Helmeted heroes tear around The Cradle in search of BMX glory
The Cradle BMX Club hosts the seventh leg of the Gauteng Series
No pads nor helmet are able to prepare the mind for the bravery needed to glide to victory.
Nestled in the storybook tranquility and beauty of the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Park, sits a roaring monument to the endeavours of man and machine. No engines are present to disturb the peace, however, as the motors on display are the beating hearts and whirling chains of two-wheeled sprinting daredevils atop their self-propelled aluminium aircraft.
The Cradle BMX Club is the home of north-western Johannesburg’s BMX community, drawing riders and members from Krugersdorp, Roodepoort and beyond. The club hosted the seventh leg of the Gauteng Series on June 13, which served as one of the final events before the elite riders jet off to the world championships and Tokyo 2021. The sport has been an Olympic event since Beijing 2008, and South Africa will be sending two representatives to battle it out in Japan.
Built six years ago by the nature reserve, the track is one facet of a larger project that has seen the area become a mecca for two-wheeled enthusiasts. Overseen for the last four years by former elite rider, Donovan Mienie, the track has a reputation for being among the best in the country. Boasting a 6m start hill, just two metres shy of the Olympic standard, the 330m track has hosted national and international events with rave reviews.
On the track on Sunday, riders ranging from novices as young as four and five went down the intimidating start hill for the first time while seasoned elite supercross riders tore around at the track with aggressive precision. The club’s shining light is Matthew Fulton who finished first in his category, winning the final after three successful heats, known as motos. Racing against boys a year old than him, 10-year-old Matthew headed for the world championships to be held in the Netherlands in late August.
Just as one would learn more at Silverstone than Talladega, the technically challenging course configuration is creating astute riders. That said, it is the individual that puts in the time and effort. “It requires confidence on the bike. It is one of the only sports in the world that works every muscle. You have to focus and execute multiple things simultaneously,” said Donovan, who is also Matthew’s coach.
With eland, wildebeest and ostriches gathered around a waterhole just a few hundred metres away, The Cradle BMX club is the only bike park in the world to be situated in a nature reserve. “It is an obsession. It is more than any other sport,” said club chairperson, Fleetwood Tapson, extending an invite to young riders to sample the facility. Reiterating the club’s mantra, Fleetwood said, “We eat, sleep, BMX”.
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