INSIDE THIS EDITION… BEST MATES TO RALLY HARD, PAGE 8
7 - 20 AUGUST, 2026
BELLARINE’S NUMBER ONE NEWSPAPER
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Ocean Grove District Ride Centre is officially opened to the public at Kingston Park. (Ivan Kemp)
Cyclists jump to it By Justin Flynn Ocean Grove’s much anticipated ride centre was officially opened on Saturday 2 August after years of campaigning by the community’s youth. Located at Kingston Park in Ocean Grove the idea for the centre started in 2020 during the pandemic following the removal of makeshift jumps at Woodlands Reserve for safety reasons. It was agreed to fi nd an alternative location within Ocean Grove for a ride centre and Kingston Park was found to be the most suitable. Ocean Grove Bike Park committee member Ryan Dodson said the ride centre had been six years in the making. “It was actually really nice to be at the
opening and just overhear conversations from different locals and parents saying how amazing it is and how often they’re going to be there,” he said. “It is truly an amazing asset to the town. We couldn’t be more stoked with how it’s fi nished. We started petitioning to council (and at fi rst) all we really wanted was to leave the humps alone or give us a truckload of dirt and it’s just snowballed into what we’ve got now. “It’s one of the best, if not the best, bike parks in Australia.” The grand opening kicked off with a demonstration from pro riders and also featured musical performances and a barbecue. The $3.5 million centre includes tracks for all skill levels, a pump track, jumps and
a sheltered viewing area overlooking the course. “It really has been a whole community effort, with local schools, businesses, families, kids and council all playing a part in getting it to where it is today,” Ocean Grove Bike Park committee member Jo Mansell said. “Seeing the excitement around the opening and the park already full of people has been pretty amazing and it’s honestly exceeded anything we expected. “We’re so excited to fi nally see it being used the way we always hoped it would be. “We’d just encourage everyone to look after it and treat it with respect, so it stays a great place for the whole community to enjoy for years to come.” Mr Dodson said the current Ocean Grove
Bike Park committee wants to hand over the reins to those who will use the facility. “We feel a better committee could be formed by really enthusiastic, passionate riders in the area,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential for events and competitions at the site. There’s potential for coaching. There’s a whole lot of things that could happen at the site now, but we’re not the best committee to run that from this point forward. It’s better done by really enthusiastic riders rather than parents of kids.” Contact Ocean Grove Bike Park on Facebook for more information. See page 19 for more pictures from the
opening day.
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