GET UP-TO-DATE WITH 2011 RACE WEAR GP Jersey
Troy Lee Designs D3 and D2 Helmets
LE Purple
$29.95
Youth Sizes
$36.95 add $8 for Adult
Carbon D3 Models
$449.95
Youth Small - Adult XL
Composite D3 Models
Kinetic Pant
$369.95
Youth Sizes
$99.95 18” - 28” Youth
Youth
$79.95 18” - 28” Short
Adult Sizes
$119.95 28” - 38” Adult
GP AIR Jersey Available in Adult Only
$43.95
Kinetic Jersey
Adult
$89.95 28” - 40”
Composite D2 Models
$289.95
F2 Carbon Fider Helmets D.O.T. Race Helmet
Check jrbicycles.com for details
Starting at
$249.95
LE Color
F-16 Jersey Limited Edition Color
$29.95
Youth Small - Adult XL Standard Colors
$24.95
Available in Adult Only 28” - 38”
$138.95
Nightmare Turquoise Nightmare White Victory White
Kinetic Flash D.O.T. Race Helmet
$99.95
Youth Small - Adult XL
F-16 Pants Limited Edition Color
$69.95
Youth 18” - Adult 40” Standard Colors
$59.95
JRBICYCLES.COM SHOP ONLINE AND SAVE ON THOUSANDS OF ITEMS ONLY AT
SEE OUR SITE FOR PROMOTIONAL PRICING
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL
OM
S.C CLE
7000 BRYAN DAIRY RD. LARGO FL. 33777 800-455-9353 J&R Bicycles BMX Superstore “Everything for your bike and your body”
06
contents »
IN THIS ISSUE
» 24-30
Feature Interview
This year four girls stood out in the Elite Women Class. They are just coming off of their rookie year as they had a successful 2010 and all stood proudly together on the gate at the NBL Grands. Alaina Henderson, Ashley Lynch, Baylie Kortman, and Keely Kortman all made a decision in 2009 that they had the determination to compete with the Elite Women Class. Get to know them in our feature story on “Women to Watch For”.
» 18
Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert
The NBL Challenge Series opener was held at Emerald Coast Dirt and Vert November 6-7 and with a combination of great vendors, awesome racing, a dirt jump contest and much more the season started off on the right direction. Bill Madden brings us the story from his truly unique facility
» 20-23
Florida State Series
» 32-33
Industry Profile
The 2011 Florida State Series kicked off at USA BMX in Riverview, FL Novemebr 13th-14th. This facility is known for its steep starting hill and Supercross characteristics was the perfect stage accompanied by perfect weather to launch the state season. BMX Nation was there to bring you the full report
Cover Model: Alaina Henderson Photo: Patrick Nugent
Bill Ryan’s passion for the sport of BMX shows in every product Supercross brings to market. The company started as a safety gear company in 1989. Located in Apple Valley, CA, Supercross Bicycles builds some of the lightest BMX frames on the planet and is at the forefront of innovation. Bill and his team have built an industry leading company and have big plans for the future.
In Every Issue » 9 NBL Schedule » 10 Industry Insider » 14 Champion’s Corner » 16-17 Rider Spotlights » 36-37 NBL Track Directory » 34-35 Products » 42 Icon
2
1
TYLER FAORO 3
1.
NoBOSS CRANK KITS (Black, Chrome & White) – Smooth Clean Look – No Sprocket Boss – GDH Spindle Standard or GDH Ti Upgrade – Lengths: 160, 165, 170, 175, 177, 180, and 182mm (for use with spline drive sprockets and spiders)
2.
OUTBOARD EURO BOTTOM BRACKET – Allows perfect alignment of drive train – Extra smooth action – Available in all colors
3.
New SPLINE DRIVE ELITE SPROCKET – New design for Race (3/32” size) – Compatible with 48-spline spindles – Requires No Sprocket Bolt – 7075 Aluminum with hardened CrMo splined insert – Available Black, Blue & Red
WELCOME TO THE PROFILE FACTORY TEAM ELITE / PRO RACER
HaNdcRaFtEd iN tHE USa Send $3.00 for a Sticker Pack to: Profile Racing, 4803 95th Street North, Saint Petersburg, Florida, 33708 Phone: 727-391-7370 – Fax: 727-398-2153 Email: info@profileracing.com
profileracing.com
08
LETTER FROM THE NBL » (they had several packed into the gym!), and it was great to see how much fun she was having participating in the physical activities. After chatting with her parents, I was reminded again of the issue of organized sports when it comes to children with special needs. Enter BMX. BMX racing can and will offer this girl a chance to compete individually at her own pace and enjoy all the benefits competitive sports provide. I look forward to seeing her at a National soon! The NBL is three organizations in one. The fact that we are 1) a Sports League and 2) a Sports promoter is obvious and integral to our mission. But we are also 3) a Public Charity, and that mission is the most important of all, as we are here to serve our members, not profit off of them. As a charity, one of the things we can do to be highly effective in serving our communities is reach out to children with Special Needs. And it isn't only children that are of concern, as there are many adults with special needs who can benefit from our sport. Let's do the numbers: • One out of 9 children under the age of 18 in the US today receive special education services
A Special Opportunity When I attended my first BMX race, one of the things that stood out most to me was the 5 and under class. You may be thinking it was because of the obvious reasons- namely that those little kids are awesome! But the fact is, it stands out in my mind for a very different reason. I'll come back to that in a bit, but first, let me share a little about me and my family. My wife and I have committed ourselves to the cause of children for many years. Particularly, for many years we became very active in assisting children in Georgia who were taken into State custody for one reason or other. During this time, we had many children come through our home, and one day, we found ourselves taking care of a young boy with some special needs. I felt that I wasn't the least bit equipped to handle the additional challenges that such a child presented, and at first, I didn't think I could manage. Then, another special needs child came to us, and I was sure I couldn't manage. But soon, my perspective changed. I began to see what amazing people these children are. I saw how brave they had to be to overcome their challenges. I could go on and on with story after story of accomplishments that some might consider trivial, but for these children, they were monumental. The least I could do was get over myself and help. As many of you know, we went on to adopt all six of our children, and to this day, they are my heroes, as nothing I have or ever will face compares to the battles they have fought. So what does all this have to do with BMX? Well, back to my story about the first race... You see, what caught my eye was that there were 2 and 3-year old kids riding the same track as all the older kids and adults. And it hit me -- If someone with the mental and physical development of a 2 or 3 year old can enjoy this sport, then so could people with special needs with at least as much development! This may not sound like a big deal, but you have to understand just how significant this is. For most children with special needs, sports are not really accessible. Especially when it comes to team sports. And for the most part, the way this is addressed is through the creation of a separate team or league or at least a separate event. And even in these cases, many times the sport is altered so much by accommodations that it barely looks like the original sport. But BMX racing truly is for everyone! Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting an extraordinary young girl who has Down's Syndrome. We were at a Family Fun Day out our kids' school. The young girl was enjoying all the bounce houses
• Out of 72.3 million families included in the 2000 Census, about 2 in every 7 reported having at least one member with a disability • 20.9 million families have members with a disability • Of the 20.9 million families reporting at least one member with a disability, 5.5 percent have both adults and children with a disability • An estimated 2.8 million families were raising at least one child aged 5 to 17 with a disability. * Source: “Disability and American Families: 2000” , US Census Bureau, July 2005 Report. The next time you're in a crowd, or at church or school, or maybe at an airport, count out 10 people- these statistics say that at least 3 are in a family facing a special need. That's a lot! And there aren't very many opportunities out there for these families to participate in sports. And that's the added bonus of BMX racing- it's not just a 'family sport', it's a 'family participation sport'. So with the NBL, the whole family can engage in the same sport as their family member with special needs. What a great way to bring a family together! So, looking ahead, we are determined to reach out and make a way for people with special needs to Join the Nation. I welcome any and all input you may have on how we can help them succeed. And I want to challenge all of you to reach out and share this sport with some of those millions of families out there. And keep an eye out for a special discount offer for anyone with a special need- it's the least we can do for these true heroes.
credits: Publisher Mike Floyd Office Manager Dede Floyd Sales Derek Floyd Art Director Joel Cook Production Tony Cartagena Multimedia Anthony Sassano Brandon Hyde Distribution Doug Mcgee Photographers Jerry Landrum Jarred Huffman Contributors Jenn Sheppard Chase Campbell Harrison Britt Jerry Landrum Rhonda Koulermos Al Roybal Justin Travis Carly Young NBL Office & Field Staff CEO Gary Aragon garagon@nbl.org Director of Marketing & Public Relations Jess Moore jessmoore@nbl.org Director of Planning & Innovations Erma Miller emiller@nbl.org Director of National Field Operations Don Wagner dwagner@nbl.org Director of Operations Connie Shepler cshepler@nbl.org Director of Track Operations & Development Donna Smith dsmith@nbl.org Director of Membership Angel Dorr adorr@nbl.org Director of Accounting Jan Moore jmoore@nbl.org Director of West Coast Track Development Cody Wilson cwilson@nbl.org
BMX NATION Magazine is published monthly 10 issues with Sept/Oct and Jan/ Feb combined issues. Letters, Questions and Comments can be sent to us at: 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd Plant City, FL 33563 or email them to info@bmxnat.com. Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. BMX NATION Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to BMX NATION Magazine become the sole property of Floyd Publications, Inc and may be reproduced thereof. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Floyd Publications, Inc . Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Floyd Publications, Inc .
9 www.nbl.org
November 27- 28 November 27-28 December 27
December 27
December 28- 29
January 2928-29 -30 December
Thanksgiving Classic
TN Thanksgiving Classic Morristown, Morristown, TN
President’s Cup
Columbus, OH
Christmas Classic
Columbus, OH
President’s Cup
Columbus, OH
Cat 2
Elite Open
Indy Indoor IN Cat 3 Christmas Classic Indianapolis,Columbus, OH
Elite Cat Open 2
March 5
NationsTour #1
Primm, NV
March 6
Stateline National
Primm, NV
January 29-30 March March 5 19 -20 April 26 -3 March
Indy Indoor
Fort Walton Beach, FL
January 15-16
Virginia Horse Center
Lexington, VA
NE
February 26- 27
Lexington BMX
Lexington, SC
SE
Virgin, UT Lexington, SC
W SE
January 8 - 9
April 9- 10 February 26-27 April 16- 17
Virginia Horse Center
Virgin RegionalBMX BMX Lexington
Fort Walton Beach, FL SE SE Lexington, VA
April 9-10
Virgin Regional BMX
Morristown BMX
Morristown, TN
SE
Winchester, VA
NE
Virgin, UT
NE
W
Winchester BMX
Primm, Peachtree City, GA NV Cat 2
Elite Open
April May 16-17 7-8
Morristown BMX East Moline BMX Speedway
East Morristown, Moline, IL TN
MWSE
Roadrunner Nationals Stateline National Las Cruces, NM Primm, NV Cat 3
Elite Cat Open 4
May 16-17 7-8 April
Central Jersey BMX BMX Winchester
Howell, NJ Winchester, VA
NENE
Nellis BMX
Las Vegas, NV
W
Waukegan BMX
Waukegan, IL
MW
Central Jersey Air Time BMXBMX
Howell, Reedley, CA NJ
W NE
Cleves, OH
MW
McDonough, GA
SE
NationsTour Georgia Peach Nationals #1
NationsTour #2
Petersburg, VA
Georgia Peach Nationals
Sarasota, FL
Cat 1
Peachtree City, GA
Roadrunner Easter Classic Nationals Sarasota, FL Las Cruces, NM Cat 4 Gator Nationals
FL Cat 3 Battlefield Nationals West Palm Beach, Petersburg, VA
May 14 -15
Dixieland Nationals
May 14- 15
All-American Nationals
April 23
Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert
April 16- 17
April 23
April 30 - May 1 April 2-3
Cat 3
Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert
Elite Open
Freedom Nationals
April April2-3 24
Indianapolis, IN
November 6- 7 November 6-7
Cat 4
April 2 -3
March 19-20
Elite Open
NationsTour #2
Elite Open
Cat 2
May 21-22
East Moline BMX Speedway
East Moline, IL
MW
3 Elite Cat Open
May May7-8 28-29
Elite Open
Cat 1
June 4-5 May 7-8
Cleves BMX
June 4-5
Sandy Ridge BMX
June 4-5
Catamount BMX
Bennington, VT
NE
June28-29 18-19 May
Columbus Air Time BMX BMX
Columbus, INCA Reedley,
MWW
July 2-3
Livermore BMX
Livermore, CA
W
Clemmons, NC
Cat 1
Elite Open
Fresno, CA
Cat 2
Elite Open
Sarasota, FL
May 7-8
May 7-8
May 21-22
Nellis BMX
Las Vegas, NV
Waukegan BMX
Waukegan, IL
W
MW
May 24 28 -29 April
Memorial Easter ClassicClassic
Pottstown, PA Sarasota, FL Cat 2
Elite Cat Open 4
June 11 -12
Empire Nationals
New Paltz, NY
Cat 3
Elite Open
June 11 -12
SoCal Nationals
Lucerne, CA
Cat 1
Elite Open
July 23-24
SE Challenge Championships
Pelham, AL
SE
May June14-15 25
Dixieland Clemmons, NC NationsTour #3 Nationals TBA - Midwest
Cat 1
June 4-5 July 23-24
Sandy Ridge BMX NE Challenge Championships
McDonough, GA Bethel, CT
NE SE
June14-15 26 May
Midwest National Nationals TBA - Midwest All-American Fresno, CA Cat 4
Elite Cat Open 2
July 23-24 June 4-5
MW Challenge Championships Catamount BMX
Grand Rapids, MIVT Bennington,
MWNE
Cat 2
June 18-19
July 23-24
West Challenge Championships
Kernville, CA
W
April 30-May 1
Gator Nationals
West Palm Beach, FL
July 9
NationsTour #4
Pittsburgh, PA
July 10
Stars N Stripes National
Pittsburgh, PA
May 28-29 June 11-12 July 16 -17 July 30 -31
June 11-12 August 13 -14
June 25
August 13 -14
September 3- 4 June 26
Memorial Classic
Pottstown, PA
Cat 3
Cat 4
Elite Open
Nationals Evansville, INNew Paltz, NY Hoosier Empire Nationals Cat 1
3 Elite Cat Open
Great Lakes Nationals
Waterford, MI
Cat 2
Elite Open
Catskill Mountain Nationals
Kingston, NY
Cat 1
Elite Open
SoCal Nationals NationsTour #3
Golden State Nationals
Lucerne, CA
TBA - Midwest
Prunedale, CA
Cat 1
Cat 3
Elite Open
Grand Midwest National National Louisville, KYTBA - Midwest Cat 4
Elite Cat Open 4
EXPLANATION OF ELITE OPEN July 9 NationsTour #4 SERIES
Pittsburgh, PA
The Elite Open Series will be a Pro Series completely separate from the NationsTour races. Elite Open classes will be offered AA-Elite Women, A-Elite, Masters & SuperEx riders. PA July 10 at every National for AA-Elite Men, Stars N Stripes National Pittsburgh, Cat 4
June 4-5
Cleves BMX
Cleves, OH
Columbus BMX
Columbus, IN
MW
The Sunday race (July 24th) after the Challenge Championships will be a bonus National in each region. The race will be run like a normal National with no virtual teamsheets and will July 2-3 towards the rider’s National Livermore BMX Livermore, CA count qualifying races.
