tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72183191745627406262011-04-21T15:53:14.497-04:00Keeping a record of my BMX racing "career".Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-40638150562678253192008-08-27T16:27:00.006-04:002008-08-27T20:36:59.084-04:00

Wow, have I ever let things slide, and I do apologize to any of you who like to "follow" my progress along with me. I just find it hard to be motivate to give an update when there is a ton of text and a lack of pictures or even video. I wish I could solve that problem, but frankly I can't, I can only get photo's should Kate be up for coming to a race. I am not saying it is her fault, because I

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-20198572420547931322008-08-18T20:22:00.002-04:002008-08-18T20:42:46.830-04:00

This week we had two races rather than our usual single Tuesday race. Reason being is that we were to have hosted the Greg Hill clinic at our track, which I and many riders signed up for so that we can advance our skills. Due to the special event our executives decided to make Thursday a race night so that the riders could showcase those newly acquired skills. Unfortunately Greg Hill canceled

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-61527003320925902012008-08-06T12:22:00.005-04:002008-08-06T12:39:42.963-04:00

I do apologize to the very few readers who follow my BMX Racing Career as I have not posted recently.On July 29th we had yet another typical Tuesday Night Race in which I finished 3rd in. It took all three moto's for me to qualify for the main and needing to beat out Brandon. It seems every week him and I have some close battles going on, a number of them involve him clipping me in some way (

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-69003873188061071062008-07-30T09:03:00.003-04:002008-07-30T09:12:52.308-04:00

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-90616915614591890152008-07-25T14:58:00.002-04:002008-07-25T15:05:13.001-04:00

I personally wanted a way to easily track my results, and well a simple blog post after each race is difficult to follow as I do not take into account the races I miss due to vacation or other family functions. So I decided to create a list on the right side of my blog that dates back to the season opener on May 24, 2008 and is up to date with each race results. I will update this weekly after

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-51980631283435130242008-07-24T08:56:00.002-04:002008-07-24T10:35:36.938-04:00

Well, I had intended on making this post yesterday once I had access to the pictures my wife took on Tuesday, but I got side tracked playing Super Off Road for my SNES (yes, an old games geek if you didn't know already).Anyhow, I had a great night of racing on Tuesday, and pictures will follow shortly to go along with this posting.Our moto was comprised of Brandon, Ariel, Cassandra, Jamie, and

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-27718793622634818452008-07-16T09:25:00.005-04:002008-07-16T09:41:28.601-04:00

Anybody who grew up in the 80's most likely knows of the greatest BMX movie ever, "RAD", and the main character Cru Jones, and the greatest BMX track, "Hell Track". Here is a clip for all those who have no clue what I am talking about.Anyhow, now on to how this relates in a foolish way to my blog and my racing. You see, my initials are KRW, my wife Kate randomly started to call me "KREW"

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-33682547177199069012008-07-16T09:13:00.003-04:002008-07-16T09:24:54.520-04:00

Yesterday we had four riders in my moto, Jamie, Brandon, myself and Cassandra, a teenage girl from BC who is in Ottawa for the summer. However, once again, no pictures or video. Kate will be coming next week, and I am looking at how feasible it may be to get a low cost helmet cam to help fill in the gaps.The first heat was close and a great race to be in. It was a great battle right from the

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-8555594469822830012008-07-09T10:54:00.002-04:002008-07-09T11:22:12.699-04:00

Yesterday's race saw a smaller turnout than normal, possibly due to a combination of people taking vacations and the fact that the Ottawa area had a sever thunderstorm warning in effect for the day. Along with the storm warning, it was bloody hot and humid yesterday. As a result there were only 3 riders in my class, which meant we raced a total of 3 heats for total points, no qualification

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-73686112984273095012008-07-06T10:45:00.002-04:002008-07-06T10:59:24.340-04:00

I did not race this week simply because Kate and I headed out to Prince Edward Island for vacation. It was a relaxing weekend at a rented cottage located on the South shore of PEI not far from the Confederation Bridge.The weather was great for most of the week, wet the first two days. We toured the island, went on a seal watching cruise, and I took in a round of golf.I played a round at The

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-56845718432967305172008-06-25T07:33:00.002-04:002008-06-25T07:52:54.781-04:00

Let me preface this that I do enjoy racing and I am doing it for fun, but at the same time that does not mean that I should not make any official protest when it comes to actions of a fellow riders that may have been a foul. I wish I had pictures or video from last nights races, but unfortunately I do not. But let me also delay in the action by recapping last nights races.It was nice to see

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-41484090460798706282008-06-18T11:30:00.002-04:002008-06-18T11:41:14.911-04:00

Weather in Ottawa the past week or so has been miserable with rain and thunderstorms on a daily basis, and yesterday was no different with rain throughout the day.I arrived at the track shortly after 4:30 and it was absolutely pouring. Marty and I took cover in his trailer in hopes it would blow over, which it did just shortly after 5:00 or so. The big question was the condition of the track,

