Awexome BMX

Announcer: Up next is Beyond the Rim, brought to you by GSPN, the galactic leader in sports.

Good evening from GSPN studios on New Boston. I'm Rich Rourke and this is Beyond the Rim, where we work 'round the clock to bring you the very best and most unique insights into the universe of sports. Tonight, we aim the business end of our 12-gauge journalism bazooka at one of the galaxy's most extreme sports, Awexome BMX.

Awexome BMX, also known as ABMX, is a form of bicycle racing combining elements of traditional bicycle motocross (BMX), both racing and freestyle, skateboarding, and roller derby, among other things. These single lap sprint races test a combination of the racer's speed, strength, agility, and reflexes, and take place on purpose built off-road racetracks (generally between 300 and 500 meters in length), which usually consist of a starting gate for up to sixteen racers, a groomed serpentine dirt racecourse with several different elevations and made up of various jumps, obstacles, banked and flat corners, and a finish line.

This is a young, participant-driven sport, with both professional and amateur leagues. The average age of participants is 14. Although ABMX has always been a niche sport, the professional league, the Awexome BMX Association or ABA for short, is becoming increasingly well known because of the dangerous and spectacular in-air flips and tricks performed during races off the halfpipes, vertical ramps, handrails, ledges, slanted walls, and other common features found on racecourses. No two courses are identical, and particular racetracks have gained reputations for favoring certain racing styles and attributes of racers.

Many viewers are drawn by the flamboyant one-upsmanship typical during races, as well as voyeuristic anticipation of gruesome injuries. Unsurprisingly, standard ABMX gear includes helmets, mouthguard, gloves, and elbow and knee pads.

As the name suggests, racers use BMX bicycles, which generally have 20 inch wheels and a corresponding frame size. Their smaller size allows BMX riders to achieve greater precision and acceleration than on bicycles with larger dimensions. Manufacturers build specialized bikes expressly for ABMX, combining light weight and strength in the frames. Many BMX bicycles have handlebar configurations which can spin completely around, allowing either the bars to spin independently of the tail (in what is known as a barspin), or the tail to spin around independently of the bars (in what is known as a tailwhip).