I'll have to go with Richie Anderson as well. But what about throwing Billy Griggs in that group ?

Mark

Guys- It's Richie.

funny how nobody mentions romero.........LOL

wonder why

how did Richie get the "Avalance" name? was it cus he was quick and deadly? just curious, chime in anyone..

ABA National #1 Brent Romero was pretty quick too, but not the best of all time.

He came in and wiped everybody out like an avalanche!

Ill buy that Thump.

lol...........thump doesnt get it. ahahaha

i had many many calls with sandy f.

alot of those calls ended with me talking about romero............

I got to see Richie Anderson race for the first time a few months ago, when I watched one of the Jox/Jag DVD's.

I had heard and read so much about him back then, that I always wondered what he was like to watch in action.

All I can say is, yeah, he gets my vote. Powerful racer. I bet he was just as quick on a cruiser!

Richie could speed jump anything!

I'm with Hillage, Thumper and Johnny

I thought Loncarevich was amazing when he was a skinny amateur
on S&S, TW Racing, an Diamond Back.
Crazy style and power.

When he bulked up as a pro,
he lost a lot of that flash and style.
He was just brutally fast and consistant.

Loncarevich had lots of battles with the Avalanche.
Charlie Williams too.
Richie was simply more consistant.
Farside was awesome too....
Geez what a brutal class.

Still..... At the end of the day....
"The rumble of an Avalanche was heard across the nation."
(that's an Oz quote)

[ December 29, 2006, 09:40 PM: Message edited by: JohnnyJohnson OMAS DirtSlinger ]

yeah but what about romero?

ahahaha

I've seen Richie blow so many gates and
power through the pack (just like Bubba Harris does now) and win.
Races anyone else would have completely given up.


Doug Davis was amazing.
Brent Romero was great. No doubt.
But...........
As an amateur Richie Anderson was a phenom.

[ December 29, 2006, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: JohnnyJohnson OMAS DirtSlinger ]

Ok,
I can understand a vote for Richie, but I can't understand why no one has voted for Mike Poulson! In my book one of the tuffest AM riders in the glory days of bmx! 14 to 16 and over groups from 1979 to 1982. He had to sit out most of 1982 due to a broken leg!

WAY UNDER RATED BECAUSE HE RODE A SCHWINN!

Maybe I do, maybe I don't, I did crash on my haed a lot as a kid. LOL!!!! I'm pretty sure I do though.

Healthy debate about any topic is a good thing.

But I can't imagine for a moment that anyone other than Richie Anderson would be considered Best Am Ever.

Richie ruled every amateur class he rode during the heyday of BMX, he won something like 645 (or more, it seemed) ABA National #1 titles and he survived Ronnie.

Me......

Oz a.k.a. Bob Osborn gave Richie the nickname "The Avalanche"
It was this pic from BMX Action in either 77' or 78'.


Richie either told me or posted it that one time he was here on Vintage.

[ December 30, 2006, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: JohnnyJohnson OMAS DirtSlinger ]

Come on Johnny, don't leave us hangin'! Who are all the riders in the background od that shot. LOL!!!!!

Right on JJ, that's the pic I think of when Avalanche is mentioned.

Could it be that pic and caption, is the one that coined the nickname?

..on a side note, I've always wonder'd what that frame is...modified Race Inc?

thumper.............

you dont

Richie is a STRONG candidate for that honor. What year did Steve Veltman RULE 20 and cruiser?

I had the joy of racing Richie in a trophy dash in Vallejo in '78. He was probably 13 at the time. I didn't get a good start and I tried an outside to inside move in the first turn. As I was coming down he was coming into the turn. We met in the middle. I actually have this on film, thanks to Stuarts' dad. As the dust settles, I get up to see Richie and I remember pointing at him and probably yelling some obsenity as he is trying to scramble away from me.
But from my wifes perspective, being the brother of Jon Anderson who was on the receiving end of too many of Richie's avalenches. She doesn't care for your choice. Statistics mean nothing to her in this subject, she did not appreciate his tactics to get the win, especially when those tactics took out Jon. (she is cracking up as I read this back to her)
She would not be as kind in her discription.LOL

DD bringing in the history. Until you posted that, I wouldn't have thought you and Richie would have raced against each other with you being, hmm...wiser?

I would say Richie with Moon Man Snickems a close second...

Hey Tone,

I'm not sure what Sandy told you; he told me ALL his riders ACTUALLY WERE the age they claimed to be. There were three riders' ages that were under question BITD: Romero, Bruten, and Johnson. Sandy swore two of these three racers were indeed the age they claim to be. They sure didn't look it, though...

Yes Rick I was "wiser" (spelled older) at the time. But as I said it was a trophy dash. I was probebly 17 or 18 at the time, and I don't remember how far down they scraped in the age classes to get a full gate. He could have been 11 for all I know.
He was running away from me as I chased him after he crashed me. HAHAHA!!!
Maybe he was getting even with me for this...

There are allot of riders worthy of this nominee, but
Richie Anderson raced longer and had more victories than anyone else and therefore hands down is the guy for the award.

How long did Richie race amatuer and how did he do as a pro? I know he got hurt a few times in the later 80's... anyone?

I still think you guys are forgetting Brit Audeoud's accomplishments. He was unbeatable the kid never lost in any sanction he rode in.

All the riders talked about had solid amatuer careers but they did get beat if not by each other as some mentioned raced the same class. All hold their place in the record books but the one that ruled the sport as an amatuer was Brit Audeoud he ruled right up until the time he quit. Numerous world titles and NBL Titles along with many ABA grand wins. He didn't win the overall title because of rider count and that should not go against him as he would no doubt have stacked up numerous NAG #1 plates if they exhisted back then.

Rich Houseman would be a close second in by book followed by Richie Anderson and Geoff Scofield. The only one that beat Geoff was Brent and they only raced eachother a few months out of the year. The question still remains whether Brent was really the age for the class he raced in. Everytime I asked Sandy he avoided the question, I guess we will never know on that. But it sure seemed something wasn't right there.

Shannon, you know I love you dearly. Your not going to ruffle my feathers on the Cheri comment. Besides my pick would be Michelle Cairns as her World Titles, International Titles, ABA Titles and NBL Titles speak volumes. Totally blowing out any other females accomplishments.

Think about the big picture here. Who truly ruled in ABA Grand's Wins (Not the overall titles as rider count plays a big picture and cannot be controlled) NBL Titles, International Titles and World Titles?

To me Richie just has more to claim. Many riders came and won but how many started back in the early 70's and went out racing Pro winning races and titles all along the way.