Back-to-School After School Mountain Bike “Shred Academy”

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Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Üma Kleppinger, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Looking for a unique after-school program this fall that will keep your kid engaged, healthy and  growing—both physically and mentally? Send your kids to The Lumberyard and enroll them in their After School Shred Academy program, and watch their mountain bike and BMX handling skills soar.

The Lumberyard is a unique, 42,000 square foot indoor bike park, located in NE Portland, offering rolling “trails”, pump tracks and jump lines ranging in size to accommodate different abilities. The park has options suitable for beginner through expert riders, and is is designed progressively, so as a rider's abilities, comfort and skill increases, they may advance to more challenging terrain. Each level is color coded, much like you find at a ski resort; easy beginner lines are green, intermediate is blue and black is advanced. There's also an orange line to practice riding bermed turns.

The After School Shred Academy program is open to kids ages 6–14, and begins the week of September 8th. The program runs for 10 weeks, ending the week of November 10th. The program has been designed to help kids learn the skills which help build their confidence on bike and take their riding to the next level. Kids are grouped with instructors by riding ability, rather than age, into three categories:

Greenhorns: Kids who are comfortable on their bike, but new to park style riding, or are still working on mastering the beginner green line. We expect even the Greenhorns to be comfortable pedaling on two wheels, turning and braking on their own.

Shredders: Kids who have attended Shred Academy before and are ready to progress their skills beyond the basics.

Hot shots: This class is for kids who have mastered the blue line and are ready to learn the skills necessary to start throwing down some tricks.

Each session is guided by expert and skilled coaches and instructors. Sessions run from 4:30pm to 6pm. The cost for the full 10-week session is $195 if using your own bike; add $30 to rent a bike from The Lumberyard. Students enrolled in the program have full access to the park after each session is completed, provided they are supervised by a parent or guardian.

If your kiddo is more a lil' shredder than a band camp candidate, sign up now for a fun and exciting bike-centric after school program that'll keep them engaged, active and constantly learning—not to mention having great fun!

For more information or to register, visit www.lumberyardmtb.com, or call (503) 252-2453.

Üma Kleppinger is a Portland-based copy writer and advocate for full-contact anti-bummer living. She is a recovering sesquipedalian who writes about life in the saddle and outdoor adventure. She is also the author of BikeYoga, a yoga program for cyclists. When not writing, she can be found riding and racing her mountain bike throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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