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Bike Rider From Lutz Enjoys Chinese Culture, History

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Northwest News & Tribune

Published: May 27, 2008

BMX racer Tyler Heinrichs of Lutz competes in Olympic qualifiers in China this week as one of 60 representing the United States at the 2008 BMX World Championships.

Follow the 12 year old as he reports back with words and pictures from the adventure of a lifetime.

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Day Seven, June 1--Conclusion To A Fascinating Journey

Well this is it folks....

The last entry from a trip that described how the East meets West in the world of BMX.

This entire trip was fascinating. From the food to the people we were all amazed at the differences in culture and history. I had the opportunity to meet and make new friends and bring home experiences of a far off world. We all had the same interest in the world of BMX even if we lived on the other side of the globe from one another. Almost every single person we met was very nice to us. I know that we were sort of a spectacle at times but in a nice way. People could not do enough for us, from jumping up off their chairs to press an elevator button to finding out what we meant when we asked for Soy sauce.

As we approached our last day many of the hotel employees and the … volunteers from the University were very interested in what we thought of their country. No one took advantage of us and to the contrary many times we were afforded better than normal service. Tips were unheard of and we were told that it was a privilege to serve us. Our money went a long way there.

I never thought just short of two years ago that I would represent my country on the other side of the world, racing a BMX bike. Without the support from my friends, family and sponsor this could not have happened for me. It was an experience that I needed to see where I fit in the racing world. I see that I am a world-caliber racer and have the skills … to compete on this level. I will continue to train and race regionally and nationally for the rest of this year in preparation for next year's World Championship in Adelaide, Australia. I know I will be able to finish in the top 5 by that time, but only with your support.

Thank you again for all you have done,

Peace Out....

Day Six, May 31-The Great Wall

Today we left the hotel in Taiyuan early in the morning to go to the Great Wall.

We flew Air China to Beijing and picked up a tour bus there, as we had a 12-hour layover. No problems with the luggage since they had a place to store everything. While we were waiting for everyone to get ready we found a McDonalds just around the corner in the airport. Since they do not speak English they had picture menus so we could order. I was so happy to get American food. It didn't taste quite the same but it was close. We all got on the bus and started our 2-hour trip to the countryside.

Beijing is much different than Taiyuan. It is a really big city and the air was so clear. We were told that they had started to shut down the factories already in preparation for the Olympics and to clear the air. Along the road we saw farm after farm with housing settlements in each. No rice patties as I would have thought. I guess we were in a different area of the country.

I saw really poor parts of the country on this trip. Not as many cars - just bicycles and mopeds (electric). I did check out the price of gas at government run gas stations (they all are) and it was just a few cents cheaper than ours. But, I guess we need to take into consideration that most of these people make about $100 U.S. per month, so very few people can afford gas.

As I may have said before, you are either rich or poor here, not much of a middle class. It did surprise me that we saw very little of the military but we were told they are everywhere. I think I did see one guy at a restaurant sneaking around and listening to us talk. In fact, when my dad was talking about leaving his meal ticket at the hotel the guy knew what he was talking about because in broken English the waiter knew what was up after speaking to that guy.

Another thing we saw frequently was people going to bathroom whenever and wherever they had to. That's right; if they had to go they just did it wherever they were. I saw a woman well dressed coming out from behind a bush pulling here pants up and another guy on the side of the highway just doing his thing in plain view. It's pretty gross, not to mention it seems every man smokes and spits all the time.

We arrived at the Great Wall and it was awesome. We seemed to be the only Westerners there but we were not as much a spectacle as in Taiyuan. Everything was straight up and it was raining when we first got there. Only an hour to kill as we had to head out to lunch and then back to the airport. I was in awe at the size of this thing. For thousands of miles there was wall. Man, the guy who built this thing had some sort of complex.

We stopped for lunch in the middle of a jade factory. I guess this place has nothing on Disney but they think the same. We had to walk through room after room of hand-made jade stuff to get to the restaurant and the stuff they could carve was awesome. [It was] expensive, as it was a giant factory made just for tourists. The food was good, but the same, and now that I had the taste of a chicken nugget I wanted no part of Chinese food anymore. Take me home!

Tomorrow's entry will be the last one from the Far East as we head home. It will be a long day as we have about 27 hours of traveling. Wish me luck!

Day Five, May 30 - A Visit To An Ancient City

Today we decided to take a look at the rest of China, at least in this area of the country.

Taiyuan, where we are staying, is the third largest city in the country. [There are] well over 6 million people in the area and, by the number of bicycles and people, that number seems small. We wanted to see some history so eleven of us rented a tour van with a driver and went to the Ancient City of Pingau.

We drove out of Taiyuan at about 10 a.m. and the drive took us about two hours. During the drive we expected to see vast areas of farmland but were surprised to see large factories with billowing smoke about every three miles or so. The air again was thick with pollution. Everything here has a layer of dust on it all of the time. It is probably soot from the coal but as I mentioned a couple of days ago it smells like fire all of the time. Driving is always an experience and this trip was no different. In and out of traffic all of the time but part of the trip was on a highway and there were very few cars, only semi trucks that all looked in disrepair. Now don't get me wrong, the driving here is crazy but everyone is so very hospitable. It is kind of like mass confusion with an element of respect thrown in for good measure.

