Designs & Constructions

Anyone who has been involved in building a quality BMX track around Australia, Japan or New Zealand will have at least heard of Geoff 'The Balkan' Cartwright. Geoff has built more race tracks, 4X, and jump parks than anyone in Australia. To say that he is Australia's best track builder is a huge understatement. He doesn't talk it up, he just lets his work talk for itself. He has worked with UCI track builder Tom Ritz, worked in northern Japan, and every corner of Australia . 

Geoff has single handedly changed the attitudes of BMXers everywhere, so far as what can be done? and how fast it can be done, when it comes to building BMX tracks.

After 3 yrs of solid travelling, he is taking a rest to spend time with his family, a sick daughter and just some local contract work. Geoff will still be doing around 4 weeks per year of track building, but it will be a first in best dressed affair. His previous experiences might have something to do with it also. He is a big fan of northern W.A., Nhulunbuy in NT and Sawtell in NSW. This has more to do with real nice people than anything else..and maybe the fishing ?  

On the other side of the story, we have been interviewing all over the place to find some suitable replacements for the Balkan. Not an easy task. Down south we will be using the services of AA rider, Ash McCutcheon. Ash will be taking on some race tracks and a bunch of jump parks for Dirtz. He is curently working with Baw Baw shire to see the fruition of Warrnambool BMX track, which we completed a redesign of as our once a year "design it for free " . We really wanted to see this little Victorian club kick on, so we did what we could. Hopefully the powers that be will listen to Ash, follow our design and turn this track into what it should be.  

We will also have Damian Connolly & Jason Cousins now building for Dirtz. Jason is a bit of a BMX legend in racing and trails. So we are pretty stoked Cousins will be doing the occasional build with us in conjunction with running  'Roadtripz ( check it out: http://roadtripz.com.au/index.html  . He will be starting with a huge jump park @ Cameron Park on the NSW central coast in the next few weeks. This place will become trails central without a doubt.  

Damo will be taking it all on !! Having the experience of building perhaps the best trails in Australia ( if you don't know where they are then your not supposed to ! ).  Damo is turning his hand to BMX race tracks as well, he will also be doing a few jump parks ( of course he will!!) 

...SO it's big times for Dirtz, we are also currently speaking with New Zealand and China. Exciting times  

Now you've spent enough time on the computer...Go ride !!

Barnesy 

Well Bunbury UCI rounds have been run and won on a track that has defnitely raised the bar in Australia. Lil 'ol Bunbury BMX club took on the mammoth task of doing what many people told them couldn't be done, and build the biggest, best BMX track in the country. They did a massive amount of work, but with the help of DIrtz (aka The Balkan on machines) have pulled off what is being called the most technical and demanding track produced thus far on Aussie turf . 

Quotes we got , " It's great, it's just hard. I wish I had a few weeks here !!"

 ..." If you can get this track perfect, you're ready for Supercross !" 

Unfortunately the level of racing and level of track saw a few injuries. However the concesus was " The bar has been raised !" 

Next UCI rounds will be at Tuggeranong BMX track in the ACT in early March. See BMX Australia website for details (follow our links   ) 

Well they have knocked down their entire track and gone about building one of the best tracks in Australia. ...So it's time to head south to the Tassie Titles. Word is they have a heap of cash for the Pro classes and a new track to test them. 

Entries close 18th October, so if you have never been to the Apple Isle, here's your excuse !!!

Barnesy

Many of you will know a Discussion Paper has recently been released, by the New South Wales government regarding, generally the issue of Mountain Bikes in National Parks (there is more to it than that...but you get the jist)

Dirtz would like to encourage anyone who rides a bike to hop on the link below and have your say. Fact is the government really has no idea how big cycling is. If your a BMXer, Dirt Jumper, 4Xer even park...at some stage in your life your probably going to end up on a MTB.  So supporting it now will give you somewhere to ride tomorrow.

So jump online and help get more great places to ride ! (follow the link   )

Mountain biking in NSW National Parks

Barnesy

O.K. time to quell the rumours...

1. YES. Dirtz is doing Tamworth BMX track for the NSW BMX State titles,

2. YES a total rebuild will start this week. 

3. YES Balkan & Ash will get it done in time... easy

4. YES it will mean that the track for the NSW BMX State Titles will have been ridden by no one. Can't get fairer than that  !!!

See you all Tamworth trackside, 

Barnesy

....UPDATE.....

Balkan & Ash got to Tamworth on Tuesday. First to go was second corner and 3rd straight. Next was 2nd straight. That's in 2 days. Got some early photos belwo but at the moment they are too busy building to take too many photos 

More photos...Balkan is on fire !! 3 days and track almost finished !!!

10am Saturday 9th September, 2010

Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, MTB trail will be officially opened:D

The day will see the ribbon cut on Stage 1 & Stage 2 which adds up to a bit over 7km of mainly single track XC trail. Trail features armoured crossings, bridges, jumps, berms and some technical rock and log sections.

Stage 3 and the pump track is still to come.

All are welcome to the day, only condition is bring a bike, bring a friend and ride !!

Pic. below shows one of the many armoured crossing being constructed.

The Balkan and crew have been busy for the past 2 weeks wading through thousands of tons of dirt, bringing 'The Scar' Jump park, Queanbeyan, NSW to life. So far the beginning of the senior run has been born, featuring a bunch of transfers and more recently the Pump track has been brought to life. A brief test session  with some young local kids on the pump track, saw a bunch of smiling faces. Balkan will be leaving 'The Scar' for 2 weeks as he flys across to Bunbury, W.A. to  replicate the South African World Titles track. 

We have designed and completed Chichibu BMX track in Japan. Now we are proud to announce Martin Ward as our Asian correspondent for Dirtz, designs & constructions.

Martin is a great guy who is super passionate about his BMX and supports his two children BMX racers to the ends of the earth. He  also has a wealth of knowledge throughout Asia and the perfect right hand man in the form of Kai. Martin will be helping Dirtz build better BMX and MTB facilities through Korea, Singapore and Japan to begin with. Martin can be contacted via email  (ward@ganbaroo.com) or Mobile 61+414 818 450. 

Our goal is to get the world pedaling off road :lol:!!

Big congrats to our junior designer Kai Sakakibara and his little sis Saya. for their World Titles BMX results in South Africa recently. 

Kai came away with #3 World,  in the 14 boys while Saya grabbed the #1 World title in the 11 girls. Talk about a hard act for us to follow. If there was any question why we value Kai's feedback as a young designer, we reckon he just answered it.

A big congrats Kai, Saya and all the Aussies that raced so well in South Africa.

 from DIrtz

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