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Little wheels and big air Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman photo Kevin Williams, of Grants Pass, and his sons Kyle, 4, left, and Zack, 18 mos., watch other riders perform tricks. By BILL KETTLER ASHLAND - The bicycle may be the most efficient method of transportation humanity has yet devised, but nobody at Sunday's "Bike-It" seemed to care much about getting from Point A to Point B. At least 200 young cyclists - and a few not-so-young ones - watched each other perform two-wheeled tricks in Ashland's municipal court parking lot. Bikes and riders flew and jumped and hopped across the asphalt as boys and girls showed their skill at stunt riding, a style that has attracted growing numbers of cyclists over the past 10 years. "It's awesome," said 11-year-old Bob Rasmussen as he watched Dave Nourie perform a handstand on the front wheel of his bike. "People are going all out." Nourie organized the first Bike-It in 1999 to promote bike safety and encourage kids to participate in a sport that requires strength, agility, and a keen sense of balance and timing. The Ashland Police Department helped organize this year's event, making arrangements for using the parking lot and providing a DJ and a speaker system for music. Nourie, a former professional stunt rider, gathered donations of gear and parts from local bike shops for prize raffles and built jump ramps with Casey McDonald. Riders and their parents came from as far as Yreka, Sacramento and Montague, in California, as well as Medford, Jacksonville and Central Point. "I'm surprised nobody gets hurt," said Steve Peck of Montague, while he watched several young riders fly between jump ramps while others balanced their bikes on the edge of ramps as tall as a truck cab. Peck brought his 12-year-old son, Sam, to learn how to stunt-ride safely. "I told him he could do this as long as he doesn't get anything pierced," Peck said. In stunt riding, the bicycle becomes the platform for performing tricks. The bikes are generally small-framed with small wheels and equipped with footpegs on the front and rear axles allow riders to stand on one wheel while they do tricks with the rest of the bike or their bodies - or both. Veteran riders such as Nourie (who has performed in several Ashland Fourth of July parades) can do a handstand on the front wheel while the bike is balanced on its side. Riders wear helmets, gloves, shin guards, and other protective equipment to minimize injuries. Cyclists had an opportunity to test-drive a number of unusual bicycles that Nourie and other bike nuts brought to the event. One bike that was in nearly constant use recalled century-old "high-wheelers" with its huge front wheel and tiny rear wheel. "It's cool, but it's kind of scary," said Jamie Roupp as she pedaled the big-wheeled bike across the pavement, "because you're afraid you're going to fall down. It's the easiest to ride, but the hardest to start." Kelsey Bower, known to Ashland cyclists as "KB," brought a truckload of custom-built, offbeat machines that he's fashioned in his shop. One featured pedals in front of the front wheel. Another had a two-wheeled, flatbed cart where the front wheel should have been. Others allowed the rider to recline on a seat and push the pedal in a reclining position. Elizabeth Morales of Central Point, enjoyed her first experience with one of Bower's laid-back bikes, known to cyclists as a "recumbent." "I love it," she said. "You can relax your back and relax your feet and lay down. Officer Teri DeSilva, of the Ashland Police Department, said Nourie's efforts to promote stunt riding seem to be paying off. This year's Bike-It attracted twice as many kids as last year's, even though it was staged on the Labor Day weekend. "Now that more people know about it," she said, "it's going to be a sure thing next year." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.