July 23-24 SE Challenge Championships EXPLANATION OF NATIONAL
Pelham, AL CATEGORIES
MW W SE
At the root of the new categories is the idea of a “virtual teamsheet”. Every rider at the race will be randomly
July 23-24 NEwill Challenge Championships Bethel, placed on a team. This team be separate from normal teams. Each rider will stillCT be scored normally NE for
National points. The virtual team will give every rider in attendance a chance at an additional award of the day.
July 23-24 MW Challenge Championships Grand MI MW Category 1: Mixed Doubles - The virtual teamsheet Category 3: ProAm - TheRapids, virtual teamsheet will pair
will pair every boy with a girl to form “fantasy mixed every Am regardless of proficiency with a Pro rider. The doubles” teams of a varying number (probably 7 or winning virtual team will split a prize valued at $2000. July 23-24 West Challenge Kernville, Won 8). The winning virtual team will receive a prizeChampionships of Category 4: Super ProAm - CA One-day events held $2000 or almost $300 per rider. Sunday after the NationsTour Pro races. Worth double Category 2: Team Spectacular - No after virtual the ChallengeNational points. The will virtual The Sunday race (July 24th) Championships beteamsheet a bonuswill work the teamsheets. Top teams will share a bulked-up purse. same as at ProAm races but with a $4000 prize.
National in each region. The race will be run like a normal National with no virtual teamsheets and will count towards the rider’s National qualifying races.
The Thanksgiving Classic & ECDV Regional will fall under the New NBL. If you convert your membership at or before those races, you get that race free along with the President’s Cup and the Christmas Classic – a $300 value, FREE!
July 16-17
Hoosier Nationals
Evansville, IN
Cat 1
July 30-31
Great Lakes Nationals
Waterford, MI
Cat 2
August 13-14
Catskill Mountain Nationals
Kingston, NY
Cat 1
August 13-14
Golden State Nationals
Prunedale, CA
Cat 3
Grand National
Louisville, KY
Cat 4
September 3-4
For more information on upcoming events go to
www.nbl.org
EXPLANATION OF NATIONAL CATEGORIES At the root of the new categories is the idea of a “virtual teamsheet”. Every rider at the race will be randomly placed on a team. This team will be separate from normal teams. Each rider will still be scored normally for National points. The virtual team will give every rider in attendance a chance at an additional award of the day. Category 1: Mixed Doubles - The virtual teamsheet will pair every boy with a girl to form “fantasy mixed doubles” teams of a varying number (probably 7 or 8). The winning virtual team will receive a prize of $2000 or almost $300 per rider. Category 2: Team Spectacular - No virtual teamsheets. Top teams will share a bulked-up purse.
Category 3: ProAm - The virtual teamsheet will pair every Am regardless of proficiency with a Pro rider. The winning virtual team will split a prize valued at $2000. Category 4: Super ProAm - One-day events held on Sunday after the NationsTour Pro races. Worth double National points. The virtual teamsheet will work the same as at ProAm races but with a $4000 prize.
The Thanksgiving Classic & ECDV Regional will fall under the New NBL. If you convert your membership at or before those races, you get that race free along with the President’s Cup and the Christmas Classic – a $300 value, FREE!
10
INDUSTRY insider »
INDUSTRY insider by Jerry Landrum
Orange Y BMX track in Orange, California right off of the 55. When asked ‘Do you use your racing heritage or background in your BMX business today?’ Bill replies, “How can you not? I loved racing and riding and we try to apply that to everything we do here at Supercross, it all has to benefit the rider.” We say, That’s Awesome!
Fly Racing, Ray Hudson
The ‘Fly Guy’, Ray is no stranger to making it happen at Interbike or working with the biggest name riders in the sport, but he got there by starting BMX in 1990 in Idaho Falls, Idaho when he was 15 years old. The amazing thing is that even though he goes to work at Fly BMX every day, selling everything under the BMX sun, he’s still racing after 20 years straight and still making mains along the way. Ray counts getting to race with “Pro Legend”, Eric Rupe as a vet pro and beating Tim Dinger in a moto once among some of the highlights of his BMX career, and figures that he uses his racing background every day in his job, offering advice and tech support to customers based on the knowledge he has gained over his many years of racing.
J&R Bicycles, Bert Morrison
Did you think that the only thing that the J&R guys could do was sell great parts at the races and fix bikes? Bert started racing 1 MONTH after his 5th birthday and raced 18 years straight without taking more than a month or two off at a time. During that time, Bert was able to travel to Venezuela with Brian Fell and the rest of his team to promote BMX, rode for Factory GT Bicycles when he was 16, and won a Florida NBL State #1 and an NBL National #2. With 24 years in the sport now, Bert uses his BMX knowledge every day at J&R. He says, “I get asked some of the craziest questions and I usually have an answer. I think our race knowledge is the driving force for J&R.”
Ray Hudson
E
ver wonder who runs those bike companies that make the stuff you trust to get you around the track? Hmmm? Maybe they’re a bunch of lab coated engineers way off across the ocean, laboring over a keyboard, never touching a bike? OR, some old guy CEO in Southern California hopping out of his limo to slide behind his desk to get the latest count on his inventory, investments and bottom line? Check it out. In BMX, we’re a pretty lucky bunch. It’s more likely that you’ll meet an Industry Insider at the track than in the board room. You’ll probably see them, more often clipping in than getting back in to that limo. Because, you see ….. BMX Industry guys bleed BMX.
Hyper Bicycles CEO, Clay Goldsmid
Clay has run Hyper for a long time, and is an industry insider who knows more cycling company manufacturers than you have ‘Friends’ on Facebook. Clay is known for his super fast Hyper BMX Factory team, his great bikes and coming up with the X-Games bike or the entry level, Donny Robinson BMX bike that you can see in mass marketing stores all across the country. Clay’s no slouch when it comes to the races though as he raced pro in the 90’s and has
the distinction of having one of the RADDEST ‘Back Yard Trails Tracks” around.
Diamondback BMX, Mike Hammond
The Brand/Product Manager for Diamondback BMX started his first race when he was 8 years old. He’s now 35 and still in the sport, running the BMX program at Diamondback, one of the legendary brands in all of BMX. Mike raced competitively until he was 22, eventually racing AA Pro, which is not something that many can do. According to Mike, one of the highlights of his racing career came two years ago, when he ended up making his main event at the 2008 UCI BMX Worlds in Beijing, China where he turned in a respectable 7th in 30 & Over Men, a VERY tough international class…..His next race? You never know, Mike just might be at the next national you go to.
Crupi BMX Owner, Greg Swingrover
Starting BMX at 14, Greg lived in the birthplace of the sport, California. One problem that Greg had though was he lived on Catalina Island, a beautiful place off the coast of CA but not a hot spot of BMX race tracks. What did Greg do? He helped to build the first ever BMX track on Catalina. He also competed in the legendary King Of Dirt jump comps with such radsters as Fuzzy Hall and Chris “Mad Dog” Moeller. Greg went on to cofound S&M Bikes with Mad Dog (A great racer
Answer BMX Rider, Ryan Birk
Crupi Boss Greg Swingrover with wife Richel
in his own right!) and eventually followed his dream all the way to owning Crupi.
Supercross BMX Owner, Bill Ryan
When it comes to innovative products, and some of the most awesome race frames ever, Bill Ryan has been around BMX. Starting out in SoCal at the age of 7, Bill rode many of the legendary tracks of early BMX, including Ascot, Harbor, Alpine Village, and then moved on to become an “Orange Local” at the historic
July 9, 1983 at Westlake BMX in Indianapolis, a young Ryan Birk took home a 2nd Place trophy at his first race. The trophy still sits on his office desk today at Answer BMX. Although Birk took some time off to hit the Hoosier Hardwood including playing four years of college hoops, he got back on his bike after graduation and has been riding hard ever since! Ryan is a co-owner of Answer BMX , one of most well known BMX brands ever. BMX has allowed him “ to work for some great companies and” … has given him … “the chance to race my bike on 5 different continents in the process. And now, to be Vice President and part owner of one of the most iconic race brands of the modern BMX era is like winning a World Championship every day for me. And I still get to line it up on the gate from time to time as part of my “job”. Now, that’s some BIG TIME job satisfaction. But then, BMX is a ‘satisfying sport’, isn’t it? Whether you’re just new to it or you’ve been around it so long that your Gate Starts have turned in to a place in the BMX industry, it’s just one of the BEST sports ANYWHERE! Just ask The Boss!
BMX NATION • www.bmxnat.com
11
12
ROYNUTS »
A
Road to Glory
s we learned last month, the Road to Glory is pretty amazing and the characters you take with you on the road are the spices that make the meal so good, and sometimes just a bit too salty.
On the trip from Northern California to Louisville, Kentucky in 2009 we had Nick Valencia, Rob Riofrio, Fresno’s Ryan Garcia, Jerry Pricer, Jaime Lilly, myself, and a little person named Brit Duyao, all loaded in the Expedition. We were pulling a trailer full of 26 BMX bikes for Team California’s President’s Cup and loaded down with all our gear as well. Needless to say, we were packed for our two days and 2317 miles of road trippin’ madness. Everyone had their own stash of munchies, head phones, ipods and ideas of what this trip should be like which always makes for a good start and shaky ending.
by Al “Roynuts” Roybal
History buffs). I could just imagine my crazy father chasing “white-eyes” across the land, riding a horse, and full of war paint. He would probably have had an alcoholic beverage in his hand and a bottle in his back pocket. It was just his way. Anyways, by the time we got out of New Mexico and entered into Texas the weather was getting sour and there was even some snow. Needless to say, I don’t want to be responsible for six riders missing the President’s Cup and Christmas Classic or fifteen others missing their bikes, so we trudged on. Ryan Garcia started to drive and then the snow started to come down. I’m not talking a little snow either. We were in white Oklahoma hillbilly heaven where cars are pulled over every 30 feet and the rest stops are packed with cars and trucks that just wanted to wait it out. Ryan says something like, “If we were gonna stop, we wouldn’t have started,” and “Penguins ain’t from NorCal!”, or “Like jumping triples, you just have to commit!” So we forged ahead. Soon, it became obvious that we were the only car on the road. Every other vehicle had been ditched, spun out, or just plain abandoned on I-40. Being hardcore BMXers, we don’t like to stop pedaling, so we kept going with the hopes and dreams of Team California being pulled along in the trailer!
