Cyclistshave produced some daredevil stunts on the Village Green at the Agroventures Freestyle AirBag Big Air Competition.
The event is part of the Rotorua Bike Festival and will see ridersthrowing their best tricks to qualify for the final next Friday, with more than $2000 worth of cash prizes to be won.
Rotorua Bike Festival director Megan Dimozantos said it felt good to have the festival under way. She said the staff at Agroventures did an outstanding job pulling the airbag competition together in three weeks.
She said Rotorua had never had an airbag until Agroventures got one and it was quite special to bring it to the middle of the town.
Ms Dimozantos said there was a 6m and a 3m ramp for cyclists to choose from.
The final will also take place at Agroventures.
Rotorua's Connor Mahuika, 17, threw some tricks on the airbag during practice time today.
He said he was not able to compete as he worked at Agroventures operating the airbag, but he would do an opening demo run.
Connor said he thought it was a great event because it was a bit of exposure for local riders and gave the whole biking community a chance to come together.
It was also an opportunity for people to try new things, he said.
Rotorua's Bellah Birchall, 9, said she was most excited about doing the jumps in the competition.
She said she had been on the airbag before and had been racing for three years, in both BMX and mountain biking.
She wanted to enter the competition because all the boys were doing it and to show that girls could do it too.
Rotorua Bike Festival events this weekend:
Saturday:
- Giant 2W Gravity Enduro 2017
- Family Fun Ride
- Ride and Reflect - A meditative biking event
- The Big Bike Film Night
Sunday:
- Tour of the Valleys
- Rotorua Bike Festival BMX Meet
- Ride The Racecourse Family Fun Day
- Photography Workshops
- Frocks On Bikes
For more information visit www.rotoruabikefestival.com.