The six-year-old version of Alise Willoughby, who started racing BMX in Minnesota 27 years ago, couldn’t have imagined how, at 33, she would be a senior member of the US BMX team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Women’s BMX wasn’t an Olympic discipline or even a professional career option back then,” Willoughby tells USA Cycling’s Matt Nelson. “So, to have been a part of the sport’s growth while finding the success I have over the years, and now be named to my fourth Olympic team representing Team USA, is truly humbling and such an honor.”
She earned three world titles and an Olympic silver medal during her career.
Fast-paced from the start
The latch-key kids of the 1970s who discovered steep hills and cut tracks through neighborhood fields also couldn’t have predicted how far BMX would go, flying high at the international X Games and starting as an official sport in the Beijing 2008 Games.
The sport emerged as kids from California to New Jersey used their bicycles to imitate cross-country motorcycle racing and jumps. This phenomenon formed the sport of BMX—or bicycle motocross—which grew rapidly with the creation of tracks, organizations, and competitions across the United States and abroad.
BMX races are fast, with many lasting less than 60 seconds around a track ranging from 900 to 1,300 feet in length. Because the races last only seconds, they start with a burst of energy out of the start gate. Riders face jumps, banked corners, and obstacles along the short track. Speeds reach almost 40 miles an hour.
Competitors start young—some competitions have an under-six category, along with junior, adult, pro, and elite races.
According to Statista, almost 4.5 million people participated in BMX bicycling in 2023, a 6.7 percent increase from the previous year.
Around 3,500 athletes are expected to turn out for the USA BMX Grand Nationals, held in November at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Okla., according to Janelle Brannock, spokesperson for USA BMX.
Just over 73,000 spectators and participants—about the same number as 2023—are expected to attend the five-day event.
The 2024 USA BMX National Series celebrated two 50th anniversaries. Sarasota BMX started in 1974 and is the longest continuously operating track in the United States. The Stars & Stripes National in Waterford Oaks, Mich., also hit the big 5-0.
In all, the Nationals Series had 29 races on the schedule for 2024, culminating in the Grand Nationals.
Finding athletes
The sport is finding its place among young athletes looking for something different.
“We’ve also seen a trend in new members who may have tried other youth sports and programs and felt they didn’t quite fit in or didn’t get the ‘play time’ they expected,” says Brannock.
“We do things a little differently, where every member rides—regardless of age or skill level. No one sits on the bench,” she says. “That makes it more fun and exciting for everyone—especially kids who just want to get out there and ride their bikes and have fun with their friends and family.”
It’s not unusual, for example, to see a dad out there riding his bike with his kids, which is not something one sees in youth programs like Little League or soccer, Brannock adds.
And the organization is looking to grow the sport even more.
USA BMX has more than 300 sanctioned tracks across the United States and Canada, which makes the sport quite accessible for most people.
“At each of our tracks, we offer free one-day trials, where newbies can get out on the track and try it out to see if it’s something they want to pursue,” Brannock says. “Most of our tracks also offer loaner bikes and helmets for those who don’t have one. We try to make it as easy as possible for people of all ages to experience BMX racing because we know once they try it, they’re usually hooked.”
Grassroots sport
In the early 1970s, the sport emerged from a grassroots movement, mainly of kids in Southern California, soon after races were being held around the country.
Early enthusiasts such as Ernie Alexander and Scot Breithaupt organized races, and then official organizations began to adopt the sport. The National Bicycle Association (NBA) organized multiple tracks, created a rulebook, and started tracking points for riders. Meanwhile, according to the USA BMX website, the American Bicycle Association started sanctioning races, kicking off its National Series in 1978.
The NBA held races throughout California, with support from local bike shops and enthusiasts. In 1971, film director Bruce Brown, known for his surf movies, released the documentary “On Any Sunday,” which boosted the popularity of the BMX subculture.
“In July 1971, those first four minutes and seven seconds of kids catchin’ air and wheelie’ing forever down the street would spread the BMX word like a wildfire,” according to the USA BMX website.
The sport’s popularity surged to the point that even the business community couldn’t ignore it. Bicycle manufacturer Schwinn designed the Sting-Ray, a bicycle with smaller wheels, high handlebars, and a banana seat. According to USA BMX, the Sting-Ray became a favorite choice among the budding community of racers.
The 2000s also saw growth in the female BMX racing scene, with groundbreaking athletes, women’s competitions, and the Extreme Games, which became the X Games.
Various regional BMX organizations merged into USA BMX in 2011. USA BMX has 70,000 members and is now the sanctioning body for grassroots races.
According to Angelina Palermo, director of communications and public relations for USA Cycling, the organization supports elite BMX racers who compete on the international stage.
Those athletes include the USA BMX team, which is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Each Olympics gives BMX racing another boost.
“We continue to see growing interest in the sport of BMX racing since it was added as an Olympic sport in 2008,” Brannock says. “Every time the Olympics come around, we experience a noticeable lift in the overall conversation around BMX. More people are talking about it, watching it online and then heading to the track to try it out.”
The X Games Ventura 2024 drew crowds of 50,000 plus for its events, which included several BMX disciplines. Held in late June, the games were broadcast on ABC and ESPN2 and live-streamed on Fubo.
