By CYNTHIA WOOLBRIGHT
Staff intern
If you’ve ever watched the X Games, the sports world’s “wild child” Olympics, you’ll hear names like those of inline skater Fabiola de Silva, BMX rider Corey Nastazio, and skateboarder Tony Hawk. Don’t be surprised if while channel surfing some time soon you catch, “And Jordan Hacker from Oak Harbor, Washington, is about to take to the track and he’s poised to take X Games BMX gold.”
At 13, and having only been in the sport of BMX racing for about a year, Jordan has already proven he can ride with the big boys. He competes in the 12-13 Novice class, and as of Tuesday afternoon was one point away from moving up to the 13 intermediate class.
Most recently he competed Aug. 9-11 at McCollum Park BMX Track in Everett. A single point race Friday, double point race Saturday and a double point state qualifying race Sunday were all on the line. At the state qualifying races Sunday there were 350 riders separated by age and experience into 62 different classes. By the end of the weekend Jordan walked away with three first-place trophies and a state berth.
The Washington State BMX Championships will be held at the McCollum Park BMX track in Everett Sept. 20-22. This is a track choice Jordan likes. After all, it’s one of his practice tracks.
While his son was whizzing around the Bakerview Park Track in Mount Vernon Tuesday evening, Ron Hacker said of Jordan’s practice schedule, “We’ve been going to McCollum a lot so he can really get some practice there before state competition. It’s a much bigger track than Bakerview, so it takes some adjusting in how you pedal.”
Going into state Jordan is unranked, as he only raced in two qualifying races when the state requires three. Being a possible underdog doesn’t faze him, as he is “aiming to be in the top three” in his class. At state, racers can register up to 30 minutes before race time, so wild cards as well as the top dogs will be on his tail as he rounds the corners at McCollum. You can bet when the starting gate falls he’ll be racing through his typical train of thought.
“Planning not to crash is the main thing, and that I have to get inside the next corner,” he said.
Riding four or five days a week, he practices and races just as one of the stickers on his helmet reads: “Ride Hard or Go Home.”
Jordan learned how to ride a bike at the age of 3 and since then he’s always had the love for riding with him. He’s just recently pursuing the need for racing speed.
“We took his training wheels off and away he went,” said Jordan’s dad Ron.
He’s looking forward to moving up to the intermediate level, he said, because it means “faster, tougher competition.” The Oak Harbor Middle School seventh-grader often practices against older and even adult riders.
“I’ve always liked riding bikes and jumping, so BMX is an adrenaline rush, having to race and go fast,” Jordan said.
His hard work and hard riding has already paid off, as Bike Works out of Lake Stevens signed Hacker Aug. 18 to be on their BMX team and be sponsored by the shop. Sponsorship by a bike shop or product line is what many young riders hope they can get along the way so they can offset costs involved in BMX racing, which can include bikes, racing accessories and safety equipment, entry and practice fees, as well as travel costs.
Jordan’s racing number changes all the time, as they are assigned by how they are ranked in points by American Bicycle Association (ASA) BMX. The lower the number, the higher the ranking — Jordan’s number keeps dropping race by race.
So as far as names in BMX go, “vert” god Dave Mirra is the one who Jordan looks to for inspiration and admiration. In the mean time, he’ll keep riding, onto state competition and into old age.
“They’ve got fifty-year-old age brackets after all,” he said.
