April 6, 2016 at 2:51 p.m.
Hodag BMX Club hopes to grow track into regional, national stop
Hodag BMX Club hopes to grow track into regional, national stop
Robbie Deede, BMX track operator, appeared before the city's parks, buildings and grounds committee March 28 to provide an update on the track's current mission.
"We are trying to develop the BMX track into a facility that is an attraction that gets more spectating as well as for youth to attend," Deede said.
Now in its 17th year, the BMX Club first broke ground in 1999 and currently has 56 active members. The club hopes to increase that number to 75 this season.
Deede said the Rhinelander track is the only Wisconsin BMX track facility that is open to the public when sanctioned events aren't being held.
"We hold sanctioned events two or three times a week during the summer," he said. "Other facilities, when they are not holding a sanctioned event going on, there's a padlock on it, you can't get in. We only close it off for weather or safety issues."
The club is run entirely by volunteers and is 100 percent donation-funded.
Deede said the steady growth of the club is an indication of how well it - and the track - has been received.
"We're actually neck-and-neck with Madison and Milwaukee, because they rank us in the state," he said. "Considering our population and size, we're actually a pretty large attraction."
The riders that call the Rhinelander track home are drawn from about a 60-mile radius.
"We pull riders coming from Wausau and Mosinee to ride on our track at sanctioned events," Deede said. "And we're really a national attraction, as well. If someone who races BMX community is driving through, they will stop at our track. For instance, last year we had someone from Maryland and Massachusetts, we've had people from Texas, Florida, all over the country."
Deede said the club's mission going forward isn't just about bringing BMX to Rhinelander, but also helping develop the youth of the community.
"We want to give youth a positive outlet," he said. "That being said, we also want to create an attraction that will draw people to the community; something for people to come watch ... "
Another part of the club's mission is to start attracting larger BMX events.
"This year, we're having a regional qualifier. We'll be attracting riders from all over the Midwest, racing on our track and attempting to qualify for the regional final," Deede said.
To do this, the club will have to improve the track so that it meets USA BMX standards.
"The main reason we do it is for our riders," Deede said. "The big kids say they want a big event at our local track, and we're trying to do that by holding ourselves to a national standard. We want to be considered one of the best."
Holding a regional or national level event at the track could bring in a lot of tourism money.
Deede said he was told by the operators of the BMX track in Wisconsin Rapids that one weekend of a national event with riders from all over the country "has consistently brought in over $750,000 into the community."
"So it's a nice additional income into the community," he said.
Deede said the BMX Club has a five-year plan to upgrade the track's facilities.
These upgrades include improving the spectator seating to include grandstand, paving the curves to hold down erosion, and improving the starting safety gate.
The traditional gate is a piece of metal that drops down, allowing the racers to start at the same time.
"Well, with something that drops down, if something gets underneath it, with a pneumatic ram, you can get pinched," Deede said. "It (the safety gate) is actually a half barrel buried in the ground. If someone were to fall in front of it, they'll be pushed away from it. They can't fall underneath it."
Another part of the long-range plan is to build some structures at the track to increase storage and to provide spectators protection from the elements by increasing seating. The first structure that the club is seeking approval for is a grandstand that would also allow for handicap seating. The grandstand would utilize the existing bleachers at the track and provide elevated seating for better viewing.
Also on the club's to-do list is to improve the drainage of the track and provide a dedicated water source. The club is also expanding the fencing around the track and extending the first straightaway. The goal is to create a 10-foot driveway around the entire facility.
"We want the city's blessings," Deede said. "In the end, our goal is to stay open to the public and that is rare to find among BMX tracks."
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
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