Photo by Joseph Bell
Charlie Bowers, right, drills screws into the new plastic sheets at the Ridgway Area Skatepark yesterday afternoon along with Zach Gerber in preparation for the Fourth Annual BMX Contest this Saturday.

 Skatepark ready for Saturday's event.

By Joseph Bell

Staff Writer

Area BMX riders are volunteering their time to put the finishing touches on the ramps at the Ridgway Area Skatepark in preparation for the Fourth Annual BMX Contest this Saturday beginning at noon.
According to Zach Gerber, a professional BMX rider and one of the contest’s organizers, the event has evolved over the years and grown into a momentous affair.
“This is our fourth annual, so we have it basically around the same time of the year in July,” Gerber said. “It’s a beginner, intermediate and expert contest, so for the kids that are up and coming, it gives them an opportunity to ride and show what they’ve learned and how good they’re getting.”
Initially, the event started off small but gained momentum as interest grew.
“Basically, it started off as just a ragtag group of friends just getting together and then we got one sponsor and we decided to have a contest,” Gerber said. “Now it’s evolved into something big.
“More and more people know about it because of the Internet and we’ve had advertising that way.
“People from all over, even seven to 10 hours away make the drive to come here to hang out and ride.”
Last year, the event attracted approximately 100 riders.

“And probably 300 spectators showed up,” Gerber said. “We had parents come to support their kids, which is always cool, too.”
Registration for the event starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. There are fees for the three different groups: beginner, intermediate and expert. The proceeds are used to maintain the skatepark.
“I’ll be down here around 10 a.m. but the contest will start at noon, just to give kids time to set up and stuff,” Gerber said. “It’ll keep going until we get through everybody.
“It usually lasts until later in the day, 4 p.m. or 6 p.m., depending on how many people come.”
In preparation for the annual event, the skatepark has recently received a facelift with plastic sheets covering the aging plywood on the various ramps.
“The new stuff is pretty sweet because it’s a lot faster, the rolling resistance on your tires,” Gerber said. ‘It’s going to make the park last longer and that’s even better.
“The wood wears out so fast so it’s an improvement and I like it because it’s so fast.”
With the new materials in place, Gerber hopes this year’s event will be a resounding success.
“I just hope people come out and the kids come out and ride, and support it,” Gerber said. “The more people that come out and support it, the longer we’ll keep doing it and more people will become involved in it.
“This year, we’re actually making a video that I hope to get up on some of the BMX sites on the internet so everyone can hear about it. We try to make it bigger and bigger every year.”