Keiki Motocross
The kids and adults of Keiki Motocross have put a new spin on playing in the sandbox. On weekends, if you travel off the beaten path of Sand Island Access Road, across from Matson Navigation Co. With Diamond Head rising in the distance, you’ll see dirt billowing, as the buzz of motocross bikes whistles around the carved dirt track.
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The kids and adults of Keiki Motocross have put a new spin on playing in the sandbox.
On weekends, if you travel off the beaten path of Sand Island Access Road, across from Matson Navigation Co. With Diamond Head rising in the distance, you’ll see dirt billowing, as the buzz of motocross bikes whistles around the carved dirt track. Entering the gates, you’re in the home of Keiki Motocross, appropriately named The Sandbox.
Originating in Europe in the 1920s, motocross is now an international sensation for those excited by the thrill of weaving up and down steep hills and around tight turns. Motocross bikes are all-terrain vehicles with engines that vary from 50cc to more than 450 cc (cubic centimeters). A cc is the displacement of the motor size of the vehicle. As the cc increases, so will the power and speed of the motocross bike.
“Normally the kids who come out will be starting on bikes that are around 50 to 80 cc and gradually work their way up,” says Keiki Motocross executive director Wayne Rhoden.
If your child has an interest in the fun and fast activity of motocross, Keiki Motocross is an ideal place to get them started, where kids learn most importantly how to ride safely.
“Safety is one of the reasons we provide such a facility as the one here. We are able to provide a controlled environment,” adds Rhoden, who has been riding motocross since he was 4 years old. “We educate the parents and children on motor vehicle safety, which is our No. 1 priority.”
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As parents or guardians are providing vehicles for their kids, Rhoden and his team are thrilled to teach a new rider the fundamentals of the sport. Keiki Motocross was constructed and designed as a platform for kids to come out and improve their skills as young riders. For those interested, Rhoden suggests getting kids comfortable on their motorcycles before getting onto the mini-track.
“You could start them on the bike at a neighborhood park, or somewhere safe, to work on their balance. Once they get out here they are exposed to a whole different environment, which then takes them to the next learning level, which would include the humps and bumps of the course,” he says.
Motocross on a national stage has grown exponentially, something Rhoden compares to MMA. As a professional exhibit, motocross is featured nationwide, selling out stadiums in the same magnitude that many rock ‘n’ roll concerts would. As the sport of motocross develops to a competitive level, the emphasis of Keiki Motocross is on having fun and teaching kids responsibility for themselves and others.
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“Ultimately our goal is not to turn out professional riders. That would be a benefit if these kids could get their training here and then take it to the next level professionally, but where we really want to go with Keiki Motocross is to build responsible children,” says Rhoden. A prime example of the type of rider for whom Keiki Motocross is intended would certainly be 4-year-old Riley Gazelle. Riley, who has been riding motocross for less than a year, has adapted very quickly to the sport, spending hours each Saturday and Sunday becoming a better rider.
“He started on an electric bike and then we moved him to a 70cc he just loves it. It is easier for kids to ride here than at Kahuku Motocross Track, where the degree of riders is so different,” says Riley’s mother, Nora Gazelle.
Along with being more accommodating to youth and teenage riders, Keiki Motocross gives a majority of parents a more convenient location to bring their kids to ride each weekend, as the only other motocross track on Oahu is located at Kahuku. As any mother would, Nora has concerns about the safety of the sport, but also supports her son’s ambition to ride.
“Of course I get nervous, but it is almost worth the risk, because he is at such a young age and is really passionate about it,” she says. “We just teach him to be safe and ride safe.”
The Sandbox itself is owned by the state, as property of the Sand Island Off-Highway Vehicle Association. Keiki
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