Biking Across Kansas originated in June of 1975. Inspired by the "bike boom" and interest in the cross-country "Bikecentennial" bicycle craze, Larry and Norma Christie of Wichita, decided that a ride across their home state would be fun. Evidently, so did a lot of other people, because over twenty years later, BAK has grown beyond anyone's expectations. There are now over 1000 people participating on each year's event and the single-route tour has expanded to three. Each year, the Christies, along with their organizing committee, try to make the tour just a little better and more enjoyable for its participants. In 1995, a BAK web site was launched, attracting attention from cyclists worldwide. The routes change from year to year, so in the course of the past two decades, nearly every corner of the state has been visited by Biking Across Kansas riders. This event has exposed so many people from all over the country to the beauty of Kansas and has done much to increase state tourism. In 1994, the Christies received the Governor's State Tourism Award for their efforts with BAK.