From scuffing and squeaking to dumptrucks and steamrollers, Kidzworld checks out the world of flatland BMX.
Flatland BMX - What Is It?
Flatland BMX is the most technical style of BMX riding. Flatlanders perform on smooth, flat pieces of ashphalt, which is where the style got it's name. Riders link together rolling, jumps and tricks. The sport requires great balance, agility and patience. In competitions, riders get points for smoothly linking tricks together and they lose points everytime they touch the ground. A bike used in flatlanding has one or two pegs off the side of the front and back wheels, which are used to hold the rider's body in place.
Flatland BMX - Tricks and Lingo
- Scuffing - Using feet on the tires to maintain speed, to brake, or to stall the bike.
- Hitchhiker - When the rider is rolling with feet on the front pegs and holding the back tire up so that the handlebars are just skimming the ground.
- Dumptruck - When the rider rides on the back wheel facing backwards, with one foot on the peg and the other foot scuffing the tire in the direction the rider is facing.
- Steamroller - When a rider rolls forward with one foot on a front peg and the other foot maintaining balance while one hand holds the handlebar and the other hand holds the seat with the frame of the bike in front of the rider.
- Whiplash - When a rider rolls forward and does a tailwhip while standing on the front pegs.
Flatland BMX - Did You Know?
- Some professional flatland BMX riders practice up to eight hours a day.
- Bob Haro invented flatland BMX in the early 1980s.
- Flatland BMX first became a part of the X Games in 1997.
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