By the time we arrived in Gallup, New Mexico, Riofrio was crying about how he had to drive for the past five hours without any support or nurturing of his soul. We pulled over so Rob could get tissues for his tears and so Jamie could get comfortable in the back with her Mr. Snuggle Buddy.
Somewhere between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, we met our match. Now don’t blame Ryan Garcia who was at the wheel because he had already saved us from three spin-outs and two encounters with black ice! The wheels just got a bit loose and before we knew it we were headed backwards, spinning out of control at 60 mph with a trailer jackknifed behind us! Lilly was going bonkers, Rob looked like someone stole his Intense cruiser and Ryan was calmly hanging on, telling everyone to, “Chill!” I was laughing at the fact that we were on an out-of-control death ride over an icy freeway 1000 miles from my momma with seven California kids who know nothing of snow, icy freeways, or cold weather gear! We were basically a bunch of wannabe BMX bandits looking for a good time across the states! Thankfully, we somehow found a huge snowy patch to catch us on the side of I-40. There wasn’t any damage to the trailer and only a small scratch to the Expedition from where the trailer jackknifed and met the vehicle! It was a small price to pay for not listening to the radio or knowing the roads were closed due to the storm.
It was my turn to drive and that meant we were finally going to listen to country music and talk BMX politics. Being that my family is from New Mexico, I always like to drive through there thinking of the old days. My father was born on the Res and walked the red road (that means he was an “Indian” to all you fake US
We continued our trip after a pirate tow truck pulled us out of the snow and charged us $100 (there went the bar tab).The tow truck driver asked me if we were crazy or just stupid. My answer was simple, “Dude, we’re from California, we’re stupid!” Onward to Kentucky!
Nick Valencia started off driving and the weirdness ensued. Funny thing is that as soon as we got to the sign that said, “Welcome to Arizona”, Nick pulled over and informed us he can’t drive in Arizona, New Mexico, or any part of Nevada, Nebraska or the Dakotas due to him having speeding tickets haunting him in those states. No worries though because we weren’t even going through the Dakotas or Nevada! Riofrio wanted to drive anyways, so off we went.
track dirt »
13
down in the dirt
I
by Cody Wilson
n just a few weeks riders from all of the NBL states will be flooding to Columbus, Ohio for the annual Christmas Classic and state versus state presidents cup race. After skipping some years in Ohio the return of Christmas to Columbus is getting all of the states motivated to get their team together with some of their best riders of all ages and skill levels for those bragging rights. The dust and ghost from Halloween have cleared from a lot of our tracks running some special Halloween events over the Oct 30-31st weekend. One event that stands out that I heard about was East Moline BMX Speedway in Illinois who ran their annual Halloween Race on Sunday October 31st. 63 riders in 20 motos came for an afternoon of racing. Numerous games like “foot down“, big wheel races, 16 inch pit bike races, and a bunny hop contest that was won with 39 inches of hop by Nathanael Olson! Included in the event, the East Moline crew collected non-perishable items and had a bake sale for a local women’s shelter. The weather is still great in the Midwest so East Moline BMX Speedway has extended their season, check out embmx. com, or call 309-792-9407 or Track Director Paul DePauw @ 309-796-4455 for the latest info on their extended schedule. Another great thing for the sport of BMX happen during October and the NBL Director Of Track Operations stepped out of her office and went down to help the Fastrax Inc. parent group of London BMX in Ohio. The Sycamore Elementary school in Pickerington, OH created a day for adventures in the park and asked London BMX if they would come host the ET station because “ET” was on a BMX bike. They pulled off some mock races, showed off trophies, had some races with teachers and got some serious interest of BMX to the kids of the school. The kids made the choice by screams and laughter to decide the winner of the teacher versus teacher
race. Numerous winners walked away with some NBL labeled sunglasses and water bottles, and everyone walked away knowing what BMX Racing was! The Golden State BMX Association in California kicked off their 2011 series the 2nd weekend of November with the 2nd annual Dorsey Cup Race that honors the legendary announcer, Linda Dorsey. This year the event attracted Linda’s son Bryan Dorsey to race and he probably summed it up as well as any of us could, saying, simply, “BMX was her life.” During her three-decades on the mic, Linda was a fixture on the NBL National circuit, served on the NBL Board of Directors, and brought her voice to France and Japan, among other places motos were posted. Linda passed away from cancer in 2008, but announced BMX races with the same fire and passion until three months before the end of her life. In other state news for the west coast the Nevada crew called to say they will kick off their 2011 series on December 4 with sign ups from 9-11AM so check out nevadabmx.com for more info. If your local track has something great to share with the nation please e-mail the details so your items can make this monthly column. Each month the latest and greatest items happening around the country with the NBL family of tracks will be featured. Please send me a shout at cwilson@nbl.org and I will help you spread the word about your programs. See Ya At The Christmas Classic!
TM
LLC
ProStuff
TM
OFFICIAL STARTGAT We are the safest and most reliable producer of BMX + MTB start gate equipment in the WORLD. We are a World Class Training System, and currently have equipment in 41 countries.
OFFICIAL STARTGATE OF THE UCI info@progate.net
14
riding tips » » Step 4 » Step 3 Notice how as my rear wheel gets to the face of the jump I lift my shoulders and body up, allowing me to lift up my rear wheel over the face and not drop my front wheel
» Step 2 I picked up my front wheel and started my manual where the blue line has been drawn in.
This is a different view of the start of the pull manual, check out how my front wheel is already in the air and I’m not even at the jump yet.
S
ticking with the Manualing theme we have going from the past two
CHAMPION’S CORNER: By: Justin Travis
month we are going to work on a little more advanced version this
3.
EIGHT Steps to MANUALING ON THE TRACK
month called the “Pull Manual”. Hopefully you have been working
diligently for the last month on your manual skills and you are getting comfortable to manual small to medium jumps with ease. A Pull Manual takes some effort to execute but will allow you to get over small, medium and even some large jumps even faster. The benefits of a Pull Manual is that you are actually “pulling” up on your front wheel before the face of the jump, giving you full control over the direction your bike will take because the lip won’t be throwing your front wheel in the air. With this added level of control, you are able to use your legs to pump every available transition smoothly, quickly and without worry over-clearing a jump because you are
1
Start by finding a small to medium sized double or step up that has a nice roll to it.
2
Approach the jump at a medium speed (if you are going to slow you won’t make it all the across)
3
Keep your body tall and over the center of your bike to start. Right before your front wheel starts up the lip of the jump you need to “pull” it up in the air like when you were working on manualing on flat ground two months ago. Make sure to pull it up hard enough so it clears the lip of the jump.
4
Be ready to lift your legs and your body FAST. As soon as your back wheel hits the face of the jump you need to lift your legs up and “spring” your shoulders up. You should almost be Bunny Hopping up the lip of the jump while keeping your front wheel in the air! This motion can be difficult to learn. If you do not lift your back wheel and body up when it hits the face your front wheel will fall and you will not manual the whole jump.
5 6 7
Being able to manual smoothly whenever you want is very important to your track speed and being able to go fast and win races. See you at the races!
Once your rear wheel is over the lip push your legs down to pump through the jump and gain speed. The original “pull” will help you pump even harder. When your front wheel makes it to the other side of the jump start to set it down and lean forward so you can pump down the backside for even more speed. Keep one finger on your brake lever to slow yourself down or help to bring your front wheel down if you get out of control, remember if you feel yourself flipping over backwards just jump off your bike and safely run out. Practice this on all sizes of jumps as being able to pull manual whenever you want will greatly increase your track speed which will help you conserve energy for maintaining your lead (or making that last second pass for the win!) Learn this skill WITHOUT the use of clip style pedals. Mastering this skill without clips will greatly improve your bike handling skills both on and off the track.
bmxnat.com
BMX NATION • www.bmxnat.com
15
16
rider spottlight »
Michele Patterson Michele Patterson has been racing the NBL BMX scene for her entire racing career that started 14 years ago. From Southern California at 25 years old Michele is taking life day by day juggling work, college, and a daily training regimen for the Elite Women class. During the 2010 season her results ranged from both wrist being broken to both days of a podium in Fresno, CA. Michele is all lined up for a great 2011 season after signing on a new sponsor, having the support of the Pat’s 605 Bike Shop and her renewed mission to competitively compete in all of the organizations Elite Women classes we sat down and spent a few minutes with her to get her take on some topics as she continues training for the 2011 Nations Tour & UCI SX Races. How did you get started in BMX, at what track, how did you do and who took you? My dad and I used to go mountain biking and he thought I would enjoy BMX racing a little bit more since he had to always listen to me complain about how I hated going up the mountains, but loved going down. He took me to Whittier Narrows in El Monte, CA. At first glance I thought the gate was going to attack me and the first few laps I didn’t even get off the seat, but by the end of the night I was hooked for life.
What tracks are your regular rounds for a training week? Whittier Narrows and Bellflower are my regular tracks I go to in a normal training week. I also ride Orange and Sycamore BMX on a regular basis. What track in your 2010 travels stood out as the best weekend? I spent most of the 2010 season recovering, but if I had to pick my favorite weekend it would Fresno. I loved the track layout; it was a fast, technical track, and it was in a great location.. next time i’ll bring a fishing pole! Since turning Elite you have had some pretty serious injury setbacks, what were they and how are they progressing? Within 2 months I had two distal radial fractures that resulted in surgery on both my left and right wrist. Combined I now have four plates and 16 screws in my wrists. My left wrist has completely recovered. I just finished physical therapy for my right wrist and everyday it feels stronger.
What do you think of the direction the sport is going and who is doing the best to move it forward? I think the sport is definitely heading towards the right direction. The progress it has made within 10 years is outstanding, not only in the skill of the riders but also in the technicality of the tracks. I believe that everyone in the sport has a part in moving it forward. I could not single out one specific person who I think is moving it forward the best. It is many different people all contributing to make our sport more successful., and it’s only going to get better. Do you have any ties in the bike industry, and what can the industry do better? Although my family runs a bicycle shop, I don’t really have too many ties with the bicycle industry, I just ride my bicycle. You just signed on a new sponsor, who is it with and where does that put you moving forward? Eliminator Racing. Knowing that they are confident and supportive of my racing gives me even more motivation to train and race hard.
Being in Southern California puts you in the middle of BMX, what else can we find you doing? I’m pretty much always on my bicycle, other than that school takes up a lot of my time. Do you ride anything with 2 wheels other than BMX? I ride downhill bikes and road bikes as well. Is there an end for you and BMX, when will that be and /or what would be next? The end of my BMX career is inevitable, but I do not plan on it ending anytime soon. Vet Womens Elite one day. You have always made an effort to race NBL, why is that? I enjoy the atmosphere so much more. The tracks tend to be more technical, and there are more incentives to race NBL. What tracks do you prefer? SX, NBL, ABA, Indoor, Outdoor -And Why? I really like fast, downhill, jumping tracks. I love the SX track in Chula Vista, it’s smooth, fast, and all about jumping.
Your Thoughts On The Word or Topic. Nations Tour A series on SX tracks.. pedal, pedal, pedal, huuuuck. West Coast Sunshine and no humidity= lots of training time East Coast Concrete turned tracks... ouch. NBL Grands I’m sweating the moment I step off the plane
UCI Worlds Intense
Energy Drinks Instant crack.
Racing After Parties a night to remember... or not...
Fast Food Porta potties and fast food do not mix.
Sprints I get to 6 and want to quit.. but once I hit 10 and throw up I’m so proud!
Foreigners Most of them come shirtless.. I can’t complain.
Maris How much???
Sum It Up, who do you want to thank? How and where can we keep up or watch for updates on your progress? Without my family I definitely wouldn’t be where I am at today. My sponsors Eliminator Racing, Pats 605, Supercross, Powerbar, Alienation, Sixsixone, No Fear, Kenda. You can keep up with my progress at any of the UCI or Nations Tour races, as well as eliminatorbmx.com
rider spottlight »
17
Destiny Broughton Nickname: Ninny Hometown: Kettering, Ohio Age (Class): 11 Girls and 12 & Under Girls Cruiser Sponsors: Hyper Bicycles, Bell Helmet, Kenda Tires, Profile, HRP Designs
What is your local track and how often do you ride there? Dayton Indoor. Three days a week. What got you interested in BMX in the beginning? My brothers. What is your proudest BMX moment so far in your career? Winning the 2010 Grands and title at the same time! Who do you usually ride with? Is there a typical crew of friends? Dayton crew. holla! Ashley Cooley, Danielle Parish, Taylor Thomison, Jeffrey Upshaw, Tommy Zula. What do you do when you’re not riding? Do you play any other sports? Texting and hanging out with friends. I also do cheerleading and gymnastics. How do you usually train? Sprints, stairs, and practice at the track. Who are some people you look up to and why? Dustin Vogler because he’s an awesome rider, and Alise Post because she’s a beast! Pick one: Gate 1 or gate 8? Why? Gate 1 because inside gates are my favorite! What about the sport has kept you interested? I like to compete and all the friends I’ve made. On the track, what parts of racing have come naturally and what parts do you think you need the most work on? Rhythm sections come easy. I still need to work on learning to manual and jump! Your toughest competition on the track has been Shanayah Howell for a few years. You beat her out for the title this year. How do you approach the challenge of racing her? Do you do anything differently than at a normal race? I don’t change anything. I just go harder and try to win! If I gave you $100 right now, what would you buy with it? I would get my nails done and go shopping! What is the best advice you’ve received since you started racing? Stay focused and PEDAL PEDAL PEDAL! Who would you like to thank? My family for getting me were I am today and supporting me. Jud Ciancio for being a great team manager, and Hyper Bicycles for making it all possible!
