The Finale – Fall Trail Kids 2024

The Finale - Fall Trail Kids 2024

You know the saying, "save the best for last?" Well, this year, Fall Trail Kids, Bentonville, and even the weather all teamed up to do just that—except for the one day we had a massive fire upwind of Slaughter Pen, which forced us to call a rain day. But aside from the fire, we wrapped up Trail Kids with a bang!

The week kicked off with the kids watching, and eventually joining, the Team USA Parade through downtown Bentonville. It was a truly special experience to see some of the most successful riders in the country all in one place. The Trail Kids made the trek from the Bike School trailer to Main Street, where they cheered for the Olympians as they passed by, and then got to follow the parade from Compton Gardens all the way to the Ledger downtown.

To keep the celebration going, many of the Trail Kids stopped by Spark for some fantastic ice cream before hitting the trails again, riding back to the trailer while soaking in the crisp fall air and the beauty of the turning leaves.

On the following Wednesday, everyone arrived with high spirits and more creative costumes than I’ve ever seen! Unfortunately, the large local fire got in the way of our plans, forcing us to reschedule the final session to the next Wednesday.

When that day finally arrived, everything lined up perfectly. We closed out Fall Trail Kids on a picture-perfect fall afternoon. As the kids rolled into the field dressed in costumes to celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday, the coaches prepped for the final rides of the season and got ready to present each Trail Kid with their certificate of completion.

It was hard to keep up with all the groups as they headed into Slaughter Pen, but I managed to catch several groups pushing their limits on Bush Push, showing off their new skills at the Skills Park, and feeling the rush of speed on All American and the Six Pack Jumps.

Back at the field, parents, coaches, and Trail Kids came together for the certificate ceremony. During this special moment, each coach had the chance to highlight what their group of students learned, improved on, and how much they grew over the season. While the ceremony is always a meaningful time, something about this fall season felt extra special. The Trail Kids, along with their coaches, really came together to showcase just how much they’ve learned and progressed.

It has been a true pleasure watching the Trail Kids’ exponential growth this fall. Sharing the photos I captured along the way through this blog has been especially rewarding, and I hope the Trail Kids' parents enjoyed the journey as much as I did.

Until next season, Happy Trails!

Sebastian Wallach
BSB Media