NZ BMX stars crowdfund for world-class track in Christchurch

A world class bike pump track could be coming to Christchurch – but it still has a major hurdle to overcome.

The North Avon Christchurch BMX club require at least another $30,000 to make it a reality.

The Club is based at Bexley Reserve in Christchurch’s East, and President Mark Lewis told 1News the track could provide a much-needed boost to an area that has been hit so hard by the quakes.

“It’s been an escape for not only children, but adults too,” said Lewis.

It’s home to dozens of members five years old to fifty years young.

“Come club night, it’s hard to get us all off the track!”

They’ve got the support of the Christchurch City Council to build the pump-track, a piece of land allocated adjacent to their existing BMX track and they’re currently working through designs with Velosolutions.

It would be available for community use, boosting sport and recreation in the red zone – land that has been largely derelict since the Canterbury Earthquakes.

“Playgrounds don’t cut it anymore, some kids are moving away from traditional competitive sports and a pump track fills that gap,” said Lewis.

It would cater to anyone, and anything with two wheels, which is why a number of Kiwi biking stars are getting behind the Club’s crowdfunding campaign such as local legend and Olympic mountain biker Anton Cooper.

Cooper told 1News he could only dream of having such facilities when he was growing up in Christchurch.

“If you look at any professional rider, it was us at sometime too and it’s inspiring to see the passion is there in the next generation,” he said.

Michael Bias, NZ’s number one BMX rider, echoed that sentiment.

“Pump tracks are the new phenomenon! You see little kids in campgrounds in Europe that can pump better than most BMX’ers just by riding a pumptrack,” he said.

The goal is to have enough funds to get construction underway by winter next year.

Donations can be made via this crowdfunding page.