BMX Term
Box Jump
A box jump is a BMX jump with a flat-topped box between the takeoff and the landing, so a rider who comes up short lands on the deck, not in a gap.
Updated 2 min read369 words
A box jump is a jump with a flat-topped box between the takeoff and the landing. Because the middle is filled in, a rider who comes up short lands on the flat top instead of falling into a gap. In skateparks a similar obstacle with ramps on two or more sides is called a funbox.
Meaning
A box jump has three parts: a takeoff ramp, a flat top (the deck or table), and a landing ramp. The rider launches off the takeoff, flies over the flat top and lands on the downslope of the landing.
The flat top is what makes it forgiving. On an open gap jump, coming up short means dropping into the gap or casing the lip. On a box jump, a short attempt just lands on the flat, or on the knuckle at the top of the landing. That makes box jumps a common first step before riders move to open gaps.
Box jumps appear in many places:
- Skateparks. Wooden or concrete boxes, often in the middle of a park.
- Dirt. Dirt jumpers call a filled-in jump a table. Many beginner lines start with tables before gaps.
- Contests. Park courses often include a box jump as a central feature for big airs and spins.
Funbox
A funbox is a skatepark obstacle with ramps on two or more sides and a flat top in the middle. Some include a ledge, rail or manual pad on top. Riders can jump over it, land on it or grind its edges. Every funbox works as a box jump, but not every box jump is a funbox.
Origin
The name is descriptive: it is a box you jump over. The funbox name comes from early skatepark design. Neither term has a documented first use in BMX.
Usage examples
- "Learn your x-ups on the box jump first."
- "He did a 360 over the funbox."
- "Pump the takeoff or you'll land on the deck."
Related terms
Frequently asked questions about Box Jump
Why are box jumps good for learning?
There is no open gap. If a rider comes up short, they land on the flat top instead of falling into a hole or casing a lip, so mistakes are less costly.
Is a box jump the same as a tabletop?
A dirt or park box jump is often called a table or tabletop jump because of its flat top. That is different from the tabletop trick, where the rider flattens the bike sideways in the air.
Related articles
Deck
A deck is the flat platform at the top of a ramp, quarter pipe or box jump, where riders stand to drop in, stall, plant or land tricks.
2 min readKnuckle
The knuckle is the rounded top edge of a jump landing or ramp, where the flat deck or gap meets the downslope, and knuckling means landing on it.
2 min readCase
To case a jump in BMX is to land short so the rear wheel or bike hits the lip or knuckle of the landing instead of rolling down the slope.
2 min readEuro gap
A euro gap is a park obstacle where a bank runs up towards a deck but stops short, leaving a gap that riders jump up onto the deck or back down to the bank.
2 min readTabletop
A tabletop is a BMX air trick where the rider lays the bike flat and level with the ground in mid-air, then pulls it back under them to land.
3 min readX-Up
An x-up is a BMX trick where the rider turns the handlebars 180 degrees in the air while keeping both hands on the grips, so the arms cross in an X.
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