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-79917907761626944052008-06-17T09:02:00.002-04:002008-06-17T09:19:41.027-04:00

The first annual Race For Life hosted by Ottawa BMX in benefit of the CHEO Foundation ended up being a huge success! Thanks to the efforts of our members and first time riders, we raised over $2,400!I personally had a goal of $250, I not only reached that goal, but I beat it by raising a total of $290, a HUGE thank you goes out to everybody who sponsored me.Kate showed up for the first two races

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-69915393372633485612008-06-12T22:02:00.004-04:002008-06-12T22:09:34.710-04:00

Tuesday's race was rained out so in order to prevent us from missing races we simply changed the race to Thursday this week which is typically our practice night, as a result turnouts were low as it seemed not everybody got the memo.Due to the low turnout I was placed in wacky moto group that consisted of three 10 year old intermediates, myself, and Jamie who is 33. With five riders in the moto

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-33662361752889142912008-06-04T08:36:00.002-04:002008-06-04T08:49:38.366-04:00

As the title states, I do not have pictures for yesterdays races as Kate had to work late and then choose to stay home for the remainder of the evening.Despite the rain we have had in the Ottawa area for the last three days as well as for much of the morning on Tuesday, the track was in relatively good shape which allowed us to proceed with our regularly scheduled race. Along with that, the

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-24615187367492157622008-05-29T12:33:00.002-04:002008-05-29T12:45:58.887-04:00

Please help me support the CHEO Foundation by donating to the ABA "Race For Life" which is hosted by Ottawa BMX on June 14th, 2008. This is a special BMX race where riders will be racing to further the physical, mental and social well-being of children and their families in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.I am asking all my friends and family to help me reach and hopefully beat my goal to

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-1257542507672357492008-05-28T10:32:00.007-04:002008-12-09T03:24:22.981-05:00

Yesterday's race went much better than Saturday's which I am happy about.Once again I was in a class of 4 riders (16 to 36 years old), but this time three of us were on the standard 20" BMX and one was on the 24" "Cruiser" which has larger wheels and a smaller crank making it easier for the rider to get to a faster speed, but they sure are sensitive due to the tires being more narrow.The First

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-88498920150222758772008-05-27T15:47:00.005-04:002008-12-09T03:24:23.590-05:00

Saturday's turnout was great to see, a large number parents with their kids showed up to race, several new comers out as well. As expected due to the number of new riders registration took longer than normal, however a glitch with the software we use required everything to be done manually at the last minute which caused for a longer delay, but once completed the races ran smoothly.I wish "

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-35778517313048803182008-05-23T11:23:00.002-04:002008-05-23T11:30:56.173-04:00

Tomorrow we kick off the 2008 Ottawa BMX race season and to go along with the racing will be a BBQ, prizes and fun races in between! Several man hours were volunteered this winter to ensure we have an amazing season and build momentum for future race seasons successfully.I hope to have pictures for viewing after the race as well as a recap as to how the races went, maybe I can convince Kate to

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-22963450885605233562008-05-18T11:11:00.004-04:002008-05-23T21:43:10.606-04:00

On May 17, 2008 Kate and I married one another, how and why she agreed to marry me and and actually follow through is beyond me, but hey, I won't complain!Saturday morning I went golfing at 6:40am with my dad and brother as a "pre-wedding" get together and just to have a good time. The skies looked clear and blue even though the weatherman was calling for rain for the early afternoon. If you had

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-45156862657011470052008-05-06T12:43:00.002-04:002008-05-06T13:46:51.259-04:00

Yes, today we have two countdowns to bring to everybody's attention.11 days! This is the big one as it is how many days remain until Kate and I are married. We decided to get married just less than 3 months ago now, and the actual wedding date is fast approaching.18 days! The 2008 Ottawa BMX Season Opener will be held in 18 days on Saturday, May 24. It has been a long off-season for us and

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-62799064789557875182008-04-08T11:38:00.002-04:002008-04-08T11:47:04.466-04:00

Spring seems to have finally "sprung", the snow is melting, grass is starting to grow again (where the snow has melted away) and double digit temperatures, IN THE POSITIVES, in the forecast.With that, only 46 days remain until the 2008 Season Opener for Ottawa BMX.The bike continues to hang from the garage ceiling, but it is getting more tempting as each day goes by to pull it down and do some

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-54552728942940619592008-03-07T11:12:00.002-05:002008-03-07T11:16:52.750-05:00

So, the Ontario Summer Games are being held in Ottawa this year, one would think this would be a great opportunity to host BMX racing at the Ottawa BMX track for the summer games. The kicker is, for political reasons, those in charge of Ontario Summers Games have decided that they will not allow any track not associated with the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) by being sanctioned by the

