Boulder BMX Celebrates 25 Years

Boulder BMX recently celebrated a historic twenty-five years of serving athletes here in Boulder City and beyond. The organization got its start here in 1997 when Georgia and Rusty McClain gathered funding, found a suitable site at Veterans Memorial Park, negotiated with the city and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, there have been a few other track directors but they current director, Tay Wilborn, probably has the most experience with the track itself, given that he's been riding since he was 3 and his parents, Jim and Michelle Wilborn, managed the track. Tay took over in 2019 and has been the director since. BMX is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and the organization stays busy organizing events for local and Las Vegas area riders.

It's difficult to say how many athletes have spent time at the track, but on a recent Wednesday night, there were 50-100 riders at the facility for open practice.The track is open to members only, but membership is very reasonable: for athletes ages 1-5, the cost is $30 per year. For athletes 5 and older, the cost is $60/year and that USA BMX membership means you can practice or race at any USA BMX facility across the United States (there are approximately 340 such tracks). Boulder BMX hosts an open practice night every Wednesday and they race on Friday nights. Wednesday night practice takes place from 6:00PM to 8:00PM in the fall/winter and 7:00PM to 9:00PM in the spring/summer.

In the Las Vegas area, there are three other tracks: Ed Fountain Park BMX on Decatur Boulevard, Nellis BMX in Nellis Meadows Park and Whitney Ranch BMX in Henderson. Boulder BMX holds its own with those other tracks, thanks to the volunteers who put in so much time to maintain and improve the facility. Anyone can practice at the facility as long as they've paid their annual dues and have long pants, long sleeve shirts, closed toed shoes and a helmet. A one day free trial is offered for anyone curious about riding.

During their recent anniversary race, the track hosted more than 300 people, including nearly 150 riders who raced that evening. Riders come from all over the valley to practice and race at the Boulder City facility. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see Olympian gold medalist Connor Fields on the track getting in some practice or holding an instruction class for young riders.

One of the greatest things about BMX is that it is a sport that appeals to both girls and boys, men and women. As young riders on push bikes (no pedals or gears), boys and girls ages 1-5 compete together. After that, they are mostly separated, although girls are given the option to move up to the expert girls division or intermediate boys division. BMX isn't just for children either. There are adult divisions for the sport as well. One of the most famous senior riders is Miss Kitty from Mississippi who is still 73 years young. You can find out more about this amazing woman by CLICKING HERE!!!

BMX is a basically a year round sport. The BMX USA seasons runs from Jan 1 until Dec 15 every year. This is the period when riders can accumulate points and qualify for larger races. This month, Boulder BMX will be the host track for the Southwest Regional Gold Cup qualifier on Friday March 26. On Saturday, the tract will be the site of the Nevada State qualifier. These important races bring riders from throughout the district including Nevada, California, Arizona and Utah.

Tay and the board of directors of Boulder BMX have some capital projects in mind that the community can assist with. The group would like to replace its starting gates with new aluminum barrel gates that are easier to maintain. They are also looking to redo the 25-year-old asphalt on the track. As a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, they can accept donations from members of the Boulder City and racing communities. You can find out about donating by reaching out to Tay Wilborn and the Boulder BMX board of directions by CLICKING HERE.

To sign up for membership online, visit the organization's website HERE. The track is located in Veterans Memorial Park at 1799 Commons Way, next to the Little League fields.