Vert Rail

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BMX Now an Olympic Sport

Signifying the International Olympic Committee's growing efforts to appeal to a younger generation by showcasing competitions and athletes they are familiar with, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will feature BMX racing. It's true, BMX is now an official Olympic sport; joining the ranks of snowboarding half pipe competitions and snowboarding races now as official Olympic sports. The IOC is appealing to the youth in an attempt to reverse the trend of seeing the Olympics as boring or for older people only.

BMX, short for bicycle motorcross, has been around since the 1960s and the International BMX Federation was formed in 1981. In the last decade the sport has exponentially grown in popularity due in large part to televised competitions such as the X Games. BMX bikes are designed differently from other types of bicycles, typically with very small wheels and in freestyle competitions, mechanisms that allow the handlebars to be spun completely around. At the X Games, BMX is an all encompassing discipline that includes BMX racing and freestyle BMX competitions.

Included in the freestyle disciples of BMX are half pipe (vert) competitions in which competitors ride the half pipe performing complex tricks, spins and flips at each side and street competitions in which a series of ramps, boxes, rails and other obstacles are incorporated into a park course and competitors can choose where and how they want to perform their tricks. The goal in the street competition is usually to perform as wide a variety of tricks off of as wide a variety of obstacles as possible. In the half pipe competitions, factors such as getting the biggest air (how high you soar above the half pipe on your jumps) and trick variety are important.

The IOC is taking BMX one step at a time however. As this is the first Olympic Games featuring BMX as an Olympic sport, the only BMX discipline will be racing. The IOC is officially calling these races Cycling BMX. The races will feature eight riders on a course of 350 meters that includes jumps and banked turns. Considering the popularity of the snowboarding competitions in the Winter Olympics and particularly of the trick-based competitions - it is likely that the IOC will continue to expand it's inclusion of BMX as an Olympic sport. If BMX as an Olympic sport can gain only a fraction of the popularity and exposure that snowboarding gained from its inclusion in the Olympic Games, than the sport will truly be reaching new heights, as their riders continually do so on a daily basis.

About the Author

James Johnson, reviewing the latest and the best BMX Bikes on the market. At Ramp It Up the large range of bikes can be seen including mountain bikes.

How do i drop in? and tips for street/vert skating?.?

I'm a street skater but need tips on how to drop in at this indoor skate park.Whenever I try to drop in i either land flat on my face or the board slips from under me or the tail of the board does a manual.any tips on how to drop in without hurting myself and correctly.And once i get how to drop in the park should be fun.also any tips on working on my grinding for parks like this? because the grinding rails are higher then normal.and how do i hop off a kicker? like going straight at it how and when should i hop so i my board doesnt just keep on moving and doesnt hop over the end of the kicker.thanks.

1. For droping in try learning on a ramp 4 feet or smaller! Just practice by standing flat ground with your tail touching the ground and practice stomping the board down. When youre ready just think about nothing but stomping down the nose and get on the ramp and stomp. think about nothing but that dont even think about what to do when you land it think Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
2. For higher rails do what pros do! Make sure you get enough speed to clear at least half of the rails lenght. Then when youre going fast do an ollie and you should land somewhere near the halfway point of the rail. And that should be easier to get on the rail but harder to balance.
3.To ollie off a kicker you need just lots of speed so when youre at the top just slightly press the tail and it should launch you off and you shouldnt even get stuck on it. or just to skate a kicker? you need little speed depends how high the kicker is. when you get as high as youre going to get just pop an ollie and ride back down. good luck!!!!!

Ultimate Boarder champions finish trifecta of tricks
RENO – What started Tuesday on the waves in San Diego, Calif. and migrated to the snowcapped mountains in Tahoe ended on a custom-build skate ramp Saturday in Reno.

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