POV, or Point of View cameras never really took off in BMX racing, mostly because they were over governed in a sport that’s already way too full of rules. I’d say in the bigger picture it’s the BMX racing involvement in the Olympic movement and the ability to sell rights to the footage that’s ultimately to blame.

Since the day I first saw a 360 degree video of snowboarding down a mountain, where you’d control the view the whole way down, I’d started to wonder what a BMX race would look like. I’d heard of the Samsung/Sam Willoughby VR experience at Optus stores in the lead up to the 2016 Olympics, but missed out on seeing it.

I eventually got my hands on a Samsung Gear 360 camera and got some race footage from a club level event. The video is a little shaky because it’s mounted to the handlebars on the bike but does allow you to follow what happens from start to finish in any angle of your choice. There’s not a lot of jumping but you do see some moves pulled in the corners.

Who else would like to see footage like this at elite level?