Favorite: Track: Nashville, TN
Dessert: Brownies
TV Show: Full House
Pro: Dustin Vogler
Drink: Water
Piece of Clothing: Vans
Subject in School: None
Sports Team to Watch: Cincinnati Bengals
Band: MGMT
Food: Chinese
Movie: The Hangover
18
RACE REPORT »
The NBL Challenge Series Opener - Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert, Nov. 6-7th 2010 by Bill Madden
New beginnings are always something hard to define. Normally in a story about a BMX race like this, the most often asked question is “How many motos were there?”. The people that pose this question usually determine the quality of the race from that answer alone. If that formula would be attached to the Challenge Series Opener, every last person who came here would answer you in opposition. See, we new that Emerald Coast BMX would not boast a high moto count for this race, so we made sure that we concentrated on making this weekend the most possible fun for every single person who attended it. Erma Miller was swamped with signing up new members to the NBL’s new membership format and Anthony and Shayne Robinson made quick work of registration and organizing the day’s events. However, let’s start the report with our vendors. Kovachi Wheels and Evolution Bike Company made sure that every single need for wheels and BMX equipment was covered and people were stoked. Second, we decided to get the
best food vendors we could find. No hot dogs, hamburgers and the usual junk you see at a BMX event, but try freshly cooked gumbo, grilled gator and beignets from Cajun Kitchen and tasty burritos, nachos with ‘real’ queso and southwest chili from Moe’s Southwest Grill had the crowd in food frenzy! Then add in the fact that the skate park and dirt jumps were open for riding the whole time and you had a delivered promise of fun that had fast, fierce racing on the track as the icing on the cake. Elite Men’s rider, Barry Nobles came down Friday to do a skills clinic for these aspiring racers and had so much fun on the track, trails and skate park- he stayed over for an additional day just to hang out and ride!
To top it off even further, a jumping contest was held in the Dirt Jumps on Saturday night. The groms saw Colby Fisher win it with some Tallahassee style and the Studs class was a show stopper culminating in a tie for 1st between Jeremy Sawyer and Zack Kring. We went to the crowd for applause and they picked
Sawyer as the champ! Where are you gonna find all that fun at any national? Racing was awesome on the track as we had it in the best shape to date according to everyone we asked. Winds were a bit chilly but all the action was smokin’ hot! Standouts for the weekend were nearly every Black Crown rider and the local team Dirt & Vert in their blue ‘highway sign’ jerseys led the pack almost every lap. Mahkial Jones, ‘lil bro Liam Jones and Chris Cleveland wore them proud and showed speed and skill on their home track.
John Pringle and John ‘Crazy’ Cleveland kept him honest, though! The better looking Pringle (Laura) handled the Women’s cruiser classes each day for her and hubby’s sponsor, Profile Racing. Connor Madden narrowly missed wins both days in 12 Challenger, but managed a perfect on Sunday. The best match-up of the weekend was between Dillon Papageorge and Trey Broughton hands down. These two put on the closest, bar to bar, swapping the lead laps that any of us saw the whole two days…..and all of this in 13-14 Challenger!
Wolf Racing had so many super fast, stylish young dudes with the same last name on their jerseys winning laps (Camden, Carson, Cole, Cody!), it was a chore for the announcers to keep it straight! One of them boosted the table each lap on his mini……reminded me of Bubba Hayes on SE back in the day (really ‘back in the day’ – the 80’s!)
Check the results for finishes for everyone, but what you won’t be able to see from them are how much fun everyone had on the track, trails and the skate park by attending this Challenge Series Opener. So basically, if you weren’t here, you missed out on a month of fun packed into one weekend at Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert. Thanks to all who came to Fort Walton Beach and we hope to see you at the Florida State Qualifier in March!
In the ‘Old dad’s with kids classes’, some old guy named Madden doubled both days trying to recapture some Elite Master’s glory days.
20
RACE REPORT »
Profile’s Pro, Tyler Faoro beside Morphine’s Mike Kape in a Saturday Pro Open moto. Tyler won both days Pro Main.
The 2011 florida state series by Harrison Britt The 2011 Florida State Series kicked off in Riverview, Florida. The track is located off the beaten path but allows for a large space with plenty of room to house the largest state series in the NBL. With the moto count reaching up to 150 and the opportunity of getting some early state points, there was sure to be lots of exciting racing. Steve Girardi and the whole USA BMX crew worked hard on the track to provide one of the smoothest and fastest tracks of this year’s circuit. Dubbed the “miniSupercross” track, the steep starting hill and wide open first straight caught some of the spectators off guard and if they blinked they might miss some of the action that occurred in every age group and every class. With all of the Florida pros in attendance, state champ and Intense Monster’s very own CJ McGuire had a target on his back for the #1 on his plate, and his plate was full with the likes of Profile’s newest rider Tyler Faoro, Morphine Industries’ “Money” Mike Kapes, and Free Agent’s Harry Britt. But the new pros were looking to shake things up as well with Intense Monster’s young gun Justin Riddell and USA BMX’s own Nick Britt, who made the trip from Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. With the motos wrapped up and most of the regulars in the main it was all down to one lap. McGuire had a good gate but it was the former state champ Tyler Faoro taking his new Profile costume to front with CJ in tow and Kapes in the mix. The young gun Justin Riddell had some track pull and managed to make his wake into the second position behind Faoro who wrapped up the win and Morphine Industries’ Mike Kapes for the third spot. The lady pros weren’t going to be outshined by the men and Ripxx team rider Amanda Carr was ready to go bar-to-bar with MCS’s Amanda Geving for the win, but not if Cycle Crafts Squel Stein would have any say in that and look to upset the Amanda showdown. With all three in the main it was all down to performance. Out of the gate it was the “Amanda Show” with it looking like a tie down the first straight, but with the edge it was Carr taking it to the top spot. With lots of pull MCS’s Geving pulled down the last straight for the win but it was too little too late and the Ripxx rider Amanda Carr to the first State Series race win of the season followed in tow by Geving and Squel Stein. With some of the younger riders growing up and getting in some harder age classes Intense Monster’s Cody Wong was looking to take a 16 Expert title but not without some competition from Force’s newest rider Favio Mojica coming in with the upset and the state points for the Force Racing team. One of my favorite standout riders of the weekend was little Joey Leto, one of the smallest guys on the track with the some of the biggest style. Joey finished last season strong and with his goals set on a 2011 Florida State #1 he started the season strong beating his completion and doing it with a style and fines that can’t be taught. BMX NATION • www.bmxnat.com
21
22
RACE REPORT »
Morphine’s Richie Dey in front of Profile’s Tanner Engel in the 11 Expert Class. Dey doubled both days winning all of his Expert and Cruiser motos and mains.
Fortress Racing’s Preston Wilson (367) leads Revolution’s Jose Hernandez and the rest of this 9 Novice moto out of the first corner.
Amanda Geving goes down in the first corner. Carr, following close behind, has nowhere to go but over her friend. Donna Snow in third would also get caught up in the wreck, leaving Agressive’s Jessica Cartwright to take an easy victory in the Women’s Pro main.
Intense’s Joey Leto impressed even his competitors as he grabs some air coming off of the first corner. Leto easily won the 9 Expert main both days.
45-49 Cruisers head onto the third straight. Cyclecraft’s Patrick Deats had a good weekend, winning his motos and FINISHED second both days.
BMX NATION • www.bmxnat.com
23
FEATURE Âť
T
25
by Carly Young
he Elite Women Class is more then just eye candy, these girls have desires to be the best at every race. This year four girls really stood out from the rest. They are the newest members of the class. You should know them all as they had a successful 2010 year and all stood proudly together on the gate at the NBL Grands. Alaina Henderson, Ashley Lynch, Baylie Kortman, and Keely Kortman all made a decision in 2009 that they had the determination to compete with the Elite Women Class. It takes a lot of time and training to turn pro, and these ladies successfully did what most only dream about. Something these girls all share is their passion for their bike and the feeling racing gives them. It is safe to say these girls all revolve their worlds around BMX.
I first met Alaina through her older sister Cristal when she was just four years old. She began racing fourteen years ago and has continued successfully ever since. Winning the worlds at six years old, I remember this girl as being unstoppable. Alaina, now eighteen was born and raised in Ruby, New York. She has many accomplishments and being a three time national champion is just the beginning. Having a family of die hard talented racers, Joey Albright, Mikey Henderson, Cristal Henderson, and Joey Lynn Henderson, it is no wonder she is the success story she is today. Knowing her mother and father personally, I am aware they have always given 110% to BMX for their kids. They see the future in BMX and all it has to offer their family. The Henderson’s give a lot to this sport you can always find Big Mike out at Kingston building something new for the riders. Alaina rode hard at the NBL Grands; she focused in motos and made the semi with no sweat. The semi’s were stacked, both gates, eight riders deep of the best Elite Women in 2010 As the gate went down Alaina knew what needed to be done for her to be in the main event. Ashley Kneram had a bad crash going into the second turn, but Alaina avoided the carnage and made herself safely to the line. Filled with joy as she sits on the hill for the main event, they call her name, and the crowd cheers her onto the tabletop where she stands and gets her photograph taken. Knowing what it takes to win and she tried her hardest in the main event. She battled with the 8 fastest riders elbow to elbow in the main event. Alaina, not sure if she was going to see a podium finish, turned on the turbo in the last straight to pass Keely Kortman for the third place finish. When the main was over she met with her family at the line as they congratulated her on her accomplishment. After Alaina stepped down from the third place podium at the NBL Grands, I received a hug from her, and she was excited to share with me that she was leaving for California with her money. That night Alaina packed her things and traveled to the airport with dreams of skying high on the doubles at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. She was no stranger to the OTC as she has been invited to attend the Junior Development Weeks prior and has polished her skills to continue to be the best. With a heart as big as her country, she wears the USA jersey proudly as she climbs the three story-starting hill for the time trails of the World cup supercross race September 18th. They play her theme song and announce her name as she charges for the first jump for the first time trial lap, adrenaline rushes through her blood stream as she races the clock for a seat in the Semi finals. Completing the first lap with 39.86 seconds she chooses a gate and listens to the random start to begin her second time trail having what she calls an “Alaina Henderson” gate snap she pedals all the way down the hill to the first jump. She lays a case, but with the desire to win, she still attempts the second forty-foot jump not quite making it to the backside. She fell so hard she bent her front rim and crashed to the ground. Alaina jumped up almost immediately confused how she was uninjured from her crash as she dusts herself off. She then notices the damage to her bike. Because of her crash she is unable to compete in the semi final, but she sits in the stands with a smile on her face cheering on the rest of the USA girls to bring home the gold. After the unsuccessful weekend, Alaina continues to train and learn for her experiences in order to move toward her goal of becoming a #1 Elite Women. Nothing will bring her goals down for she has the support of all her friends and family to continue to be the best she can be! Alaina has shared with me that she will be moving to California this winter. She feels if she wants to be number one taking four months off due to closed BMX tracks in New York area will only hurt her for next season. She will really miss her family as they give her the support she needs to succeed. It’s going to be extremely hard for her to say goodbye to her mom because without her none of this would be possible! Alaina is one of a kind. She thanks all of her fans for their support during the season. Alaina would like to thank Tammy Gruber for devoting a lot of time and energy into her training. She has successfully trained her for her first year as an Elite Athlete. The Chop shop has helped her keep her bike always looking fresh and her parents do their best to get her to ever race. Some of you may know her, but for those who do not, this girl will not stop at anything. She is fearless and has no problems telling you how she feels. Alaina is an amazing rider, and we will see more of her next year as she dreams of being an Olympic athlete and plans to spend time at the OTC to accomplish that goal. I wish her luck, as I know she can achieve anything she puts her mind to because she loves to ride her bike, and it’s everything to her to race BMX.
