Chet Gilbertson

On May 18, 1980, the same day that Mt. St. Helens exploded back to life, Riverside Park BMX opened and Oregon fully entered into ABA BMX Racing. Chet Gilbertson was the track operator and developed a first class operation that
to this day is hard to match. Riverside had the area's first 8 rider gate, the first electronic release starting gate with drag strip style lights, the first downhill front straight, the first real set of challenging double jumps and the first two story tower since Fun Run. Riverside was also the first track in the Northwest to install real overhead lights and offer night racing.

Chet spent the big bucks to buy a complete concessions and sign up trailer and it definitely paid off as he ran the most successful concession stand seen before or since. Riverside was a family affair as Chet's wife ran sign ups and his kids and their friends ran staging, scoring, concessions and even found time to race. Riverside Park BMX hosted more big races than any other track in Oregon history. Every year the ABA came to town for the Lumberjack Nationals and there were always Gold Cup Qualifiers, double points, triple points and Pacific Northwest Championship races. In 1984, Chet opened East County Indoor in Boring just east of Gresham for the winter race series.

Chet was also the innovator as he is the one that developed the use of "Velcro" on pads. As a behind the scenes member of the Hanna Carwash operation in the 1970s and 1980s, he was very familiar with the use of Velcro in the Carwash industry.  He was tired of his kids always ripping their snap pads on their bikes when they got wet so he came up with the Velcro idea.

 Chet still works in the Carwash industry and lives in the Portland area with his wife.

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