A crowd of off-road biking young people of all ages celebrated their love of dirt track skills at a Tavistock Trails Jam special event.

More than 100 young people had an exciting day on the BMX Dirt Jumps on Plymouth Road known as Tavi Trails for competitions testing their dazzling tricks, music, food and sunshine.

The community event which is hosted by Tavistock Youth Cafe (TYC) was a great success. Young people of all ages, from toddlers on balance bikes to under-16s on BMX and mountain bikes and older competitors all took part. The jam kicked off a summer programme of affordable events, activities and trips for young people organised by TYC.

TYC manager Vicki Lloyd-Walsh said: “Our commentator and competition coordinator Andy Boyle was on hand to get the riders fired up for competitions such as best balance bike, pump track challenge, girls competition, best trick, high jump and long jump. We had loads of prizes donated this year from Green Machine, Rockin’ Bikes, Certini and Cosmic Skate Wax, so lots of riders went home feeling satisfied.

“As well as everyone who helps to make this day a success, TYC would also like to thank the town council for their contribution to keep the grass cut all year round, not the easiest of places to strim.”

Live music added to the day and the atmosphere with the DJs including Anya May and friends, and one of the TYC attendees Tobias Coates ‘Snazzy T’ who learned to DJ at the cafe music project ‘Zephyr’. The TYC team manned the sound system and the BBQ, while young people voluntarily manned the entrance all day.

Information about Tavistock Youth Cafe was available along with a stand from the Tavi Skate group which is working towards a replacement wheeled sports facility in the town and Cosmic Skate Wax, giving people the opportunity to learn about the group’s vision for a safer, more challenging skate park for all ages and abilities.

The Tavi Trails are a facility owned by TYC and open to the public for free all year around. TYC hold this event once a year to give the biking community and their families a great day out and the chance for riders to show off their tricks and skills, not for the faint-hearted.

Vicki said: “The Tavistock Trails Jam also helps raise money towards the insurance costs which Tavistock Youth Cafe pays yearly along with costs of maintenance tools, dirt and this year a new gate to add to the list. The trails are a fantastic facility in Tavistock with nothing else like them anywhere near us, and we have to respect them and look after them. We are extremely lucky that we have a small crew of riders who make up our dig team, maintaining the trails during the year, they volunteer hours of work and the trails would not be able to run smoothly without their hard work.”

Tavistock Youth Cafe is a charity organisation and anyone wanting to donate to its activities can email: [email protected]