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Show Biking By RON GEORG Record staff writer teens demonstrate their fluid grace Park Record Thursday, February 18, 1988 Page A9 Have you ever felt like Pee-Wee Herman? That's how I felt the first time I saw Jim Kimball and his friend practicing on their freestyle BMX bicycles. I was cruising down Main Street on my mountain bike when I saw the group of teens sitting on their bikes by the Kimball Art Center. "I'll show those kids what a real rider can do," I thought as I pulled up to the stop sign. Grabbing up the front brake, I did a nose wheelie, and though I fell off the pedals when I came back down, I thought it was pretty smooth. . I looked up to see Kimball spinning spinn-ing around his headset like Curt Thomas on a pommel horse. One of his friends was standing on a set of axle extenders coming from his front wheel while controlling the bike by rolling the front wheel under one foot. I rode off before I bruised my ego any further. Since then, I've watched those kids quite a bit, always amazed at their mastery of gravity, cen-trifigual cen-trifigual force, and momentum. To some, it may seem these kids are just hanging out like a junior motorcycle motor-cycle club, but look closer. The reason they always seem to be nanging around in one place or another is that freestyle BMX, like any sport, requires constant practice. prac-tice. There are a limited number of places they can practice, since they need a flat, smooth, uncrowded space. Since winter set in, they've been using the open floor of The Shaft, (the teen center) for practice. Kimball Kim-ball and his friend Mike Hennessey, both 14, agreed to do a few stunts for me and my camera last week. Neither had ridden for a few days, and they began by apologizing for what they seemed to think were rusty rus-ty skills. There was no need. The two move on their machines as though they were in a different medium their steady movements suggest they are in water, not air. Kimball has competed some on his bicycle, taking two seconds and a third in the three competitions he has entered, two of which were in the Salt Palace. The bicycles they ride are extremely ex-tremely specialized. Costing around $500, the tiny machines feature some of the most sophisticated bicycle technology. The most amazing piece of engineering on the bikes in the headset. It would be impossible to spin the handlebars of a normal bicycle completely around, because the brake cables would get tangled. Freestyle bikes avoid this problem two ways. First, the cable for the front brake runs through the middle of the stem and comes out the fork. The rear brake, however, is a special case. Since the rear brake cable has to leave the steering assembly, it can't simply be run through the stem. Instead, the headset uses a complex set of plates and springs which allow the headset to spin around. Spring will be coming along soon, and these kids will be back around town, spinning, hopping, and balancing. balanc-ing. Stopping to watch is rewarding. While this sport looks like a cheap thrill for young men, it is actually a graceful gymnastic form . I ' .;v- f JK4 - 'rS , : - . i " ' v:: :3T" '!;,, f ' . f Mike Hennessey, above, and Jim Kimball, below and above right. s ii . ' r v 91' . RooGeorg Summit County, You Lucky Dog! If you've been looking for KSTU and haven't found it on Channel 13, you're in luck. Here's a quick and easy way to find Channel 13, even when it's not on Channel 13. That way, you won't miss a minute of Cheers, weekdays at 6:30 p.m. or WKRP, weekdays at 6 p.m. You lucky dog! ' KSTU Ch.13 CableTranslator Channels: Parity 43 13 Deer Valley ' . 43 13 KSTU it : If x ' i;''4" 'V- PRO PECTOR'S irloin i . Nightly Specials $6.95 Includes Salad Bar " Located in Alpine Prospector's Lodge at the top of Main Street on the Main Street bus route 649-7482 649-3483 Ron Georg -ST .OntTIHIlCCo . . I i k i ' urn .if x.-v. f ' MJ. ' . 4 ; f 11 I 1 When the need is performance, Snug is the answer. At Snug, you'll find top-of-the-line performance perform-ance ski equipment such as Pre, K2, RD, Marker, Raichle and Scott, just to name a few. SCOTT UZ1A ifcllSHSBll Stop in at our newly remodeled ski shop where our experienced staff will assist you in selecting just the right ski equipment for your ability level. Snug. The ultimate in performance equipment. m ii ii ii if i it i! it n ii i i Fits the way you live. PARK CITY AT THE RESORT CENTER 649-7688 DEER VALLEY IN THE DEER VALLEY PLAZA 649-3772 SNUG STORES ALSO LOCATED IN SUN VALLEY AND VAII . 1 1 |