May 2019 ~ Rider of the Month ~ Eli Dowdy

Eli “Rowdy” Dowdy is 7-years-old. His business is BMX. And when there’s business to be done, he cannot be bothered with trifles.

“Why,” he demanded to know, “are you asking me all these stupid questions?!”

The reason, as I tried to explain, is because Eli is NOVA BMX’s May 2019 Rider of the Month.

In just over four years, this member of the Get-a-Grip squad has risen from an enthusiastic 2-year-old balance bike rider to the Expert Class of USA BMX. He is knocking at a top 10 National Age Group ranking. And this July, he will represent his country in the UCI BMX World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.

I have virtually no chance of catching Eli on the track, so I tried to catch up with him at NOVA BMX’s recent and well-attended Open House.  Eli, despite the punishing heat, had been doing one full-speed lap after another, treating these practice runs with the same seriousness he displays in every national main.

Eli doesn’t have a “practice mode.” That’s why another of his nicknames is “RPM” his throttle is wide open, and his engine is at the redline whenever he is on a BMX bike.

Which, these days, is most of the time.

But everyone has to eat eventually, and when I spotted Eli in the staging area scarfing down a hotdog, I gave him the good news about his RotM selection and asked him if we could sit down for a quick, taped interview.

YOU try to stand between Eli and more laps on a BMX track. It’s not easy.

“What about HIM?” Eli said, gesturing to another talented rider who is making his mark on the national and world stage.

“He’ll get his chance,” I said. “But this month it’s about YOU. The Rider of the Month Committee wants to recognize YOUR accomplishments. Trust me, it’s an honor.”

“Hear that?” Eli said to the other rider. “I’m Rider of the Month. But you’ll get your chance.”

“Rider of the Month …” the other boy said.

Realizing my control of the situation was slipping, I tried to steer Eli back to the interview.

What I managed to learn is that Eli lives close to NOVA BMX and next to some woods where he rides dirt bikes and four-wheelers for fun. He couldn’t pinpoint what makes him so fast as a BMXer, but he said he rides bikes a lot, including with his cousins – Hayden, Preston, Trent, and Tanner – as well as his dad, Curtis, and his sister, Amelia, who recently started racing pedal bikes at age 3.

Eli’s goals for this year center on winning the World Championships. His other BMX aspiration, he said, is “winning.” He enjoys BMX because, “It’s fun.”

Oh, and his favorite dessert? Chocolate cupcakes. And if you make him a peanut butter sandwich, it better have Marshmallow Fluff.

When asked who he wanted to give a shout out to for helping his BMX career, Eli answered, “Mommy and Daddy, Grammy and Shelly, Bam and Pop-Pop.”

Eli’s dad, Curtis, said the family members are all natives of Northern Virginia. Curtis is an ex-dirt bike racer and has long known about NOVA BMX. Once Eli became old enough to ride a balance bike at age two, Curtis took him to the track, and the family quickly became hooked on BMX. Eli then joined the Novice Class on pedal bikes at age 4. He didn’t stay there long, quickly making his way up to Expert.

Now the whole family races and rides BMX, including Eli’s mom, Nichole, who is also a well-known and talented BMX photographer.  

On or off the track, the Dowdys have become an integral part of the NOVA BMX community, volunteering, bringing new riders into the sport, organizing trips to distant riding spots, and spreading good vibes and BMX enthusiasm wherever they go.

As for Eli, when it comes to discussing BMX, he would prefer to let his riding do the talking.

And every lap he rides speaks volumes about the talent and drive he brings to BMX and the closeness and support of his extended family that allow him to thrive as a racer and a good kid.

Congratulations to Eli Dowdy, NOVA BMX’s May 2019 Rider of the Month. His lesson for us all is that talk is cheap … but shredding the track is priceless!

This rider spotlight was written by our local racer and BMX dad, Christopher Zealand. Photo credits go to Nichole Marie Dowdy Photography, except the 2019 Gator Nationals track photo by James Pennucci.