Dream a step closer

Young master: Jett Larby, won the amateur class at the freestyle BMX park nationals. Here he does a flip. Pictures by Haimona Ngata

BMX

GISBORNE BMX rider Jett Larby’s dream of one day becoming a professional rider came one step closer to reality last weekend.

Larby dominated the amateur field of the first annual New Zealand BMX Park Nationals in his first competition.

He said he found it nerve-racking and challenging to put together a full run in a competition format.

Larby is at the skatepark every day the weather is good, and has an airbag he uses as a landing at weekends with his friends.

The airbag practice with his friends has paid off. Larby is able to consistently land backflips and 720 spins, which are both high-risk/high-reward manoeuvres.

His passion for biking grew from watching BMX Youtubers such as Nitro Circus athlete Ryan Williams and former professional rider Scotty Cranmer.

Local rider and event organiser Haimona Ngata said Larby’s ability to do the big tricks regularly and with consistency was key to his success.

The next step for Larby would be to take the big tricks to something like a “spine” or a “box jump”, he said.

The event was the first of its kind in the country, and the intention was to grow ties with Cycling New Zealand.

BMX made its Olympic debut in 2008, with racing. A freestyle category would also be included at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ngata said the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics had legitimised another pathway for up-and-coming BMX riders to become professionals.

Despite New Zealand’s strong BMX scene, Kiwi riders struggled to compete internationally due to a lack of suitable training facilities, he said.

“The skatepark riding is up there. We’re just let down by the size of the skateparks, which are quite small.”