BMX Term
Session
A session in BMX is a ride or meetup where riders gather at a spot, park or trail to ride together, practise tricks and push each other.
Updated 2 min read340 words
A session is a ride where riders meet at a spot, park or trail to ride together. It can be two friends or fifty people. The word also describes a single riding stretch, such as a two hour session at the skatepark.
Meaning
Session has a few overlapping uses.
- A group ride. "Are you coming to the session on Saturday?" means a planned meetup.
- A riding period. "I had a good session today" means a stretch of riding that went well, whether alone or with others.
- A verb. To session a ramp, ledge or spot is to ride it repeatedly, trying tricks and lines in turns.
Sessions are the social core of BMX. Riders feed off each other, watch new tricks, share lines and encourage a friend to try something scary. A good session often has no plan beyond taking turns and riding until dark.
Origin and usage
Session is a standard English word for a period of activity, and the same usage appears in skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. The short form sesh is informal slang. When and where it first appeared in BMX is not documented.
Sessions happen in every discipline. Park riders meet at skateparks, dirt jumping and trails riders build and ride together, and street riders gather at a spot and film. Many private sessions are tied to a backyard ramp or a local trail network.
Some events borrow the name. Simple Session is a well known contest, and the Backyard Jam leans into the same relaxed, friends first spirit. A normal session, though, has no judges, no scores and no entry fee.
Examples
- "Sesh at the park after work?"
- "We had a long session on the new ledge and everyone got a clip."
- "I rode a solo session at the trails and finally got the no-hander."
Related terms
- Spot: where street sessions happen.
- Line: a sequence ridden during a session.
- Simple Session: a contest that uses the word in its name.
- Backyard Jam: a relaxed riding event.
- Park: the discipline where group sessions are most common.
Frequently asked questions about Session
What does sesh mean in BMX?
Sesh is the casual short form of session. It means a ride with friends, a trip to the park, or a long afternoon spent working on tricks at a spot.
Is a session the same as a contest?
No. A session is relaxed and has no judges or scores. Some contests use the word in their name, but a normal session is just riders hanging out and riding.
Related articles
Spot
A spot in BMX is any location worth riding, such as a ledge, stair set, plaza or gap, and spot hunting is the search for new places to ride.
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A line in BMX is a connected sequence of tricks or obstacles ridden in one run without stopping, often filmed as part of a video.
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Simple Session is an annual BMX and skateboarding contest in Tallinn, Estonia, known since 2001 for its custom park and street courses and party atmosphere.
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