BMX Riding at its Finest

For a long time BMX as a sport has always dwelt around the margins of popular sporting culture. It has always had its following but was a sport for the purists, the fanatical and the often insane.

BMX riding hit a high in the late 80s when custom bikes and parts were widely available and the sport gained some notoriety among a growing following.

However, trend and popularity has a way of coming up and down like a half-pipe and in recent years BMX competitions and events have come back with a vengeance. With major BMX events taking place year round, which discipline will be your favourite?

Olympic BMX Riding

The most recent sport to be inducted into the most prestigious sporting event in the world, BMX riding has been included in the last 2 Olympic Games. Initially introduced in Beijing in 2008, the sport took an even more popular position in London 2012.

With such major coverage, this is a massive boon for patrons of the sport and a new sport of interest for the general public. Inclusion at these major events has undeniably played a part in the growing popularity of the sport.

BMX Supercross

Long before the Olympics brought BMX riding into the fold there was Supercross and the Supercross World Cup. Consisting of five events across several countries this is the pies de resistance of competitive BMX racing.

The 2013 World Cup roster will take in events from Manchester (England), Santiago (Argentina), Papendal (Netherlands) and Chula Vista (USA).

X Games

In a sport as versatile as BMX riding there are of course major events that work a little differently from simply being first across the line. While the thrill of a flat-out race can be exciting, the X Games can be spectacular.

Using BMX’s for stunts and extreme tricks can leave the audience in awe as freestyle BMX rider’s pull of a plethora of tricks, grinds and flips such as the Superman, the Nac-Nac and many more.

Championed by such riders as Matt Hoffman and Dave Mirra, freestyle BMX riding is often more associated with skateboarding and other freestyle sporting events than it is with Supercross.

Extreme BMX Stunt Shows

If on the other hand you’re looking for a true spectacle and that element of real danger, then you may want to check out an extreme BMX stunt show. Based more on high-flying and outrageous jumps, you’ll see riders hit spin backwards on their bike in mid-air, perform somersaults and generally defy death.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=803071

Clive Anderson is an avid fan of the X-Games. He works professionally on customised BMX bikes.

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