Thank you for taking the time to read about our plight. Our spot is called Hidden Valley and is located in Huntington Beach, CA. You may have seen it in hundreds of BMX and MTB photos over the past 12 years. Hidden Valley consists of 2 downhill dirt jump lines in a wildlife type area or what can be considered one in the middle of a sprawling beach town. Our problems seem to stem from the homeless people who live in the bush and the local kids who come here to drink and party in the area surrounding our trails. and the fact that the authorities do very little to keep the homeless from setting up camp. We do our best to police the area as much as possible without getting into altercations with the bums and punks. And since we leave at sundown, when all the trouble starts, we\'re not around to defend our reputation... so we get lumped in with the trash. We are always afraid to call the police even though I\'m a former police officer because we don\'t want to draw unwanted attention. The last time a cop came down, one of the young officers said, we need to tear these things down but he was there to arrest a homeless guy on a warrant and stayed to watch us ride for a couple of minutes. Two times a year the city comes down and cleans out the trash but other than that there\'s never a patrol to keep the bums and underage drinkers under control and they know it. lately there have been people who drive here from other areas just to hang out with the homeless and drink underage with no consequince. The riders who use this area range from the ages of 15 to 40+ and come from literally around the world to ride our labor of love. No one pays us to build and maintain not only the jumps but the overgrowth of bushes that takes over the walking path every year and the trash in our area is cleaned regularly. We also keep order and call the authorities if needed. Our trails provide the local youth as well as the visiting riders with a sense of duty and pride. They learn to be responsible for themselves and others in our close knit environment. They learn to have a good work ethic... No DIg, No Ride. Many times parents, friends and family come to watch their sons and daughters progress into better riders and cheer them on... for someday this kid on a bike on some piles of dirt may become the next Dave Mirra or win the X Games 45 that employees thousands of taxpayers which in turn sparks the industry and consumers throughout the world. They are not just trying to knockdown some jumps, they are literally tearing away at the fabric that built the action sports market. California is the Epicenter for action sports and Hidden Valley has shot more than a few riders into fame and in some cases fortune or at least a career in the thriving action sports industry. Its been proven many times before, he\'s not just a kid on a stingray... he\'s the future. His bike riding may pay yours bills one day. We need your support to save our local spot and help set a precedent for the future of our sports and industries. And seeing as most skateparks don\'t allow bikes, where do the next BMXer\'s and MTBer\'s go We have been told by city workers our spot is scheduled to be plowed in the beginning of the year. The foreman told us it was because of the complaints of noise of people partying. I am here to start a petition to try to gain some support and any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So, sign and ride on. carter holland a rider

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