BMX Freestyle was born in driveways, empty pools, and backyard ramps — not in conference rooms or Olympic committee meetings.
It was rider-led, DIY, and fearlessly creative — a culture shaped by people like Mat Hoffman and Dennis McCoy, who weren’t just athletes, but architects of an entire movement. They didn’t just ride. They built contests, companies, and communities when no one else would.
So when the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) swooped in and absorbed the BMX Freestyle World Championships without so much as a nod to the people who created the very foundation of the sport — it felt like a hostile takeover. And in many ways, that’s exactly what it was.
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🚨 The UCI Didn’t Build This. They Just Claimed It.
For years, Hoffman’s International BMX Freestyle Federation (IBMXFF) ran the Freestyle Worlds. It was grassroots. It was respected. It was real.
Then, as Olympic inclusion loomed, the UCI — cycling’s global governing body — stepped in. Backed by the IOC, they declared themselves the new authority on BMX Freestyle. They didn’t collaborate with the IBMXFF. They didn’t acknowledge the decades of work from within the community.
They just took over.
And many riders, dreaming of Olympic medals and national funding, went along quietly.
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🧊 What the UCI Got Wrong — and Why BMX is Paying for It
The UCI structure does nothing to support grassroots BMX.
• There are no real pipelines for local riders to reach elite competition.
• There is no reinvestment into community programs, indoor parks, or small events that actually grow talent.
• There is no representation from riders who actually built and still embody the freestyle culture.
Instead, it’s a top-heavy system that expects national federations to fund riders and programs — but most don’t. Many Olympic hopefuls are self-funded, working side gigs, crowdfunding travel to events, or relying on family just to stay in the game.
Even the USA BMX Freestyle series, created to bridge grassroots with elite pathways, has seen shockingly poor attendance. Why? Because the community feels disconnected. These contests often lack vibe, culture, and identity — the very things that made BMX special in the first place.
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💀 The Free Agent Team Collapse — A Harsh Warning Sign
The collapse of the Free Agent BMX team, once a prominent name in freestyle and race circles, underscores the larger crisis. Sponsorship is drying up.
Riders who compete in UCI-sanctioned events — including FISE World Cups — are often struggling to stay funded. Visibility in these events isn’t translating into brand deals or long-term support. And many brands are walking away entirely, citing lack of ROI, limited cultural impact, or just not recognizing the audience anymore.
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🗣️ So Why Didn’t Anyone Take a Stand?
When the UCI took over, some riders — like Mat Hoffman and Dennis McCoy — spoke up. They sounded the alarm. But the resistance never fully materialized.
Why?
Because no one wanted to give up their shot at the Olympics.
And now, we’re seeing the cost of that silence.
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💡 What Needs to Happen Next
BMX Freestyle doesn’t need another bureaucracy. It needs a revival of its grassroots roots, and a structure that supports long-term careers, not just fleeting Olympic moments.
Here’s how:
• Rebuild rider-led organizations to advocate for sustainable funding and cultural relevance.
• Create independent events that blend pro-level riding with the energy of the scene — music, art, and community.
• Pressure national federations and the UCI to actually invest in local infrastructure, not just elite athletes.
• Brands and sponsors: stop waiting for trickle-down marketing from the UCI. Go where the culture actually lives.
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✊ BMX is Still Ours — If We Want It
The UCI may have taken control of the titles, but they’ll never understand the culture. That’s not what they do.
It’s what we do.
So if BMX is going to survive — and thrive — it’ll be because the riders take it back.
Back to the DIY jams. Back to parking lots. Back to homemade ramps and communities that care more about style than medals.
Because in BMX, the soul always mattered more than the sanctioning body.
