BMX: The Birth Of Big Air

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Flying through the air, spinning and flipping in any possible direction, knowing that at any moment, one false move could cause serious damage or death to the rider, these few reasons show why our culture has grown to love Bicycle Motocross or (BMX) and the thrill it brings to rider and spectator alike.
The sport of BMX has always interested me because when I was younger I remember being so amazed by the sport when I would watch it on television. The tricks and flips the riders were doing shocked me. Once I got to junior high though stopped watching it until I saw the ESPN film “The Birth of Big Air” which showed the rise and peak of BMX riding and told the story of Mat Hoffmann, who is regarded for revolutionizing the sport and is known as …show more content…

Racing is what started it all but freestyle stemmed from it and changed to sport into a spectators dream. In my paper I will take an in depth look into the sport of BMX beginning with the history of the sport, special events and races, important figures within BMX and organizations involved with BMX.
In the early 1960s a new sport was on the rise in the California area- that sport was motocross. Children and adults alike were entranced with the loud roar of the engines and the high speeds and air which these motorized bicycles could reach. Many people began swarming to motocross events, and others even began to race their bicycles on dirt tracks to feel as if they were motocross racers. Bicycle manufacturers saw this as an opening for expanding to a new market. (Davies)
The first on the BMX scene was the reigning king of bicycles, Schwinn, with their new Sting-Ray bicycle which was released in 1963. These new bikes became the ride of choice for many because of their small wheels and thick studded tires which absorbed the force of jumps and allowed for sharp turns; they were also very easily customizable which allowed the rider to change his bike to his own specifications. Although originating as an impromptu sport, BMX held what is documented to be its first unofficial race in Santa Monica, California in 1969. …show more content…

Many other Sanctioning bodies came to be during this era of BMX racing but none have lasted like the ABA and NBL. (Rich)
In 2003, BMX racing became a medal sport at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing under the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) sanctioning body. The UCI is the world governing body for sports cycling and international competitive cycling events. Because the United States sanctioning body, the ABA, was certified under the UCI, which is recognized by the Olympic Committee allowed for this to happen. (Cazeneuve)
The sport of BMX racing also helped create another sport in the BMX world, this new sport was BMX freestyle. Freestyle BMX is bicycle motocross stunt riding on BMX bikes. BMX racing consists of five styles: street, park, vert, trails, and

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