X Games Event Spotlights: BMX Street & BMX Park

BMX Street and BMX Park are probably the two BMX events that most average riders can relate to. The events offer similar terrain and obstacles to what most riders would hit up on a normal day, unlike the gigantic vert ramp and big air ramp that only the pros usually touch. The Street course is designed to replicate an average street scene, while the Park course is designed like a skatepark, with smooth transitions and plenty of spines, ramps, and rails for riders to navigate.

These guys can do some pretty incredible stuff with their bikes. Don’t believe me? Check out the videos below the jump to get convinced.

Click more to learn about the BMX Street & BMX Park competitions, and find out which riders you need to know and when you can watch them.

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BMX STREET

Grinding a ledge in front of Staples Center

Event Description:

The Street competition showcases riders performing tricks in a concrete plaza, complete with stair sets, banks, manual pads and ledges.

Past Winners:

Garrett Reynolds has won gold in both years of the contest’s existence.

Athletes You Need To Know:

Garrett Reynolds: Garrett powered through a four-in-a-row winning streak for street competitions in ’07 and ’08, taking gold at X Games-related events in Mexico and Dubai in ’07 and Brazil in ’08, then won gold at the debut of BMX Street at XG 2008 in Los Angeles, and again in 2009. Also a significant threat in park, he took second behind Dave Mirra at the Dew Tour season opener in June ’09. A rapid-fire barrage of technical moves leaves competitors playing catch-up, and many of them showed their respect by voting him the NORA Cup award for Street Rider of the Year in Sept. 2008.

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Van Homan: With a career built on landmark video parts, Homan has a legendary reputation as an immensely skilled overall rider and one of street riding’s top innovators. He’s still keeping the new wave of teenage street riding talent in check, clinching BMX Street silver at XG 2008 and bronze in 2009. His fans voted him the NORA Cup Street Rider of the Year from 2000 to 2003, and he’s now giving back with Two by Four, the bike/skate shops he owns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which help build and strengthen the scenes in the same places he rode when he was growing up.

Other Athletes:

Dennis Enarson, Josh Harrington, Brian Kachinsky, Kevin Kiraly, Dan Lacey, Corey Martinez, Ty Morrow, Dakota Roche, Aaron Ross, Sean Sexton, Brad Simms, Nathan Williams, Rob Wise

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BMX PARK

Event Description:

Park is a transition-based event on a fast-flowing course completely made of concrete and wood. It’s created to replicate a skatepark with continuously flowing lines and huge transitions.

Past Winners:

Scotty Cranmer (’09)

Athletes You Need To Know:

Scotty Cranmer: As the 2008 contest season approached, many thought that Scotty was equipped to slow the merciless rout that Park competitors were suffering at the hands of Daniel Dhers. Unfortunately, a broken foot sustained in early May ’08 took Cranmer out for the rest of the year, and Dhers won practically every event he entered. Scotty is fully healed and back on his game, and with everything from huge 360 and flair variations to maddeningly technical combos, he’s a fierce competitor. He returned to X Games in 2009 and took gold for his fourth Park medal at X Games.

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Diogo Canina: Known for riding with a wide-open style, Brazil’s Diogo Canina charges through the park course with no fear whatsoever. He backs up full-throttle moves like massive flairs and sky-high quarterpipe inverts with technical opposite tailwhip and 360 variations, a combination that helped him earn the silver medal in Park at his first X Games in ’08. His hard-charging attitude is exciting to watch, eliciting both cheers and gasps as he pulls progressive moves and narrowly escapes some gnarly crashes. He also took a silver medal last year at X Games 15.

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Dave Mirra: Mirra has earned at least one medal in every X Games he’s competed in and is the most decorated athlete in XG history, with 23 medals overall. He made his XG debut in two events in ’08 and medaled in both, earning silver in BMX Big Air and co-bronze (with Ken Block) in Rally Car Racing. He has since been named 2008 Rookie of the Year by Rally America, and he won the Park event at the Dew Tour season opener in June ’09. A fierce competitor whether he’s gripping the wheel of his Subaru or the handlebars on his bike, Mirra returns in 2010 for his 15th X Games appearance.

Other Athletes:

Brett Banasiewicz, Drew Bezanson, Corey Bohan, Rob Darden, Daniel Dhers, Brandon Dosch, Chris Doyle, Dennis Enarson, Ryan Guettler, Chase Hawk, Harry Main, Ryan Nyquist, Garret Reynolds, Jeremiah Smith, Morgan Wade, Mark Webb, Gary Young

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• The BMX Street Elimination will take place on Friday, July 30th, at LA Live from 12:30-2pm, and will begin airing at 2pm on ESPN
• The BMX Street Finals will take place at LA Live on Sunday, August 1st, from 10:45am-12:00pm and will air on ESPN starting at 1pm

• The BMX Park Elimination will take place on Thursday, July 29th, at the LA Live from 10:15am-12:00pm and will air on ESPN at 2pm
• The BMX Park Finals will take place at LA Live on Saturday, July 31st, from 11:00am-12:130pm and will air on ESPN starting at 2pm
• Get your tickets to X Games here