BMX
Schwinn Sting-Rays in the dirt to flatland, vert ramps, Mat Hoffman, Dave Mirra at X-Games, Garrett Reynolds, modern park.
Part of Extreme Sports
8 moments in this segment.
- — BMX racing — first sanctioned era. BMX Action magazine launches and the American Bicycle Association sanctions national BMX racing. The discipline becomes a competitive scene with rankings.
- — RAD film — BMX pop culture. Hal Needham's RAD goes to cinemas. Despite middling reviews it becomes the BMX cult film and runs constantly on cable through the late 80s.
- — Dave Mirra — backflip 180 (the "Mirra flip"). Dave Mirra debuts the back-flip-180 to fakie ("Mirra flip") at the 1998 X-Games. Dominates BMX vert with 14 X-Games medals over the next decade.
- — Mat Hoffman — 20-foot quarterpipe. Mat Hoffman builds the first 20-foot quarterpipe, towed in by motorcycle, and lands airs no one else can. Vert BMX as a discipline crystallises.
- — Garrett Reynolds — Street League era. Garrett Reynolds wins the X-Games BMX street gold and the next year, and the year after. Becomes the first multi-X-Games BMX street champion.
- — Jamie Bestwick — X-Games vert streak. Jamie Bestwick begins a record nine-consecutive X-Games BMX vert gold-medal streak (2007-2014). Defines BMX vert for a decade.
- — BMX freestyle Olympic debut. BMX freestyle (park) debuts at the Tokyo Olympics. Logan Martin (AUS) and Charlotte Worthington (GBR) take the first gold medals.
- — Schwinn Sting-Ray — BMX precursor. Schwinn ships the Sting-Ray. California kids race them on dirt tracks — the bike that BMX (Bicycle Motocross) is born from.
