Tradup is still around. He was the one selling the ELF Double Cross on Craigslist here in Az for some time.

I'm sure we'd agree on a lot more things if we actually knew each other.

No ROCK for me this year. I have some other things going.

Peoria Dunes-'83


First Trophies-'82-before turning Expert

Jumps at 67th and Bell--Southwest Corner-Kmart and Chuck E Cheese sits there now--this is where BMXA did the AZ Dirty Dozen shoot--this is '87

Mullets---did somebody say Mullets???!!!!!!!!.............

Yo Shannon---make sure Leasure sees this--- he'll be going on "break" after though...........
Holly Dunn

Shannon--quit trying to be a Native AZ Dog and go back to tending your website...

Let's not forget the best rider to ever race out of age---Brent Romero--
I had to chase that guy in my "class" when I first turned X.

we are doing ok. how long ago was that? i barely remember even having 170 flights! lol i remember tradup, iverson, and debusk. what did debusk ever do with shawns old haro group1 rs1?? i just recently sold debusk's old auburn i got from him years ago! if you havent figured it out i am jeff laverty.
that CW stuff was that the blue and red frame & fork, or the revcore hubs?

i forgot about holly dunn. and the time saw tradup he was still at petes auto shop.

Is that "Flock of Seagulls" I hear playing in the back ground?

Man those were some good years. While you guys were chasin high school girls I was at Graham Central Station cruisin with a pitcher of Long Island chasin their big Sisters.

Theres no way I would trade my Family for a chance to relive those times again, but man what times they were!

I think the flights were yours. Shawn was racing a cruiser with them on it in '89 if I can figure it right. The CW was thr Blue and Red one, no hubs. Brad and I ran by your house after I broke a frame to see what Shawn had and bought it for $50. That was either late '90 or early '91. I have only seen Brad once since '91. He was working at Gordy's about 3 years ago when I saw him.

Wow nice thread, PXA was the track i started at back in the 70's . Anybody remmember the names
Tony bell , Jimmy roberts, Alex Romero, or the team The Green Machines ? Them were the days , i even have a few pictures of me going down the first straight over the water jump at PXA . If the pictues
worked thats tony bell with #57 plate and thats me with the #16 plate nice boots huh
Thanks guys for bringing up old memorys

Mike

Heres another one of my buddy bill whitney . The good old days , 8 kids and bikes packed in the back
of Chuck battles old 63 or 64 chevy p\u ond off we go from phx to tucson .Then came the big race at
the new downhill and rough track built on the side of the mountain right off interstate 17 and pinnacle
peak rd. all i remmember was racing against jeff utterback who i think got balled up in the 1st turn
and went down and got up and still passed me before the finish line.

i hope you still have that CW! that was a pro-motion prototype that was giving to ike ellis by CW! i wish i never got rid of that one, lol well ok only cause it is worth more now then back then.

Hey, cool a PXA racer!
Chuck White (Road Runner LBS Team) here. I remember the Green Machine team, they acted like they ruled PXA but their riders didn't always win. I used to hang out with Mike & Terry Payne, and Tom Ketchings. "Chuck Battles" you know Mike? and Billy then, ya know how they are doing? I remember they rode Profabs as did the Green Machine and many of the PHX riders. I had heard (before I moved to IL) they still live in the Valley and have a few Profab frames/forks stashed away. I don't remember that down hill being right off I-17. I remember it being at Thunderbird park off Pinnicle Peak rd where it curved and turned into 67th ave. Do you remember Darrin Beach? He was on here for a little while but I haven't seen him in a very long time. I think he lives up in the Northwest now. Do you remember the Andalucia track at 45th and Camelback?

Unfortunately I broke the forks pretty quick. The worst part was, I got sick of dragging it around with me in college, so I threw it away in probably '95. It is in a Tempe landfill. I'm a idiot.

Don't you just hate when you (me, us, we) do that

I'm tellin ya, there needs to be an annimated Emoticon that puts a gun to it's little round head and blows what ever is in there for brains out. They need Kicking a dead horse Emoticon back too

ok cheez and dave!! here are pics of the frame when i had it built before it was sold to dave, and he threw it away. happy digging in the landfill!

dave here is that CW when Mike Ellis owned it. it was white then!

Oh man that wasn't nice LOL

hey cheez

here is an idea a vintagebmx.com meet, greet and dig! at the tempe landfill?? maybe someone will get lucky! lmfao! but see i do have proof i owned it!lol and painted it red and blue, and that mike ellis owned it!

Hey Chuck nice to meet you, yes i know the whole battles family grew up with them.Talked to Mike and Rusty about 4yrs ago there doing good, still in the valley. Sure wish i still had my old profab,I think your right, on the track location and Darrin beach sounds real familiar . 45th and Camelback hmmm did the bondys run that track ?

