BMX Bikers: Flipping Awesome Core Course

by Rebecca Bryson, Joey Messier, & Makayla Sturgeon

Everyone was on the edge of their seats the night the BMX Bikers came to Stonehill College. The night started off with a crash course on safety when biking. The bikers were displayed with their safety gear: shin pads, elbow pads, knee pads, brain buckets, etc. The performers continued with basic tricks like a 360° handlebar flip and the flair. Shortly after the students were quizzed on the moves that Perfection on Wheels presented. If correct, PCCers were rewarded with autographed posters from all the athletes.

The mood shifted when proctor volunteers were taken up to the course. Ms. Kent, Ms. Elman, Mr. Leonard, and Mr. Papasodero were taken to a mat and lied down. From there, one of the bikers, Colt, readied himself to jump over the terrified contestants. After a few purposefully failed attempts, the biker lifted his bike over the proctors using only his upper body strength. THe trick, however amazing, paled in comparison to what the next BMX professional, Andrew, did.

This is when Ms. Bigelow, Ms. Brainard, and Mr. Gaughan took the stage. They took a ladder to the top of a ramp. Ms. Brainard made a bold choice by taking her Nikon D5000 camera up to do the stunt. Andrew rode up the ramp with no intention of doing the actual trick. He stopped the bike right in front of the proctors and dangled one wheel over their heads. When asked, Ms. Brainard described her emotions as “quite terrified.” When doing the actual stunt, Andrew did a backflip on his bike, leaving inches between the volunteers’ heads and his bike.

The night ended with a breathtaking finale where both of the bikers showed off their best tricks simultaneously. The PCC students and staff were blown away by Perfection on Wheels and walked away amazed and inspired by the athletes’ talents.