Nowear Bmx Jam 2026

May 1

Since expanding my knowledge of the US Bmx scene, I became aware of the Nowear Jam, something rumoured to be pure bmx fun, I had to check it out!

From the moment I stepped foot on the grounds I was welcomed by Karl (Krazy Karl) and I was granted free rein to explore. I asked him how this unique skatepark compound came about, and their story was everything this sport has to offer. The Nowear Compound is located near Lincoln, Nebraska and is surrounded by corn fields. There’s harsh winters with snow on the ground and sub freezing temps for months, with nothing to do kids sadly turn to hard drugs & crime. Karl discovered when he spoke to the youth through his Bmx bike at the outdoor skatepark, they listened and made better choices - but when winter came back around and there was no way of riding bikes, they turned back down the negative path. He made it his goal to create a safe space where people could ride an indoor, heated skatepark for free all year around. Even I know the skatepark business isn’t remotely lucrative, most parks fail, people called him crazy. He said “Why can’t this be possible?”.

With a window of opportunity during the financial crash of ‘08, he purchased a house & land for a fraction of its current value, and by pitching his idea to the right people, he attained government funding and private investors who believed in his vision. Gradually by building ramp by ramp with each donation, Nowear was born.

The larger section of the park has existed since 2020, and this facility has already built some very exciting up and coming riders such as Austin Mcfarland, Huck Kurinsky, Deegan Oliver & Cullen Sumner. It’s a great park for its use of space, it really has a bit of everything. While the ramps are mostly ‘small’, they’re built and laid out so you can ride them big too, so it’s perfect for stepping stones of learning and is very friendly for levelling things up. Jacob Thiem is another local legend, who demonstrates this perfectly by hitting huge wall rides, transfers, and even quad tail whips on these humble ramps. It’s not common to see one rider swooping around in the rafters while another learns their first double peg on the same park.

For the last few years they have hosted “The Middle Of Nowear Jam”, a ‘mid school’ style competition with relaxed rules to encourage good vibes and less pressure. No sneaky tactics, high tech recovery or strict minute runs here. From what I was told this years jam of 2026 had its biggest turn out yet, with notable names such as Scotty & Matty Cranmer, Jacob Thiem, Gary Young and I guess myself showing up for a good old bmx time. This park preaches nothing but positivity; no egos, respect each other and yourself, celebrate your best and others doing their best. I sincerely hope this event grows to share the message of bmx & action sports and increase funding for the park, whilst holding onto those tight core values. Thank you Nowear.

Check out the vlog for all the action and wholesome moments here: https://youtu.be/zsWjQ6KFw2Q