Mike

That stings. Here is a picture of the CW. Only one I can quickly find. Painted black with Free Agent forks. Sorry so small, kinda worthless.
Click to view attachment
This jump was at 78th dr. and Bluefield, North of Bell.

I started racing at Chandler BMX in Sept '81 and the top riders back then were Jason Wharton (JMC), Jeff Moten (CW), Justin Roos (JMC and then Bear), Digger Kalsow (Bear), Debbie Kalsow (CW), WW (CW), the list goes on...
My parents lived in Payson, back in '81-'82 met Ronnie Ames and his father, they owned a trophy shop there.
One of best memories was when Pete Kelly asked me to ride for Swiss American. He was one of the coolest guys I ever met.
First time going to Chandler BMX getting lost in all the corn fields in between Baseline and Frye Roads, back then, Chandler was in the sticks. My friend's grandmother use to take us out in the Winnebago every weekend to race. Back then, racing was an all day affair.
When I was about 17 the best times racing were our ProAms with Bill Morris, Fred Hightower, Troy Robinson, CL Morris, myself (I was AM), Hubert Wood, Darren K.? .... Troy and I were the smallest riders but usually got out of the gate first and then either Fred or Hubert would just fly by us down the monster first hill giving us many love taps on the way... Fred use to always win.. He had the best laugh... He could make anyone starting laughing. I saw him at Chandler back '99 at the track, just hanging out.
I remember when Scott Campbell moved down from Washington and started racing...Most notable trip to national was with Scott, his dad, Holly & Chad Dunn, their parents. All of us in a motorhome for about 16 hours to Longmont, Co. Too much fun.
Click to view attachment
We use to race 5 to 6 times a week between Chandler, RAM, and other tracks. RAM BMX was a very cool track to race.
Remember the Bicycle Harbor teams (Brown/Yellow unis) with the brothers Brett, Bart ? Their father use to run the team, had his own wheelsets for a while.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

i raced for bike harbor in 85. i think i threw my jersey away like the day i quit the team! lol

The Green Machine... I remember them on green G-Boys in '76-'77.. Use to wee them at the bigger races in so-cal and Bakersfield... The had a young asian girl riding for them back then Misty Dong..


Thunderbird was RAD!!! If you got pitched over the berms it was cactus HELL!!!! and hotter than HELL!!!!

My distinct memory of T-bird was when Eddy and his dad asked if it would be okay to protest me so as he could advance to the mains... My finish in the semis was enough for him to qualify but not enough for me to qualify.... I said No Problem, "Go For It" (we use to say that bitd..) Eddy, you owe me one... Oh wait a minute... If I remember, Sandy Finkleman (RIP) flowed me a Cook Bros. tee shirt after he found out what i did....

I wish I could remember the name of the guy who ran the Green Machine team. It wasn't a team out of a Bike shop, but I think they were getting support from Landis Schwinn even tho Landis had their own team. I went to high school with the son of the guy who ran the team. I remember he had red hair and wore glasses. I remember a couple of G-boys early on the team (75), but before long they were all on Profabs. Profab was building true mini frames and their little guys were using them. Profab built the Two Wheeler Pro for Two Wheeler as well as other frames sets for other makes. Located in Chandler they were big in after market MX parts and did alot of R&D parts for Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda. Profabs were very popular in AZ. I had one of their swing arms, and tripple clamps on my YZ80D. I also don't remember ever seeing a Two Wheeler pro in any AZ bike shop, it may have been part of the deal between TW and Profab.

Hey----I raced for Bike Harbor too.......... '84 to '86
Then Colour Control from '86 to mid summer '86---then Free Agent.

I also rode up to those jumps N. of Bell off 67th.
I also use to ride from 67th. ave and Bell to 32nd st. and cactus to that park that had the track--very small--meet up with friends from the other side of town and ride back and then jump the rest of the day. It was 12 miles one way. The killer was past 7th st. where T-Bird turns into Cactus going up that hill. Coming back was fun---the freewheel was smoking by the time you hit the light at 7th.

Yes, you use to race 6 days a week. You could also hit double races at 2 different tacks in the same day on the weekends. Heck, if you timed everything right you could hit 3 different races in the same day. All that for those district points.........

I do remember that kid breaking his neck. I also remember this one kid who use to race--had issues at home with parent/step-parent and shot them!!!!!!!!! I remember it being the talk for awhile--he did go to jail. This had to be '83 or so.

Isn't Bike Harbor that shop at 43rd and Cactus? I think I had them confused with Cycle Spectrum at 67th and Cactus. The last time I talked to the Guy at Bike Harbor he said that his shop used to be the Old Pedlers Corner at 35th and Dunlap. I guess about the the only shops I know of that haven't moved or become some other shop is Swiss American on Bell, and Landis on 7th ave and Indianschool. As far as LBS's now, I prefer Bikers Edge in Old Town Peoria. Gordy's is huge but I haven't found the help to be all that friendly.

