Six local riders from the Central Coast are gearing up for the 2017 BMX World Championships in July. Two of those riders are brothers from Lompoc.
Seven-year-old Jacob Clark and his nine-year-old brother, Tyler Clark are set to race among the best BMXers in the world. The two have been on the track for only a year, racing their way to the expert level.
The journey started when they were first introduced to BMXing during the creation of Lompoc’s River Bend Bike Park.
"They built this BMX bike track for all the kids and everyone can come over here," Tyler said.
Since then, the boys have won over 20 races across the country to gain the expert title. "My races were in Oregon, Las Vegas, Santa Maria, and Arizona," Jacob said.
"All of a sudden, we went from novice, and a year later, we’re going to South Carolina to watch them race in the world championships," said Tammy Clark, Jacob and Tyler’s mother. "It’s a very exciting experience for us right now."
Joining the Clark Brothers in the World Championships will be 3,300 riders from more than 40 countries. Grace Padilla, Cailey Pita, Magnus Canby, and Levi Folkrod from Santa Maria have also qualified.
This is the very beginning of a professional endeavor for Jacob and Tyler.
"My goal is to go the Olympics and win gold," Tyler said.
Participating in this sport is very expensive, especially as the brothers advance in skill. The parents have set up GoFundMe for World Championships.
