Miscellaneous
The X Games. By many thought of as the Super Bowl for action sports. While I haven't personally agreed with everything the X Games have done over the years, it's done a lot of good for action sports, and BMX in general. The 2020 Olympics are right around the corner, and BMX park is a medal competition for the first time in Olympic history. Not just for the guys though! The upcoming Olympics will also host the first women's BMX Park competition as well. Which leaves the women wondering, how is it possible that the Olympics are including women's BMX Park, before the X Games? A lot of people in the BMX industry are wondering why it hasn't happened yet, and one of the women seeking answers is Nina Buitrago. Nina has been riding BMX for almost 20 years. Since the beginning of her BMX career, Nina has worked tirelessly to get women recognized as legitimate and capable talent in demos and contests around the globe. You may have seen Nina's Instagram post a couple of weeks ago alerting the world that the women would not be doing another demo at this years X Games as they had done in years past, and they were officially boycotting the event. So Nina and the rest of the women felt now was the time they needed to take a stand for what they believe in. We spoke to Nina a few days after her post on Instagram announcing the boycott of this years X Games and discussed the importance of a women's BMX park medal event, what X Games officials told her in response as to why there would be no contest for the women, details of some of the past demos the BMX women put on at X Games, putting in hard work behind the scenes to make other women's events possible, being a part of Team USA, being the voice of a women's BMX movement, her favorite type of riding, suffering a compound fracture at a recent contest in Japan, and what it's like being a woman in a sport, made up of mostly men. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most influential women in BMX Freestyle... Nina Buitrago.