What was it like being a high school Senior during your first year of pro? I fell a little behind due to my absences but wa s able to make it through the year succes sfully. I was not eligible to play Lacrosse due to my schedule. My absences made it har d for me to make practice, and it was not fair to the team for me to play in the games if I was not abl e to work with them dur ing practice. When you see new kid s at your local track what is something you notice riders do ing that need improv ement? Any simple words of wisdom? I always see riders tryi ng to jump or manual before they learn to pump. This causes the m to do the skills improp erly I try and teach kids at my local track the importance of pum ping. It’s important to be loose when going up to a jump and pushin g down the backsides of the jumps with your arms and leg s. When you pump you are using your bod y as shock absorbers to get over the jumps faster. Than you can pro gress to the harder stu ff like jumping and maualing.
Explain to a spectator what is different abo ut our sport that makes it stand ou t from the other com petitive sports? This sport is all about the rider. You may ride for a team, but in the end it is you who det ermines how well you do on a track, and you do not have any one to bring you down but yourself. When riding for a team, you get an extra benefit to being at the top of your class bec ause when your whole team does well it shows in the team sta ndings. I’m very thankf ul for having Carlos Perez in my life , I have been riding for his team for 5 years and he has helped me become a great ride r individually as well as one on his team. Thanks to Steve Spencer from GT for the support in 2010 and I look forward to ridi ng for Carlos and Alan Foster in 201 1 as I will be wearing the Felt Bicycles jersey again. It feels goo d to be back on Felt, the y have supported me and my riding while racing am ateur.
the road, t it was hidden from from our house, bu so Y”. They or le DA mi TO a t CE ou RA ab X ck we saw a sign “BM mily had a BMX tra g Fa pin an op kids sh rtm the m Ko d fro an the In 1998 the way home day they came back there. One day on and to watch. The next six by s wa ed pp ylie sto Ba y and they never went re the kept going from the , else better to do, so e Francis Maycroft for first time. It just didn’t have anything Elite Women includ xt week they raced w ne no the are d ily an ck ck tra fam al tra ge tried out the an’s they are a lar ur Girls from the loc en they started. Fo not know the Kortm have ten Keely was five, wh . For those who do an her, Beth and Brad, rtm fat Ko d ely an r Ke d the an mo eir ylie Th Ba . d en there is es an Th bik ). oo ir ag Pro Allie Dr while riding the Ex) and Asa (21A y strive to have fun told them er brothers Zak (22 ce old on two ller Mi ve a ha full of love, and the ) Erm (17 l) and Tayden (2yo). ylie (19) and Keely Ba Gir team ls (5 n gir ily e rki fam Th La . a ), en as (9N ildr ch N), Ezra have been racing on (12Ex), Jed (10 y had entered. They is what makes at the if Th m er. tea Mika (13 Girl), Deac eth a tog as n ck g have always stu y would have wo years now and they rked as a team helpin at a National that the NBL grands they wo n this family for a few ow the eir kn at Th . er ve ter ha eth I fas . tog s ce wa ever sin se girls riding er to see what most. If you saw the different lines togeth ekend. To them stand out the main event that we the track dialed trying d the o ha y int m the re the t su go g e kin ctic ma e frame. t pra bik ou o er int ard t oth nd pu y ch ea e and devotion the hair and rides the Sta tim nd the blo d ht an aig the NBL ort str at t s sp en ha love for the the two, she ls made the main ev Baylie is the taller of frame. Both the gir e bik S MC an define the two girls, es d rid first year of pro. s short curly hair an successful in their Keely is shorter ha ed their goals to be lish mp co ac d an er Grands togeth
Baylie Kortman is nineteen years old her family lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has been racing for thirteen years and has some pretty big accomplishments under her belt. In 2001 she finished world #5 in 10 girls, in 2002 she came home with the national title in 11 girls cruiser, national #2 in 12 girls, national #3 in 13 girls and made the Elite Women Main event her first year pro. Her mother, Beth has home schooled all of the children, and Baylie enjoys it because of the flexible schedule and they are able to attend races and not have to worry about missing school and falling behind. This girl lives for BMX. She rides with her brothers and sisters all the time. They sometimes race each other to continue to push themselves to the next level. Looking at old photos of her, she has always been a jumper. She has been a little dirt diva since she first began racing in 1997. Baylie wants to focus next year on accomplishing some of her goals, racing supercross, being more consistent by going to more races, and continuing to have fun. This girl has a lot to give this sport and she has a big family at home cheering her on throughout her journey. The Kortman girls have told me that their success also comes from Robert Campbell he has helped them develop into strong, talented, defensive riders. What is your favorite track to ride and race on? Both girls answered that is was Derby City BMX in Louisville, Kentucy, and if you attended the grands you could see why they loved it. The track is always fast and the jumps this year really showcased the pro girls and their talents to jump past the other competition. What do you love most about the sport? The fact that I can ride all the time, and I spend a lot of time with my family which I enjoy the most. I always strive to push myself to that next limit to get better. I really love to ride my bike and I enjoy being a good role model for the kids. Is there anyone you want to thank for all of your success that you have accomplished so far? God, my mother and father, sisters and brothers, Robert Campbell, and anyone who has helped me love BMX even more
Keely Kortman is seventeen years old she has been racing for twelve years now. She also has a world #5 title from the World Championship in 2001 in Louisville, Kentucky. She has consistently made the main event at the NBL Grands since 2003. BMX is a way of life for the Kortmans. They work together as a team, and they pass bike items down to each sibling so they always have something to ride. Both sisters have dreams of being an Olympic athlete and wearing the USA jersey some day. Keely enjoys being pro and being a good role model for the younger generation, and she feels inspired to do good because people now know her name and ask for her autograph. She enjoys giving back to the BMX community and feels it’s great that people look up to her and want to be like her. Keely had an amazing season. Her name was well known in Nashville, Tenness ee as she was one of the few to jump the step up into the first turn. With a rain delay that pushed the race to double to nothing on Sunday, Keely gave it her all and succeeded. Coming out of the gate strong, she charged for the first straight and with eyes on the back of Dominique Daniels she wanted to win but gave it her all to the line for a proud second place. After that race she felt if this happened all the time that would be awesome. She began to train harder, and when she showed up at the NBL Grands she was ready. Doing well in motos and making it to the semi with no struggle her and Baylie were in the gate right next to each other. Keely was so focused. She said she did not even know she was next to her. She went on to win the semi with Amanda Geving in second and Baylie not far behind in Third. It is a huge accomplishment that both of the Kortman girls made their main in the first year turning pro. The Kortman girls rode their hardest in the main event with Keely finishing fourth and Baylie had some problems on the first straight and was unable to catch up finished eighth. Keely Kortman Q&A What does this sport need to continue to grow and become the best sport out there? Publicity would make this sport better getting more coverage, and it’s always really cool to see bmxers on television. My cousins didn’t even think it was a real sport until we turned pro and proved them wrong. Can you share any special training tips with the BMX Commu nity that makes you so successful? We signed up for Coach G programs with Greg Romero. We did the gym and sprint programs for $99.00. It helped a lot, we received very easy to follow emails and we did what was listed. We also ride a lot with our family, and riding a lot trying new things has made me a better rider. Also have fun with it this sport is about having fun so enjoy what you do. What was it like making the main event your first year pro at the NBL Grands? I really hoped I would make the main. I didn’t expect to make the main my first year. I was so happy when I did. Baylie and I were in the semi and next to each other I didn’t even know that she was next to me. I won the semi beating Amanda Geving and my sister right behind her, I was so excited I squeaked with excitement. My first year was going great I did well in Nashville, and it kept getting better. In the main event I had second pick for gate selection because of my low points in motos. I was so nervous because everything was open and didn’t know what to pick so I picked gate six. After I chose the gate I hoped I would not get squeezed out. I was pretty nervous, I had an “ok” gate and charged to the second straight focused on jumping into the inside of the turn. I jumped into third and charged for the line, but Alaina Henderson passed me on the last straight. I’m happy about my finish.
When I see the name Ashley Lynch the word that comes to mind is dedicated. This girl goes into every race with a goal to bring home the gold. Ashley is eighteen years old, and she calls Jacsonville, Florida her home. She does not let anything stand in the way of what she wants, she powers hard from the gate, and makes her way to the front of the pack in every race. Ashley has been working on her jumping skills as she knows what it takes to win and strives to be the best. She has goals set to put some supercross races on her schedule and is excited about next year’s new NBL season. Rumors have been going around that the Nation’s tour races may have a supercross starting hill as well as a big first jump. That does not scare Ashley one bit. She feels she will have an advantage. She thinks it may thin out the class some because not all the pro girls may want to race the supercross types of tracks. Ashley’s father, Terry Lynch, is her pit crew. I always see him around the track for support, and I see that their teamwork has made Ashley the rider she is today. Ashley shared with me that when she first started racing at age nine she was dragged out to the track with her brother, and she hated it because she was not good on the track. The track was so hard for her, but it was her father who kept pushing her to try it and if it was not for him she said the rider she is now would have never been developed. The 2010 season started off strong for Ashley, and Cyclecraft was proud to have her wearing their jersey. You may have seen their proud posts of her races on BMXmaina. She wass a dedicated rider as she sported the Cyclecraft colors proudly in practice as well as the race. They were proud to have this new pro rider on their team, and she rode her sparkling clean white bike to the main event each race. Ashley had a successful 2010 season never having sat the bench one race for the main event. Her dedication to her races showed as she had constant Facebook posts of her training, going to the track, going to the gym, and going to do sprints. She completed the year with some big accomplishments including NBL national #4 Elite Women, Florida state champion #2 Elite Women, and Florida State Money Series Winner. Ashley had a good weekend at the NBL grands as she showed why she deserved to make the main event in the Elite Women’s Class. She made it out of motos and had been posted in the first semi. If you watched the semi, you were crossing your fingers for Ashley to make it as she battled back and forth with Squel Stein, but in the end it was Ashley with the legs to the line who took the forth place and qualified to the main event. She was no stranger to making the main and was so excited for her accomplishments. She had succeeded this year and was in the final eight to compete. She gave it her all in the main and finished with a solid sixth place excited about where that put her for the year end points. She is happy with her first successful pro year in Elite Women. Ashley was asked to join the Ssquared team for the 2011 season. She is so thankful for Geoff Ssengoba, John and Marla Sawyer for everything they have done putting together the best bike she has ever ridden. She states most of her success has come from her sponsors being there and helping her and friends and family but gives a big thanks to John Purse the Puerto Rico national team coach and trainer. Ashley likes competing in a male dominated sport because it feels pretty awesome to get out there with the boys and show them you can ride just as well as they do. She has big plans for 2011 as she keeps her goals in mind and looks forward to her future. She plans on going to college next year and has a dream job in mind to be a physical therapist. I wish her luck in her quest for a busy life of BMX and school as she continues to train for the main and pushing herself just a little harder each time toward her goal of being #1. What motivates you to race BMX, and why is it so important in your life? My friends and family are a big part of my racing, and they keep me on track with my racing goals. I can really have fun with the sport, and I get to hang out with my friends while I ride my bike. It is important to me to be able to progress and get faster. I practice a lot and I have a great local track in Jacksonville, Florida. I ride with a few pros, but I really enjoy riding with the local kids and the rookies the most. What is the true meaning of an Elite Women? Professional women who competitively races BMX and is just as good as the Elite Men. Can you share any special training techniques with the BMX community that makes you so successful? I do tons of sprints, and I spend a lot of time at the track. I notice a huge difference in my power when I do sprints on flat pedals. I enjoy training and then seeing the difference while on the track during my races. My dad really pushes me hard, but in the end he is the backbone of my success.
Coming soon
DONNA SNOW MISS FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 2010 BMX RACER
WANNA
RACE? JOIN THE NATION jointhenation.org
PRODUCED BY
TWO WHEEL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A FUSION/MKBRAINCHILD/POST HOUSE PRODUCTION “JOIN THE NATION” MIKE KOULERMOS STEVE HAMM TIMOTHY M. FLAHERTY DIRECTED BY TIMOTHY M. FLAHERTY
32
INDUSTRY PROFILE »
Supercross Pro LT Hubs boxed and waiting to go out to their happy new owners
Another Supercross Frame getting finish welded.
SUPERCROSS BMX They build some of the lightest BMX frames on the planet, they are on the forefront of BMX component innovation, and they field an impressive racing team. They are Supercross BMX, and if you’re into BMX you have undoubtedly seen their products or team members at the track.
