Shutting Down

    I remember my very first time at Chenga57. I placed an order at DansComp the night before, an S&M logo seat, red Primo supertenderizers, red Primo logo grips, S&M welder T, Primo elephant T, and a Kink freebird T were in that order. Just enough to get me that free shipping and sweet lightning bolt danscomp T. The very next day my order arrived as I got off the school bus, that was less than 20 hours! I hurried to toss my new parts on my Stricker frame before my friends mom showed up to drive us out to Chenga57.
   It seemed like it took an hour to get there, thats because I lived pretty much exactly an hour away. Turned my waiver in and gazed around the park. I had an idea of the stuff i wanted to try because I took the 360 degree virtual tour online the night before, little did I know that tour didn't do justice to what I was looking at. It was my first experience with real ramps, so i was a little timid with the quarters and vert wall, but when it came to the box jump I thought I could shut the locals up with my x-ups and shitty turndowns. Then I saw the flying Dorito 3 whip that box and I knew it was time for me to try a different section
   To the lonely street section I went, the only place in the park that I felt like the locals weren't laughing at me and my limited bag of tricks. So I learned some wall rides for a bit and watched some dude in big camo cargo shorts sloppily jump the 6' coping spine mini. He gave me some spine pointers and told me I'm better off trying to jump the street spine first and I need more experience to be able to ride the 6'. I wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong right then and there, but he atleast showed me a little respect and to the street spine I went. I humped over that SOB with no problem. Did it a fews times and went back to the 6' mini to show that dude whats up. He was riding a different section so it was my perfect chance to do some disaster stalls over it to get used to the tranny. After a few attempts the dude was back. Showtime. I humped over that thing and sprocket cased pretty good. He gave me some pointers but I wasn't listening. I knew I needed more speed so I dropped in from the sub and nailed it. The dude gave me a hell yeah for the drop in and I thought I was a serious badass.
   We were there the entire session. I ended up jumping just about all the jumps that I thought were possible at the time and I slept good that night. I knew I would be spending a lot more at at Chenga57 in my near future. Throughout the next few years Chenga57 shaped how I ride, who I wanted to ride like, and most importantly gave me a good set of bmx morals to follow by. The last few sessions I crammed just about everything I ever wanted to do at the park. I learned fufanus on every sub, wall tapped and rode the office wall and every other wall, 360'd the 6' spine, barspun the box, and tried many new gaps that couldn't be found on the virtual tour online. I would give just about anything to ride Chenga57 one last time.
   Turns out, I'm actually sharing my experiences with the OG Chenga 1, and there is still time to shred the newer Chenga! I never knew 57 all that well. Sure I rode it, but i'm already a formed rider. To me its just another park that gave me many good times with friends. But to many of the new riders, I'm sure Chenga 57 is their Chenga 1. Chenga 57 surely shaped many of the new bmx shitheads out there, and hopefully they share many of the same experiences the OG riders had with Chenga 1. This is the last weekend to ride 57, and hopefully they/we ride it to the fullest!
-Daboza