Who else feels on top of the world when riding your BMX? The Bicycle Motocross has been a style symbol and a popular culture for the past few decades. These days, Millennials are trying to ride like the best BMX riders of all time, so repeat after me – All hail the BMX legends!
There are many BMX riders with notable contributions to the sport. Some were the pioneers of the game, and others were inventors of multifold tricks and stunts. While we have BMX legends like Scot Breithaupt and Dennis McCoy, a few extremely skillful BMX riders today are remarkable.
The BMX craze started with someone who wanted to have fun with his buddies on a BMX, which became a phenomenon. Although the BMX world is bigger than ever, it’s popularity was only possible thanks to the BMX sports’ legends. This listicle blog post is a tribute to all the deceased and living Best BMX Riders of all time.
Contents
- The 25 Best BMX Riders
- Garrett Reynolds
- Mat Hoffman
- Dennis Enarson
- Jamie Bestwick
- Tinker Juarez
- Ryan Williams
- John Tomac
- Craig Campbell
- Bob Haro
- Scot Alexander Breithaupt
- Dennis McCoy
- Daniel Dhers
- Ryan Nyquist
- Dave Mirra
- Danny Nelson
- Jason Jensen
- Greg Esser
- Dakota Roche
- Charlie Litsky
- Byron Friday
- Darrel Young
- Cecil Johns
- Tim Judge
- Tracer Finn
- Clarence Perry
- Conclusion
The 25 Best BMX Riders
We pay our respect to these BMX legends, not only for their achievements but also for motivating others, for example, kids who want to be just like these superstars. After all, every BMX biker has a role model to look up to or become as successful as their idol. Now, hold on to your BMX tight because this will be a bustling ride down memory lane. Here is a list of all 25 best BMX riders of all time in no particular order.
- Garrett Reynolds
- Mat Hoffman
- Dennis Enarson
- Jamie Bestwick
- Tinker Juarez
- Ryan Williams
- John Tomac
- Craig Campbell
- Bob Haro
- Scot Alexander Breithaupt
- Dennis McCoy
- Daniel Dhers
- Ryan Nyquist
- Dave Mirra
- Danny Nelson
- Jason Jensen
- Greg Esser
- Dakota Roche
- Charlie Litsky
- Byron Friday
- Darrel Young
- Cecil Johns
- Tim Judge
- Tracer Finn
- Clarence Perry
In every sport, legends (the best players of all time) are recognized for motivating kids to play that sport and become the best. The same goes for BMX as well. We see these best BMX bikers as sources of inspiration to look up to as a role model.
We have carefully listed the best BMX riders; these were the people who shaped BMX sports as it is today. They are the best BMX riders of all time and more…
Let’s kick-off the list of legends.
Garrett Reynolds
This young man was born on August 2, 1990. He was already competing at the age of 12, and since then, there has been no stopping him. Starting from New Jersey, he finished in first place at X games – BMX street, Minneapolis, USA.
Garrett is one of the finest BMX street riders in the world. He still finds time to go on “filming missions” with his friends, which shows his love for the sport. Garrett Reynolds also has his bike company by the name “Fiend.”
Mat Hoffman
https://youtu.be/_VAOTW6fwfg?t=14
Mat is now 48 years young (his date of birth is January 9, 1972). Started his career as a BMX freestyle cyclist, he is now an established businessman with Hoffman bikes, selling one of the finest bikes in the industry. He is a celebrated actor in the Jackass series.
Moreover, he has a net worth of about $18 million, thanks to his companies and productions. This Oklahoma guy has a video game under his name, and he has been a feature of many TV shows and documentaries.
If he is your nr. 1 BMX legend, it comes as no surprise to us. A testimony to his passion for the game comes from ESPN; Mat Hoffman has broken 60 bones in the name of BMX love. What a guy!
Dennis Enarson
This ten times X-Games winner, Dennis Enarson, is famous for his street skills. The Cannonball bar spin is one of the many tricks up his sleeves. Born in La Mesa, California, USA, Dennis is “street smart.”
Aged only 29, this guy is a star with no grey areas. He was born on April 19, 1991. Dennis designed a BMX skatepark for Dew Tour, he has his signature BMX frame by Haro Bikes, and his podcast started in 2019 by the name “Unclicked.” This, folks, is the legend of Dennis Enarson.
Jamie Bestwick
Coming from England, Jamie has won 13 gold medals at Vert Events of X Games. He worked as an engineer for Rolls-Royce; that was before he quit his job to become a professional BMXer.
