James Taylor once crooned “in my mind I am going to Carolina,” but for a large contingent of Okotoks BMX competitors heading to the Palmetto State is a reality.
And for two of the contingent of Okotoks club members going to Rock Hill, South Carolina for the World BMX championships July 25-29, they might be old enough to actually know who James Taylor is.
Devin St. Dennis, 41, will compete in the men’s division after following his children’s bike tracks to get in the sport.
“My son wanted to try it out three years ago and I saw some dads doing it and they were having a blast,” St. Dennis said. “I had to go out and try it and I did. It was something new, different and challenging.”
There is now a quartet of St. Dennis’ with the BMX club — two children and mom and dad Devin.
Dad is the only one going to worlds to compete, but there is no gloating.
“Technically I am still a novice rider and I will be racing against the best in the world,” St. Dennis said. “But it’s a chance in a lifetime. There is incredible talent out there.”
Chris Doll, 39, will compete in the 40-44 cruiser male division.
“I started riding in cruiser specifically to try for nationals, so I could go to worlds because they are in the States this year, which is relatively close,” Doll said. “My kids started in BMX and I had always wanted to race.”
Doll had a BMX bike when he was nine, but didn’t start competing until seven years ago.
“I don’t have a kid who races anymore, but I love it,” Doll said. “I am going to the worlds for the experience. Everybody dreams of doing something for their country and this is my chance.”
Doll was fifth at nationals in Calgary last August.
Colton Kroon, 17, who practically grew up on the Okotoks BMX, track is going to his first world championship.
“Technically, I qualified for them when I was 12 when I was eighth in Canada,” the recent Holy Trinity Academy graduate said. “This time, I’m going because it is close — South Carolina is closer than Azerbaijan where it is next year.”
He’s also going because he is one of the best in Canada.
“Last year, I was second in Canada,” Kroon said. “I thought I should give it a shot and see how well I could do — test myself on the international level since I am doing the best I have done.”
Kroon missed winning the nationals last year by about a half a bike length.
He’s worked at getting to the international level.
“I have been working out in the gym and I am a little bit more fearless than I was before, I was a little timid around some jumps,” Kroon said. “My goal is to finish in the top 16 at worlds. But really my main goal is for my next round, just to qualify for the next round.”
He will have lots of competition. He has heard that in previous years, there has been as many as 600 racers in a category at worlds.
Kroon estimated he could have to race nine or 10 times to reach the finals at Rock Hill.
On the opposite end of the age spectrum is Madilyn Juneau, the youngest member from to Carolina at nine. However, she will compete at the 10-Expert division. The Westmount School student was first in the province in nine-year-old girls novice last year, and fifth among all females.
At nationals, she was fifth among all nine-year-old at nationals.
Briony Fokkens, 13, is racing in the 14-year-old division. She was 12th at nationals.
“I didn’t make the finals at nationals by one place,” Fokkens said. “I think I have gotten better since then.”
Mikayla Rocheleau, 18, is going to worlds as a coach. She missed qualifying for nationals in the Junior category due to a communications error. She was late in getting her entry.
“I am going to try and make the most of it as a coach,” she said.
Her sister, Aurora Rocheleau, 11, also qualified for worlds.
She said she loves to race and is looking forward to South Carolina.
She was sixth at nationals last year.
High River’s Jordan Knappe was third in the 15-female expert at nationals.
“I am going for gold at world or at least place high,” Knappe said, who is a former national champion. “It takes lot of training and I have good coaches with the Okotoks club.”
Wyatt Andres from High River, 16, qualified for worlds by finishing ninth at nationals.
Paige Moldenhauer, 16, from Chestermere, who rides with the Okotoks club is also going to South Carolina.
Okotoks BMX coach Chris Nakamura said the 12 racers from the club going to worlds is the most in its history and added there were approximately 250 riders from Alberta who qualified, by far the most in Canada.