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-74945659610474174332008-02-04T07:34:00.000-05:002008-02-04T07:42:45.829-05:00

The 2008 race season starts at the end of May, something to look forward to but hard to imagine when Ottawa gets hammed with yet another 20 centimetres of snow.The Ottawa BMX Association is planning a race For life, it is encourages by the ABA that all clubs take part in. However, being in Ottawa rather than anywhere located in the United States we had to make a minor change, and that is where

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-66956546368605714762007-12-12T10:01:00.000-05:002007-12-12T10:13:03.570-05:00

As the title suggests, it's winter here in The Great White North otherwise known as Canada. Oddly this year we not only got an early snowfall before mid November, but it stayed, and accumulated big time.Anyhow, due to all of this winter action, the whole BMX thing is on hold, can't ride the bike so it is pack away in the garage for next season, hence no post for nearly two months. I have been

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-73230690383657580772007-10-14T16:45:00.000-04:002007-10-14T16:52:40.860-04:00

So, Simon, Jeremy, Jay and myself all had it planned that we would head down to Kingston this weekend so long as the weather was good, and if not, Iberville, QC was the alternative.Unfortunately, watching the weather all week, it was forecast to rain on Saturday, I was hoping it would change, so when Saturday morning came we made the choice to make the trip on Sunday (today). Jeremy called

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-64807563564456763472007-10-09T11:02:00.000-04:002007-10-09T11:26:29.989-04:00

Finally, the ABA (American Bicycle Association) has calculated all points for the Ottawa BMX track, where I am listed to have finished in 14th spot with a total of 220 points. I will say this is in all of Ontario, but I will also include the fact that the Ottawa BMX track is the only track in Ontario associated with the ABA, hopefully that will change in the years to come. So, essentially, that

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-70030335205090202852007-09-30T16:20:00.001-04:002007-09-30T16:21:36.016-04:00

Ok, so this is going off topic a tad as I figure the BMX season is over with I need to do something.

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-35965927841406706572007-09-23T16:56:00.000-04:002007-09-23T17:05:55.730-04:00

Sorry, no pictures from today's races, Kate was occupied with her horses and was unable to attend the race.After yesterday's 2nd place finished I was pretty pumped to kick off the final event of the season today, unfortunately my body disagreed with such a thought. As a result I failed to qualify the main event this afternoon, I really need to get into better physical shape so that I can not

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-463651574042797272007-09-22T21:56:00.000-04:002007-09-22T22:42:20.221-04:00

As mentioned in my previous post, this afternoon's race was a double points race, which gave incentive for riders outside the Ottawa area to show up and earn themselves a heft number of points, proving to create some great competition for everybody at the races.Along with this, we had the president of ABA BMX (American Bicycle Association) helping organize the event to ensure it ran smoothly

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-90759691383565753872007-09-22T10:37:00.000-04:002007-09-22T10:45:52.967-04:00

This weekend (Today and tomorrow) are the final races for the season, they are also the Provincials. Today's races are a double points race, while Sunday's races are triple points, a large turnout of riders is expected for both events, and hopefully this will mean a full gate for my class.I hit up the track on Thursday for practice, I worked on my starts as well as trying to find fast clean

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-4407275186697406672007-09-18T21:45:00.000-04:002007-09-18T22:03:51.711-04:00

With all the help I have been getting from Jeremy and Jay I am definitely seeing improvements in my starts, so long as I don't do something stupid to screw them up. A small class of 3 racers this evening, and you guessed it, I came in last, either way, racing against these guys sets a benchmark and I feel myself closer to them each week.Kate has been a wonderful photographer/film person

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-60209294692321036322007-09-17T09:11:00.001-04:002007-09-17T09:16:25.070-04:00

Wow, did I ever get into racing late into the season, how unfortunate. It appears that Sept. 18th race on Tuesday will be the final Tuesday race of the season, then, the weekend of the 23rd are the Provincials, which will be the final races of the season.I really wish I had started earlier, or let alone found out about the BMX racing sooner, but alas, that is life. I am considering starting up

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-22724420276714257902007-09-15T22:00:00.000-04:002008-12-09T03:24:23.932-05:00

I went to the track today and met up with two top racers from the track, the track was wet so we all worked on practicing our starts, which I am becoming better at all thanks to Jeremy and Jay and the tips/coaching they provided me.My balance at the gate is getting better, I am starting to get to the point where it isn't the main thing on my mind, I can finally start concentrating on the other

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-85726017097913472752007-09-13T21:24:00.000-04:002007-09-13T21:39:08.932-04:00

Tonight was a race due to the rain we had in Ottawa on Tuesday, it was planned to be a "mom's race" and promote girl BMX racing, but my guess is, due to the rain out and the change of schedule, not many could make it as Thursday's are typically practice.I was still happy to see that Mackenzie showed up with her father Allan, she seemed to be having fun and enjoying herself. For a first timer she

