Chad Kagy grew up in Gilroy, California. As the youngest of four children, Chad was constantly on the go and idolized his brother Scott and his love of bikes! As Chad tried to keep up with Scott, he learned to ride a bicycle at a young age with the goal of going faster everyday. He started racing at eight years old and won the California State Championship in his age and skill bracket. The taste of victory pushed him to work toward progressing to the next level. As his love for jumping through the air grew, he and his friends began building larger jumps out of dirt. The small rudimentary ramps constructed out of a few bricks and a small section of scrap wood were replaced with properly designed and constructed ramps that looked like plywood art. Chad continued to progress in his passion which is a theme you will notice throughout Chad’s career as well as all aspects of his life!
In 1997, at just 17 years old, Chad became a professional freestyle BMX athlete. The opportunity unexpectedly presented itself and Chad didn’t waste any time making his unique mark on the BMX industry. Placing 6th in his first competition against the world’s best freestyle riders, his name became top of mind in the BMX community. The day after Chad’s first professional contest, Chad ran into his childhood idol, Mat Hoffman, and was offered a spot on the Hoffman Bikes pro team. This moment kicked off an illustrious 20-year career traveling around the world to competitions, tours and shows with accolades including: 15 X Games Medals, 3 Gravity Games Medals, 6 International Extreme Games medals, 5 Top-3 ASA World Championship Tour finishes and 22 Top-3 Dew Tour finishes. Immersing himself into his career, Chad moved from northern California to central Pennsylvania to live near the largest action sports camp in the world, Woodward Camp. Woodward allowed Chad to train at a world-class facility while simultaneously teaching young BMXers attending camp. Chad says: “Woodward allowed me to share my BMX skill with others in a way that cultivated the creativity to expand my own skill set.”
In addition to numerous other competition wins and many exciting memories, due to the nature of the industry and the risks Chad was willing to take, injuries have presented many tough times. Showing the strength to fight through injuries to get back to doing what he loves, exemplifies that nothing will stop Chad when he sets his mind to a goal.
Chad describes his greatest achievements, as moments not on live TV or during competitions but as experiences in which he has been able to share his passion riding BMX with others. Chad takes tremendous pride in his experiences performing demonstrations at St Jude Children’s Hospital. These events are not focused on the tricks and stunts as the performance becomes secondary to the real purpose of these opportunities. Setting up ramps at St Jude Children’s Hospital allowed children in isolation to watch the show from their rooms. The smiles on the faces of the children left a lasting impression on Chad. Another achievement Chad is proud of is his involvement in Bikes Over Baghdad which is a tour providing entertainment in the Middle East for the troops. Chad and the crew, travel to destinations that are otherwise impossible to access without military support which is an exciting experience. The feeling of giving back to the troops by saying “thank you” face to face is an extraordinary opportunity. Chad shares, “Being able to do what you love with your best friends while traveling the world to enrich other peoples’ lives is a dream come true.”
