The Mongoose team traveled to Tulsa, OK, for The Greatest Race on Earth – USA BMX Grand Nationals – at the Sagenet Expo Center. The event, which takes place the week of Thanksgiving, drew a whopping 10,000 racers and fans to race, shop, and hang out with their peers in the BMX community.
Although Grands takes place in the Midwest, its 40-year heritage as the biggest event in BMX race helps draw the best talent around the globe from powerhouse BMX national teams including the Netherlands, France, Japan, and Australia.
Mongoose boasts a few of the fastest pro riders on the planet with Americans Cam Wood and Payton Ridenour, and we also sponsor one of the fastest 14 year-olds with Mason Hayes, so our pit was full of family, friends, and coaches.
Mongoose also supports several race teams that were in attendance from west coast (LRC) to Midwest (Time2Shine/Mongoose). It’s always rewarding to watch these teams represent the brand with such passion and enthusiasm, which has helped to grow the Mongoose presence at Grands immensely over the past 5 years.
The Mongoose pit/booth had arguably the best location in the venue thanks to our partnership with the USA BMX Foundation, who also supports our pro team on and off the track. This year’s setup included STEM bikes, race bikes, 26/29 wheel bikes, and we also tried our hand at vending for the first time selling both soft goods like t-shirts, hats, and Vans shoes, and our limited edition Motomag III wheelsets. The vending in addition to the countless bike requests from BMX Track Operators and partners kept the pit lively throughout the week.
Mongoose riders did a great job representing the brand on the track all week, from young experts all the way up to elite men and women. On Friday night, the fastest men and women on the planet were on full display – and Mongoose’s very own Cam Wood stole the show. Against the likes of Dutch Olympic Gold Medalist Niek Kimmann and 5x USA BMX/French Champion Joris Daudet, the 21 year-old Wood was the fastest rider on the planet winning the Pro Grands Title becoming the first Mongoose pro to win Grands in more than two decades!
It was an amazing event for the Mongoose brand, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear from fans and riders on how happy they are to see Mongoose as one of the top brands representing the sport of BMX. We hope this is a harbinger of good things to come in 2023 and beyond.
