Youth ages 5 through 13 joined the City of Industry Sheriff’s Youth Activities League to learn about bicycle riding safety skills ahead of USA BMX SoCal Nationals taking place this weekend. As organizers set up the national track inside the Industry Hills Expo Center, the parking lot was outfitted with six interactive stations for participants to visit to master the dirt.
“‘I’ve gained a lot of friends,” Ruggles said. “BMX is definitely a family sport — anybody can do it. There’s moms, there’s dads and grandpas even race.” A great session can end over the handlebars if precautions aren’t heeded, so the event’s station aimed to make sure kids were equipped to not just race a track but also traverse busy neighborhoods. Activities included proper safety gear instruction, mechanical safety, traffic safety, overall control and balance skill share and hazard avoidance lessons at both low speeds and high speeds.
“For kids with no programming and no supervision, we provide an alternative to joining gangs or doing drugs,” Youth Activities League Sargent Chris Ha said.