Nice shot of your butt Dennis . Shoot even if there wasn't a date you could tell how old it was almost by the area code on the phone numbers. 714 has been cut up into lots of little pieces since then. I remember when it went clear down to Escondido and RB

Baron, you've become official Thread Chief with that historical treasure. Thank you for sharing. Can we say that is the earliest documented evidence of the 360?

The advanced skills impress me. Consider I learned to ride a bike in 73, flat tabletops by 84, 360 by 1990. Yet, you guys were doing that stuff right out of the box. It's analogous to sitting next to a smart kid in class, you study all weekend to get a B on a test, yet the girl next to you memorized every word the instructor said the first time and pops off an A. Basically, it's not fair.

Look at the progression now! We watch videos and say wow, that was a cool trick. Yet those kids spend all of their rolling time in a manual. Heck, I've been trying to learn manuals for a year and still only stick it occasionally. Even yesterday, I threw myself flat on my back (danged moist brakes) and rocketed my bike out into traffic. Didn't have the gumption to look at the first driver in the face, but the second looked at me slightly horrified.

Thanks again for sharing a pivotal moment of BMX history.

signed,
Ben Or

I hope OZ didn't shoot any of those pics or having anything to do with the editorial. LOL!!! VBMX could be on the hot seat with him again. LOL!!!

HELICOPTER BIKE

on the subject of backflips, wasn't Hugo Gonzalez the first person to try and land a back flip on a BMX bike, right around the time the movie Rad came out? He even did the backflip in the movie if I recall. Been a while since I seen it.

That was Jose Yanez.

I just got to be the 10,000 viewer of this thread....

Signed,
Elvis Or

Jose was from Phoenix, AZ. He was discovered by then ABA BMX employee Brad Fanshaw. He spotted him doing flips into the Salt River where everyone goes tubing and the rest is history.

Jose was afraid of Elevators and when he was on Hutch they would book his rooms several floors up so he would have to walk the stairs.

He had a bikeless version of a Double Back Flip.

Yeah thats who it was.. Jose Yanez.. Whered I get Hugo Gonzalez from?

That backflip was so awesome back then. Everybody was like "WOW!"

I remember when Jose Yanez was the side show at ABA National Races. He was so squirrelly on a bike he had to make a few passes to even hit the ramp that would flip him upside down.

Hmmmm. he must be a distant relative of mine

Jose is still around. I saw him just a couple yaers a go rding out at the Fort McDowell BMX park they had going for a while. He still had a SWEET MULLET!!!! LOL!!!

this thread, without a doubt, wins the phoenix of the year award

In honor of this thread I've changed my member title.

I don't like Phoenix. Too hot.


Doug

I rode yesterday. Does that count? Huge, no make that tiny airs at SPOA. No wipeouts and I didn't have to work. A good day.

There is a video of that dude jose doing a double backflip into water, way before they were even thought of... If you can do one trick, and milk it. Why not.. I would. If he's still got the mullet, he must not be working...

Please note that several of you will be receiving a letter from my lawyer regarding trademark infringement on teh "Benor", "BenOr", "Ben or" and "or" moniker, logo and coporate logo. I value these properties and therefore have set an appropriate dollar value on them.

Have a nice day sir(s).

ElvisOr

whats a thread, cant remember smoking some of that in the eightys

Don't let the BenOr account name fool you, franchising is on the way:

Billy Mays is currently taping a commercial as I type: "For 3 easy payments of 19.95 you too can be related to BenOr."

Book signing tour to commence late summer 2008, "How I became BenOr's nephew. Life in the will of a bank mogul"


signed,
BenOr's stunt double

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that when you're choosing between the two, as in "Ben Or or Elvis...", your brain tries to tell you that the second "or" isn't really necessary and sometimes comes out as "er" instead of "or" or is even unintentionally dropped altogether?

I'm just sayin...

Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker

P.S. If you don't like Phoenix because "it's too hot", you can always come to Atlanta, the Phoenix city (but you better bring your own water, 'cause we're running out...)

I'll take the heat over the humity any day. hehehehehehe......

BvenJor -- BenOr's cousin from Switzerland

He also has a cousin from France named Bon Jour.

Will that be paper, BenOr plastic

He'll call his lawyers, and well...Ben' O'er buddy. $$$

On the advice of council, I've had to start editing some of your posts.

He also told me that due to the unfortunate circumstance of the Prime Minister of transportation and commerce for the small country I represent, he a good man of great accomplishment who was, alas, struck down in the Oakly grip riots of '83, we find ourselves in the unfortunate circumstance of needing to transfer $59 million USD from our account into the banking system of your fine country.

Alas, due to the nature of the injuries suffered during the riots, we need a broker on the American side to help us transfer the money, for which we will pay 1.4 percent service fee for you great and good and kind assistance in this matter.

Please post all your banking account information in this thread so that we may complete the transaction and pay you your due as is appropriate for your good and gracious assistance.

