Moses Lake BMX has upgrades for the Larson Recreation Center Track

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake BMX organization finished upgrades to the Larson Recreation Center Track in Moses Lake on July 1, fixing some eroded ramps and adding some new features as well.

Brandon Holland, track operator for the non-profit organization, said they’d noticed a great deal of decline in one section of the track in particular in the past year.

“To provide a safer track and get up to industry standards for our organization and the city, we were allowed to come and rebuild a section of the track,” Holland said. “Along with that, we were able to upgrade all three of the turns that are on the track.”

Track developer Lance Maguire, of Moses Lake BMX’s parent organization USA-BMX, spent a few days in Moses Lake, moving dirt around, completely reworking one section around the third turn of the track.

Brandon Holland said he took over as track operator last year after the previous operators stepped away and handed the position over.

Having volunteered with the organization beforehand, Holland said, he and his two daughters got into the sport locally, with his wife Selena Holland racing as well.

In addition to renovations on the track itself, Brandon Holland said they were able to obtain 14 new bikes and helmets to serve as rentals for kids who may not have a bike of their own.

Selena Holland, secretary for Moses Lake BMX, said they obtained a grant last year to help sponsor memberships for three kids from low-income families. “We had loaner bikes for kids to ride during races, things like that,” Selena Holland said. “We’re really trying to reach all demographics of kids and families to make sure that no one feels left out.”

BMX is a sport that brings in children from all walks of life to participate and ride, she said. Without a lot of team sports going on right now, she added, it’s nice to have this option for kids to come out for.

“It’s really nice to give our kids the opportunity to, not only come and do a USA BMX-sanctioned race, but also to just come and ride,” Selena Holland said. “They have a safe place that they can go, get together and ride, and it’s out in the open. They’re not around a hundred people, so they’re able to really social distance.”

A lot of events and programs have had to be canceled this summer due to event restrictions from COVID-19. Selena Holland said they were forced to postpone a new program, the Racing League, which allows new riders of all ages to come out for a six-week training program.

Started by Donny Robinson, a former U.S. Olympic bronze medalist in BMX, the program’s focus is on bringing kids in without the stigma of not having ridden before.

“They don’t see the races, they don’t see the kids who are out here racing all the time and doing the jumps,” Selena Holland said. “We’re just teaching them the basics: how to ride, proper posture, so after six weeks they feel comfortable and confident on a bicycle.”

One of the main goals of Moses Lake BMX is to try to bring in as many people as they can to expand and build the program locally, Selena Holland said.

Brandon Holland said they’re looking forward to getting back to hosting some of the bigger USA BMX-sanctioned events after hosting their first-ever Gold Cup qualifier last year. Revenue from that race helped fund the upgrades for the track this year, he added.

“Those big races provide a lot of what it takes to get the organization running,” he said.

Brandon Holland said they’re continuing to look at ways to expand moving forward, working closely with a lot of tracks in Eastern Washington.