Ohio Bike to School Month
7am on a Monday at Bay Middle school Ohio; a 25ft tall roll in ramp standing in the parking lot must have been a surprise for the students, they were in for a ginormous Bmx stunt show to kick start their Bike to school month!
I arrived for the practice hours the day before, and enjoyed watching the stunt show team get acquainted with the 20ft gap jump in the windy parking lot. Keir Kurinsky was the man behind this epic event, his son Huck attends the school, and Keir saw a great opportunity to tie Bmx to Ohio’s huge bike to school event; touching on anti bullying, fitness, inspiring young minds and bike safety. He was even giving away free bike helmets donated by the Ohio dept. of transportations and the American Association of Paediatrics - “Put a lid on it!”. The children that take part in the Bike to school month get rewarded for their efforts, collecting stamps that can be exchanged for gifts from local businesses.
The riders in the show consisted of 11 year old Huck Kurinsky (4x Youth USA Nation Champion), the Division Bmx Stunt Team riders - Casey Jordan, Jacob Lord, Brody Ervin & Mason Ritter - As well as special guests bringing Olympic, X Games and YouTube prestige; Nick Bruce, Justin Dowel and Jay Dalton. I however, did not pluck up the courage to go over the 20ft jump cold turkey, and contributed by documenting a fun behind the scenes vlog, which you can watch here.
If I was in middle school and I saw not only pros pulling off crazy tricks, but my own 11 year old class mate doing back flip bar spins over a 20ft jump, I sure as hell would be itching to rush out on my bike after school. Biking to school on my first bmx was one of my favourite things to do, as I could hit curb bumps and try to get my back wheel off the ground the whole way. (I do remember crashing into a low wall one time, since I was hill bombing and a car appeared around the corner, good job I had a lid on it!). These youngsters witnessed riders, who worked really hard to be successful in a sport they love, and now travel the world riding a bike. A number of the riders are even from Ohio & Pennsylvania, this is what makes bmx so accessible, these pros are in your own backyard. If you link Bmx to the broader market of cycling and being outdoors, you can make great connections and have some real impact, I’m thankful Keir is thinking along these lines and helping the Bmx ecosystem grow and promote a positive message that appeals to the masses; get active, and be a good person while doing so.
Thank you to everyone involved in the epic Bay Middle School Bmx show, levelling up the country’s biggest bike to school month!
Watch the video here.
