When I was growing up back in the 80’s, a BMX bike was what every boy in my neighborhood wanted . Every movie and TV show worth it’s salt had a cool BMX kid who could do the jumps and come to a sliding stop at just the right spot.
Hard as I tried, actual racing wasn’t for me and, if you’ll look at the photo at the bottom of the page, you may see why.
10 year old Aiden Weaver, on the other hand, not only has the right gear, but the heart and drive to make it happen . He’s a smart kid whose enjoying the ride but also has an eye on the future and a firm footing on a way to get himself to that next level.
I’ve been friends with his parents, Joe and Rebecca, for a number of years and have been watching, online, as Aiden has taken up and excelled at BMX racing. I asked if they would like to be a part of an article and while I sent them the questions, Aiden himself read them and replied back.
J: Hey Aiden, it’s awesome to finally talk to you about what you’re up. How did you move from riding a bike around the neighborhood to competing?
A: Thank you! Its nice to meet you. My parents have told me a lot of good things about you and I’m happy to answer your questions about BMX.
BMX used to be a big part of my dads life. He raced as a kid in the MBL which is no longer around. Its now USA BMX. Southern California has always been an iconic place for BMX. It started right here. The Orange Y BMX track was a place my dad always wanted to ride and when we moved here he asked if I wanted to go check it out.
April 12, 2016 I took my Hoffman bike that my parents bought at DICKS to the Orange Y to see if I could even get around the track, I was wearing a used helmet our friends got at a thrift store for $20 and a miss matched uniform. I was hooked. On April 22nd I raced in my first race. I did not make the main! From that point on I have never stopped racing.
(Rebecca relayed that unfortunately, The Orange Y was leveled after a 40 year run but, Aiden won the very last Manufactures Cup Series ever held there. The Series took the best points over 10 races.)
J: What’s different from your normal street bike to your race bike?
A: The difference from my race bike and my street bike is that my race bike is only for the track. The parts are super light weight and designed specifically for BMX racing. My street bike I can ride at the skate parks and dirt jumps. It’s built with stronger parts. My race bike weights about 13lbs and my street bike weights about 20lbs
J: You’re racing for G2 so, how did you get connected with that team and do they sponsor your gear/bike? Are you guys going after some other sponsorships that help with the cost of racing?
A: The way I got sponsored by G2 was because I met the Turners at the Orange Y and they asked if I wanted to ride one of their bikes which were Gary Turner bikes at the time. After I started riding for them my dad started working for them and now builds all of the G2 bikes for the Turners. I have the first custom G2 junior frame ever made. I am sponsored by Box Components which supplies all the parts for the bike, Fly Racing for all of my gear. helmet, uniform, clip shoes and gloves and ODI grips for handles. And of course Mom and Dad!
J: I saw that at the Great Northwest Nationals April 6-8 in Oregon your entire team got on the podium. How big is the team and are there team standings as well as the individual races?
A: Our team has 30-35 riders and most of them are in California but there are some in other states as far as Pennsylvania. There are team standing but our team is not currently doing that series this year. Our points are individual points. District points, State points, National points, Gold cup points and NAG (National Age Group) point. You get points per race and proficiency level.
J: You’ve been at this for 2 years and this last month was the first time that I read you had a fall on the track. What happened and did you get back on the track that day?
A: I have actually crashed a few times but the most recent crash was during a timed practice lap. Something happened to my wheel and It sent me over my bars. I did get back up and actually raced that night and got 2nd.
J: Joe just posted that you are now a 10 expert. I gotta admit that I have no idea what that means so how are the classes or levels laid out. Is it by number of races or finishes?
A: When you start racing you start as a Novice. You have to get 10 wins to move to Intermediate. From there you have to get 20 wins to move to Expert. After that there is A Pro, AA Pro and Elite Pro. I do not know how you move up to AA Pro and Elite Pro but you have to be 18 yrs old to turn A Pro.
J: With Joe and Rebecca both having been in competitive bodybuilding and having that competitive drive, has that helped you by always having them in your corner or do you kind of take the lead on it yourself?
A: I think it has. When I have a bad attitude they push me to be better and make it fun.
J: Your Instagram is an awesome look at your day to day and a peak at what you’re going through. Is it helping you get some exposure or is it more for you to have a cool place to post about your journey?
A: I think that it is both. On the journey side it shows people what I do and I get to meet other people that do what I do. For exposure I get cool opportunities like this and to represent other companies.
J: Maybe it’s too early to ask but, what are your long term goals in BMX racing or are you just having fun with it? Seems like you are focused and willing to put in the work so is this a future career in one way or another?
A: My long term goal for BMX is to be in the Olympics in 2024 and 2028 and to go on and race Worlds in the following years to come. I will be hitting the Worlds goal this year for the first time as I qualified to race for Team USA at the World Championships which are in Baku, Azerbaijan in the Middle East. I hope to make the USA proud!
I hope to be a kid others look up to, I do want to be a Mechanical Engineer and have already started building my business plan. (I have the note book with ideas to prove it) I hope to use BMX and my social media to gain connections with people that can help me along the way it’s a community full of family with a lot opportunity for the future.
Thank you for taking the time to learn BMX and myself. I hope it gets others excited about the sport I love.
Aiden
I’m super impressed with Aiden’s drive and expect big things out of him over the next 10 years as he continues to work towards those goals. You can find him on Instagram, @aidenweaverbmx, or just click any of the pictures to go to his page.
If you’re looking to help Aiden out with his future goals, you will not find a harder working kid or a harder working family. Donations can be sent to his PayPal account.
Oh and before I forget, here’s that promised photo from me back in the early 80’s. I believe this one with fenders and steel frame clocked in at about 47 lbs.
Jeremy Glazier 