“BMX racers are the most skilled cyclists in the world, from sprinting to negotiating jumps, BMX racers develop these skills at a very young age. It’s great that the media will finally witness these skills, The Today Show is just the start of the media coverage our sport is about to receive.” Said Clayton John, ABA President
The show will air April 30th from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM and will not only highlight our potential BMX Olympians, The Today show will also give some of the top amateurs in the World the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on Rockefeller Plaza. Conner Fields, Christopher Blevins, Anthony Derosa, Kristen Long as well as SI Kids "Youth Athlete of the Year" Brock Heffron and ABA's current National #1 Amateur Nic Long will all be in attendance.
“After 32 years of organizing and promoting the sport in the United States the American Bicycle Association is excited about the exposure, notoriety and legitimacy the Olympics will bring to the sport.” stated B.A. Anderson, ABA Vice President.
The entire project with the Today Show was made possible by a collaborative effort from the American Bicycle Association and ABA national sponsors Fly Racing, FireMagic Premium Grills, Jigaloo lubricant, and GT Bicycles with help from Free Agent, NBL and USA Cycling. To add even more Olympic flare to the show Pierce Barker of Pro Gate is providing a scaled down version of the actual Olympic Starting gate. UCI track builder Tom Ritz, the ABA staff and Kevin O’Brien will be on site to construct the first ever BMX track on Rockefeller Plaza.
The American Bicycle Association (ABA) "The Sanctioning Body of BMX", continues its diligent promotion of the sport. Now, after weeks of preparations, negotiations and working with the bicycle industry and supportive sponsors it announces a spotlight appearance on NBC's Today Show. NBC's leading morning news and information show has scheduled a demonstration and feature of BMX, the newest Olympic sport for Wednesday, April 30th 2008. The Today Show will feature USA's top BMX Olympic hopefuls Kyle Bennett, Donny Robinson and Arielle Martin. The true excitement is that an actual dirt BMX track will be constructed in Rockefeller Plaza for this first ever demonstration. The abbreviated track will feature a starting hill with electronic gate, a 120' straight, a roller section and a 16" double jump for Kyle, Donny and Arielle to showcase their skills. It's even rumored that some of the hosts of the show may even give it a try.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.