The Broadway Bomb is a longboarding race held every year along the length of Broadway in Manhattan. The event was founded in October 2002 by Ian Nichols & Fred Mahe, with an initial set of sixteen competitors. After growing in size every year, by 2012 more than 1,900 riders competed.The event is unsanctioned by the City of New York, meaning that the race takes place in ordinary city traffic with no organized protection for riders, vehicles or pedestrians.  When participation reached thousands of riders in 2012, the New York Supreme Court granted an injunction declaring the race unlawful. Since that time the New York City Police Department has deployed in force to prevent or disrupt the event. The element of danger involved with unsanctioned street racing is reflected in the race's slogan, You Could Die.