Gordy's Bike shop is huge, I personally have never had any problem with the younger workers there. Some of the older guy's can be sorta stiff( but so are most of you old farts), but if you really want help just ask for Kevin!

For the guys on the East Side, go try KORE Bikes in Scottsdale, Ryan has a small shop and a HUGE heart. Guy loves bikes and the whole BMX/BIKE scene. He has a lounge for people to watch videos and is very knowlegable and is a multi certified bicycle mechanic. Go check him out you wont be let down.

Galen i know who you raced for! when you cam out to black moutian i had to race you if i was there. i was only on bike harbor for maybe 2 months, and that was it before i went back racing sponsorless

Anyone race at Castleview or the 76 State fair race

Got any idea of what Carl Webster is up to these days, or any other AZ Hot shoes from the 70's early 80's?

Come on zonies this thread is starting to loose steam keep it in the top ten on the first page

When I get caught up around here I'll post some of my Arizona BMX photos from late 70's - early 80's. I'll always consider Arizona as my second BMX home, although I only lived there less than 4 years.

My first trip to AZ for a BMX race would have been late in 1979, maybe in 78? have to do some photo searching.

My best friends, Chris and TJ Heyden had a Grandmother living in Tempe. We're all from Nebraska, and had been racing since 1976, riding since I can remember. Every winter the Heyden bros. spent a few weeks with Grandma. In 1977 they came back and told of this really cool track in Chandler and a new sanction called ABA. They were stoked and basically by 1978 even our Nebraska tracks went with ABA. Chris and I turn PRO at age 16 and we're two of the first ABA pros this side of Arizona. If you look through the old ABA Action's, we were even near the top of PRO points at the beginning of 1979.

I have some really cool photos from a track somewhere around Union Hills Road. This was south of where Black Mountain is today. Chris and I also raced at the ABA "Last Race of the Decade" at the downhill track at Reid Park in Tucson...have really cool photos of this as well. This was the final race for 1979 PRO points and determined the first ABA #1 PRO. Greg Hill and Stu Thomsen battled for that one.

Have to cut the story short for now. It a nutshell:
By 1979 the ABA Winter Nationals was an Annual event for Nebraska's top BMXers like Chris, myself, Greg Grubbs, Joe Baumert and Rex Reason.

In late 1981, I moved to AZ to work as ABA's photographer/editor.

I met Woody, Bill Morris, Scott Sackett, Fred Hightower, Hubert, Troy. This list goes on and on. We had some incredible local PRO racing for the few years I was there at Chandler. Very fond memories. Racing 8 times a week! Starting REACH BMX with Woody and his first Direct Link frame! Riding under the lights at Chandler and Roadrunner (now Black Mountain).

I had known the Campbell's since a trip to Seattle in early 1981. (Also met Gary Ellis on that trip...really fast 15 year old with some potential?). I raced and traveled with Scott and Camp some. Really good people.

Have to work now...but plan to add more and photos later.

Hey TimL Post up them photo's, would love to see some.I think you are talking about the track my bro
and i started racing at called PXA. Thanks in advance for posting then.

That wasnt ever proven was it ?besides his mustache at 12 ?I never got to beat him i think he got his liscence to drive and quit before we turned 13..

dont forget about Nick Liberatore! what ever happened to him?

I think 4 Knee surgueries is what happened to him. He was a great guy, allways looked out for the local kids at the nationals and would go up to them and high five us and let us know how well we did, or what we could do to be better.

really well that sucks for him. i used to work around the corner from his dad years after i quit racing but i lose touch with them after i quit that job.

Doug Davis lived in Mesa Arizona in 79' and 80'.
This was when he was on Torker, then Red Line (for a month), then Diamond Back.
Then he moved back to Fletcher Hills (East San Diego)
about 1 1/2 miles from Wheels N' Things bike shop.

Didn't Willie Hubner live in AZ?
Or am I making an assumption cause he was on Bicycle Harbor in 82'?

Willie was from AZ. for sure!

Andy Contes should be back racing A Pro this weekeknd. I've benn talking to him out at Chandler on Tuesday night practice sessions. He's going way fast and is 30 yeras old now.

Look out VET PRO class!

Anyone know the whereabouts of Carl "meat" Webster?

I know Derrin Beach lives in the northwest now

Man, I wish I could go the Winters, someone say Hi to Debbie for me

Yeah Shure Shannon that's you said when the Galen guy was makin a comeback

Done!!!

Much grass, she knows me as Chuck from Peoria, not Cheez

That was my next question in a PM !!!!

Should be fun, hopefully after this weekend I can take off my signature of Wanted Micro Mini!!! Come on kids outgrow that micro and have dad sell it for cheap to me!!!

PM !!!!,.......? Did ya have too much coffee this morning Tidey?

Nothing like being thrown under the bus and backed over a few times for good measure........