The Supercross Envy frames seem impossibly light. Even the XXL version, with its roomy 21.5 inch top tube tips the scales at fewer than three pounds. The mini version is only barely over the two pounds mark. They offer many other sizes and models to fit any size or style of rider. They’re even breaking into the 26” BMX frame market with their new “Blur” frames. As for BMX components, Supercross produces impressive hubs, handlebars, sprockets, two-piece cranks, and stems, just to name a few. It is almost possible to outfit an entire bicycle using only Supercross products. In the Masters/Vet Pro class, Kenth Fallen has not only beaten some of the top, former Elite riders, he has earned more than one national number one title while atop his custom anodized Supercross bike. Bubba Harris and Kris Fox, who are always
top contenders in the Elite Men class, also ride Supercross bikes on the Supercross team. The list continues in an equally impressive manner, including Elite Women heavy-hitters like Courtney Tomei and Kaila Sweeney, just to name a few. Supercross co-sponsors incredible talent, such as the crazy smooth and talented, Jeff “Upshizzle” Upshaw. What is the secret to their ample success? To find out more, BMX Nation Magazine contacted Bill Ryan at Supercross headquarters in California.
How and when did Supercross BMX get its start?
We actually started off as a Safety Gear Company in 1989. You may of heard of the Company, TECH Limited Edition 26” Supercross BLUR race Frame
was the Haro/Crupi team that was going for the #1 Team Title, Cyclecraft in the Brian Foster and Richard Bartlett days, S&M in the Dave Clymer and John Paul Rogers Days, L&S racing, etc. We had a Factory Team ourselves for TECH, it was Brian Lopes, Billy Harrison, Glenn Pavlosky and Bogi Givens. We couldn’t get a frame company to provide frames for the team so we decided to make our own. And when we built the first frames, we never wanted to become a frame company, we were just hoping to build a few for the team and a few more to sell to help cover expenses.
Where are you located?
We are located in the beautiful little town of Apple Valley, CA. We have a BMX track, the city is building a skatepark, we have the ramps in the shop, and the air is clean.
Who are some of your sponsored riders?
Products, We used to sponsor the Redline Team, in the Billy Griggs days, the Haro Team when it
Well the current list of Pro’s on the Factory team is Former UCI World Champion Bubba Harris, Multi #1 Vet Pro Kenth Fallen, Womens Elite Courtney Tomei, Junior Men and current UCI World Champion Nate Padilla, Junior Womens and current UCI #2 Dani George. 2008 NBL
33 Superclass #1 - Kris Fox, Aaron Johnson is a part of the Supercross Family, Jeff Upshaw is on an ENVY while riding for Alienation, the list goes on, we try to help out all of the good ones we can,
us. Sammy going to the Olympics was a highlight, Kenth’s first #1 title, Todd Anderson getting us a freestyle cover, Courtney beating Alise the first time, Nate winning the UCI Worlds, or roadtrippin’ with Aaron - Where you at Sunshine, the van. Oh Can you describe what the early years at man, ask Prichard and Luscombe about the van, the company were like? that thing was crazy. The day The early years were a blast. we bought our first CNC was ”I CAN TELL YOU I mean what BMXer wouldn’t great. I don’t know, like I said, want to just ride and build their they are all highlights and great THAT WE HAVE A bikes, talk about bikes, sell HECK OF A CREW HERE. moments in history, and they are their bikes, go ride more, go all remembered fondly. It is hard WE HAVE A VISION OF to the races, or the trails? You WHERE WE ARE TAKING just got to do what you love. Luckily we try to keep the THINGS AND HOW same philosophy going now TO CONSTANTLY and it is still a blast. We own IMPROVE BMX our own track. We have ramps AND OUR in the warehouse. And we get PRODUCT to talk about bikes, and design bikes and ride bikes and go LINE.” to races, so it really is like Wonderland. With BMX, you never have to grow up.
What are some of the greatest moments in Supercross history? Hmm, greatest moments… that is tough. I like to think we have a great moment every day. Our first spread in a magazine was a cool day, Thanks TL. First cover shot - The Denver Destroyer Ray Luscombe got that for
Elite Woman – Courtney Tomei, Vet Pro – Kenth Fallen, and Junior Woman – Dani George
to pick out single things when you love what you do and the people you do it with. Currently, Supercross seems to be working hard at innovation (i.e. one of the lightest pro frames on the market). What or who is really the driving force behind this? Can you give us a peek (in words) at anything that’s up and coming? We do work hard on innovation, and our main goal is that we want every thing we sell to be the best possible part for it’s use. I guess I am a bike geek, and I have extreme A.D.D., and I tinkerer. I fiddle around, and I want everything to constantly be better than it was, and I look at things and always go, “ Yeah, we can make it better!” What does the future of Supercross look like? If I could tell you the future, we would be doing this interview from my private BMX island in the Pacific, as if I would have won the big lottery, but that isn’t where we are, so I can’t really tell you the future. What I can tell you is that we have a heck of a crew here. We have a vision of where we are taking things and how to constantly improve BMX and our product line. Big BMX looks like a lot of fun, so we are going to bust out a few Four-Cross and Downhill frames to go OG on everyone with some gnarly downhill stuff. Planning on having fun on our bikes until the end of my time. Sounds like a plan to me.
More Front Triangles waiting to have their rear Triangles put on.
Bills Desk is actually clean for once
ENVY Frames Boxed and ready to go out to your favorite BMX dealer
Redline Flight Pro XXL The Redline Flight-Series bikes are the ones that all other brands try to catch up to. And for 2011, we’ve made it just a little bit harder to do that. The entire line has been reworked to be lighter and faster than ever before. The only way to keep up with a Flight is to ride one. FRAME R6 Formed Aluminum, New 3D Dropouts and BB Wrap. FORK Answer Scythe Pro Carbon Fiber. HEADSET FSA Integrated CRANK RL 2.5 piece Flight Cranks & Sealed BB. WHEELS Sun Envy Rims, Flight Sealed Bearing Cassette Hubs, Stainless Steel Spokes. TIRES Tioga PowerBand Front 20 x 1.85” / PowerBlock Rear 20 x 1.75” HANDLEBAR Redline 27.5” W x 8” T x 10° Back x 2° Up / Chromo. SADDLE & POST Tioga D-Spyder Pivotal Saddle & Post.and pads.
J&R will have the Redline Flight-Series bikes at all the nationals.
Helmet:
2011 Troy Lee Designs D3 Sam Hill Carbon Helmet. Light weight Hi-Tech carbon shell with MX style inner padding and Titanium hardware. Adult sizes XS to XXL
Redline Flight Jersey
A brand new design that boldly features the red, white and black of Team Redline. Raglan sleeves, V-Neck. Has space on the back for adding rider names, numbers or sponsors.
Goggles:
Dragon MDX Goggles fit any BMX helmet. Available in several colors
Presented by
Flight Convertible Pant
• Features include a vastly-improved fit and new styling that matches well with the Redline jersey. • The shorts are now hemmed below the knee, and the seat area has been tailored to fit much better • They are also lighter due to the removal the large TPR patches. • They also feature removable hip pads, air-mesh behind the knee, and a hang loop, and a new side-belt system and custom-printed liner. • Sized well-enough for braces and pads.
Troy Lee Designs GP Pant, Jersey & Gloves
Fly kinetic helmet, pant, jersey & gloves Helmet
Loaded with plenty of Fly Racing style and comfort features, the Kinetic Flash is pure style, protection, and value all wrapped up in one. • D.O.T, ECE, and AS approved meets or exceeds D.O.T. helmet standards in the USA • Poly alloy shell - combination of high strength poly materials create a durable light weight shell • Removeable liner - keeps you looking clean and helps extend the life of your helmet • High volume vents - 10 massive vents aligned with EPS channels flow a huge volume of air through the helmet. • Hi-flow mouthpiece - designed with a cool style and plenty of air flow
Jersey
Mesh sides and forearms create better airflow, teamed with the comfort stretch collar and “shorty” arm cuffs, to create the fit and function needed by today’s riders. • Comfort-stretch collar • Mesh panels integrated into the jersey design, these panels help keep you cool • Extended tail to help keep jersey tucked into pants
Glove
The Kinetic glove with its advanced four-way stretch multi-directional construction offers you support, feel, comfort, and grippy goodness. • Soft-flex TPR graphics - for added protection and style • Split knuckle design - for added comfort and function • Silicone finger grippers - for increased control • Adjustable velcro® wrist closure
Pant
Pro level technology, features, and benefits at an everyday rider’s price. • Integrated “soft-flex” tpr protective badging - ventilated for increased airflow and cooling • Customizable leg cuff design - low profile stretch cuffs with removable elastic band • Internal pocket - located inside the waistband • Adjustable waist belt - for maximum fit and adjustability • Stretch-rib panels - strategically placed for flexibility where you want it most
AIR Helmet Pulse
Lighter than ever, the shell shape, in coordination with over eight square inches of intake area, place the AIR Helmet at the leading edge of comfort, quality and ventilation efficiency. • Hi-Flow ventilation system • Aluminum hardware • Sculpted internal shape, thicker liner and premium materials • Extra wide eye-port • Increased ventilation • SNELL M2000, M2005, US DOT, AU and CE Certified
Jersey
The GP Jersey incorporates the clean lines, style and functionality. • Poly/Cotton ribbed V-Neck • Flat back mesh fabric for increased comfort • Unique print pattern graphics
Gloves
Troy Lee Designs Grand Prix glove is so light, comfortable and cool running, one may be apt to forget they have them on. • Lightly padded single layer Clarino™ leather palm • Bio-foam protection on top of the hand • Air-Prene provides cooling characteristics and a light non-restrictive fit • Soft TPR sonic-welds guard fingers from rocks and roost • Silicon applique on fingers and palm for improved grip Velcro® backed TPR wrist closure offers a comfortable adjustable fit
Pant
The super-durable and dynamic GP Pant works with the human body to emphasize comfort while maximizing a full range of motion. All new design • Improved waist & hip fit with exclusive stretch waist liner • A-Grade cowhide leather knee for higher protection • Engineered sublimation print graphics on all panels
VANS Warner SPD-BMX Clipless Shoes Long time in the making! Compatible with all of the popular BMX clip pedals used today. The Warner can clip in for hole-shot winning sprints, or be used with flat pedals for trails or training, thanks to a sticky gum-rubber tread. • Stiff mid-foot area provides a solid pedaling platform without making the entire shoe feel clunky • Vented ballistic nylon mesh for breathability • Removable hook-and-loop adjustable tension strap • Self-centering gored tongue keeps rocks and other junk out of the shoe • Molded EVA foam sock liner provides support and comfort • Triple-stitched toe cap for extra durability
TRACK LIST Âť
36
28 17
20
13
14 23 16
22
10
27
4
18
12
30
5
29
11 3
NBL TRACK DIRECTORY
24
15
26
1 PUERTO RICO ANGEL PEREZ State Commissioner (787) 899-3418 INFO@TROPICALBMX.COM WWW.TROPICALBMX.COM Barceloneta 1340 Barceloneta BMX Park Jose Baez (787) 640-5595 (track) Hormiqueros 1324 Tropical BMX Park Angel Perez (787) 636-4578
Fresno 1349 Woodward Park BMX/FBX Brett Riley (559) 709-3530 (track) www.fresnobicyclecross.com Kernville 1415 KV Bike Park Christopher Brayman (760) 223-6165 (track) (760) 223-6165 (home) (760) 376-4902 FAX www.kvbikepark.com
2 ALABAMA
Livermore 1293 Livermore BMX Nick Valencia (408) 910-0143 (track) www.facebook.com/pages/Livermore-BMX/106308531190
ROBERT WIGINTON State Commissioner (205) 680-5827 WIGGINS83@BELLSOUTH.NET WWW.ALABAMABMX.COM
Lucerne Valley 1374 X Roads BMX Diego Lopez (760) 964-9957 (track) www.xroadsbmx.com
Pelham 0102 Oak Mountain BMX Robert Wiginton (205) 802-8656 (track) (205) 680-5827 (home) (205) 527-0989 www.oakmountainbmx.com
Orange Cove 1380 Orange Cove Ultimate BMX Michael Montanez (408) 607-5095 (track) email: sk8park559@yahoo.com
Prattville 1368 Fountain City BMX Jim Rempkowski (251) 593-9193 (track) (732) 330-5954 (home) www.fountaincitybmx.com
3 ARIZONA Safford 1414 Outer Limits BMX Jeff Faunce (928) 792-8366 (track)
4 CALIFORNIA MARY H GARCIA State Commissioner (408) 848-5210 MARYBMXMOM@HOTMAIL.COM WWW.CALBMX.COM
Prunedale 1093 Manzanita Park BMX Craig Jarrett (408) 573-1444 (home) (408) 489-1358 (track) www.manzanitaparkbmx.org Reedley 1118 Air Time BMX Paul Huebert (559) 696-0561 (559) 859-0949 (track) airtimebmx.moonfruit.com San Lorenzo 1412 East Bay BMX Manny Hernandez (510) 258-7577 Santa Maria 1396 Santa Maria BMX Mike Porter (805) 868-4762 (home) www.santamariaelks.com
5 COLORADO
Steamboat Springs 1417 Steamboat Springs BMX Par Brian Deem (970) 871-9500 (home)
6 CONNECTICUT LISA KNOWLTON State Commissioner (203) 631-8720 CTBMX1@YAHOO.COM WWW.NUTMEGBMX.ORG KATHY OLSON State Points Clerk (203) 744-7962 DWOSUPERCROSS@MSN.COM Bethel 0413 Bethel Supercross BMX Don Olson (203) 744-7962 (home) (203) 798-6373 (track) www.nutmegBMX.org Meriden 0410 Falcon BMX Kerry Kuhn (203) 630-2240 (track) www.nutmegBMX.org Torrington 1095 Foothills BMX Roger Plaskett (860) 626-1BMX (track) (860) 485-9636 (home) www.foothillsbmx.com Trumbull 0412 T.R.A.C.K. Jeff Topolski (203) 452-0879 (home) (203) 452-0315 (track) Check out Trumbull BMX (T.R.A.C.K.) on Facebook!