Born on July 8, 1971, this English BMX rock star only started riding his bike to socialize more with his friends. Many people call him “unbeatable” at BMX events; especially, Vert.
Tinker Juarez
Tinker is a true BMX legend and a star of this industry during the early ’80s. His real name is David, and he celebrates his birthday on March 4; he was born in 1961.
This guy won a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 1995. Tinker was the kind of BMX rider who had an affection for fans whether he finished first or last.
Tinker Juarez is a BMX Hall of Famer and still rides today at 59 years of age. He has been a loyal representative of Cannondale for a couple of decades. If you are looking for BMX inspiration, he is your man!
Ryan Williams
Ryan is very Australian and very stylish. R-Willy is a young BMX athlete from Greenland, Australia. He also has his YouTube channel since 2008, and he has over 1.4M subscribers.
Ryan was born on June 22, 1994, with a passion for “big air tricks.” Ryan Williams is the future of BMX, having many of the world’s first tricks associated with his name. His notable stunt is the “first triple frontflip” on a BMX.
John Tomac
Mr. Tomac is an all-American professional cyclist. Now retired, his early career involves competing against BMX legends Mike Chapman, Tim Root, and Tony Carnes.
His cycling career’s success depends a lot on BMX, although he was included in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame (1991). Coming from Michigan, USA, Johnny T was born on November 3, 1967.
Craig Campbell
Craig is a real rock star. Born in Essex, Great Britain, on July 16, 1969, he started his career as a BMX rider and pioneered the freestyle era of the ’80s. Mr. Campbell was one of the few first European riders who participated in events on American soil.
As previously mentioned about being a rock star, he now works as a Disc Jockey. He is an inspiration for many British BMX cyclists. Craig was the representative of Bob Haro as well (1st non-American BMX rider for this sponsorship). He rose to popularity soon after the sponsorship from Haro Bikes.
Bob Haro
This Californian entrepreneur was not always an elite business executive (the owner of Haro Bikes). He was born on June 29, 1958, in Pasadena, California.
He won over fifty competitions before 1975. After that, he started his BMX career and became one of the most notable BMX riders of all time. He is an inventor of Flatland BMX bikes.
Scot Alexander Breithaupt
This list would have been incomplete if it was not for one of the founding fathers of BMX. “Old Man” was born on July 14, 1957, in Long Beach, California, USA. He sadly passed away in 2015 at the age of 57.
He was an old-school BMX rider and a true pioneer. Scot started the first sanctioning body, which had rules in 1970. This induction was a key development for the BMX industry. Later he became the California State Champion in 1972, and the list of his professional accomplishments could get quite long.
Dennis McCoy
“The real McCoy” was born on December 29, 1966, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He is one of the pioneers of freestyle BMX sports. Dennis has been participating in X-Games for 23 years – this has to be some kind of a record, right?
He was Bab Haro’s representative in 1985 and a feature of Matt Hoffman’s video game in 2001. “DMC” was a feature of several episodes of Road Fools. Dennis McCoy is a real BMX legend still considered as a “BMX Institute.”
Daniel Dhers
Aged 35, this Venezuelan BMX rider has been on the scene with style, grace, and skills. His date of birth is March 25, 1985. Upon his parents’ move to Argentina, he was able to ride more professionally with pros.
This decorated BMX rider of all time won gold medals at the X-Games in ’07, ’08, and ’10. He now runs a Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex in North Carolina.
Ryan Nyquist
If you talk about medals, prizes, and runner-ups, Ryan Nyquist will come into your mind. He is a 16 times X-Games medalist, 39 times X-Games event starter, and 60 times a Dew Tours finalist.
His skills are diverse, and that makes him one of the best BMX riders of all time. Born on March 6, 1979, Ryan has a long and accomplished career. Some of his BMX skills are backflip variations, truck drivers, and double bar spins.
Dave Mirra
Dave Mirra is known for holding the “most medals in X-Games” record during his prime. Enrolled in the BMX hall of fame in 2016, he had passed away earlier that year.
Dave also started his bike company after being a representative of Haro Bikes for years. This New Yorker BMX specialist was born on April 4, 1974. The reason for his death was suicide, at the age of only 41. From 1995 to 2009, he won a medal in “every” single X-Games contest.
Danny Nelson
Popularly known as “Thunder,” Danny Lee Nelson started his professional career as a BMX rider in 1992. He is a winner on the BMX racecourse and off the field (as a business executive).
Danny was born on May 3, 1975, and he belongs to Simi Valley, California, USA. Simi Valley is a renowned home to many national number 1’s. Fanny Nelson is one of the five best BMX riders of all time who won the “triple crown of BMX,” i.e., all three major titles.
