Dreaming of a place to ride

MOSES LAKE — While sitting in juvenile detention for a weekend, four youth conjured an idea to keep them and others out of trouble while providing a positive activity several others are interested in.

"We want to make a bike park," Mike Comerford, 14, said.

Comerford and friends Cameron Comley, 14, Corey Meier, 14 and Brett Meier, 13, often find themselves in trouble because they are riding their BMX-style bikes where they shouldn't be riding.

They have each received tickets, had their bikes impounded and spent time in juvenile detention for doing something they love to do.

There are not a lot of places to go.

They are limited to one public area to practice their sport, the dirt track at the Larson Field, they claim. They face a few problems with the dirt track, it is better designed for dirt bikes, Brett Meier said. Their bikes don't do very well in the dirt, they often find themselves stuck.

The Moses Lake Skate Park, a favorite place for the group, does not allow bikes at the park.

They are looking for a park similar to the skate park.

After getting in trouble a few times, a police officer advised them to seek a street-style BMX park by asking the city.

"But then a day later we went to 'juvy,'" Brett Meier said.

The four youth drew some preliminary drawings of their dream park while in juvenile detention, Comley said.

They are hoping for something about the same size as the skate park with similar equipment including pyramid shaped jumps and a bowl. A bowl looks similar to an in-ground pool. They are hoping it could be fenced in or built indoors.

Although bikes are not allowed at the skate park, sometimes they are used despite the rules.

Usually it does not go over well with the other patrons who are skating. It leads to fighting.

Eventually they want somewhere to go to keep them out of trouble, Brett Meier said.

Their ultimate goal is sponsorship. They each want to ride BMX professionally.

They have been offered sponsorships in the past.

For one, his passion started as soon as he got his training wheels off. Corey Meier began doing stunts at an early age, he said.

Comley said he's been riding a bike since he can remember.

"None of our bikes are stock, they're all upgraded," Corey Meier said. "Our bikes are made for hardcore stuff."

"We can't get better at it because there's nowhere to ride," Brett Meier said. "We can't become professional because it's little stuff."

The four are scheduled to meet with the Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the proposal.