Could Virginia Beach become an action sports destination? Hunt for BMX home has sparked interest

When word of an underground BMX track on private property in Virginia Beach came to light last fall, riders who built the secret spot known as Thrashmore were forced to split.

Since then, they’ve been meeting with city officials to find a new home.

The question remains: Will Thrashmore’s legacy live on and what will it look like?

On Tuesday, the City Council denied the permit for a proposed car dealership on the wooded lot in Windsor Woods where Thrashmore resided, and the property owner is re-evaluating the next steps.

And while parks and recreation staffers explore options for a community BMX park, the situation has sparked another conversation about growing action sports on a bigger scale in Virginia Beach.

“If we want to get into the BMX game ... Where? How big? All of those questions are being kicked around,” said Michael Kirschman, the city’s parks and recreation director, who has met with local BMX riders and two City Council members about the possibilities.

While still in the early stages, two ideas are being discussed, Kirschman said.

One is to carve out a spot in an existing city park for residents to ride recreationally. Another is to build a large-scale competition racetrack to draw out-of-town athletes and spectators, Kirschman said.

Councilman Michael Berlucchi, a Windsor Woods resident who initially became involved with the issue because Thrashmore was in his district, supports the idea of taking BMX to the next level.

“There are some big opportunities to position Virginia Beach as the East Coast headquarters for action sports,” said Berlucchi, who has been attending the meetings with parks and recreation. “We have this authentic skate culture, surf culture. There’s every reason to expand this sport in Virginia Beach.”

Sports tourism has proven to be a strong economic driver for the city. The new sports center at the Oceanfront is exceeding expectations with bookings that draw people to the resort area, city leaders say.

The North American Sand Soccer Championships and the East Coast Surfing Championships bring in millions of dollars in overnight visitor spending.

George Alcaraz, a city planning commissioner and ECSC general manager, took some of the BMX riders under his wing after they had to abandon Thrashmore. While he wants to help them find a place to ride, he also believes Virginia Beach could be on the action sports map for national-level competitions, similar to the Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track in South Carolina.

“Action sports is the ticket,” Alcaraz said.

Councilman Linwood Branch has been with Berlucchi at the discussion table. He’s the liaison for a city open space committee and wants to re-establish the city’s land acquisition program for turning land into parks.

“This action sports — BMX is part of it — is a whole new world for us to explore,” Branch said.

No sites for BMX trails or a race track have been formally proposed. And while going big with BMX could be a windfall for the city, it’s years down the road. What can be done in a shorter amount of time remains to be seen.

Conner Mackay rode at Thrashmore and is among the core group talking with the city about the future of BMX.

“What we want is more recreational,” Mackay said.

A smaller practice track could be built in an existing city park, and several ideas have been tossed around, Kirschman said.

But it could take some time. The riders need to organize, form a nonprofit and carry liability insurance, Kirschman said.

A different kind of bike group is doing just that locally.

At Marshview Park off Norfolk Avenue, Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association is building new trails that will open in April. The nonprofit organization already maintains trail systems in several cities.

Alcaraz said a plan is in the works to create a BMX nonprofit. That will be important if the city builds a bigger BMX park and the riders want to share their input.

“They need fundraising and a campaign for awareness so that the city might even include them in the design,” Alcaraz said.

Kirschman understands the passion behind it. The city has built several extensive skateboard parks over the past 20 years.

“The desire and will is there to do something,” Kirschman said.

Thrashmore was born and maintained out of that desire.

Colin Clifton and friends kept the jumps groomed and the litter cleaned up.

When the City Council on Tuesday denied the car dealership where Thrashmore was built, it added another layer to the conversation.

Many neighbors who spoke at the meeting were against the noise and lights that could come from a car business on Sentara Way. They’ve already experienced problems with another dealership on the adjacent property.

Residents also want to preserve the last remaining woods in Windsor Woods, according to the Princess Anne Civic League and an online petition.

Runnymede Corp. has owned the 3-acre commercially zoned, undeveloped land for 25 years. It was under contract for more than $2 million and may be on the market again soon, Runnymede president Matt Fine said.

“We’d be willing to sell it to the city, if that’s a negotiation the city wants to get into,” Fine said. “It’s a beautiful woodsy spot.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com