7 FLORIDA STEVE DOAN State Commissioner (305) 238-8245 FLADOANS@BELLSOUTH.NET WWW.FLORIDABMX.COM ALICE BIXLER Florida Clerk FLBMXLADY@AOL.COM
21
25
19
KATHY BOSTROM State Points Clerk (941) 371-6437 POINTSKEEPER@FLORIDABMX. COM WWW.FLORIDABMX.COM Avon Park 1294 Highlands County BMX David Stewart (863) 452-9995 (track) www.highlandsbmx.org Cape Coral 0109 Cape Coral BMX Paul Rieger (239) 283-1614 (home) (239) 458-1943 (track) www.capecoralbmx.org Fort Walton Beach 1295 Emerald Coast BMX Bill Madden (850) 796-2326 (track) 850-796-2326 FAX www.ecdandv.com High Springs 1335 High Springs BMX Rick Gayheart (352) 514-9735 (track) (386) 497-1275 (home) www.hsbmx.com Jacksonville 0716 Jacksonville BMX Brian Lucas (904) 751-6778 (track) (904) 803-7102 (904) 212-1352 FAX www.jacksonvillebmx.com Miami 0112 Miami South BMX John Courtney (305) 248-9442 (track) www.miamisouthbmx.com Naples 1337 Naples BMX Ray Coriano (239) 252-4184 (work) (239) 252-4188 (track) (239) 877-1053 (home) www.naplesbmx.com Palm Bay 1378 Palm Bay BMX Jason Jones (321) 676-8938 (track) www.getintheaction.org
2
8
7
1 Punta Gorda 1034 Charlotte BMX Amanda Carr (941) 637-1676 (track) www.charlottebmx.net Riverview 1381 USA Official BMX T.F. Stephen Gerardi (813) 957-7647 (track) www.usabmxitf.com Sarasota 0110 Sarasota NBL Kelvin Yow (941) 343-0395 (home) www.sarasotabmx.com St Cloud 1119 St Cloud BMX Michael Marchese (407) 891-0930 (track) (407) 579-8274 www.freewebs.com/stcloudbmx/ St Petersburg 0997 St Petersburg BMX Paula Rothman (727) 556-0284 (track) www.stpetebmx.com Tallahassee 1154 Capital City BMX (850) 528-2463 (track) www.capitalcitybmx.net Tampa 1031 Tampa BMX Raceway Arthur Heinrichs (813) 265-1269 (track) www.tampabmx.com West Palm Beach 1017 Okeeheelee BMX Tommy Cross (561) 642-6774 (track) www.okeeheeleebmx.com
8 GEORGIA SHAYNE ROBINSON State Commissioner (678) 770 - 1750 PTCBMXBIZ@AOL.COM WWW.GEORGIABMX.ORG LAURIE COLEY State Points Clerk (706) 333-9354
Albany 1182 Parks at Chehaw BMX Tommy Knight (229) 347-2137 (229) 894-4745 (track) www.chehawbmx.com
Peoria 1086 Detweiller BMX Michael Hofmann (309) 202-7591 (home) (309) 383-1222 (work) www.detweillerbmx.com
Augusta 1186 Augusta BMX Mitchel Moon (706) 421-9892 (678) 318-1881 (track) www.augustabmx.com
Springfield 0971 Springfield BMX Club Rick Rees (217) 522-8227 (track) (217) 361-7462 www.myspace.com/riversidebmx
McDonough 1266 Sandy Ridge BMX Jim Joyce (770) 288-7316 (track) (404) 831-9740 (work) www.sandyridgebmx.com
Waukegan 1363 Waukegan BMX Hector Mendez (224) 430-4762 (track) (847) 863-8679 (home) www.waukeganbmx.com
Peachtree City 0118 William L Davis BMX Anthony Robinson (678) 770-1750 (home) (404) 451-7937 www.ptcbmx.com
9 ILLINOIS CARRIE STRANGE State Commissioner (309) 297-0394 CARRIE@STRANGEMOTION. COM SANDY GLATZ State Points Clerk (217) 871-8031 SDOOGIE98@YAHOO.COM East Moline 1075 East Moline BMX Speedway Paul DePauw (309) 796-9644 (home) (309) 796-4455 (work) (309) 792-9407 (track) www.embmx.com Farmer City 1022 F.C.R.A. BMX Rich Voyles (309) 275-5798 (home) (309) 928-2046 (track) www.fcbmx.com Farmer City (Indoor) 1073 Illinois Indoor Expo Rich Voyles (309) 275-5798 (track) (309) 928-2371 (home) www.fcbmx.com
10 INDIANA GREGG SEAL State Commissioner GREG.SEAL@COMCAST.NET WENDY SABATINI State Points Clerk (574) 753-3436 WSAB31@HOTMAIL.COM Columbus 1310 Columbus BMX Scott Brown (812) 350-8172 (track) www.myspace.com/columbusbmx Evansville 0255 G. Mason Burdette BMX Angie Almond (812) 422-9125 (track) www.burdetteparkbmx.org Hire Park 0933 Hire Park BMX Danny Rumple (574) 268-7433 (home) (574) 268-RIDE (track) www.hireparkbmx.com Indianapolis 1149 Lake Sullivan BMX Kyle Robinson (317) 489-8825 (home) www.lakesullivanbmx.com Indianapolis (Indoor) 1255 Indy Indoor Dave Reid (317) 538-7697 (track) www.crossroadsindoorbmx.com
Marion 1376 Hogin Park BMX Belinda Hussong (765) 662-9931 (track) (765) 668-3698 FAX www.angelfire.com/planet/hoginparkbmx Richmond 0688 Rose City BMX Kirby Bales (765) 993-1961 (home) (765) 966-5953 (track) www.rosecitybmx.org
11 KANSAS Park City 1418 Park City BMX Raylee Jones (316) 516-9046 (home)
12 KENTUCKY BETH KARWEICK State Commissioner (502) 243-1539 B.KARWEICK@INSIGHTBB.COM WWW.KENTUCKYBMX.ORG CINDY FULMER State Points Clerk (502) 644-4586 ZRRF@AOL.COM Louisville 0446 Derby City BMX Chad Gingrich (502) 499-6299 (track) (502) 471-7831 (home) www.derbycitybmx.org
13 MARYLAND RUSSELL KELLER State Commissioner (301) 707-2823 RIVERSIDEBMXTD@YAHOO.COM Cumberland 1336 Riverside BMX Russ Keller (301) 707-2823 www.riversidebmx.org
» TRACK SPOTLIGHT
23 OHIO
Kernville 1415
KV Bike Park
Christopher Brayman (760) 223-6165 (track) (760) 223-6165 (home) (760) 376-4902 (fax) www.kvbikepark.com KV Bike Park opened on August 21, 2010 and we are well ahead of schedule to become the best bike park in the world. Eric Bress built us a World Cup track and now our kids are kicking butt all over the state! Our focus is on youth development in all aspects of cycling. Our goal is to get kids into racing BMX, DH Mountain Bike, XC Mountain Bike, and Road racing. Fifteen Kern River Valley kids and counting have been sponsored with race bikes and gear by local businesses. Our kids volunteer for the gear and bikes and sign contracts with grades and behavior being the focus. KV Bike Park took over as the host of the 23rd Annual Keyesville Classic, a huge Mountain Bike race. All proceeds will go to our youth development program. Come throw down on our 50-foot wall ride, Monster Pump Track, and Mountain Bike Skills Course. Pack jumps under construction and foam pit in the works. We are open 7 days a week and riding is FREE save for racing. The New NBL was custom made by God for KV Bike Park. Two Wheels, One Nation. Come join us for NBL’s West Challenge Championships July 23 & 24, 2011! Hagerstown 1219 Hagerstown BMX Brian Caron (301) 582-1452 (track) www.hagerstownbmx.com
14 MASSACHUSETTS JOHN BONTORNO State Commissioner (978) 352-6427 JOHN.BONTORNO@VERIZON. NET Wakefield 0449 Wakefield BMX AJ Bontorno (978) 352-6427 (home) (978) 766-2514 (track) www.myspace.com/wakefieldbmx
15 MICHIGAN HERSCHELL BROWN State Commissioner (616) 855-2360 BROWNS@CHARTERMI.NET WWW.MIBMX.COM Goodells 1164 CAN-AM BMX Chad Noetzel (810) 984-4258 (home) www.canambmx.com Grand Rapids 1394 GRBMX Paul Maycroft (616) 745-4863 (track) www.grbmx.com Greenville 1420 Thrifty Acres BMX (Indoor) Herschell Brown (616) 915-2407 Ionia 1338 Backwoods BMX Andrew Rice (616) 915-2407 (track) www.freewebs.com/backwoods-bmx Lansing 1267 Capitol Area BMX Greg Days (517) 367-8990 (track) www.cabmx.com Midland 1358 Midland BMX Todd Atkinson (989) 615-1913 (track) www.midlandbmx.com Mt. Morris 1405 Michigan Indoor BMX Ron McDowell (810) 813-1454 (810) 412-6480 (home) Oscoda 1225 Northern MI BMX Jim DeOrnellas (989) 335-0368 (989) 739-8226 (track) www.northernmibmx,com
Pontiac 0465 Waterford Oaks BMX Jennifer West (248) 858-0915 (work) (248) 431-8506 www.waterfordoaksbmx.com Traverse City 1222 G.T.C. BMX Mike Litwiller (231) 943-9548 (home) (231) 313-8488 (track) www.gtcbmx.com
Rye 1314 Rye Air Field 603-974-2800 (track) www.ryeairfield.com
19 NEW JERSEY
TRACK LIST »
Hamburg 0985 Southtown’s BMX Louis Kaminski (716) 992-6421 (home) (716) 997-6430 www.southtownsbmx.com
JOHN SCOTT State Commissioner (614) 206-5144 JS022BMX@YAHOO.COM KATHY HICKOK State Points Clerk (330) 794-9541 OHIOBMX@AOL.COM WWW.OHIOBMX.COM Akron 0502 Akron BMX William Calhoun (330) 784-3777 (track) (330) 608-9516 (home) www.akronbmx.org Butler 1390 Ohio Dreams Chris Ashcraft (800) 963-3495 (track) (419) 566-1075 www.ohiodreams.com Cleves 1286 Cleves BMX John Peters (513) 479-9700 (track) www.clevesbmx.com
Monroe 1400 Monroe BMX Eric Walsh (513) 703-9933 (home) www.monroebmx.com Norwalk 1172 Shady Lane BMX Tim Church (419) 663-3604 (track) (216) 210-2991 www.shadylanebmx.org
Long Island 0725 BMX @ Shoreham Betty Mulligan (631) 744-6238 (home) (631) 821-5569 (track) www.shorehambmx.org
24 PENNSYLVANIA
Southaven 1282 Powerline BMX Aubrey Jacobson (901) 734-4860 www.powerlinebmx.com
Howell 1090 Central Jersey BMX Jeff Heath (732) 657-7085 (home) (908) 910-8501 (732) 863-1010 (track) www.cjbmx.org
New Paltz 1109 New Paltz BMX Jerry Patterson (845) 236-7365 (home) (845) 255-1269 (track) (646) 210-6006 www.newpaltzbmx.org
STEVEN BARNES State Points Clerk (724) 733-5102 SHB316@GMAIL.COM
17 NEVADA
20 NEW MEXICO
JOHN DIAZ State Commissioner (702) 269-9070 JDIAZ@FARMERSAGENT.COM WWW.NEVADABMX.COM
ROBBIE TAFOYA State Commissioner ROBBIE@ROADRUNNERBMX.ORG ROADRUNNERBMX.ORG
DEBI DIAZ State Points Clerk (702) 269-9070 DEBIDIAZ@COX.NET Ely 1088 White Pine BMX Lee Raner (775) 296-0093 www.nevadabmx.com Las Vegas 0977 Nellis BMX Erik Martin (702) 858-5459 (home) (702) 632-4439 (track) www.nellisbmx.com Primm 1419 Silver State BMX Peter Price (702) 877-4800 (track)
18 NEW HAMPSHIRE MARIE RUSSELL State Commissioner (603) 275-0828 MMRUSSELL@LIVE.COM Londonderry 1411 Northeast BMX Track Jeffery Palter (617) 230-0131 (home) (781-229-9369 (fax) www.northeastvelo.com
ALISA TAFOYA State Points Clerk ALISA@ROADRUNNERBMX.ORG Las Cruces 1408 Roadrunner BMX Kent Harris (575) 635-8943 (track) (575) 635-8943 www.roadrunnerbmx.org
21 NEW YORK JAY SEVERSON State Commissioner (518) 477-5004 JAYSEVER@NYCAP.RR.COM NYBMX.ORG ROBIN HOTALING State Points Clerk (518) 234-4782 TRI-CITYCLER@GMAIL.COM Bemus Point 1092 Charlie’s BMX Bob Gilbert (716) 386-4BMX (track) www.charliesbmx.org Bridgewater 1240 C.N.Y. BMX Nicholas Rauch (315) 404-2713 (home) (315) 822-5896 (track) www.cnybmx.org
22 NORTH
CAROLINA
SHAYNE ROBINSON State Commissioner (678) 770-1750 PTCBMXBIZ@AOL.COM WWW.CAROLINABMX.ORG Clemmons 0821 Tanglewood BMX Garry Nelson (336) 368-4989 (home) (336) 766-5269 (track) (336) 648-0679 www.tanglewoodparkbmx.org Gastonia 1263 Wolf’s Den BMX Lee Hodge (828) 970-7174 (home) (601) 397-2924 www.wolfsdenbmx.net Hendersonville 1276 Hendersonville BMX Suzie Nanney (828) 674-4857 (track) www.wncbmx.org Weaverville 1385 Weaverville BMX Jamie Ritchie (828) 423-2276 (track) www.wncbmx.org
Lexington 1397 Lexington BMX Eddie Sox (803) 309-3237 Please check website for the most up to date information Lexington BMX is on Facebook!
