BMX
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WHEN Matt and Richie Spencer take their BMX bikes out for a spin, most of the time their backsides don't touch the seat.
The father and son duo recently returned from Melbourne, where they took part in round three of the BMX Flatland Australia DownUnderGround Series.
The competition requires riders to perform tricks on smooth, flat surfaces without the aid of ramps or jumps.
Matt, 37, finished third in the advanced category, while nine-year-old Richie earned second against teenage and adult competitors in the basic section.
A former skateboarder, Matt started learning tricks on his BMX three years ago.
"I always wanted to do it when I was a kid," Matt said.
"I tried it when I was younger, but I just couldn't do it.
"Skateboarding came naturally to me, so I thought I was meant to be a skater.
"But when I gave up skating because of my ankles, I decided to give this a shot."
Richie started out BMX racing but soon began trying to mimic his dad's tricks. The pair now train together.
"He's my filmer and I'm his filmer," Matt laughed.
"We give each other a bit of credit and a few props.
"It's probably taken him a good three years to get the couple of tricks he's got down.
"They probably took me about five or six months to learn.
"It's not so much that you're jumping and falling. It's more about balancing."
Away from his tricks bike, Richie is trying to rally support for a BMX track to be built in Griffith. He believes such a facility would be heavily used.
"I think the kids would really love it," he said.
"It'll give them something to do, and it goes without saying that it's really fun."
Richie has started a Facebook page - Riverina BMX track - for local BMX enthusiasts.