BMX riders at a contest July 8 in Mesa agreed a BMX park should be built closer to the ASU Tempe campus.
The event gave riders of all ages the opportunity to come out and show their skills and support for the family of Aaron Arnold, a boy hit and killed by a car. All of the proceeds from the raffle went directly to the Arnold family.
Riders from all over Arizona came out to show their support, but the long commute to a BMX park is nothing unusual for most of the riders.
“BMX gets the short stick compared to most sports,” said Tricia Thompson, owner of AZ Grind, an indoor skate park.
AZ Grind recently changed their rules and now allows bikes into the park.
“There are very few establishments that allow kids to ride bikes, so from a business standpoint it made sense to change the rules,” Thompson said.
Tyler Coleman, owner of Serenity Board Shop, set up the event in memory of Aaron Arnold. He reached out to sponsors to help alleviate some of the funeral costs for the family.
“If the park was a little more central in the valley it would have been twice the turn out,” Coleman said.
This could relate to many BMX events though.
Bobby Kanode, a senior at the W.P. Carey School of Business, said ASU could benefit greatly from the development of a BMX park.
“Not only would it bring the BMX community together, but it might even encourage riders to seek education from ASU," Kanode said. "It’s a loyalty thing. It’s basically like building infrastructures for a new industry. The skate parks themselves don’t necessarily bring in an amazing profit, but they do provide a creative outlet for youth. This in turn promotes the market for these alternative sports and the goods associated with that subculture. BMX and skateboarding are only going to get bigger."
Reach the reporter at Kaytranstrum.Transtrum@asu.edu.
