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 Dave Mirra wants to prove that he is still on top |
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 Kevin Robinson is in position to take the championship |
The BMX Breakdown
by Mark Losey
With the amount of mainstream exposure action sports captured over the past decade, anyone from kids to grandparents have an idea what BMX is all about. You may not be able to name every pro or know the ins and outs of the latest tricks, but the image of someone flying through the air on a BMX bike has been ingrained in the youth culture of the 21st century.
The popularity BMX enjoys today wasn’t always the case. Fifteen years ago the only riders who lived and breathed BMX were part outsider, part creative wizard, and part psychopath. BMXers were not always understood, but they weren’t looking to be understood, either. To comprehend where the sport is today, it’s good to take a look at how it got here in the first place.
The Birth of a Sport
It’s widely accepted that the origin of BMX racing stems from the 1971
motorcycle film, On Any Sunday. A group of riders on Schwinn Stingrays hit
the screen at one point in a mock-moto race, and that’s all it took.
Kids around the US started holding races; sanctioning bodies and magazines
formed, and BMX racing was born. While the focus was on racing, every rider
still took any chance he got to hit a jump and get in the air.
Freestyle Arrives
In the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, a more distinct line began to form
between the racing and “trick” aspects of BMX. Freestyle pioneer
Bob Haro began sneaking into Southern California skateparks on his bike after
hours, and he began doing tricks on flat ground that no one had ever seen
before. While racing was structured, freestyle was wide-open, allowing riders
to do what they wanted where they wanted—and kids loved it. New freestyle-based
bike companies were born (namely Haro Bikes), summer demo tours were mounted,
and the entire country became infected by freestyle.
The Contest Effect
There will always be an underground feel to BMX, but competition has become
a major staple of the sport. Freestyle went through phases of rigidly organized
competitions in the ‘80s, loosely-run events put on by and for the riders
in the ‘90s (and today), to huge televised events shown around the globe.
The riders who are able to put together their hardest tricks on-demand in contests have had a huge impact on 21st century action sports. The new legends of BMX claim more respect every time they drop in, and while they all ride a BMX bike, everyone has their own unique style that gives the sport a personal touch.
In 2005, Ryan Guettler redefined the word "consistency" by pulling his hardest tricks every time it counted. From incredibly risky front-flips to start his dirt runs to spinning a 720 over the box jump while jumping it the wrong way on Park, Guettler commanded respect. And his Dew Tour Park and Dirt titles (and $150,000 in bonus money) helps make him the one to watch in '06.Still, the field in park is so deep that there is the possibility of a different crew on the podium every weekend. Mirra, Guettler, Scotty Cranmer, Ryan Nyquist, Steve McCann, Josh Harrington, Morgan Wade, Alistair Whitton, Mike Aitken, and Gary Young are only a few of the possible top finishers for ’06, and there is an entire crew of new-schoolers right on their heels.
In 2005, it was nearly a given that if Jamie Bestwick were on the deck of the vert ramp, he was going to take the win. Jamie's effortless style combined with the highest airs and unbelievably innovative tricks (double-tailwhip-flair!) made him unstoppable. Rumor has it that he's hungry for '06, so there is no telling what's coming next. Jamie does not have the gold on lockdown. This year, Bestwick has had some injuries, along with guys like Kevin Robinson, Dave Mirra, and John Parker. Will this throw the advantage to the less battered riders like Chad Kagy or Simon Tabron?
The Future
What will be the big tricks and who will be the breakthrough riders of ’06?
Kevin Robinson has unleashed the double flair but has yet to integrate it
in a competition run. Chad Kagy has a whole slew of off-axis 540 variations
that have to be seen to be believed. Dave Mirra has been the sleeping giant;
while recovering from his injuries, suffered early in the season, an underground
video of Dave doing no-handed 360 backflips surfaced and amazed all who saw
it.
The gladiators of BMX will be competing head-to-head at the LG Action Sports World Championships in Dallas on October 27-29th.
