Blowing up via IG in 2021, Linda Grabner has been raising the bar of women’s street BMX and some of the right eyebrows in the process.
“There are a lot of events that make us feel welcome and actually ask us what they can do to give us the space to ride – it’s taking time but it’s getting to where it should be!”
“I feel like there are actually a lot of girls that try to make women's BMX bigger and support younger girls”
“We’re filming videos and putting something out there so that hopefully young girls get inspired to ride. That is something I want to be a part of”
“Go get a BMX and start riding! I promise you will fall in love with it!”
As part of our celebration of the women that make Vans, Vans – we dial up Linda Grabner, one of the rising stars of the women’s BMX scene. Blowing up via IG in 2021, Linda has been raising the bar of women’s street BMX and some of the right eyebrows in the process. Linda swiftly went onto winning the Nora Cup in 2022, and accompanied Angie Marino to California to celebrate her Vans Collection. A staple of the all-female BMX crew ‘Cliché’, Linda & co wreak havoc on the unsuspecting street spots of Europe. Hailing from Austria, Linda has recently installed herself in Cologne so we took the opportunity to give her a call and see what's good.
So what have you been up to recently?
The last couple of months, I've been getting back on the bike - I had a pretty bad injury one and a half years ago but I was still able to go on some trips lately. I’ve had a lot of physiotherapy, I also moved from Austria to Cologne, eight hours away from my hometown. I’ve settled in well here and also got a new job recently. Cologne is really good for biking – it’s been great. A busy time!
What does it mean to you to be a female BMX-er in your community today and what do you think of the evolution of that community?
To be honest, my community in Cologne is really open and when it comes to BMX there's no discrimination against anybody. So if I go riding with the boys, it doesn't really matter that I am a girl. But where I have noticed a big difference is when it comes to opportunities and events. The women's community in BMX is really small, especially in street, there are about 10 of us in Europe. Therefore it can be hard for women to get the space and time to ride in certain events. For example, X-Games still has no women's Park or Street category. Having said that, there are a lot of events that make us feel welcome and actually ask us what they can do to give us the space to ride – it’s taking time but it’s getting to where it should be!
How do you see the global community evolving?
In general, the scene is growing really fast especially thanks to The Bloom BMX. That's the women's BMX media platform. They also organize a bunch of events and do so much for BMX. I feel like there are actually a lot of girls that try to make women's BMX bigger and support younger girls. I think it's rad that the level of support and interest is growing, and especially the park scene.
What does it mean to you to be a role model in your community?
I feel now when girls start to ride BMX, they tend to get into park riding, just because there are already a lot of girls, a lot of role models and a lot more opportunities - the women's BMX park scene worked really hard for that, too. However I feel like we need more and more girls to ride street and there needs to be a platform that exposes women's street to young girls so that they can see street riding and get inspired to ride.
This is what I was trying to do the last couple of years with our crew Cliché. We’re filming videos and putting something out there so that hopefully young girls get inspired to ride. That is something I want to be a part of.
Who are your role models?
When I started BMX there really weren’t that many female riders who rode street. I think the only woman I can remember that really inspired me was Nina Buitrago, she really led the whole women's BMX scene in both park and street. She did incredible things for women's BMX, she is the GOAT! I feel otherwise my daily inspiration comes from the guys I hang out with most of the time, it feels great to be supported by a crew.
What advice would you have for younger girls starting out in BMX?
Keep going and have fun with it, and don't be afraid to ride at skate parks. I know that it can be intimidating to ride at a crowded skatepark as a beginner. It’s a big cliché that skaters don’t make you feel welcome but that is something that was not the case in my experience. Just have fun and be respectful and you'll always be accepted there, even if you're a young girl. It’s as simple as that.
Any final words?
Go get a BMX and start riding. I promise you will fall in love with it.
