Freestyle BMX More My Style

As an Xtreme sport newbie, I mistakenly thought that all BMX was created equal. Reading a recent online Bloomberg News opinion piece clarified the matter.

If you watched the Olympic BMX motocross final, it became clear to anyone under the age of 40, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) doesn't quite know how to blend Generation Y's action sports with it's institutional inertia.

And as any marketer knows, Gen Y is all about changing the dynamic, turning concepts on their proverbial head. It's why the real cult heroes of BMX are in Portland, Oregon, this week headlining the AST Dew Tour.

John Helyar, commentator, said it best, "... you got the wrong BMX... Millions of kids who flip for BMX freestyle -- wherein riders perform flips and other stunts -- could care less about BMX racing.

"But the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world federation for bicycle sports. BMX racing is part of UCI; BMX freestyle is not.

"The Olympics added the version of BMX which best suited its institutional imperatives, not the one that most appeals to a new generation."

The BMX racing I witnessed was about as interesting as watching archery.

According to John Zogby, pollster, who calls today's 18- to 29-year-olds the "First Globals," the younger set isn't into the games' nationalist subtext -- countries vying to win the most gold medals ... .," and believes that they see themselves more as global citizens than national partisans. 

These "First Globals" are forsaking Olympic viewing by larger margins every four years, Michael Phelps notwithstanding.

The IOC was actually considering adding skateboarding to the London Olympics, but those pesky UCI spoil sports, who rule all things wheel-based(!), couldn't agree on a format.

Thank god for small favors.