Global FMX electrifies Magrath Days

By Cal Braid
Westwind Weekly News

Magrath was alive and well for a hot weekend of family fun.
Magrath Days 2022 featured food trucks, bouncy castles, a petting zoo, trade show, and live music on the stage. The stars of the show were the riders of Global FMX, a Canadian freestyle motocross outfit that trucked in a giant ramp and showcased three riders. The freestyle stunts were awe-inspiring for the hundreds who looked on from the football field. Global FMX performed three times on Saturday and gathered at a tent afterwards to sign autographs and meet the fans.
After a preliminary warmup, the riders began taking turns showing off their skills. The jump was set up with a small ramp as their launching point and a tall and wide one as their landing point. The distance between the two ramps was 70 feet, and the riders flew high and far while performing mid-air tricks that were dangerous but executed well. It was not for the faint of heart, but riders nailed their landings, and no one was hurt.
The days riders were Lance McMorran of Medicine Hat, Jordan Gledhill of Winnipeg, and Kruz Garwasiuk, an eight-year-old rider from Kelowna with a mini-ramp of his own.
Kris Garwasiuk was the live commentator on the PA system, and the father of young Kruz. He cheered his son on, shouting, “Oh, and a huge jump, upwards of 30 feet on the little Cobra 50cc machine.” In his hand, Garwasiuk had a literal bag of tricks that the adult riders drew from to determine their next stunt. He said the bag included every trick in the book, like the one-handed seat grab and the back flip.
“Racing is the best way to learn the fundamental keys to riding a motorcycle properly, so that maybe one day you can then bring it to the ramps like the big boys here,” he said. “These big guys had a long race career. Both were professional motocross racers that have branched into freestyle motocross, but it has to start somewhere. You have to learn how to ride a bike properly. With the proper coaching, Kruz is fast becoming a potential freestyle rider.”
“Just like the big guys, one of the biggest things that we want to instill in Kruz is consistency. You guys will notice that he’s perfectly flying that bike every jump and landing in the same spot every time. When you move to these big jumps you have to land in same spot every jump. Consistency is the biggest factor in freestyle motocross.”
After the show, McMorran and Gledhill pulled off their helmets, talking enthusiastically. They were pouring sweat from the heat and clearly jacked up on adrenaline. It was a fun performance for the riders and crowd alike.
According to their website, Global FMX boasts “an extensive resume that includes performances at the Vancouver PNE, Calgary Stampede, X-Games, Gravity Games, Alaska State Fair, World Expo (Shanghai), World FMX Tour (Mexico) and numerous other international and domestic events.”