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The thing to be aware of with the clips, once they are banned, the sport WILL take an intitial hit with losing riders, but in the long run I think it would be for the better. Think about this. A kid rides his bike all over the neighborhood, goes to the loacl trails to watch the locals shred, then goes to the track, and sees the riders are clipped in! How alien is that? HE had never thought about locking his feet to the pedals, which is how it is percieved at first. I think they have hurt the sport
Good arguement…I have to say I left the sport a long time ago, but have come back through my kids. I was shocked to see the changes BMX has made. My last race I rode a custom cycle craft and vision street wear sneaks…both names long gone…so what do I do coming back out…I throw VANS on my kids feet and send them out to race…I moan and groan to my husband about how clips have ruined the sport…what has happened to the pros that put on a fly show at the last straight for all mom and dad photogs…I blamed it on the clips…HOWEVER…one day a GIRL in my daughters class says, HEy Layla, you’ve really gotta get yourself some clips…so that’s just what we did…is she tearing it up out there now…no…but she’s having a damn good time. As for my son, we got him clips when he first started and rides them around the neighborhood, I will NOT let him use them until he and the riders around him are in better control of themselves…he’s still a rookie in the 5 and under class…but in time he’ll be clipped in, if that is where the sport continues to go…
My opinion, I don’t think its the paved berms and clip shoes that have caused the sport to deteriorate. I think it is society and a lack of respect for the sport as a whole…and why is there a lack of respect? Because people don’t know much about it. Take skateboarding…that went down the tubes for a long time. I went from coming home from school and having 30+ guys at my house riding my halfpipes, to watching them rot in my backyard. Skateboarding is back with a vengeance. and why? NOt because they decided to go back in time and make those skinny a@@ banana boards and everyone started wearing half tops, but because Tony Hawk stepped up and started an empire throught freaking video games…I’m not saying we need BMiddaugh to start making video games(but try if you can!)…but through this website and many others like it, there will be change. All these ideas, different points of view, passion, bmx will come back. Just look at the 5 and under class, they have a main almost every race….And as for heroes, I was wrong, they are out there. For me, I like watching you old dogs…but my kids, they are watching the up and coming. Certain 12 ex’s 8 ex’s and even a few of those girls out there. That is where the future lies…
Okay, I just totally went off on a tangent right there…jayla is correct…i thnk you hit the nail right on the head….
the only reason we did the clip transformation when my son was 7( i told him he needed to wait till he turned nov 1st) was because everyone else in his class rode them and it was more pressure from the dads in the group( “oh wait and see how fast you will be i promise..” and low and behold he finally beat the kid whos dad told him to get the clips..lol) of kids he hung around with. i was like.. no way no clips….marcus told him no way…( back then he would only listen to marcus…lol not us) then next weekend he had them on at a regional at mullica and the rest is history…
it really dosnt make sence to have non bmx companies (like you said mostly roadies shoes) make them but what can you do if there is no choice? kids push thier parents to “conform” when they are young and you want to give your kid any advantage you can..only when they get older they make the switch back to flats and discover ..hey its really me thats fast ..not my friggin shoes… lol
as far as the video games go i agree 100%%%%%
lets go brett you could do some serious ground -breaking here..think of the millions you could make in this dept??? fortunately i think alot of bmx riders would rather ride than play-race…i dont know many of the kids who raced when they were younger were too busy out on their bikes to be sitting in the house with a controller in thier hands…
I don’t kow about anyone else’s house, but in mine, I should record myself yelling TURN THE GAMECUBE OFF AND GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!! Then I go on about how when I was a kid I had more important things to do than to sit my butt in front of the tv…truth be told after a long day of building dirt jumps with my brothers and all the other fellow local bmxers from bitd…we were all up for some intense sega cartridge game playing….
As for the whole VAns comment…what a way to market. I’m at my kids school parade, I see Crazycooter there, between his family and mine, you look down and all you see is Vans…not only do kids throw on vans after the race, but DC, Etnies….These kids are also mall rats(I know this because I work in one)…what better way to market a sport than throw up some flyers in some of those mall stores…I have even spoken to one in partciular that is totally willing and interested in allowing me to put in flyers etc. Now this is a local store in a mall located right outside EHT…They are geared toward sk8ing, snowboarding, dirtjumping, etc. Wants to know where you do something like BMX!!!! DOWN THE ROAD!!! He even said he would like to come out and watch the sport to gain knowledge…
BMX shouldn’t just be marketed through bike shops and with free race flyers put on bikes, but to those that are into the independant sports. Surf shops, skate shops and the like. I talk to a ton of parents who don’t even know the sport exists, but also don’t even know how to get knowledgeable about the sport…Wow, that is fantastic…now if you could point me in the right direction as to where to send potential new riders for information…NBL. org is geared toward the national level…obviously new riders start at the local level…the CJ site is spectacular…can something be done with the EHt one so I can direct people there? Nobody doubt me here, I love EHT….would like to get more riders there…..
That’s great…knowledge is power…
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