Idaho BMX, Inc. and its board of directors have been working this season to find new ways to develop our program and our facilities. Listed below are some key points of information we would like to share with you.
Board Positions
Currently board positions are three year staggered terms, this should prevent the loss of institutional knowledge and foster healthy turnover. We would like to raise our glasses to Brady Briscoe who has been our acting Board President, he has given much to our community and our board and he has completed his three year term. We all, with much gratitude, say thank you Brady!
If we are giving out some love, then we can’t overlook the awesome team we have on the Board as well. Be sure to give a big thank you to Teak O’Malley & Andy Andree our track operators, and their assistant track operators Jason Olson and Ben Sinsel. Jen Hill oversees registration and membership, and last but not least, Jim Allison as our secretary.
The Board President’s hat has been passed to Anne VanWassenhove by vote of the board members and we are looking forward to continued progress in growing our program and giving back to our community.
The Board will now need to fill the Treasurer position, and we are looking for an individual that has some knowledge of Quickbooks and basic bookkeeping.
Additionally, the Board is adding a position! We are looking for a Fundraising Coordinator. This position will maintain relationships with our current partner sponsors as well as seek other fundraising opportunities to grow our program and source extra support for our large events.
If you are interested in knowing more about either position, or would like to throw your hat in the ring you can reach out to idahobmx@idahobmx.com.
2023 Indoor Season
It is with heavy hearts that the Board has made the difficult decision to not host an indoor racing series for the upcoming 2023 season. This decision is disappointing to all the board members, and we truly investigated all scenarios and options before making a decision. The high cost of the facility and the extreme increase in the cost of trucking dirt would jeopardize the money we have saved and the projects planned for our outdoor tracks (see below for more info). The Board has concluded that for 2023 we will focus our efforts on fundraising and upgrades at both the Caldwell and Eagle outdoor tracks.
We hope to re-evaluate having an indoor series for the 2024 season! We will be looking for a facility that could host us indoors and have the potential to store our dirt onsite in the off-season, or that has dirt available to us onsite. If you know of any resources like this please contact a board member.
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Current Idaho BMX, Inc. Projects
Here are a few items of interest that you may not be aware of that the Board has been working on for the past season… (click to expand and read more)
New Rams!
Our awesome Track Operators Teak O’Malley and Andy Andree have been waiting on new gate equipment to be shipped all summer and it’s finally here! At nearly $8,000 we hope that new faster rams, cadence boxes, and start lights at Eagle and Caldwell can help all our riders. Look for those to be installed by the first week of October.
Caldwell registration office got a fabulous face lift
Thank you to Teak O’Malley, Jason Olson and their crew for all the hours of sheetrock sanding, tape, electrical, trim and that beautiful flooring! Let's not forget Nick Rose making it all beautiful with fresh paint on top. Great example of our BMX community coming together to grow the sport.
Did you know that Idaho BMX, Inc. applied to host a National?
We sure did! In conjunction with the Boise Visitors Bureau, the City of Caldwell and with numerous letters of support, we submitted a formal request with USA/BMX to bring a national event to our valley. Although we weren’t selected for the spring 2023 season, there is still a chance that we are in the running for the second half of the season. Regardless, the application process was a great learning experience for Anne VanWassenhove, Jen Hill, and Anhelika Anderson and if we are not selected, we will put our heads together and try again for the following year.
Thank you to all that supported this application process, we appreciate you!
Gold Cup Qualifiers (and possibly Finals!)
Gold Cup is also on the top of the list. The Board intends to put in applications for both tracks to attempt to host Gold Cup Qualifiers for the 2023 season. If we are not selected for a National, we may even apply for the Final. Keep an eye out on the USA/BMX Facebook page and website for the most up to date information on the schedule.
Glue! Yep, glue.
Both track operators will be applying test patches of product at both tracks this fall to see how they hold up in our climate and with our two different soil compositions. Improving the track surface in inclement weather will be key to reducing the maintenance of tracks, especially after rain or snow storms, as well as the possibility of extending our racing season at our outdoor facilities in the future.
Social Media & Website
This has been a work in progress, but keep the faith. We will continue to post Monday Hot Lists on Facebook with the intention that our overall in-depth information can be found at our website at www.idahobmx.com. We hope to develop and update our content to give our community access to needed information and a place to guide new riders and families so they can learn more about the sport.
Local Networking...