You'll also notice, once again, you never see BenOr or I posting at the same time.

HEY!!!

My last post was edited by ElvisOr!!! er... It's a conspiracy!!!

Richard Vogt
ex-bmxmountainbiker

D'oh!!!

sorree.

Call my lawyer.

I really think this is some of our best work. (work)

I don't know... 1.4% sounds a tad low... I've got 21,327 emails here that say 1.49% is the going rate... I'll have to think about it...

Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker

Wow, my head is spinning from all this information and babble.

Stu- My friend Ian made up a freestyle trick in 1987 and called it the Stu Thomsen. he doesn't ride anymore and no one else ever did it. I guess you missed out on that lawsuit.

Has anyone ever started the following sites:

vintagelawsuit.com
oldsourriders.com
wtf.com
benORelvis?.com

I agree, we could all use a group snHuggy for this

i remember reading and interview with martin aparijo(sp) and he said something like he did one on accident at knott't berry once. that was a long time ago.

I was walking through a store today and happened to look over at the right time to see an infant outfit with this printed on the front;

"Does this diaper make my butt look big?"

St. Paul Minnesota 1982, Harry Leary crashed in the first turn... Bummed, I remember he did a Leary over the last jump.. That was a great moment for me...

King Of CrackPipe-Your out in left field posting continues to baffle me, BUT, I'll play along with this one

This jump you mean?

That may be the beginning of what i'm talking about.. If that's 1982.. Your postings continue to baffle me. that's for the pic... thank's very stoke......major stoke...

I'm unclear if this thread is funny or it's simply the lack of sleep being in a time zone 9 hours different than home, but I was laughing out loud at dinner last night reading this via my Blackberry.

BTW - I'm in Amsterdam. Anyone want me to pick up some Aerospeeds?

"BTW - I'm in Amsterdam. Anyone want me to pick up some Aerospeeds? "

there ought to be a cheech and chong joke in that line somewhere but for the life of me I can't make one up.


KOP- I'm digging it. Harry Leary should be a requirement in every thread!

you should run around with a green outfit on saying...me me me me me i am ET the extra tes......

Eddie Torez the extra testical! LOL!!!!

KOP-- I was at that race, and have the photo! But could it have been Iowa? It was one of the races that the Minnesota, "Rondo Classic" folks did (was it Jack Dougherty?).

http://www.fiodan.com/vintage/leary_grubbs_iowa_81.jpg

I am 99% certain that it was Gregg Grubbs behind him.

Sorry the photo is such bad quality, I no longer have the original and had to shoot a photo of it out of a 24 year old magazine.

Iowa or not, Iowa will gladly stake claim to that pic.
Thanks for adding to the rich BMX history that is Iowa (......Help back me up, Mr. Quinn!)

One of the most vivid memories I have of all my years in BMX was of Leary at the Rondo Classic in 80 or 81. It was Pro practice and Gary Neuman's "In Cars" was jamming over the PA. If you hum the melody to the song...you'll follow this: Harry laid one up at the exact time to synch up with "pow" in the song.

Awesome!

Yessir! So it was Iowa (Unidome) Right?

#2 Is Jeff "Shinglehead" Venekamp. We went to the race with Jim Paiva, who was on Zeronine at the time, fell asleep at the wheel on the way back to Chicago, and almost killed us all.

Great shots!!

That was the St. Paul Civic Center

This was the Uni-Dome

Yup, I do remember the running track lines. Still, quite sure my image was the unidome, so guess it is not the instance that KOP was talking.

Unidome looks right on the one, but
actually, you boys have some pictures confused on locations.

This (and those above) is 1980 at the Cornhusker National in Omaha Nebraska. The brick wall with square vents in the above photos gives it away. I'll never forget it, Jeff K got his Mongoose stolen there while going upstairs to get his lock. You weren't allowed to bring bikes upstairs....lots of em stolen that day (Sunday).

I was still a Novice, it was my first National, and I got a second. ....What else you want to know about Omaha? lol


BTW, who dat, glued to the wall in the Kuwahara colors? (I think he got in the way, and the crazy groundskeeper glued him to the wall... )



Looks like Stubie, GH in Shimano, HL, B or BP, EK in Torker??, and.....KH???. And in the infield....Sheriff Roscooooe P Coooletrain....gu, gu, gu...



And this yutz was the joke of the weekend. He was apparently some mentally ill OCD concrete groundskeeper or something. He kept spraying the floor for bugs all weekend, getting in our way on the track, and making our shoes stick to the floor. Talk about a wierdo, they brought in a few wooden jumps, and this guy thinks termites are going to eat the concrete up. "Bugs on the concrete, spray bugs....K-mart sucks.....5 O'clock, Judge Wapner.." Who knows what he was thinking.... (he is holding a VHT can and sprayer, not shown, but I know it's true.... Not just a racer, but in charge of making people not hit the wall too... That Stu, he's all business ain't he!? ))




Ohhhhm a ha.