2025 USA BMX Season Opener on FloBikes
The 2025 USA BMX season kicked off last weekend in Rock Hill, South Carolina and the racing was absolutely ELECTRIC! Lot’s of changes on the season, with the format being changed as well as the racing being broadcast on FloBikes and adding more insider information, interviews, and content to the broadcast.
I had the honor of hosting the inaugural event and I had an absolute blast! I will recap the weekend with some of my thoughts here, and in the meantime - don’t forget to subscribe so you can catch the rest of the season on FloBikes!
Carolina Nationals: March 28-30
Golden State Nationals: April 25-27
Legacy Nationals: May 9-11
Music City Nationals: May 23-25
Spring Nationals: June 6-8
Land O' Lakes Nationals: July 11-13
Derby City Nationals: August 29-31
North West Gold Cup Finals: September 12-14
South Central Gold Cup Finals: September 26-28
Texas Nationals: October 3-5
Race of Champions/Grandnationals: November 26-30
The season opener is always a tough event. Even though it has only been a few months, it feels like it has been FOREVER since you had a chance to race. Instead of being in the rhythm like you are midseason, everything feels a little rusty, and you have to rebuild that momentum and start the rhythm.
As for us on the broadcast team, this was our first time ever doing this event, so we had a blank canvas. We had a lot of fun on the pre-production calls as we mapped out how we wanted the show to flow and come across to the viewer. Of course, we wanted to do a hundred different things, but being the first ones there, there was only so much we could do. We learned a lot from the event and look forward to what we can continue to bring to the viewers at home in the future. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to reach out!
ABA Futures:
This was the inaugural event for the ABA futures, and it did not disappoint. It was awesome to see just how many talented young athletes the sport has coming up. I was particularly impressed by Chris Felker’s dominant performance on Friday and Alexis Alden’s domination from the outside lanes.
Vet Pro:
This one was all about Jeff Upshaw. Jeff uses his long legs to really maximize the technical side of the Rock Hill Track. I look for Nic Long to be better off some of the flatter hills later in the year, along with Barry Nobles.
Women Pro:
There were almost two classes here. Saya Sakakibara and then everyone else. The 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist was untouchable and in great form on the weekend, not losing a lap. I pushed her in her finish line interviews to see if she would commit to the series, but she was noncommittal. With eight scores counting towards the championship, and two already down, she is 25% of the way there already. I know I want to see her contest the rest of the series, but I doubt the rest of the women’s pro class dies.
Men Pro:
The level in the men’s pro class right now is so high. Just the tiniest of errors, and you can drop back multiple positions. The cut on Friday night was 7 points, which was BRUTAL. It was a more reasonable 11 points on Saturday, which opened things up a little but more. Cam Wood and Izaac Kennedy picked up right where they left off last season, trading the 2 days wins. They did that multiple weekends last year, and the stage is set for the two of them to continue their battle into 2025. Eddy Clerte showed great speed, as did Simon Marquart. I was expecting more out of Kamren Larsen at his home track, so I expect a bounceback from him at the next round in Bakersfield, California.
As for me, it was truly my honor to help the athletes share their stories and help the fans get to know these incredible people even more. I can’t wait for the next round!
