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BMX riders often use ramps. The ramps send them flying through the air. The faster the riders go up the ramp, the higher into the air they fly. In BMX freestyle, getting big air gives riders time to perform tricks. For example, they may do flips and twists before landing. In BMX racing, racers use big air to jump several obstacles at once. That helps them get to the finish more quickly.
Since the 1960s, BMX has grown into a major competitive sport. It’s been part of the X Games since they began in 1995. There are BMX events in the Olympics too. BMX racing first appeared in the Summer Olympics in 2008. BMX freestyle events were added in 2020. In freestyle, riders use large ramps to do tricks.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Would you rather try BMX racing or freestyle? Why would you choose that type of event?
Text-to-Text
What other books about extreme sports have you read? How are those sports similar to or different from BMX?
Text-to-World
BMX riders start with small tricks before learning harder ones. What are some other activities that require practice?
Teacher Resources
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