26 TENNESSEE MARK SIMS State Commissioner DAVE WARD State Points Clerk (931) 249-4558
Morristown 0890 Morristown BMX Raceway James Crockett (423) 587-3624 (track)
Flemington 0177 Hunterdon County BMX Dan Pautler (908) 416-0532 (908) 806-6645 (track) www.hcbmx.org
Rotterdam 0492 Tri-City BMX Shawn Morris (518) 382-BMX1 (track) www.tricitybmx.com
Goose Creek 1387 Low Country BMX Rick Simmons (843) 296-4857 (track) (843) 873-7636 (home) lowcountrybmx@bellsouth.net
Dayton 1288 Gateway BMX/Cindy Verburg Randy Davis (937) 475-0114 (track) (305) 923-9274 (home) www.myspace.com/daytonnblbmx
Kingston 1401 Kingston Point BMX Mike Henderson (845) 339-0618 (track) (845) 336-6611 (home) www.kingstonpointbmx.com
NICOLE BRADLEY State Commissioner (662) 252-7845 NDB@HUGHES.NET WWW.POWERLINEBMX.COM
CAROLINA
RICHARD SOX State Commissioner (803) 518-0967 WWW.NBLCAROLINA.ORG
Memphis 0983 Shelby Farms BMX Michael Palugi (901) 756-BMX1 (track) www.memphisbmx.org
Egg Harbor Twp 0773 EHT BMX Linda Vanderhoff (609) 927-9089 (track) www.EHTBMX.org
16 MISSISSIPPI
25 SOUTH
Columbus 0973 Heer Park BMX Brian Kulp (614) 783-6951 (home) www.heerparkbmx.com
London 1406 London BMX Chris Dunn (614)771-5943 (home) www.london-bmx.com
PETE DAWSON State Commissioner (412) 798-2572 PETEDAWSON607@AOL.COM
Hazleton 1334 L. Schiavo City View BMX John Longo (570) 956-3747 www.hazletoncityview.com Johnstown 0516 Johnstown BMX Jim Chilcot (814) BMX 4FUN (track) www.JohnstownBMX.org Pittsburgh 0522 South Park BMX George Brain (412) 337-2013 (412) 884-5934 (home) (412) 831-3620 (track) www.spbmx.net Pottstown 1351 Trilogy Park BMX Glen Knapper (610) 906-1317 (home) (484) 363-0592 (track) www.trilogypark.org Titusville 0990 Drake Well BMX Don Wagner (814) 827-3816 (track) (614) 403-3057 (home) www.geocities.com/bmxpop.drakewellbmx. html Westmoreland 0192 Westmoreland BMX Pete Dawson (724) 842-2012 (track) (412) 798-2572 (home) www.westmorelandbmx.net
37
27 TEXAS El Paso 1416 Snake Pit Argenis Gomez (915) 248-6427
28 UTAH Virgin 1301 Virgin Regional BMX Dale McCorvey (435) 648-2717 (home) (435) 648-2380 (track) www.racesouthernutah.com
29 VERMONT Bennington 1110 Catamount BMX Cody Buck (802) 375-4137 (track) (802) 688-9059 www.catamountbmx.org
30 VIRGINIA LEROY MOSES State Commissioner (703) 861-8825 LEROY.MOSES@COVANCE.COM ANDREA GREENE State Points Clerk (757) 420-1495 ALG9194@VERIZON.NET Petersburg 1404 VMP-BMX Mike Eden (804) 732-7888 (track) www.vmp-bmx.com Richmond 1187 Richmond BMX Art Luck (804) 305-1329 (track) www.richmondbmx.com Winchester 0540 Winchester BMX Ben Carey (804) 387-5351 (home) www.winchesterbmxracing.org Woodbridge 1248 Northern Virginia BMX Paul Kincheloe (703) 987-3544 (track) (703) 590-1335 (home) www.novabmx.org
31 WEST VIRGINIA ROD MILLS State Commissioner (304) 366-4339 RODSHARONMILLS@VERIZON.NET WWW.POORFARMBMX.COM Fairmont 1319 Poor Farm BMX Sam Larsok (304) 641-5193 (track) www.wvbmx.com
38
FROM THE FENCE »
The moto board is always packed
Profile in the house
Future track builder
Style check
It always about the kids
It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it
FROM THE FENCE Âť
39
Ron Vega
Encouragement
Snake tamer between motos Florida state season kicks off
CJ McGuire sweeping the starting hill
FIND MORE ONLINE AT JRBICYCLES.COM FEATURED FRAME SPECIALS
WE BUILD CUSTOM WHEELS
OVER 500 FRAMES INSTOCK FROM 16 BRANDS Anarchy Race Frames
FEATURED PROTECTIVE GEAR
FREE WHEEL BUILD
Knee/Shin
$19.95
YOU PICK THE RIM, HUB, SPOKES and NIPPLES WE WILL HAND BUILD THEM TO PERFECTION AT NO ADDITONAL LABOR CHARGE
Limited Time Offer
$139.95 MSRP $399.95 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST - SEE WEBSITE FOR OPTIONS
$79.95
Limited Time Offer
$299.95 MSRP $339.95
$285.00 LIZARD SKINS Elbow Guards
STOCK WHEELS AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE IN WHITE, BLACK, RED and BLUE
Cassette Sets Starting at
SX Blur Race Frames
Standard FlipFlop Starting at
$269.95
Low Price Guarantee
$279.95 Available Fall 2010
Chain Tensioners
TIOGA POWER BLOCK
INTENSE MK TIRES
Starting at
$19.95
Chest Protectors
$79.95
$6.95
MAXXIS DTH
Starting at
Lopes Knee/Shin
RACE LITE TUBES
$11.95 per pair
Podium Stinger Frames
Starting at
$24.95
$129.95
Intense
Starting at
10 SIZES AND 5 COLOR OPTIONS
$350.95 MSRP $389.95
Starting at
Storm Knee/Shin
GHP Race Frames
Limited Time Offer
LEATT Neck Braces
Starting at
$29.95
Starting at
$19.95
$59.95
YELLOW AND GUN METAL
FEATURED DRIVETRAIN PARTS SPEEDLINE SX Crank arms
$69.95
RHYTHM Expert and Pro Cranks
4 or 5 Bolt. Black and Polished
$159.95
Expert
$159.95
$84.95 $28.95
MADERA Protocol Crank Kit
$69.95
U.S.A. MADE Chromoly 3-PC
$124.95
STEM LOCKS
J&R BICYCLES Number Plate
$26.95
MINI and PRO
1” - 11/8” Black-Red-Blue
175mm and 180mm
$49.95
CARBON Headset Spacers RENNEN Chainrings and Sprockets U.S.A. MADE
$39.95 4 Bolt 5 Bolt Full Sprocket
Black, Red or Silver
SHIMANO Clipless Pedals PD-M520
$49.95
PD-M545
$89.95
HAWK External BB Light weight - Fast Rolling
4” - 5.5” - 6.5”
$64.95
Red-Blue-Gold-White-Black
$129.95
Lightest on the market! Red-Black-Blue-White
$84.95
FLY Talon II Clipless Shoes US Y13 - 13
1” - 11/8”
THE Bike Stand Starting at
THOMSON Elite Seat Post
$84.95
Links together!
Mini
$34.95
TIME Z Control
$109.95
US 3.5 - 12.5
$8.95
UNI Mini and Expert Seats
TIOGA D-Spyder Seats
$84.95
SHIMANO DX Clipless Shoes
$16.95
Aluminum Bars
MCS Torque Bars
VANS Warren Clipless Shoes US 7 - 13
$16.95
TLD Lock-On Grips
White, Black and Polished Red, Blue and Black
BLACKOUT Number Plates MINI and PRO
Add $30 for Pro
AC MINI LE Crank Arms
FEATURED ACCESSORIES/EXTRAS
ALL NEW I-Beam Stem FSA Orbitz MX - LE Colors
$29.95
Add $10 for Expert
SALSA
Quick Release Clamps
$28.95
SINZ
Quick Release Clamps
$8.95
$31.95
Kash Backpack
$24.95 MSRP $54.95 BLACK or BROWN
2011 Basic Backpack
$49.95 GRAY or GREEN
$69.95
2011 SE BAGS
$119.95
e? uiz: r q o m p o &R p save even ATION J s ‛ y Toda w do you de BMXN rder o o o Q: H coupon c our nex- 1ttime use opnlyly y er $120.00 rictions Ap se 41 /10 A: U 15% onfe forders ovwww.bmxnat.com Rest /20 2 1 s li r d En On fo
WIth Wheels Add $30
BMX NATION •
42
icon »
Stu Thomsen
When the two words: legendary and iconic are mentioned in relation to BMX, one name always comes up—Stu Thomsen. He was a BMX pioneer, who dominated the sport from its earliest days until perhaps its largest boom in the mid to late 1980s, and he did so squeezing his big six-foot plus frame atop the tiny bikes of that era. Although this might have seemed comical with a lesser BMX racer, it served only to amplify the larger than life image of Stompin’ Stu. Thomsen began racing at 14 and turned pro at 16, and before it was all said and done, he’d scored about 25 national number one titles among the various BMX sanctioning bodies. The rise of this legend is well documented in the recent film, “Joe Kid on a Stingray.” He is now honored to be inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame, which means he is the first BMX racer to be in all major cycling Hall of Fames. This impressive record, however, is anything but done. A couple of years ago, at the NBL Grands, Thomsen boosted the big step into the second corner while demolishing the 50-54 cruiser class. Although he is now beyond the half-century mark, and he is no longer atop the ridiculously small Stingray, he is still the epitome of Joe Kid. He first retired from pro racing in 1987, but came a couple of times before reclassifying to amateur. “I still loved racing, but I was more in it for the fun,” he said. “All the years of training and riding for the competitive circuit wore me out. I knew what it took to try and stay competitive, and I just didn’t have that desire to train at that level.” Although Thomsen said, “I’m a cyclist for life,” and he continues to ride road, mountain, and BMX bikes, he believes his greatest achievements were off the track. He’s been married to his wife, Tanya, for 28 years, and his full-time job is as an Orange County Deputy Sheriff. He is also a prostate cancer survivor, who encourages men over forty to get checked. One of the sport’s history-makers is looking to the future. “Every day is a learning experience, “ Thomsen told BMX Nation Magazine. “Accept responsibility for your action and learn from your mistakes. In regards to BMX, I was glad to be a part of its growth. Now take this sport to the next level.” This advice is particularly poignant from one of the first BMX pros to do just that—take it to the next level. Will there ever be another pro as iconic as Stompin’ Stu? Only time will tell. But if there indeed is, this humble BMX pioneer will likely be cheering him on.