It’s hard to believe, but X Games has been pushing BMX since the inaugural event in Rhode Island in 1995, and in the time since, X Games has become synonymous with legendary names from Mat Hoffman to Ryan Nyquist to Garrett Reynolds. The annual competition has also helped more than a fair share of riders make a career out of either riding in the competition, building dirt jumps, and/or creating bowl corners wherever needed. We’re looking at you, Ryan Corrigan.
In 2024, X Games returns to Ventura, California for three solid days of beachside competitions, and the BMX lineup is completely stacked. What follows is a preview of each event, along with riders to look out for.
New for this year, X Games is going all in on their commitment to women’s action sports. And for the first time ever, Women’s BMX Park will be a medaled event at X. According to X Games, “We’re doubling down on our commitment to the progression of women’s sports, with the debut of Women’s BMX Park in Ventura as a medaled event. The field of invited riders will include several Olympians, including Team USA’s Hannah Roberts who earned silver at Tokyo 2020.”
Joining Roberts on the Women’s BMX Park course at Ventura 2024 is a stacked invite list of riders, including Perris Benegas, Natalya Diehm, Kim Lea Müller, Lara Lessmann, Angie Marino, Nene Naito, and Macarena Perez.
Considering that Paris 2024 is just a month after X Games, it’s difficult to say who might go all in at X Games, but it could be a toss up between Perris Benegas and Hannah Roberts. Regardless of who wins, it’s great to see X Games including a Women’s BMX Park event. And that’s a win for BMX in itself.
Women’s BMX Park finals go down Friday, June 28 at X Games Ventura 2024.
Starting in the mid ‘00s, X Games has pursued BMX Street as a discipline, and since those early years, BMX Street has been all about one name: Garrett Reynolds. Though Reynolds has taken a silver medal in select years to riders such as Sean Sexton and Chad Kerley, he’s also the winningest BMX Street rider of all time at X Games, and his medal count is right up with Shaun White and Mark McMorris.
In 2024, Reynolds, now the vet, is back for another chance to eclipse Shaun White’s medal count. And he hasn’t been slacking by any means. Check out any IG clip from Garrett, and it’s evident that his ability to ride his new backyard ramps or any curb in the San Diego area translates well to the X Games BMX Street course.
Joining Garrett is Courage Adams, Jordan Godwin, Boyd Hilder, Lewis Mills, Kevin Peraza, Felix Prangenberg, and Devon Smillie. Though you can never count Garrett out, that invite list is straight up stacked and will make Garrett fight for the gold.
BMX Street finals go down Friday, June 28 at X Games Ventura 2024.
In 1995, Canadian Jay Miron took home the first gold medal in BMX Dirt at The Extreme Games. Almost 30 years later, Miron is happily retired in Vancouver, B.C. and a new generation of competitive dirt riders are redefining what is possible in X Games BMX Dirt.
This year, the dirt course consists of four jumps, and riders are scored based on their ability to trick each jump, land smoothly, and so on and so forth. Some riders, such as Ryan Williams, take the go big or go home route, while other riders, such as Mike Varga, typically get in a safety run before trying to up the ante. Last year, NY via CA transplant Brady Baker walked away with the win, but BMX Dirt has always been anyone’s game at X Games. And from Miron to Baker, that is evidenced in the nearly 30 years of BMX Dirt gold medalists.
BMX Dirt goes down Saturday at X Games Ventura 2024. But that’s not all, BMX Dirt Best Trick concludes X Games on Sunday, June 30.
It’s been a long time since Dave Mirra was throwing double backflips during BMX Park (24 years actually), but the BMX Park field has grown by leaps and bounds since the days of Mirra, Nyquist, and even Daniel Dhers (who dominated for a few years there.)
This year, Daniel Sandoval and Kevin Peraza are the seasoned vets, with an international selection of young upstarts knocking at their door. From the UK’s Kieran Reilly (son of Gordon 😉) to Australia’s Boyd Hilder, BMX Park is truly anyone’s game. Joining these riders are Marcus Christopher, Josh Dove, Justin Dowell, Anthony Jeanjean, and Jose Torres.
This year, because X Games Ventura 2024 goes down just a month before the Paris Olympics, some familiar names aren’t on the X Games invite list. But that’s not to say that the riders invited are substitutes. Rather, they’re the badasses that don’t necessarily fit into an Olympic jersey and in Boyd Hilder’s case, may jump out of the course. And that’s the true spirit of X Games – stepping out of bounds and doing what you want.
BMX Park goes down Saturday at X Games Ventura 2024. But that’s not all, Dave Mirra’s BMX Park Best Trick runs at X Games on Sunday, June 30. Though Mirra sadly passed away in 2016, X Games has done an incredible job at keeping his spirit alive through the Best Trick event, as well as advancing the sport.
X Games returns to the beaches of Ventura for the 2024 summer edition! Bigger and better than ever before, don't miss the world's best Skateboard, BMX, and Moto X athletes as they compete for gold during three days of heart-pounding, non-stop action sports! Tickets on HERE sale now!
VIEW THE FULL X GAMES SCHEDULE HERE
