History of BMX

Somewhere if Southern California during the early 70's, a bunch of kids on modified 20" Stingray bicycles went out to a vacant lot and created a brand new sport of their very own...  Those kids were probaly not even the first.  The same scene of youthful energy and American resourcefulness was quite probally going on in Nebraska and/or New Jersey.  But it was the California gathering of nameless pioneers who were recorded on film by Bruce Brown's cameras.  The resulting motorcycle film, ON ANY SUNDAY, would spread the word like wildfire. There was no stopping it now.  A new sport created by kids for kids was born.  Bicycle Motocross was the name it was given.  That name was quickly shortened to BMX.  It grabbed the attention of thousands of kids in one short summer.  

Boys and girls on their modified bicyles were seen jamming through the dirt emulating their motorcycle motocross heroes.

Imitation lead to innovation and quickly the kids were performing tricks and "getting air" that made their motorcycle heroes green with envy.  The next step was orgainzed racing.  By 1977, pockets of lossely organized BMX races dotted the nation from coast to coast.  It was time for a national sactioning body and from out of this need, the American Bicycle Association was created.  The American Bicycle Association not only filled that need, it completely changed and continues to shape the future of the sport it serves.  The first step was to create a system of qualifying participants that was not only fair, but one which enhanced the competive nature of the very sport itself and still afforded each and every rider the chance to be a winner.  This need for fairness and allowing for the tortunes of luck led the way to the transfer system, in which the winner of each moto advances to the next round - be it quarter, semi or main event.

That first step led to a long and continuing list of firsts that spell out the very success of ABA.  From supplying the first and world's largest national sanctioning body, first national tour, first Pro purse, first Cruiser class competition, first sanction to call fouls as they occur, first starting light system, first automatic gate system, first voice command, first duel announcing, first computerized membership and points system, first computerized sign-ups, first computerized system for local tracks, first interactive website to service it's members, first and most prestigious National Amateur Championship to cover all ages and the list goes on.

ABA BMX racing is a sport of youthful achievement and the American family.  While the young boy or girl BMX racer develops skills at an individual pace, they are learning about winning, losing and trying again.  The racer's family learns that time spent together is support of the racer and the individual achievements is quality time.

 It is the duty of the ABA to establish the rules of racing that provide fair competition and fun family entertainment for all of it's 60,000 plus members.  This is a job to which the American Bicycle Association and all of it's employees are 100% dedicated.