BMX Term
Bowl
A bowl is a concave, pool-like concrete structure with transitions on every side, ridden by carving around the walls and airing out over the coping.
Updated 2 min read364 words
A bowl is a concave, pool-like concrete structure with transitions on every side. Riders carve around the walls, pump for speed and air out over the coping. Bowl riding is also called pool riding.
Meaning
A bowl has no flat ramp face in the usual sense. The floor curves up into walls all the way around, so a rider can keep moving in loops without stopping. Speed comes from pumping the curves rather than from pedalling.
Bowls come in many shapes:
- Round or oval bowls. Simple loops with even walls.
- Kidney bowls. Shaped like a kidney, copying the backyard pools of the 1970s.
- Clover and combi bowls. Several connected sections with corners, hips and extensions.
- Shallow and deep ends. Many bowls have a shallow end to start and a deep end with steeper, taller walls, sometimes reaching vertical.
Riders use the shape for carves, grinds and stalls on the coping, airs out of the deep end, and transfers between sections. Good bowl riding is all about flow.
Origin
Bowl riding grew from skateboarding. In California, skateboarders rode empty backyard swimming pools, most famously in the 1970s, and the rounded walls and concrete pool coping became part of the culture. BMX riders followed quickly: kids on BMX bikes were photographed in empty pools by 1975, and Southern California skateparks were running BMX sessions, including in their bowls, by the late 1970s. Purpose-built concrete bowls then became a standard feature of skateparks, including many public parks in Australia. Exact dates vary between accounts.
Usage examples
- "Let's session the bowl before it gets busy."
- "He carved the deep end and blasted an air over the hip."
- "This pool has real tile and pool coping, so it's slow to grind."
Tips
Learn to pump the shallow end before tackling the deep end. Start with carves around the walls, then add grinds and airs. Watch for skaters and take turns, since bowls get crowded.
Related terms
- Transition: the curved part of a ramp.
- Coping: the edge at the top of a ramp or bowl.
- Pump: building speed through bumps and curves.
- Drop-in: starting a run from the coping into the ramp.
- Mini ramp: a small halfpipe, another transition feature.
Frequently asked questions about Bowl
What is the difference between a bowl and a pool?
A pool is a real or replica swimming pool, often with tile and concrete pool coping. A bowl is a purpose-built concrete shape with the same idea. Riders often use the words loosely for each other.
Is bowl riding good for beginners?
Shallow bowls can be a good place to learn pumping and carving. Deep bowls with vertical walls are for experienced riders.
Related articles
Transition
Transition is the curved surface of a ramp that connects flat ground to the top edge, and it is often shortened to tranny in BMX and skateboarding.
2 min readCoping
Coping is the rounded metal or concrete edge along the top of a ramp or bowl, used by BMX riders to grind, stall and transfer between surfaces.
2 min readPump
Pump is the technique of building speed on a bike by pushing the body and bike through bumps and transitions rather than by pedalling.
2 min readFlow
Flow is smooth, linked riding that carries speed through a park, bowl or trail line with few stops, pedal strokes or breaks in rhythm.
2 min readHip
A hip is a BMX obstacle where two ramp faces meet at an angle, forming a ridge that riders cross diagonally in a trick known as a hip transfer.
2 min readDrop-in
A drop-in is the move of entering a ramp or bowl from the deck by tipping over the coping into the transition, or a drop from a ledge down to flat.
2 min read