The former high-flying international freestyle motocross star wants to pass on the tricks of his trade and also to pick out "some bright prospects that shine" - with a view to them joining his touring Moto Mayhem team.
"When starting these [camps] I really wanted to dig deep and help develop the sport of FMX (freestyle motocross).
He gave the example of Cromwell-based rider Callum Shaw, who was picked up by the Moto Mayhem team after Smith's representative spotted his ability on a freestyle course at Cromwell in 2010. Shaw travelled with them to India last year, where he displayed his skills at the Freestyle Extreme jump demonstration in Delhi in front of about 10,000 people.
Smith's South Island Moto Mayhem manager, Regan Healey, of Alexandra, has been working with local contractors to build a motocross track, mini supercross track, plus free-riding jumps and freestyle ramps in a valley on the outskirts of the town.
"We've been working around the clock to get the compound built and I couldn't have done it without Delta and Central Excavation supplying the machines," he said.
Healey added that it was a coup to have someone of Smith's calibre tutoring in the region, so riders with potential didn't have to travel to the North Island or the major cities to improve their skills.
"It's time to give the country kids the opportunity as well, because there's a lot of good riders out there that are going to waste."
Ten riders will participate each day in the two camps, learning motorbike set-up, technique training, how to hit ramps, control the bike in the air and perform different tricks.
Healey said signed-up riders were coming from all around the South Island, and ranged from a 7-year-old to riders in their mid-30s, and included two females.
Auckland-based Smith will assess and tutor the riders.
He has learnt the hard way what can happen when a rider comes crashing down, as it has been three years since he hit the deck while training, suffering a severe brain injury. He spent eight days in an induced coma and nearly five months in a brain injury hospital learning to walk again.
"The last three years have just been recuperating and trying everything to get better."
Smith has recently been back hitting ramps and loving the familiar sensations of pushing a motorbike to its aerial limits. He described his recovery as having come full circle.
"I'd like to show the kids that with hard work and dedication you can get anywhere."
And, indeed, Smith has been just about everywhere - touring the world for six to eight months annually with the Crusty Demons for five years from 2003.
He now works as a graphic designer in the motocross industry and his Moto Mayhem team has around 30 shows booked around New Zealand this year at events and concerts.
