The new BMX freestyle facility at University of Canberra Stromlo Forest is ready to host its first event this weekend, the ACT Jam 2023.

The track is designed by the Freestyle ACT BMX Club and caters to the needs of beginners entering the sport, right through to elite level riders.

Riders can expect seven elite jumps and a progressive jump line with 10 rolls and jumps catering for beginners to intermediate levels.

“I’m ecstatic to see Freestyle BMX be catered to with such a high-quality BMX facility. Off-road cycling tends to start with riding a BMX bike, jumping dirt jumps,” Tyson Jones-Peni, President, Freestyle ACT BMX Club, said.

“The bike control you learn from Freestyle BMX riding is hard to replicate on any other bike and with a facility like this, we can expect to see the next generation of BMX rippers come out of Canberra,” he said.

The BMX project is another step towards the ACT Government’s vision of the University of Canberra Stromlo Park Master Plan.

The track provides a new place for the community to meet and be active while enjoying the increasingly popular sport.

It is also ideal for hosting BMX freestyle events, such as the ACT Jam 2023.

“Canberrans love riding bikes – we have the highest participation rate in the country. And with amazing facilities like we have here at UC Stromlo Forest Park, it’s not hard to see why,” Nick Hannan, Executive General Manager, AusCycling, said.

“Around 16,000 Canberrans rode a mountain bike in the last year. What’s really exciting is that participation among women and girls has gone up more than 180% over the last five years. 

“Local riders like Caroline Buchanan and Harriet Burbidge-Smith are winning some of the biggest events in the world and inspiring the next generation back home to get on a bike.”

The ACT Jam is sponsored by Boost Mobile.

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