The addition of BMX freestyle to the Olympic program at the Tokyo Games opened a lot of eyes to the sport in Japan, and a subsequent boom in interest from people of all ages is bringing families closer.

Even if it is not the most accessible sport due to the inherent risks involved in taking on jumps, ramps and quarterpipes, the head of the Japan Freestyle BMX Federation said he could not pass up the chance to get both young people and their parents involved.

"If (parents are) visiting the venue anyway I thought they might as well ride and have fun," federation head Satoshi Deguchi said of his idea to encourage family participation and allow parents to compete alongside their children.