BMX street is one of the most frequently evolving sports in the world. Fashions come and go as pro riders flit between the contest scene and their latest video release. In Rwanda, things are a bit different.
It started with a chance encounter, stumbling across some second-hand BMX bikes from the United States in a Nigeria shop. And following a trawl of some internet videos, it has spawned into a burgeoning BMX scene in the city’s capital, Lagos, transcending socio-economic backgrounds. Here is all you need to know:
- The BMX scene only really started six years ago as rider Star Boy, aka Matthew Temitope, a mechanic in Lagos, was among those to stumble across some vintage 1980s freestyle BMXs. After watching videos with friends on his phone and in internet cafes, they began to try out their own style of tricks.