Amidst whizzing bikes, an English rider named Darley Monroe, who came from Jamaica but has lived in London for 14 years, described the BMX hype in America, how its stars get cash and international prestige. Fellow bike mechanic Ted Nelson agrees, saying it’s much harder to make a living through BMX in the UK. His romantic vision is of riding through the middle of New York City, jumping off street curbs to weave between tall buildings and dodge yellow taxi cabs. East Coast style, Monroe tells me, is like jazz -- casual at first glance, but demonstrating exceptional skill. The West Coast style, in contrast, is extreme: huge jumps, crazy tricks. London style, he says, is a mix of the two, “because we get both influences” equally.

The big difference, American rider Josh Betley says, is the competition and the pace. “I’m much more laid back about biking,” he tells me. If he wasn’t, America would be his destination of choice. There’s money and more recognition, but the competition is fierce because “everybody wants to be a rockstar.” People are less inclined to be “laid back” about all of it, “like they seem to be here.” Betley “loves it here” in the UK for that reason.