Top shops receive special trophies

Cheri Hayes (back left) and Chelsea Chibnall-West with trophy creatorsMilesAnderson, 9 (front left), and Dylan Anderson, 12, with the high wheel penny-farthing inspired trophy. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Some great displays and a good range of shops took part in Rotorua Bike Festival's window display competition, but two clear winners stood out.

Central businesses CycleZone Rotorua and Portico Gallery won each of the two categories, Best Bike Shop and Best Other, each receiving a unique trophy.

Eleven shops took part in the competition encouraging people to get into the spirit of the 10-day Rotorua Bike Festival, which finished on Sunday. Businesses were asked to dress up their window or workplace in a bike theme to win prizes and trophies. The displays were judged by the Rotorua Bike Festival Charitable Trust.

CycleZone Rotorua's window flew the flag of WEMBO, the 24-hour mountain bike endurance World Championship race.

Manager Matt Tocknell said the WEMBO event was the crown jewel, the biggest one of the festival and relevant to them as a bike business.

As part of the display CycleZone Rotorua borrowed the WEMBO World Championship jersey and gold medal from Enduro.

"People all over the world were taking photos of it. It went off on social media - it was awesome. I'm pretty chuffed to win it. It's good to see so many bikes in town getting involved as well as non-bike businesses. There were some good displays out there."

The competition winners were given a trophy each made by local bike builder Jeff Anderson and his two sons, 9-year-old Miles and 12-year-old Dylan. The two trophies about 300mm high by 500mm long were mini bike frames on kickstands, with disc wheels that turned and were made by a unique and traditional form of welding, called brazing.

Mr Tocknell said it was a "really cool trophy".

"It's much better than a standard trophy and there's been a lot of thought put in to it."

Someone has already offered to buy Portico Gallery's penny-farthing metal worked trophy.

Owner Cheri Hayes said it was amazing to win it.

"Our assistant Chelsea Chibnall-West and her husband Nick created the whole thing", which was a French-inspired retro bike display and a sandwich board with the words 'Let the Good Times Roll'.

"I'm so glad Rotorua is buzzing with lots of people and international visitors. The event draws in more and more people every year."

Rotorua Bike Festival Charitable Trust member Priscilla Kirk said there was a good range of shops involved including QE Health, that had its display in the entrance way and Willow on Fenton St.

"The idea was to bring the bike people in and get a real presence of bikes in town and get the community involved - biking in Rotorua is part of our culture these days."