BMX, Beers & Bullshit - The Official Podcast

A few weeks back racers and their families, who collectively had spent millions dollars to race the 2024 UCI BMX World Championships, experienced Swiss efficiency and precision at its finest as a quarter of them had their race day cut short and participation ribbons handed out to everyone who bothered to show up to presentation on that auspicious Wednesday afternoon.
On half of the podcast team was there, and this is his story. Not yet complete as the silks become embroiled in a battle of "watch what you say son". Still, we tell the story of others that we heard from after the rug was pulled out from under them, and we relay the thoughts of some racers and parents who were there and felt robbed, but are afraid to speak out for fear of repercussions. Never mind the tens of thousands that they spent. 
This is KY's, and anonymous(s)  stories..... 

We get together after Tulsa to discuss what went down (a lot of riders in reality), and KY talks about his upcoming shot at the Master's title at Rock Hill and whether it's the real deal. 
We then dive into what it takes on race week to be successful at the World Championship level. How you make the most of your practice and how to manage race day. This all from a rider that has raced the biggest show on earth.
Then the juicy stuff, the aproaching-60 half of the podcast has become peptide curious in his quest to live past 100 years old, while still riding BMX. 

Don't be fooled by the clickbait title, everything in the Boy's BMX world is just fine. They just wish it was 1984 still and QANTAS still sponsored the Aussie champs. Clips weren't even a twinkle in Darryn Hill's eyes, and the meat wagon didn't cart off corpses after every crash. 
Been a long gap between episodes, so lots to catch up on and of course the 4 World Cup rounds. The old guy only mentions his 600mm a couple of times and puts his hand out for funding for a Rock Hill trip. #GFM or is that #GMF for you hippies?
This might be the only podcast for 2024, who knows? If you don't perform, you get dropped from the program pretty quick. 

USABMX welcomes back Khalen with open arms at the 2023 Grands and says we still love you even if your own association wants to collar you for taking a breather on the track in Shepp during practice.  
Shepp and Tulsa are world's apart in distance, a USABMX and AusCycling are galaxies apart in their attitude and approach to BMX racing. In this wrap episode the Boys try to explain why USABMX makes every effort to welcome the rider, and fans to their race, the #greatestraceonearth and leave no doubt that the rider is the centre of attention, be you 8 novice Johnny, or Joris Daudet. Again, they just get it. Every rider feels special and the race is beyond magnitude and the Boys tell you why it should be on your bucket list BEFORE the Aussie national champs. 
The Grands also reinvigorate KY for another year and inspire the old guy not to transition fully to gravelist. 30 foot training will be in full effect in 2024.  Standby for more gym selfies.
Thanks for tuning in and thanks to LUXBMX for their continued support of Australia's #1 BMX racing podcast. 

Izaac Kennedy hit up the Boys and said he had a few things to say, and could he come on to give an insight on what it's like to be in the Australian BMX high performance program under Sam and crew. Of course we grill him on what's the special sauce that has seen him rise to be the fastest elite racer that Australia has currently and how his rehab from the Reno injury is going. Izaac also explains what he feels is lacking in the Australian domestic program and the "pathway" that young riders should potentially take to rise to the level that sees Izaac making world cup mains and podiums.
We also learn about his BMX history in his home town of Brisbane and the key points in his journey to being Joris Daudet's team mate on the world's most coveted team, Chase BMX. 
This candid insight is a must listen for young riders (and parents of), and it might just change the thinking of the environment that racers/parents think they need to exist in to development the speed, skills and tactical ability of an elite main maker. Many thanks to Izaac for taking time out of his busy golfing schedule to speak with us. 

Jayce Cunning needs no introduction to Aussie BMX race fans! He's a crowd favourite, the kids love him and the mums want to cuddle him. Plus he's fast as fuck and he wants to know why AusCycling doesn't get out there and promote the F out of BMX racing as the perfect foundation for kids learning to ride a bike. WTF is riding does under a pool noodle do to promote bike handling he wants to know. Send that kid off a 8m hill and he/she will soon figure out what it takes to manoeuvre around a car backing out of a driveway.
He's a thoroughly likeable young chap who wanted to come on and get a few things off his chest about his recent experience at the QLD state champs where he had a crew there filming everything that is awesome about BMX. What is it with some people? 
Refreshing, that's how we would describe Jayce and we think he's one of the genuine talents on the Aussie BMX scene.  

There is probably no one else with the combination of professional AND racing credentials than Dr J. As well as a successful career as a Pro BMX racer in the 90s and into the 2000s, he's a psychologist that has helped many BMX athletes reach their personal, and performance, potential. KY reached out to Jason during his career and he recalls how it set him down a better path. We talk about addiction, both healthy and unhealthy. We talk about mental strength and the need to adapt in certain situations, and stations, in life.
Discussions cover the various Federation programs and the success of the French, and the drop off of both the Australian and USA's (male's) depth and breadth in recent years, and how "struggle" might be the key to rebuilding the once strong programs.
Boy, at just shy of 2 hours, there's not much we didn't discuss, yet there's plenty more to perhaps. Riders, parents of riders (especially parents) should tune in to this special episode where we don't mention AC once, and is bereft of Khalen's favourite adjective. 
Thank you Dr J, this was an incredible unpacking of your years of experience as both an athlete, and as a therapist helping current and past riders. 

The Boys aligned their busy schedules of FIFO work and SFA work to record a quick synopsis of the 2023 World Challenge Champs so far, and chat about (predictably) the massive chasm between development and the current Aussie elite squad. 
Plus they self appoint themselves as Australia's #1 BMX race podcast, and how they stay humble in the face of ever increasing popularity. 

In your teens you had no fear, in your 20s you have a niggling sense of self preservation at the back of your mind. 30s? You have  a mortgage and dependents, and past 40? Well shit just hurts getting out of bed the next day after gates.
Welcome to your future if you're a young whippersnapper, if you're as old as the older of the the two hosts, then you're already there.
KY throws out his back lifting a kettle bell back onto the rack, and the really old fucker gives himself a rotator cuff injury making coffee in the morning. Don't bother cloning us, we're fucked.
Looks like it's yoga and pilates from now on for the boys. 

The Boys are back to chat grass roots BMX race programs and the void that exists where gold could be dug. Speaking of which, we lord Boyd Hilder and his X Games gold medal and challenge him to race because he's too fit for freestyle. Then KY wonders who runs BMX because it seems that smiles were rationed over at the WA national round, or weren't packed by the AC roadshow.
We're ill-informed, uneducated BMXers, and probably just plain ole naïve,  but we just want BMX to be it's own identity within the dark empire. Use the Force Luke, unbridle us from the clutches of lycra and set us free in the universe.