When we were about five miles from the Ancient City there were only farms with brick housing units in the center of each. No more factories, so no more smoke. Once we saw the city we were amazed. The structure itself currently houses over 50,000 residents and is still a national treasure. Almost all of the wall still stands protecting it (26 miles in circumference) and the important historical buildings are all intact. This was outrageously cool. The city dates back to 240 B.C.This place was very cool, from the buildings to the artifacts, it was everything that I have read and learned about. The people there, those that lived there and those that were visiting, were amazed to see foreigners. We really stick out. Everyone seemed to want a picture with me. Not many people from our side of the world ever get here, especially ones that are my age.

I could go on for hours about what I have seen but to keep this brief I will say this is an awesome experience. I am having so much fun and learning a lot about this culture. Everyone from the hotel staff to strangers on the street are amazed to see me as they really stare at me, but I understand. Many of the locals try to communicate and show off their ability to say hello and welcome to Taiyuan. I have had people yell out their car windows saying welcome. I am glad I came here, not only to represent my country and place 12th in the world, but to learn about people from around the other side of the world.

Tomorrow I am heading to the venue one last time to watch the cruiser class (which I will also race next year) before we head to some sort of temple where Monks live. My mom is driving everyone crazy to go there so we will do that in the afternoon. Until then, see you soon!

Day Four, May 29 - A Walk Around Town

Today was a perfect day, almost no smoke in the air!

I went with my family and friends to a park where we rode some go carts and checked out the place. We walked about two miles through the streets of Taiyuan and there was store after store with almost the same things we can buy back home.

The two things that were way different were how many people there were walking and riding bicycles in addition to the weird food everywhere. I have been to big cities in the United States and have never seen this many people. It seems like there are always thousands and thousands of Chinese riding bicycles weaving in and out of cars. Everyone honks their horns all the time and no one stops for no one. It's like a big city game of chicken! Most of the cars are small but new and different versions of cars in the States. There are some really expensive cars here too. I have seen everything from a Maybach to a Rolls Royce here at my hotel. Every day there are a dozen or so of these vehicles at my hotel.

So, as for the food... I know people eat things differently around the world but this place has some really interesting stuff. There was a restaurant that we thought on the outside was a KFC, but a Chinese version called Mr. Lee's. Man, were we wrong. One of the items on the menu was "Cold CAT Salad"! Yikes! We left that place as fast as we went in.

I saw two different people selling baby birds. One guy had a string tied around a tiny bird's leg and it was hopping around as he sat there waiting to sell it. Another old man had three or four baby birds in a basket on his bike with a sign in it. We all hoped they weren't going to be eaten, but that could have been the case. Some vendors had snake, while others were making what looked like crepes with who knows what inside. I don't need to tell you that I have not eaten much here. I hate vegetables, despise fruits and live on pasta, meat, chicken and potatoes. Oh yeah, I love rice. So today's food was scarce while we walked around for me but I had plenty when I got back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we [are] going to the oldest walled city in this province, in addition to other places. We rented a minibus and driver for the whole day and it cost us less than a hundred bucks! And. it fits 12 people so we are taking some friends.

All in all this has been an awesome experience. I have seen and hung out with old friends and made some new ones. It's a custom at the BMX World Championships to trade your country's jersey with a rider in your race. I now have one from Australia and a new friend, too. Well, I'd love to share more with you but it's time for me to meet my friends and hang out. My mom and sister are going to get massages and my dad and grandpap are going to go out and sip a glass of whatever it is they drink while watching the world walk by. I'll let you know how our crazy trip tomorrow goes...

Day Three, May 28 - The Races

Like most other mornings here I was up pretty early because of the time change. 5:30 in the morning to be exact! On race mornings I really don't have much of an appetite so I downed a coke and a couple of power bars. When I looked out the window the smog was thick and the wind looked pretty strong. There was no turning back now...

When I went outside at 7 to meet the rest of Team USA for the trip to the venue the team coach was handing out masks for us to wear. It smelled like the city was on fire there was so much pollution. I have more than my share of breathing problems but this was just too much. As we approached the track the air seemed to be clearing somewhat but we were all going to wear our masks during the 2 hour warm-up session. The wind seemed to shift and much of the smoke cleared by race time at 11. I had a class of 17 riders so three motos and a semi were in order before I could make the main.

This track as I may have mentioned is really very technical. By that I mean that the difficulty level is world class and not just anyone can perform the needed skills to stay fast.

I was in [my first] … moto with five other riders - two from Australia, one from New Zealand, one from Russia and one from Japan. The gate dropped and we were in the mix of things. We all knew only the top four from these three motos would transfer to the semi, so we were all going for broke. Down the first straight we started to thin out and I was in fourth going into Turn 1. Over the step-ups and through the rhythm section things stayed the same with everyone taking the track cautiously. The third straight was a killer, sort of a do or die step-down after a double jump right out of Turn 2. One small mistake on that part and you were one with the dirt. I held my own throughout and maintained fourth to the line.

