WCMX (sport)

Wheelchair skater Delmace Mayo balancing on his wheels on top of a skate ramp
Wheelchair skater Delmace Mayo on top of a skate ramp

WCMX is a sport in which wheelchair athletes perform tricks adapted from skateboarding and BMX, usually performed at a skatepark.[1] It was invented by Aaron Fotheringham.[2]

Overview

The sport has its own competitions and custom wheelchairs.[3]

History

The term WCMX, a mash-up of wheelchair and BMX,[3] was coined by Fotheringham.[4]

Australia

Timothy Lachlan was the first Australian to land a wheelchair backflip.[5]

Germany

David Lebuser, Germany's first professional WCMX rider, popularized WCMX in Germany by hosting WCMX workshops and organizing world championships. He was crowned as (unofficial) World Champion by winning the Best Overall Run at the Life Rolls On WCMX event in Venice Beach, California in 2014 [6]. He obtained 3rd prices in the WCMX World Series in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023 [7].

Switzerland

WCMX athlete Lorraine Truong popularized and professionalized the WCMX scene in Switzerland. She won the WCMX World Series in 2022 and 2023 and was known for her aggressive racing style. In addition, she was World WCMX board member in which she structured and modernized worldwide WCMX competitions.

UK

The first WCMX meet-up in the UK was in early 2019.[8]

Lily Rice was the first person in the UK to land a backflip.[9] She won the WCMX World Series championship in September 2019.[10][11]

Tomas Woods, a British athlete, won the 2023, 2024 and 2025 WCMX World Series [12].

USA

WCMX was created in the US.[2] by Aaron Fotheringham. Fotheringham won several world championships [13], and participated in Nitro Circus and America's Got Talent: Extreme. He earned Guiness World records[14] for the first wheelchair backflip (2008), highest ramp jump by wheelchair (2010), longest duration balancing a side wheelie in a wheelchair (2010), first wheelchair front flip (2011), longest wheelchair ramp (2018), tallest quarter-pipe drop-in on a wheelchair (2018) and highest wheelchair hand plant (2018).

Equipment used

Riders use purpose-built wheelchairs called WCMX chairs to perform various tricks and stunts. Unlike standard daily use wheelchairs, WCMX chairs have a reinforced frame, grind bar, carbon fibre push wheels, skateboard or rollerblade wheels, suspension castors and a seatbelt.[15] The most commonly used safety gear is full-face helmets, elbow and knee pads and gloves. Full-face helmets are preferred as they offer greater protection against falls from any angle. For more dangerous tricks involving flips or mega ramps, riders should wear a neck brace and a chest/back protector to reduce the risk of injury to the spine.[16]

Categories of tricks

This is not an exhaustive list; new tricks and variations are created each day.

Air

Backflip, Double Backflip, Front Flip, 180, 360, Flair.

Bowl and ramp tricks

Handplant, Carving, Drop-In, Acid Drop, Bank Drop, One Wheel Drop-in, Layback, Blunt Stall, Fakie.

Flat-ground

One wheel spin, Castor Spin, Layback, Duck Walk, Bunny Hop.

Grinds and slides

50-50 Grind, 5-0 Grind, Footplate/Nosegrind, Hand-rim slide.

Balance

Wheelie, One Wheel Wheelie, No-Handers.

Miscellaneous

Upside-Down Wheelie, Upside-Down One Wheel Spin.[17]

Risks

As with other skatepark sports, the risks involved in WCMX can be greatly reduced by wearing safety gear such as a full-face helmet and pads, and only trying tricks within the rider's skill level. WCMX chairs provide a wide base of support, making falls less likely unless the rider is trying tricks that involve shifting the centre of gravity, e.g. balance tricks such as one-wheel spins.

Culture

In 2016, an online campaign for a Lego wheelchair skate park was rejected.[18] However, WCMX is represented in the Lego City Skate Park (60290) set, released 2021.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Auricchio". ic.ufabc.edu.br. Archived from the original on 2020-06-18.
  2. 1 2 "Meet Aaron Wheelz Fotheringham the godfather of extreme wheelchair sports".
  3. 1 2 Byzek, Josie (2 January 2014). "Meet the WCMX Riders". New Mobility.
  4. ↑ "BBC One - Our Lives, Series 4, Defying Gravity". BBC. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
  5. ↑ "2018 - University student on a roll promoting wheelchair sport - Southern Cross University".
  6. ↑ "David Lebuser: What wheelchair skating is all about".
  7. ↑ "David Lebuser".
  8. ↑ "WCMX: 'I like when you go really fast'". BBC Newsround. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
  9. ↑ "Gravity-defying Lily stars in new BBC programme". 12 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "'Wheelchair motocross changed my life'". BBC Sport.
  11. ↑ "Lily is WCMX world golden girl". 2 September 2019.
  12. ↑ "'Three-time wheelchair motocross champion, 17, says sport has given him his 'life back' and now hopes to inspire others'".
  13. ↑ {{[url=https://www.sitnskate.de/aktuelles/wcmx-world-championships]}}
  14. ↑ "Aaron Fotheringham: Longest wheelchair ramp jump". Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  15. ↑ "2018 - University student on a roll promoting wheelchair sport - Southern Cross University".
  16. ↑ "Extreme adventures = maximum fun". 12 December 2019.
  17. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Aaron Wheelz - 2020 WCMX Edit. YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Lego produces first minifigure with a wheelchair". The Irish Times. 28 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Review: 60290 Skate Park". 24 December 2020.
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