1980

In 1980, BMX had clearly taken off across Australia, with riders from around the country enjoying regular race meetings. Before the Australian BMX Association had formed, the first interstate 'Unofficial' Australian Age Championships were contested over four rounds, with two events held in Brisbane and two in Sydney. The series was points-based, and the Open Men title ended in a tie — Sydney riders Michael Wiltshire and Wayne McIntosh emerged as the first ever joint winners.

The 'unofficial' label reflected the fact that the championship pre-dated the national organising body, but the series was still a major milestone. It linked the leading NSW and Queensland BMX scenes and showed that the sport had already grown beyond purely local club racing.

In December 1980, Blair Shepherd's Windsor BMX Track hosted the USA vs AUS Brisbane International Challenge, one of the most iconic international showcase events of Australian BMX's early years. More rarely seen images survive from that magical weekend, when Australia's top Open Expert riders gathered at Windsor to test their speed and skills against American superstars Stu Thomsen, John Crews, Kenny Nachman, Jeff Kosmala, Denny Davidow, and the rest of Team America.

The meeting captured the excitement of a sport that was rapidly expanding in Australia and gave local riders and fans a rare chance to see world-famous American professionals in action on Australian soil. Staged at Windsor under the influence and promotion of Blair Shepherd, the event reinforced Queensland's place at the centre of the country's early BMX boom.

Remembered as an iconic weekend in the rich history of Australian BMX, the Brisbane International Challenge stands as an important moment in the sport's development, linking the pioneering local scene with the global stars who had helped define BMX in the United States. Surviving period images from the event include photography credited to Bradley Prestwidge.