This should be fun.   The Lower Similkameen Indian Band and the Penticton Indian Band were having a sort of sports day for youth down around the Ashnola, and we got invited to come down and do some skills sessions with them.

Around 50 kids showed up to learn some skills and try out the bikes that Freedom Bike Shop kindly set up for the day.

We could hardly have asked for a better day.  Linnette did an awesome job of setting up the clinic, and we ran 5 groups through the day.

I thought it was relly interesting in that I have run different groups of similar aged kids around here for ten years.  Usually with private schools with the kids that have every advantage and privilege available to them.  These kids are from a radically different background, and yet are barely distinguishable once you get them on the bike.  About the only real difference I could see is that the native kids seemed to be having more fun. Bikes really may be the great equalizer.

Oh, and as an added bonus Linnette and I both got an AWESOME hoodie as a thank you from the band.  Check this thing out…

Pretty sweet.  Almost as sweet as this road sign we passed on the way out.

On a distantly related note, we had a little going away party for Steven from the bike shop.  He’s off to the oil patch to seek his fortune.  Shaun was there and showed off his gash.

Lucky he didn’t lose anything important, like his femoral artery or his junk.