Ethan Popovich is a stud. The Valparaiso, Indiana native began racing twelve years ago. He's ridden for teams like Mudslinger, DK Factory and currently Haro. He's a two time Junior National Champ, and he finished top ten at worlds in Rock Hill, South Carolina this year.

Popovich is known as a very skilled rider. He's coached Olympic Gold Medalist Connor Fields. He recently began hitting the world stage at World Cups. He's been racing nationals like crazy this season. Popovich is looking to win the national amateur title this year. Grands is a big objective at the end of the season.

Ethan says Tyler Whitfield and Olijuwon Davis are major influences on him as a person and racer.

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This topic in this episode was brought to me by Tony Stillinger, the owner of the "Extreme" team out of Florida. He's looking to increase the pro purses at races by creating a product line of goods and contributing money to the purses. Stillinger would eventually like a six race series strictly based on the money he generates from the product line.

To give context on what it's like to be a pro we reached out to Dale Holmes, a former pro who raced during the hey day of big checks in the 90's, Cam Bramer, a current young pro who is doing what he can to make a living in the sport he loves and former pro and all things BMX guru Alan Foster.

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26 year old Philip Schaub is seeing a dream come true. He's made the German Olympic team for BMX. He got the call roughly two weeks after the European Championships in Verona, Italy. He was sitting at the table in his apartment when he got the call.

The qualification process to make the Olympic team started in 2022. Schaub said it was a two part process. He said a rider had to earn points racing the World Cups and World Championships. The second part he said was really up to the coach of the national team.

Schaub was nervous about making the team because of a severe injury. He had a disc prolapse in 2023. The injury was so bad that he eventually needed to have surgery. That surgery put him on the coach and it left him only ten weeks to get in shape and score some points at the World Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

He did something right because Schaub will be in Paris when the racing begins August 1st at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium.

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