BMX Competitions - About Fun & Progression

With the 2021 Freestyle BMX Nationals coming up again at RampFest, we wanted to revisit and update this article about why Competitions are fun.  Whenever there is a comp on, we hear all about what's good about them, what isn't and why people don't want to compete.  

We're not here to say everyone should ride competitions, but we do want to share what makes them fun, and help out anyone who might be a bit nervous about giving it a crack first time.

Firstly - it's important to start with this: BMX Competitions aren't all BMX is about. Some riders have no interest in comps, and that's totally cool - BMX is a freestyle sport - there aren't any hard and fast rules. No one is more or less or a rider if they want to compete or just chill.

Straight off the bat, at Rampfest, we think competitions are super fun - for a whole bunch of reasons.

1. It's all about progression

The vibe at most contests is way less "competitive" than you might think. The vast majority of guys have a run in mind that they want to do - and if they nail it, they're stoked. It doesn't matter about the placing because let's face it - you can't control what everyone else is doing. The challenge is to push your own limits - and to achieve something for yourself. For most - that is the perfect run, or the new trick, or the new line.

2. The Riders Attitude 

On deck, everyone is always cheering each other on - theres never any hate or trash talk, or anything but good vibes for each other during the event. You see this at events all the time - the first person to congratulate the guy who nailed an amazing run is a fellow competitor. Everyone loves to share the stoke when something rad happens.

3. New Friends - New Riding Buddies

Contests bring together a big crew from a wide area - you usually get to meet a whole bunch of new riders who you'd never ride with otherwise. Making new friends and new riding buddies is one of the best parts of BMX. I met guys at contests when I was 16 who I still catch up with today - it's awesome!

Even with all this, we know that first contest can still be a bit scary - so we also wanted to explain a few common myths we hear about contests :

"I'm not good enough - other riders will laugh at me"

This one is easy - it is simply 100% not true. I've never seen a crowd, or a bunch of fellow riders laugh at another rider for giving it a damn good crack. If you give it your best, you'll get a whole bunch of high-fives from everyone else at the contest, no matter what happens.

"But I won't Win"

Ok - it's not all about winning. As we mentioned above - it's about pushing yourself. And seriously, chances are that no one (not Logan Martin, Jake Wallwork, Dennis Enarson etc) won the first contest they entered - or every contest they entered, you've got to start somewhere right.  That's no reason not to try - and have a lot of fun along the way! It doesn’t really matter what sport it is - an attitude that is “all about winning” is not going to get you anywhere.

Overall, we hope that this has given you a bit more insight into what a BMX Contest is all about. At Rampfest, we love hosting events that get everyone stoked - we do everything in our power to make the competitions a fun and positive experience for everyone involved.

Hopefully you’ll be keen to join us for the 2021 Freestyle BMX Nationals on the 13th - 14th of March.

If you have any questions about the contest - check out the info & entry page here:

https://rampfest.com.au/pages/2021-freestyle-bmx-nationals  

Or email us at Info@Rampfest.com.au

Chris

Article by:

Chris Bierton

Rampfest Owner / BMX Rider

Em:  Chris@Rampfest.com.au