When he announced his retirement, he was number two in ABA rankings. BMX fans around the world respect and pay their tribute to this legendary BMX biker, “Thunder Dan.”
Jason Jensen
Jason was a role model for all BMX kids because of his talent as a young racer. He was a “complete package” for bike companies with his long blond hair and matchless game days skills.
Also known as “Juicy Jaws,” he became the world champion at Indy in 1980. Today, young BMX racers look up to him as an inspiration for getting sponsorships at such an early age.
Greg Esser
This East Coast racer was a pioneer of the game. Greg has been number one on numerous occasions. MCS and GT Bicycles are, to name a few, companies that sponsored him.
He started his career in Florida and became one of the first BMX riders to race on the west coast. His father, George Esser, was also the founder of the National Bicycle League (NBL).
Dakota Roche
Dakota is one of the finest freestylers of the BMX trade. He has a big interest in filming BMX riding, and he has released beautiful films and intrigues everyone’s interest in BMX.
He was born on July 21, 1987. Coming from Huntington Beach, CA, USA, he earned huge respect from even his competitors in the game. He is easily the favorite of many BMX riders in today’s world.
Charlie Litsky
As described by Daryl Price, Charlie Litsky was a heck of a rider with a knack for inclusion. After a track race, he died of a heart attack at the age of only 31 in 1993. This greatly loved cyclist is a true legend who is dearly missed by many. He was the founder of the BMX trend in his hometown, i.e., New Jersey, USA.
He was not only a racer but also a role model who accelerated BMX cycling in the Northeast. He was a spokesperson for the BMX industry with his comprehensive traits and as an announcer.
Byron Friday
Another hall of Famer, Byron Friday, is necessary for our list of 25 best BMX bikers of all times. He was a class act and a participant in the first-ever BMX bikes’ tour across the USA.
Byran first started his professional career as a BMX rider in 1974. He was an international promoter and a face of the BMX industry.
Darrel Young
Darrel was born on May 7, 1966, and belonged to Oregon, USA. He was the 1987 Pro Oregon Champion and stayed in the top 3 positions of Pro Cruiser National from 1991 – 1993.
He was praised as one of the fastest racers in 1983. This retired legend is an old-school BMX rider whose career ended with a hip injury in a state championship race.
Cecil Johns
Cecil was more than a BMX artist; he was a pro bodybuilder with a witty and flamboyant personality. He taught many bikers to ride like him and coined many terms in the BMX industry.
This outspoken BMX biker had a sudden death due to a heart attack. Cecil passed away in 2004. Cecil Johns was an inspirational and genuine legend. Today, the world remembers this built-up BMX biker with a tribute frame under his name.
Tim Judge
Tim Judge was born on July 8, 1964. This BMX legend pioneered the One-footer (A jumping stunt where the biker takes one foot off the pedal while at high altitude). “Here Comes Da Judge” in our list of best BMX bikers of all times.
Table Top (another one footer stunt) is an inspiration from Time Judge’s jumping skills. “Da Judge” is alive and kicking at the age of 56 in Miami, USA. American BMXer included Judge in the top 100 greatest BMXers of all times.
Tracer Finn
When we talk about Los Angeles’s introduction to the BMXing world, Tracer Finn is the name that comes to mind. He lost half of his pinky finger due to an accident during the ABA Gold Cup Championship.
This Sin City guy has been inducted into the BMX hall of fame for all that he has meant to the BMX sport. With a successful BMX career, Tracer Finn was also a mentor to new BMX bikers.
Clarence Perry
Nicknamed “The Earthquake”, Clarence Perry began his BMX career in 1977, and it took him 22 years to have a signature bike under his name (in 1999). Rumour has it; when he would pull up into the starting grid, a rumble would go round.
When the starting gate dropped, he took off with such high-speed the earth would shake and tremble, which is why he is known as Clarence “The Earthquake” Perry. He has been an “All-Star” for the past four decades. Due to his excellent sportsmanship, this large biker was always a fan favorite and always will be.
Conclusion
The BMX world is forever indebted to these BMX riding legends, a debt that can never be paid off. Supporters and fans around the world have been following these stars for decades.
Mad respect respect for all of these guys. This article serves as a memorial for the retired, current, and, sadly, deceased BMX legends and idols who made our list of 25 Best BMX Bikers of All Time.
I’m an aged skateboarder and still shred responsibly. Started skateboarding 25 years ago, peaked in the 2000’s, and still ride to this day. I am a total geek when it comes to skateboard gear, love test to stuff and share my findings.