It’s an honour to live in a time when there are still so many firsts happening in BMX, especially in Women’s BMX. Decades later since the very first X Games competition, it took new investors with a fresh set of eyes to finally add Women’s BMX park to the lineup. A lot happened, so here’s a run down on what went down during the week.
everyone was together
I would say the initial feeling of, “I can’t believe I’m here” started even before arriving at the venue. X Games was something we watched at a very young age, it was maybe for most of us, the first time we saw BMX at any star-studded competitive level. Things became more real as the women arrived to check in and get their headshots done. I have to give a big shoutout to the X Games staff, they were so friendly and supportive and they really made sure we had everything we needed that week. After getting headshots done, the athlete’s lounge was where we spent most of our downtime. It was a really cool environment to share with all the athletes; BMX, skate, moto, and legends alike. It also had everything you needed. Need a haircut? They got you. Need a massage? No problem. Need snacks? They had plenty. Free daily Acai bowls? Oh yeah… More importantly, what made X Games special was that we all hung out together, there was no hostility or hanging with just your countrymen … everyone was together.
Ok, let’s talk about practice. What happened to Nina Buitrago, why we didn’t see Japan’s Nene Naito in finals and where Cory Coffey came from. Both practice days were very windy, it definitely made being in the air that much more sketchy and we had some gnarly crashes as a result.
Nina was coughing up blood every day.
During the first practice, Nina had a crash and she was on the ground for a while trying to catch her breath. She took damage to her knee and had to get a number of stitches to her elbow. Despite what followed, Nina was cleared to ride, would I have? Probably not, but honestly this made her a legend and I don’t think people know. Following the crash, Nina was sent to the hospital for CT scans and X Rays, she had a mild pulmonary contusion aka a bruised lung which caused her breathing to feel like it was on fire. I honestly did not feel Nina should have rode finals, it was just too risky given what she was going through, but obviously, I didn’t tell her that even when Nina was coughing up blood every day.
So this was the part that made Nina a legend, she was determined to ride. Come finals, not only did Nina drop in, but she also double-pegged a feature that I’m pretty sure no one, including the men even bothered to touch. Pain, injury, antibiotics, despite it all, Nina came to shred for a shed, that’s right, if you notice the logo that’s on her shirt, she traded prime real-estate advertising for a to-be custom-built shed by Amarx Construction. I know everyone talks about the single Slim Jim sticker that Dave Mirra rocked for thousands of dollars, but this is probably up there for me in terms of epic advertising deals.
she fractured her orbital bone
Japan’s Nene Naito was in the US for the very first time, unfortunately, it didn’t end up being the best possible experience for her with her crashing on the first day and taking most of the impact to her head. Nene was unfortunately out for a few minutes, she was stretchered off the course and we later learned that she fractured her orbital bone. That unfortunately was the end of her 2024 X Games Ventura competition as she wasn’t cleared to ride after that, but I truly believe Nene will get another chance to compete in the future.
“I can’t believe this dude”
With one rider officially out, X Games was out of alternates to choose from, but then came Cory Coffey; who was there to just support, but then ended up getting pulled in to ride. It was the right moment and the right time. Legend Chad Kagy knew Cory from way back when and asked her if she had her bike and helmet, not only did she have that, but she also had her entire family for this momentous occasion. With immense glee, Cory was in, “I can’t believe this dude” she said to Angie and I as we crossed paths. To have two of the most pioneering women in the first Women’s BMX X Games competition was truly special and I’m sure a full-circle moment for these women.
Worth noting as well, that we almost saw Brazil’s Duda Penso in the mix, but unfortunately, she missed out on the opportunity to be an alternate. Duda was there the entire time to support and spectate, but by the time the organizers realized who she was, the opportunity to add more riders had closed.
On the topic of optimism and the universe doing great things, as we know our very own Angie Marino had a really bad injury in May that derailed not only her Olympic experience but also X Games as well, to say she was sad was an understatement and the universe definitely was not feeling chill towards her. But the universe finally said, “Ok, you had enough, you can’t ride but let’s put you on the broadcast”. In my opinion, there was NO ONE better to accompany Scotty Cranmer and Jimmy Coleman on the broadcast but Angie Marino. Having the experience, knowledge and the personal relationships that she has with each of the riders, Angie was able to give us a unique perspective during the broadcast and with her typical Angie style sass, she corrected the boys as needed. I’m personally super stoked for this new addition to her already stacked resume.
she corrected the boys
Let’s briefly talk about the big day. Practice days 1 and 2 prepared the women for an equally windy competition day. I won’t go through the details since you can just watch the entire X Games competition below, but I will say a few things. The vibes were high, everyone was stoked and I saw smiles.
Everyone Watches Women’s Sports!
TOGETHXR
What else can I say about this experience, other than Everyone Watches Women’s Sports! Don’t believe me? Let’s look at just the X Games reel numbers, in the million dollar club is moto rider Patrick Evans with 4.1 million views on a single reel, followed by skater Mia Kretzer with 3 million and then Perris Begenas with 2.6 million views. Collectively, in just reels alone, Women’s BMX brought X Games over 3 million views (Over 3 x more than men’s park collectively). People are interested, they’re engaged, they’re talking and the fans are passionate.
We can’t wait until the next X Games competition!
Final Results
- Hannah Roberts – United States of America 90.00
- Perris Benegas – United States of America 85.00
- Kim Mueller – Germany 84.33
- Macarena Perez – Chile 83.00
- Nikita Ducarroz – Switzerland 82.66
- Natalya Diehm – Australia 82.00
- Lara Lessmann – Germany 76.66
- Teresa Fernandez Miranda – Spain 72.00
- Nina Buitrago – United States of America 49.33
- Cory Coffey – United States of America 38.00
