Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Kevin White

They're Off: Kameron Shute (right) beats his father Scott Shute (center) and another rider out of the gate during a race at the BMX track in Santa Clara. The Willow Glen residents ride at the track several times a week. The father-son pair train together but compete in different categories.

Road Show

BMX bicycling can be fun at any age

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Father and son, Scott and Kameron Shute are no strangers to male bonding and exploring life on two wheels. Together the pair have ridden their bicycles all around the world.

From the age of 1, Kameron was soaking up the world on a trailer attached to the back of Shute's bike as the duo pedaled through Colorado. When the family moved to Japan, young Kameron would ride in an attached back seat of his father's bike.

"We would go explore Tokyo together," Shute says. " We would feed the birds and fish in the parks. It was easier to get around on bike rather than on foot."

When the family moved to England, 4-year-old Kameron would ride his bike through the forests in their back yard. He would also imitate the children who built ramps that were used as sport to launch the cyclists into the air. It was a competition to see who would jump the farthest and stay up the longest.

"Kameron would do jumps on his bike, and I would measure how much air he got," Shute says.

Then a friend introduced Shute to motor-cross bikes, and for Shute that would become his passion.

"It was fun, and Kameron loved watching us," Shute says. "He even started collecting motor-cross model bikes."

When the family moved to Willow Glen two years ago, Shute wanted to buy motor-cross bikes for his son and himself.

"But my wife Aparna didn't think motor-cross bikes were age-appropriate for a 6-year-old," Shute says. "So we decided to check out BMX riding instead."

The two discovered there was only one track in the area, the PAL BMX track in Santa Clara. They went to the track and rented the bicycles.

It was the pair's first time riding and racing BMX bikes, but the riding seemed second nature. The experience quickly turned into to a growing obsession.

The first time on the course, Kameron raced and won a trophy.

"He was hooked. I knew it would be his thing," says Shute, whose family has a history of two-wheeling around.

All in the family

From the time Shute was a little boy, motorcycles, dune buggies and open space were all part of his world. Growing up on a Kansas farm, he and his brother and sister all drove two- and four-wheeled vehicles.

"The speed and power and freedom to go further out from the farm really appealed to me," he says.

Kameron's growing love of bikes meant this was a passion they could share.

After the Shutes' first day at the track, it became apparent that the sport was going to be more than a passing fancy. That same day, Shute went out and purchased a bike and equipment for Kameron, which surprised Aparna Shute.

"They went out to try it out and came back with a bike and equipment," she says.

The next time Kameron and his father went to the track, Kameron won a first-place trophy.

But Shute says the sport is not just about the racing.

"One of the biggest attractions is going out and just riding," Shute says. "The others include the thrill of going fast and going off the jumps."

However, the excitement of racing is definitely a factor. Performing and trying to get to the next level, along with pushing yourself to see how fast you can go are all part of what make it a sport, Shute says.

Camaraderie and community feel are other aspects of BMX riding. It is a sport that is open and accessible to all ages, genders and skill levels. Boys and girls wear similar gear and clothes, which makes for a good equalizer, Shute says.

"Anybody can do it," Kameron says. "You also meet a lot of friends and can ride whenever you want."

Kameron's favorite tricks are the bunny hop and the manual.

The bunny hop is when you get on your back wheel and hop on it.

A manual is when a rider pushes his or her weight back in order to lift the front tire of his or her bike. This move is usually used to start a race because the rider can get more speed coming down than by just pedaling.

The youngest racers are 3 years old, but most youth groups are made up of 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds. When the children compete, they are divided by age and skill level by how many races they have won, Shute says. Three to six youths are in a group per race, so the odds are on the young bikers' sides.

"Kids always have a shot at winning," Shute says. "It's really encouraging for the kids. There's nothing like winning a trophy as a 5-year-old."

The track is open to children age 4 and up. Youth are grouped together for races based on age and skill level, either novice, intermediate or expert. Boys can turn pro at 16 and girls at 15; once a pro, they cannot race at the local track, but only at sanctioned races. Currently, there are about 10 pro riders who practice at the track. The adults who race at the track are mostly fathers of the younger racers.

Scott Shute is still discovering the intricacies of the sport. He bought his first BMX bike a year ago, and practices mostly with Kameron at the track. He has been racing in earnest only for the last six months.

"I'd like to race more, but I'm still a novice," Shute says.

But that doesn't stop him from practicing with Kameron.

"It's good exercise, and we get to do it together," Shute says. "It's self-paced and teaches the kids good life lessons. It teaches the kids to rely on themselves and about winning and losing."

Shute also has a 3-year-old daughter, Anjali, who sometimes comes along to the track with his son. When Anjali is present, her father is relegated to watching and cheering Kameron.

But it doesn't matter if father and son are on the sidelines cheering each other on or riding the track. Adrenaline is strong.

Shute and Kameron both agree it's fun competing against themselves and others, while developing their skill levels at their own pace.

"You learn your own techniques on your own time," Shute says, "and you do it in a positive environment."

People who ride help each other out, he says. People at the track let others borrow their equipment, help others fix their equipment, even borrow each other's bikes.

"It's like a family," Shute says. "There's generosity."

Aparna Shute agrees.

Team sports are not a fit for all children, she says. Sports such as BMX riding are geared more toward those who want to control their performance.

The Shutes also like the fact the sport is not governed by a season, but is an all-year-round activity.

The track is open three days a week, and the Shutes go twice a week.

But BMX riding is not injury-free.

"When you see them riding, it doesn't take much to fall," Aparna Shute says. "But everything depends on the aggressiveness of each rider."

It also depends on the daring of a rider.

"The part of riding that is more dangerous is the trick aspect of it more than the actual racing aspect," Shute says.

In the two years Scott and Kameron Shute have been attending races at the track, they have seen only one bad wreck where someone got hurt.

The most common injuries are broken collarbones and arms, so wearing protective gear is imperative.

"We wear helmets and gloves, long pants and full-face protectors," Shute says.

For Kameron's mother, these precautions are only somewhat reassuring.

"I'm just happy they found something that's not motorized," she says.