After spending his 20s travelling across North America to compete and perform on a BMX bike, Eric Favot returned to his Amherstburg roots this weekend — performing backflips in front of his two-and-a-half-year-old daughters. It was a full-circle moment for Favot as the inaugural Cycle the Burg brought three days of stunt shows, group rides and cycling-focused vendors to Amherstburg’s Open Air Weekends. “I just turned 40 this week, and to be able to show my girls what their dad used to do was the most special thing,” Favot said, becoming emotional as he reflected on the weekend. A lifelong BMX rider, Favot moved to Toronto in his 20s and performed stunt shows across the continent. After returning to Windsor-Essex, he became involved with the Windsor Essex Bike Community (WEBC) and developed a new passion for mountain biking. “Moving back to Windsor in my 30s, meeting a community of like-minded individuals has been absolutely amazing,” he said. Cycle the Burg began Friday with a Krusher BMX Stunt Show, cycling vendors and live music. Three more BMX shows followed Saturday before the festival shifted gears Sunday with organized road, gravel and mountain bike rides. WEBC president James Braakman estimated between 50 and 80 cyclists participated in Sunday’s rides despite an uncertain weather forecast. “People still braved the forecast and came out,” he said. “The attendance throughout the weekend has been amazing for Cycle the Burg in its first year.” Braakman described the event as a pilot festival and said the early response has organizers already considering how it could expand. “The BMX show with Krusher BMX down here was an absolutely huge hit,” he said. “I think it was probably the busiest Friday night at Open Air in Amherstburg all summer long.” The festival was created to celebrate the region’s cycling community while positioning Amherstburg as a destination for riders of varying ages, interests and abilities. Braakman said the town has embraced cycling through bike lanes, access to county roads and the development of mountain bike trails at the Libro Centre. “I think Amherstburg is a hidden gem in all aspects,” he said. “It’s an amazing town, and they’ve really embraced cycling and recreation.” WEBC has built approximately eight kilometres of mountain bike trails at the Libro Centre through fundraising, donations and thousands of volunteer hours. A new skills park is also planned for the trail system. Favot said that work made Amherstburg a natural location for the festival. “You can go on Google Maps and do an aerial view and see the hard work that has been built,” he said. “They’ve privately funded these trails using public donations and different fundraisers. We’ve done it all ourselves, and that’s something to be very proud of.” Now involved with WEBC’s youth programming, Favot hopes the festival will encourage more children to trade time on their screens for time on two wheels. “All I want to do is share my passion with the younger generation,” he said. “I want to get them off iPads, get them out of video games and get them outside in nature.”
