaspari. told the board.
The problem runs deeper than kids simply using unauthorized electric motorcycles at the track. By almost all accounts, the youthful perpetrators are also jerks.
Some posters on Facebook have reported that the kids were not only damaging the track, but also intimidating younger children on regular bicycles. One person took photos of a group of scofflaws. A kid on an e-bike then chased the photographer, flipped him off and instructed him to “suck my butt cheeks.”
The MCSD board discussed potential solutions to the problem. Director Greg Orsini noted that when district staff has to lock the gates, that means the track is closed at 5 p.m. This deprives the community of a prime time for BMX riding.
Manager Kaspari said the district is in discussions with McKinleyville BMX, a local non-profit, to have volunteers be in charge of locking the gates in the evenings to provide more time for people to use the track.
MCSD Board President Dennis Mayo said he has been in contact with law enforcement about the issue and was advised that if people see electric motorcycles on the track, they should close the gates and call the Sheriff’s Office.
“We can’t keep the kids in,” Mayo said. “But we can keep the machines.”
Mayo suggested that the district go after the kids’ parents to pay for damages caused to the track.
Despite the setback, improvements are being made to the track.
On Sept. 5, McKinleyville BMX announced that the new track is now an officially sanctioned USABMX track.
McKinleyville BMX statement
McKinleyville BMX posted the following on Facebook Sept. 5:
We officially now have a USABMX sanctioned track!
And after an incredible track reshaping and conditioning, the McKinleyville BMX Track is ready to get to what it was built for — BMX racing!
A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. This was truly a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful for the people and organizations who donated their time, equipment, expertise, and resources to get the track to racing condition.
Thank you to:
• McKinleyville BMX — for your continued dedication to the track, the riders, and the BMX community!
• Billy Allen from USABMX — for coming out and putting his incredible skills to work rebuilding and shaping the track. That machine is truly an art form in his hands!
• Charlie Caldwell & Humboldt Skatepark Collective — for your support and willingness to jump in and help our BMX community!
• Redwood Empire BMX Crew — for donating equipment and helping make this rebuild possible!
• McKinleyville ACE Home & Garden Center — for generously donating the roller that helped us smooth and pack in the track and keep it in great shape!
And, of course, THANK YOU to our riders and community for your patience while the work was underway.
This track is more than dirt, jumps and berms — it’s a place for kids, families and riders of all ages to come together, build skills, challenge themselves and have FUN. Official USABMX races are coming soon — within weeks!
We can’t wait to see those gates drop and the racing begin!
McKinleyville BMX is officially sanctioned. Let’s RACE!