Our Board members have been actively meeting with and will continue to develop relationships with our respective Cities. It is our goal to work together to ensure a future for the Caldwell and Eagle tracks, including maintenance and upgrades. We hope that our meetings can bring forth some great new upgrades for the 2023 season. In addition to Eagle and Caldwell, the Board has presented to the City of Kuna, and although it is too early to comment on this outcome we appreciate their time and energy to hear us out. Fingers crossed that they will have resources and ideas for our growing BMX community.
$Bike Bucks$
We are bringing back Bike Bucks! These will be an option for riders awards just like trophies and saver stamps, the exciting part is you can use them at registration to pay for racing and practice just like cash. Feel free to use them with your BMX neighbors to buy and sell bike parts, etc.!
Although Bike Bucks can only be used at Idaho BMX, Inc. tracks (Caldwell & Eagle) they do not have an expiration date. By spring we hope to have developed a working relationship with local bike shops and the vendors that sell food at our tracks to accept our Bike Bucks too!
Volunteer Training and Calls for Volunteers
It takes about 10 volunteers to run a race and oftentimes we end up with a lot of the same people chipping in. In the interest of reducing burnout on regular volunteers and board members, and with the goal of taking turns so all can participate or spectate, the board hosted a Volunteer Training event in September to share info on how anyone can help out. Thank you to those that took interest! We have seen an uptick in new people leaning in to help out and we just want to say THANKS and keep it coming. Not only are you supporting the sport and all of our racers, every time you volunteer at our races you receive a voucher for $10 off local races. If you have interest in volunteering but don’t know where to start, check out our Volunteer page or reach out to Jen Hill, Volunteer and Registration Coordinator - jen@idahobmx.com
Grands!
We are always excited for our Idaho riders who represent at the Grand Nationals in Tulsa, OK. This year the Board is looking into partnering with our local riders to have an Idaho BMX pit area! There would be a fee per person to help offset the cost and would be open to any of our riding community (although space is limited so it will be capped). Look for more details after USA/BMX releases pit area information and we will have a signup for those of you who would like to join in.
Grands Watch Party!
For those of us that are not making the trek to Oklahoma for Grands, the Board is negotiating a Grands Watching Party at the Firehouse Pub located near Linder Road and Franklin Road in Meridian. We hope to have one half of the restaurant’s tv tuned into the USA/BMX live feed and the other half of the restaurant will still be on the usual holiday football schedule. We hope to have this open house style to come and go without an rsvp. More details to come!
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Future (2023) Idaho BMX, Inc. Projects
The Board has big plans for our current tracks and we are excited to present to you projects that show our growth and direction. Check them out below! (click to expand and read more)
A National at Caldwell?
We don’t know yet, but you can be sure if we aren’t selected for a 2023 event, we will be doubling down our efforts on our application for 2024!
Paved corners at Eagle?
That’s the hope! We are working with the City of Eagle to see what our options are for significant upgrades and more options for hosting food vendors. Eagle needs some love and we hope to get the green light from our City so that our spring season can be RAD!
Glue or Slurry?
Either way, we hope that our fall tests turn out positive and we can apply a more weather resistant coating at both tracks in the spring. Extending our season is the goal!
Pro Gates?
Ahhh…it’s something all the local riders dream of! At a price tag of $40,000+ for each track, new gates are an investment of time and money. The Board will continue our conversations with our City Parks & Recreation Departments looking for resources to make new gates a reality and with the addition of a board member focused on fundraising we hope this is the ticket!
Coaching Program?
It’s a great opportunity to put knowledge back into our own community of riders. Look for more information to develop about starting this program here at Idaho BMX, Inc., and if you would like to be a part of this program please let us know!
BMX League?
This has been a successful program for other tracks and the Board is looking into how we can implement this program in our valley. Keep an eye out for more information on this too.
Ladies Events?
We would love to host another Mimosa Moms Race for those ladies that don’t normally race, this is your chance to hit the track and show your stuff! We are also looking into a Ladies Brunch & Ride event where ladies of all ages can gather for a light lunch and then take some laps together gaining confidence and helping each other with riding skills.
Maintenance…Maintenance…Maintenance…
Both tracks always have a laundry list of items that just need extra hands. If you are part of a team or organization that would be interested in community service opportunities, please reach out.
Remember, Idaho BMX, Inc. is a nonprofit and run entirely by volunteers, we appreciate all of you that help us make this organization successful. If you have any questions, ideas, or other resources that could help our BMX community please reach out to a board member. Thank you!