BMX Dirt Jumping

BMXing and specifically, BMX dirt jumping began in the early seventies when youngsters started racing their bicycles on dirt tracks in southerly CA, drawing creativity from the motocross champions of the time. This type of racing is relatively a self explanatory event, but freestyle is divided down into several different disciplines;

Street BMX

During a BMX street event riders ride their bikes through a course and perform tricks on the obstacles set up along the way with most freestyle riders participating in multiple events. Street courses have obstacles like ledges and stair rails and some have ramps. Riders in this event try to come up with and land the craziest tricks and they are constantly pushing the limits.

BMX Vert (half pipe)

Vert racing is a very dangerous sport, and these athletes put it all on the line today. It is an unforgiving event and the vert ramp is an unforgiving structure with two quarter pipes which face each other which in essence is a trick style of BMX performed on a 12-by 30-foot half-pipe.

BMX Dirt Jumping

As the name suggests this extreme method of BMXing is ordinary undertaken on dusty dirt tracks and also forms the basis of many dirt championships and is timed laps and also over jumps and other obstacles.

BMX Flatland

BMX flatland is the ultimate in bike control and by far the hardest discipline to master. An art form that blends style, athleticism, balance, flow and imagination it is often described as an assertive form of ice-skating or dancing on the bike and is performed in an aggressive, yet graceful combination. Some bikers compare this to a mixture of spinning, balancing and rhythmical movement and due to the dedication and discipline required only has 8,000 flatlanders worldwide. This form of riding also features BMX dirt jumping in addition to other tough stunts to be performed.

BMX Freestyle

Freestyle BMX is a creative way of using bicycles originally designed for bicycle motocross racing. The sport comprises of BMX dirt jumping, racing on dirt tracks, as well as the execution of tricks on the bikes, entitled freestyle. Incorporated in the freestyle disciplines of BMX are half pipe (vert) contests in which opponents ride the half pipe carrying out complicated tricks, turns and flips at each side and street championships in which a sequence of slopes, boxes, railings and other hurdles are contained into a park course and rivals can select where and how they wish to execute their tricks.

BMX which actually stand for ‘Bicycle Moto Cross’ travels to the past to the late seventies as a human powered type of Moto-Cross where rather than a minibike, riders would tear around a course of bumps and obstacles on a small wheeled cycle with a singular gear. BMX bike riders would jump and race on dirt tracks and on the streets of their neighbourhoods to imitate the things they were seeing in motocross.

These bikes are being ridden by all sorts of people, from professional riders to five year olds just having fun, adults who never grew out of them, and everyone in between. Riders usually must train for a period of time before competing and beginning tricks and stunts. BMX bicycles are available in a range of sizes to accommodate all types of riders and all ages.

Riders began riding in skateboarding parks and started to mimic the tricks that skaters were doing on their boards. The bikes used are non-geared and are stronger than a standard bike and as they became more specialized, like other forms of cycling competition, (BMX dirt jumping for example) the racing gained popularity.