Noah Whitworth
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Hundreds of BMX riders and spectators visited the Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track last month for a weekend of high-speed competition at the annual Carolina Nationals.

Carolina Nationals is part of the larger USA BMX national circuit, which gives riders the chance to earn points and improve their rankings while competing against athletes from across the globe.

Racers of all ages took to the track, March 27-29, navigating jumps and tight turns at one of the premier BMX facilities in the country.

“It’s definitely a difficult sport,” said Kingston Pommells, a 13-year-old expert racer from McDonough, Georgia.

“Lots of people train for months, even years. Sometimes it’s really tough just to make it to the main tier nationals. I recently went to Denmark to prepare for the world championship and I can tell you, riders in the 13 and 14 classes are extremely fast,” said Pommells, who has the nickname “King Kong.”

The event also attracted casual riders who say they race for the enjoyment.

“I’ve been racing for about two years now. It’s pretty fun, pretty competitive,” said Kyle, a rider at the event, who didn’t give his last name.

The Carolina Nationals also highlights the community surrounding the sport, bringing together people from different backgrounds and skill levels.

“You’re bringing your bikes out, you’re having fun,” said James, another amateur rider, who didn’t give his last name.

“You’ve got people traveling from all over the country, different proficiency levels. You have kids as young as 1 or 2 years old all the way up to veteran pros. We’re all out here trying to get some exercise in the community and just enjoy it together,” he said.

This was the 12th consecutive year that Rock Hill has hosted the Carolina Nationals, which has helped establish the city as a major destination for BMX racing.