The second moto I had a bad gate, putting me in fifth through the first straight into the turn. I had to turn it on here or a fifth or sixth finish could spell doom. Going into the third turn I had to make a move down low to get back in front of the rider in fourth. He never saw me coming so I was able to sweep by and take his position to gain fourth place. Unfortunately for me there was not enough track left to take third, but another fourth place finish would work.

[For] Moto three I was in Gate 5 right in the middle of the pack. My gate was strong but so was the rest of the moto. We all hit the first jump together and the six of us sailed through the air in unison. Into the first turn we were three wide and battling for position. I came out of it in second and started to pour it on. Through the rest of the track there was no catching me so I was able to finish 4-4-2 in the motos, transferring me to the semi and eliminating five riders.

The semi came around quick with no break. I was in Gate 8, not one of my favorites. When the gate dropped my snap was good and I was out in fourth. Through the first and second straight I had no position to move up and I needed to position myself for the second turn. As we cleared the step-up and dropped into Turn 3, I swept low, taking two positions, putting me in second. Out of Turn 2 I was blazing fast but I was approaching the killer double drop way too fast. As I cleared the second jump [I] had to pull up and at that time I looped out, flipping my bike and sending me crashing to the earth. This jump took out no less than 10 riders today and I also fell victim to it.

Yes I was bummed big time. My first World race and I wreck, causing me to miss the main. But in the big scheme of things I finished 12th overall out of 17 riders. Not bad for only being in the sport for 16 months. So, the pressure is now off and I move on. I feel good and now know that I am a world-class racer. The butterflies of not knowing where I stand are gone and I will continue to improve my techniques.

Day Two, May 27- Practice Day

Today was almost perfect weather wise.

Very little smoke in the air and we could actually see blue sky most of the day. The wind was blowing in the right direction so breathing for the athletes was much improved over yesterday. At times we really thought we were going to have to find masks as it was terrible.

The air pollution here is really bad. I was told that the country was going to start shutting down major coal using factories before the Olympics to help clean the air and this could be a sign of good things to come. With my race tomorrow I can only hope for the best.

On the track today with me was Australia and New Zealand. I was in the fourth round of practice, which gave me two hours to get used to the track. It is pretty technical but I think I have it dialed in. Some of the jumps have some major lips, so if I jump short I'll get catapulted into the next jump or if I jump it long, it's curtains for me. I must tell you though that the track is really awesome. The Chinese have put together a venue like I have never seen. Plenty of spectator areas with media cameras everywhere to televise on CCTV the event live. So far I have not heard if the race tomorrow will be on the Web since the government controls all TV, so you may be out of luck.

Tonight I prepared by loading up on carbs so my endurance tomorrow is where it needs to be.

In my class I will be racing: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Zimbabwe and South Africa. From what I have seen at practice I should do well. I have a class of 17 world-class experts which will require me to run three motos. From that group they will transfer the top four from each into a semi. In the semis the top four from each will transfer to the World Championship race, making a full gate of eight riders. I am as ready as I will ever be...

Day 1, Monday, May 26

We are finally on the other side of the world. That was the longest plane trip I have ever taken in my life!
We left Tampa Saturday afternoon and we did not check into my hotel until Monday. The time change and losing a day because we crossed the International Date Line killed us.

I am traveling with my mom, dad, sister Allie, grandfather and my aunt. All of our planes were on time through Phoenix and Los Angeles. We got on an Air China plane in L.A. for the long trip of 12 hours.

The flight attendants spoke hardly any English and it was difficult to talk to them at all. I just wanted some ice for a coke and it became a major catastrophe for them. It was the last time I asked a question.

The first meal was some weird type of chicken in a sauce that tasted like dirt with white rice. I didn't eat anything but we brought a bunch of food in our carry-on. I slept for a little while but it was really uncomfortable so I listened to my iPod and kept busy by talking to anyone that was awake at the time. The next meal was wrapped like a burger. Wow, I thought, finally something I can eat. When I opened the foil wrapper it was some sort of roll with what looked like bacon in it. That tasted really wrong so no food for me again. My dad ate his and mine! Later we found out that it was donkey meat in a rice cake! Ha! I'm glad I didn't eat it!

We finally landed in Beijing for one more transfer to a flight to Taiyuan, China. That airport is huge! It was really nice with a lot of glass and tons of polished marble floors and looked like it could handle a million people.

There were more people working there than people traveling. The place was deserted. We had to pick up our bags, go through customs and transfer to the next flight.

Our tickets were messed up and we almost missed our flight. We arrived in Taiyuan an hour later and man, were we happy to get on the ground.

Everything seemed to be going along smoothly until the worst thing happened. My bike did not show up! That's right; they lost my bike and three others from other Team USA riders. After an hour of my dad working with officials we had to leave and with no bike. Later that day my dad went back to the airport and the bike showed up on the next flight. Man was I relieved!

We checked into the Shanxi Yingze hotel in Taiyuan. This place is really nice. I heard it was the nicest hotel in the province and Team USA is being hosted here with France and Italy.

Time to get my bike ready for the first practice. I hope the smoke clears, it is really smoky outside.

Tyler Heinrichs

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