Green River Riding Club taking memberships
Even Chad Breitenstein is amazed how quickly things are coming together.
"Things have just blown open," says the president of the Green River Riding Club. "I had high expectations what we could do here, and we’ve done so much more in a short period of time."
Ever since the GRRC obtained its tenure last summer, things have been moving quickly. The fences are up surrounding the dirt bike track, the parking lot has tripled in size, and Breitenstein and his volunteers have spent the past eight weeks completely rebuilding the track with the help of an excavator donated by Mountain Industrial Excavating.
"It’s completely different. Everything is 21 feet wide, which is up to the CMRC (Canadian Motocross Racing Club) standards. We have a new section of track, a new rhythm section… A tunnel under the track for spectators. We have a professional starting gate for races, and an irrigation system and sprinkler system to keep the dust down and water the vegetation. Everything’s coming together this year."
The next phase should be arriving in the next week.
Nine sponsors have already made donations to the club in exchange for signage along the course, and the bulk of that money will go towards the purchase of a club tractor to perform weekly grooming.
"I think when people see that tractor, it’s going to have a huge impact on our membership because people know that the track is going to be in good shape," says Breitenstein.
The course is now up and running for GRRC members. The cost of a membership is $100 per rider and $150 for a family. Drop-in will be payable to members.
The money goes towards club insurance, land tenure, club expenses, and equipment rentals and purchases. In return for dues, members will get keys to the front gate.
Ultimately, the vision is to create a track that’s up to national standards and to host regular local, regional and provincial events at the track.
The club will host weekly moto nights on Wednesday evenings again this year starting the end of April. The club was getting groups of up to 30 riders for the motocross races last year, and up to 50 riders on the busiest summer weekends.
Breitenstein guesses there are more than 100 riders around Whistler and Pemberton who could make use of the track.
Past concerns, namely the constant wear and tear on the track and the dust created, will be controlled by grooming and irrigation.
"We don’t see this as a dirt track, but a park," says Breitenstein.
Later this season, the club will plant grass around the edges of the track, which will cut down on dust as well as improve the appearance of the area, and the riding experience for members.
"We want people here, we want families to come and hang out. It really is a family sport, believe it or not."
If you are interested in becoming a member, or sponsoring the facility, you can contact Chad Breitenstein at 604-932-9502.
The club also has a temporary Web site at www.nswp/moto.ca.
