Chile's BMX craze - 23rd September 2022

BMX riders in Santiago, Chile gathered for World BMX day. The athletes, escorted by the police, moved en masse through the city, occupying streets and squares, performing tricks and taking part in performances and competitions.

Diego Galdames is Chile's number one BMX rider.

Diego Galdames: "For me, being a rider is being free. You get on your bike, and it's as if you entered a world apart. You begin to enjoy it. And all the people who practise this sport then start to be your family and more than just people you know."

BMX or bicycle motocross, to give it its full name, began in southern California in the 1970s with kids trying to emulate off-road motorcycle racing on their pedal bikes. The sport became a craze and took off, becoming a recognised sport in 1981.

Track racing over courses with lots of berms, bumps and jumps was featured in the Beijing Olympics of 2008, while the Tokyo 2020 Olympics broadened its horizons, showcasing stunt or freestyle BMX as a medalling sport, where riders flaunt their spins and acrobatics.

Elite Chilean BMX rider Ivan Galdames attributes the sport's far reaching success to its diversity.

Iván Galdames: "Well, the truth is that BMX is a lifestyle because it can be done on the street, on a ramp - it's super free. Everyone looks for their modality where it suits them best. As I told you, it's a lifestyle because every moment that I do it, I disconnect from any situation, whether good or bad. It's just me and my bike."

An accessible and relatively cheap sport, BMX attracts participants of all ages, with many competitions open to beginners as well as elite athletes.

Claudio Rodriguez organised the BMX day in Santiago.

Claudio Rodriguez: "This event is meant to celebrate BMX, and motivate many people to practise it. Make it known in different parts of the city and make the sport as popular as possible."

The growing passion for BMX in Chile has seen a world class bike park constructed in the city of Sante Fe, which will welcome the World Championships, in November 2022.