Berthiaume, 25, will make the 5-hour trek from his hometown of St. Paul, Minn., to the Aberdeen track this weekend in hopes of scoring the $5,000 payout in the men's pro race on Saturday. This will be Berthiaume's fourth trip to the Hub City for the event.
Berthiaume, who won the event two years ago and finished second last year, said the event is becoming more and more attractive to professional BMX riders as the prize purse gets bigger.
"At an elite race, the winner usually gets $3,000 each day if you win," he said. "You're winning five grand at this pro-am, one-day thing. It's definitely gotten the attention of the elite racers, because you never see that. Definitely good for the sport."
Payout for this weekend's event will total $20,000.
Berthiaume got his start in BMX riding at the age of 10 when he stopped at a local bike shop to buy a bike and saw a poster on the wall. He turned beginner pro at the age of 17 and now rides in the Elite AA class, the highest on the professional BMX circuit.
With his pro status, Berthiaume will travel the country to participate in the national series events and has raced as far away as California with the closest race still a six-hour drive from St. Paul.
"I have a little Scion xB," he said. "I can pack my bike in it, a little cooler and all my gear. I get 30 miles to the gallon and have just enough room for all my stuff and one person to come with me."
Because the BMX series spans nearly ten months of the year, he still rides in the winter months on his boyhood track, which is the lone indoor facility in the metro-region. In addition to the racing series, he also teaches at
clinics and helps train younger riders.
Berthiaume said he enjoys coming to the Aberdeen track because it presents a challenge to every participant. At 1,400 feet, the track is amongst the longer tracks in the sport and features several corners and straightaways.
"It uses everyone's skills differently on it," he said. "It's always been pretty technical. You have to be really skilled on your bike."
Berthiaune enjoys the diversity of people he meets on the racing circuit and at stand-alone events such as the one this weekend.
"It's fun to see the different riding styles," he said. "You get all the different groups of people together and it's almost like on big BMX family. I find it a lot different that a lot of the team sports. It's a more family-friendly sport."
However, once on the track, look for him to want to lead the pack.
"I absolutely go out for the win," he said. "I hate being behind people. A lot of times what happens . . . you'll get into second place and you'll get slowed down just a little bit, third place will make a move on you, then fourth and fifth place will try to make a move on you. You definitely want to try to be in the front of that pack every race."
Big BMX weekend
What: Three days of bicycle motocross racing at the Aberdeen Exchange Club track located behind the Boys and Girls Club.
Today: Races expected to start between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Races expected to start between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Saturday night: Pro races expected to start about 6 p.m. with a $20,000 purse. Men's champ will earn $5,000 and women's $1,500.
Sunday: State BMX championships, races expected to start between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Follow @J_Scoby on Twitter.