Sportwheels BMX Freestyle Team at Museum of Industry

Sportwheels BMX Freestyle Team will headline the Family Fun Day on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton.

The team -- seven high-flying acrobatic riders with a ramp more than seven metres long -- will put on two performances, at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and speak with team members after the performances, which are sponsored by the Museum of Industry Quilters.

BMX freestyle sport began in California in the early 1970s when a group of kids on modified 20-inch bicycles went to a vacant lot and created a new sport. The sport -- created by kids for kids -- caught on instantly. Imitation lead to innovation and quickly the riders were performing tricks in mid-air.

The popular sport soon reached Nova Scotia and in 1983 Sackville Sportwheels Freestyle Club Team was established. Today, the club boasts more than 100 active members ranging in age from 16 to 32. Some members, known as the elite team, perform at public events throughout the Maritimes.

The team will wow spectators in the Museum of Industry's foyer as they perform with split-second precession.

During Family Fun Day, which runs between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., visitors can also enjoy the interactive exhibit Bikes: The Wheel Story -- a fascinating look at the world's most amazing machine. There are opportunities to test ride a recumbent cycle, ten speed or child-sized high wheeler. Children can ride a tricycle through an obstacle course, listen to a story, create a bicycle craft, or have their faces painted. Both adults and children can also learn the rules of the road with instruction on bicycle safety from the Stellarton Police Department.

The Museum of Industry is located at 147 North Foord St., Stellarton. Admission is charged. For more information, call 902- 755-5425.