Michigan riders show off their skills at the USA BMX Open House on Saturday

Inspired by Michigan’s BMX nationals winners last weekend, dozens of local riders took to the tracks at a USA BMX open house in Waterford Township on Saturday.

From seasoned kids returning to the circuit to adult newbies, riders said they were excited to be at Waterford Oaks BMX Park just a week after their fellow riders showed off their skills to out-of-state competitors.

“I feel really good because I know I want to be in her shoes and I want to get there someday and I know I will,” Raelynn Erlinger, a 12-year-old cyclist, told The News.

Erlinger, of White Lake Township, took second and third place at the national competition a week earlier, he said.

He returned to the track on Saturday and took three first places in the 13 Rookies category.

“It was actually a lot of fun,” Erlinger said of her recent wins. “It wasn’t as fun as I expected for my first national, but I really enjoyed it.”

Part of what makes Michigan’s BMX scene special is its strong culture of good sportsmanship, said Walt and Jeane Smith, a couple from Waterford Township who also competed Saturday.

The Smiths started riding bikes after their 11-year-old daughter showed interest in the sport, they said. Walt and Jeane Smith are now regulars at Waterford Oaks BMX Park, though by now they’ve gotten used to their speedy daughter leaving them behind, they said.

“It just kept going from there,” said Walt, 50. “Now we all have two bikes.”

Walt Smith took home his own first place finish on Saturday after competing in the 17- to 20-year-old Cruiser class. Jeane Smith, 47, rode to third place in the 41- to 45-year-old Novice class.

Jeane Smith said that regardless of age and skill level, local BMX riders have a unique way of welcoming newcomers to the sport. That camaraderie is part of what motivated her most after watching last Saturday’s national competitions.

“It’s exciting to see it,” she said. “The people you’ve worked with are the ones who may have taught you what you needed. Our daughter has met a lot of people who were in charge of the pro circuit last weekend at the national championships.”

For Ruben Vazquez, 41, his children and the sports community are what motivate him to return to the track, he said.

The Troy rider proudly watched his 9-year-old son, Marcelo, win first place in his own category at the national competition a week earlier, he said. His other son, Roman, 3, also won third place at one of the national races, he said.

Even with that good momentum, Vazquez brought Marcelo and Roman back to the park on Saturday for another fun day on the slopes, he said.

“They love bikes and they love racing,” he said. “Training, practicing, coming to local races, I think that’s the reward for them.”

Marcelo Vazquez, who claimed another first place in the Novice category on Saturday, told The News that what he likes most about cycling is the feeling of air around him as he holds on to his place in the race.

Saturday was Marcelo’s sixth race of the season, but certainly not his last, he said.

“When someone is behind, you push with all your strength,” he said. “They want to pass and I try to go faster. That’s why it’s fun.”

Even from the sidelines, 16-year-old rider Temprance Goldfarb said she could still feel the energy of the crowd buzzing around the tracks.

White Lake’s Goldfarb is recovering from a knee injury but hopes to be back on track at full strength soon, he said after placing fourth in an Intermediate 14 class race on Saturday.

Goldfarb said she appreciates the sport because there is always something new in BMX. The endless cycle of practice and competition, coupled with strong community support, has kept her going as she recovers from a torn ACL, she said.

“It’s liberating,” he said of riding BMX. “I guess it’s a way to switch off from life. I can stop thinking about everything and just concentrate on riding.”

Tim Weiss, a 53-year-old equestrian who emceed Saturday’s open house, said he also loved the sport because it always taught him something new.

Weiss, of Clarkston, said he participated in his first bike race in 1997. He bought all the magazines and read everything he could about BMX cycling as the sport became popular when he was in his 20s, he said.

Waterford Oaks BMX is a 50-year-old park and the second oldest BMX track in the world, USA BMX officials said in a July 1 news release.

“I raced Waterford Oaks BMX about 20 years ago as a kid and have fond memories of this area. It’s a really unique track that’s a lot of fun and I think it’s going to be a good weekend of racing,” three-time U.S. Team BMX Olympian Connor Fields said in the release.

Nearly 30 years after his first race, Weiss said he is proud to still be part of the local BMX scene.

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