The rain threatened, but it couldn’t stop the BMXers and skateboarders in Hinton on Saturday afternoon. 

The first Mad Props Festival, which ran from August 6 to 8, was well attended, even as thick clouds rolled over Hinton. Kids from all over Alberta came out to show off their skills at the skatepark, while taking in flatland BMX and skateboard clinics. 

Flatland BMX pro Chris Pergentile along with Adam Pergentile and Rebecca Pergentile taught young BMXers the basic skills of the difficult sport. The clinics were nearly full for the entire day. 

Chris said BMXers usually think the pegs on the side of their wheels are only for grinding, but in flatland BMX, riders use them to stand on for different tricks. 

“When they see us doing this stuff with the pegs it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s what those are for,’” he said.

Chris was impressed with how the kids picked up on the skills they were teaching. “They’re trying hard,” he said. Long after the clinics were over, groups of kids were hard at work trying to master their balance. Chris’ wife Jenifer Pergentile told the crowd the three flatland BMXers had been training for years to be able to perform the complicated tricks properly. Picking up the sport is difficult, and involves a lot of trial and error. 

“If you’re not falling you’re not trying hard enough,” Chris said. 

As the day progressed on Saturday, rain threatened to ruin the festivities. Jenifer said on Friday night they had a huge turnout for the youth appreciation barbecue put on by the Hinton SPCA, and live music. The Saturday crowd was thinner as the rain began to sprinkle down in the late afternoon, but the clinics still filled up. 

“Last night was phenomenal,” Jenifer said of Friday. “We’re pleased with the turnout.”

Not only were there crowds out to watch, the skatepark itself was filled with BMXers learning new skills and showing off. The crowd was a mix of teenagers, kids who were barely out of their training wheels and families. Jenifer was happy with the range in ages, especially the younger kids that attended. 

Chris said that flatland BMX is something new to Hinton, and is being very well received. He remembered the first time he saw flatland performed outside of a still photograph in a magazine. 

“The first time I saw flatland I was like, ‘Holy smokes,’” he said. 

Waiting excitedly with a group of friends for the third and final clinic of the day was 13-year-old Clark Jones of Hinton.

“It’s cool,” he said. Clark saw Chris perform at his school before the Mad Props Festival, and decided to come out and give it a try. 

“I’m gonna get hurt,” he predicted. 

Having just moved to Hinton along with Jenifer, Chris said he was surprised and impressed by the skatepark’s family scene.

“It’s better than we thought,” he said. “It’s a really community based scene.”

Chris added that it is common to see new riders alongside veterans at the park, as well as parents teaching their younger kids. “It’s really interesting.”