Mountain biking: Bike speedway art of sprint and drift

Wyn Masters competes in the Bike Speedway at last year's Rotorua Bike Festival. Supplied/PETER GRANEY

Bike Speedway was one of my favourite events at the first Rotorua Bike Festival last year. I liked it so much I wrote a story about it and two other favourites, Bike Polo and the Redwoods Coast, for New Zealand Mountain Biker.

All three have things in common. They were rowdy and entertaining for the spectators and enjoyable for all the competitors. They were light-hearted and a bit eccentric, but with more than a hint of competitiveness. They were organised by volunteers _ for love, not profit. And all three are back on the programme in 2014.

Any event needs a high level of organisation and the correct paperwork. Events run by clubs and volunteers are no different than larger-scale, professionally run races. The financial risks may be less, but there are still other liabilities and respon-sibilities. Venues have to be booked and confirmed and often health and safety plans and insurance are required.

Chris Newson is organising the Bike Speedway again this year. He's an energetic character who worked very hard in his own time to make the first event a success.

This year Speedway moves from BMX Rotorua's track on Te Ngae Road to a high-profile location: Government Gardens in front of the Museum and Art Gallery. The Blue Baths will supply hospitality. It's on Monday, February 17 and even if you're not a cycling fan it will be one to watch.

So what is Bike Speedway? Well, it's quite simple. Two corners, two short straights, four riders battling out _ sprint the straights, drift the corners.

Last year's final featured two of New Zealand's top professional downhill mountain bikers, Sam Blenkinsop and Wyn Masters, and a top young local rider, Jake Robinson. The fourth rider was Garth Weinberg, 2010 Singlespeed World Champion.

Masters won. He and Weinberg rode at more events than anyone else that week.

Masters also won the Skyline Sprint Warrior. Weinberg won The Shweeb World Championships at Agroventures and rode in Orienteering Bay of Plenty's MTB Adventure Quest. Masters even donned lycra and rode the Inner City Street Criterium on his road bike.

They both Coasted and raced in the National Mountain Bike Champs.

There were some outstanding performances at last year's festival. Dirk Peters and Anton Cooper's head to head battle in the National Mountain Bike Championships cross-country, Sam Shaw and Rosara Joseph's outstanding rides to victory in the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro and Clinton Avery's emotional win at the Inner City Street Crit all come to mind.

However, my riders of last festival were Masters and Weinberg. They really summed up the spirit of the week. And both will be back this year.

There was another positive outcome of the Bike Speedway. Local photographer, Peter Graney, was a finalist for New Zealand Photographer of the Year 2013 in the category of Society and Culture for this photo of Masters in action.

Imagine all the mountain biking events over the years, with no images to help tell the story?

Photographers such as Graney, Graeme Murray, Alan Ofsoski, Mike Vincent, Mike Breen, Helen Brumby, Mead Norton, Nick Lambert and Alick Saunders, among others, have all contributed to the positive image Rotorua has projected to the world.

More often than not, they've done this unpaid.

The full festival programme is on www.rotoruabikefestival.com