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-35778629330736282752007-09-13T09:44:00.000-04:002007-09-13T09:51:50.456-04:00

Okay, so its a little bit of an exaggeration here, just checking the overall point standings online at www.ottawabmx.com, and the good news is, I'm not in last overall! Hey, sometimes a little bit goes a long way with giving people hope!Look who is in 41st overall, thats right, ME! There is a make up race today as Tuesday's race was a rain out, here's oping for more improvements come out this

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-74134291038767280052007-09-12T21:18:00.001-04:002007-09-12T21:33:59.653-04:00

Have you ever had one of those moments, when a discussion or even a single comment makes you recall a toy, or even hobby you once had but is now long lost forgotten?Was have a conversation with Kate today just about a comment our friend Sarah made regarding "Thomas sized BMX bikes", and it hit me, as a kid I used to have what were known as "finger bikes", my brother brought me to the world of "

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-37309386945710273872007-09-11T15:55:00.000-04:002007-09-11T15:59:27.342-04:00

One day it rains of the week and it has to be a Tuesday right? Well, in case you have been living in a hole and you reside in Ottawa, it has been raining all day, resulting in tonight's race being postponed until Thursday, September 13th.The BMX Hotline stated that it was not the condition of the track itself that resulted in the "rainout", as the recent construction on the track is doing it's

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-28459760584925537072007-09-09T17:08:00.000-04:002007-09-09T17:13:02.568-04:00

This Tuesday's race the organizers are promoting girls racing, trying to target the mom's of the kids who race, but also to girls in general. As a result, I asked family friends of ours if their 11 year old daughter Mackenzie would like to try it out and give racing a shot. This kid seems to love everything and her eyes lit up when I asked her. So keep an eye out this week for pictures of both

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-2797872288737008612007-09-06T22:01:00.000-04:002007-09-06T22:27:14.627-04:00

Now, I'm not saying I'm not appreciative of Kate's photo's of me racing, she does take good pictures, but the camera our friends Sara and Jeremy used on Tuesday is just mind blowing with the quality of the pictures.Here are a few to sample.The Start LineThe Back StretchRider's Meeting

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-30500757136416977322007-09-04T21:37:00.000-04:002007-09-06T22:27:53.889-04:00

Went out this afternoon during work hours and bought myself a new helmet so I no longer have to use the blue loaner from the local track. It is a full out motocross helmet with DOT certification, a bit to the extreme side but I like it as it is something different than what your typical bike shop has design wise, and it only a pound or two heavier than a typical BMX full face helmet.Kate also

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-40130771372495119242007-08-31T12:09:00.000-04:002007-09-01T12:24:44.829-04:00

My second race has come and by along with some improvement, it may not seem like much to be happy about, but I didn't fall, not in practice, nor in any race. Still came in last though (4th place).One thing I am enjoying about the community at the track is that even though it's a race to win, everybody still shares tips and ideas, anything from what part one should buy for their bike, to the

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-56446921526366657442007-08-30T16:13:00.000-04:002008-12-09T03:24:24.912-05:00

I seem to be missing some skin as a direct result of one of the two crashes I experienced during warmup in my debut race on August 28th.Normally there is only practice on Thursday's, but due to rain-outs and lost races while they were working on the track, those in charge have decided to make this Thursday (today) a race night as a make-up.

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-11695223013524153542007-08-29T15:56:00.000-04:002007-08-30T16:12:29.624-04:00

I'm feeling a little pain this morning, overall the body seems to be good, better than I thought it would be, I was expecting to be sore and stiff all over. However, a few spots of my body are really pointing out the areas I fell onto last night.I took out the new bike to my first race, before races start you get time for warmup while the registration is going on. I start my first shot at the

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-51850074239682778802007-08-27T18:08:00.000-04:002007-08-29T21:26:34.076-04:00

With the great idea of getting started in BMX racing, I took every chance I had to learn more about the sport in general and locally by visiting the track over the last few weeks. This was a great time for me to meet the people who run and participate at the local track here in Ottawa, ask many questions and get simple and straight answers.I pulled out my old BMX bike I had purchased 5, maybe 6

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218319174562740626.post-70204165461910607342007-08-24T17:59:00.000-04:002007-08-29T18:30:49.010-04:00

So, maybe about 6-8 weeks ago I was looking for places to mountain bike ride in and around the Ottawa area, really hoping to find a great place to ride that didn't require much in the way of packing up the gear, driving a considerable distance, just to enjoy a nice scenic ride. This is when I came across Ottawa BMX Racing.Well, years ago I used to race motocross when I live out in B.C. I did this

Kevin Wnoreply@blogger.com0