Hey Duck, Humes and Sunset Park is only a rocks throw from Shackelford and Mullanphy. At the intersection there is a Post Office and a school that was called Hazelwood Jr High, since then it has been renamed.

None of those names sound familiar and you are correct the trails near Grants Parkway were very near Central. Guess that is what bums me out a bit. Wasn't able to race. I guess due to lack of funds from my folks and didnt get to meet a lot of actual racers so then I got into freestyling and got hooked up with a few guys named Joe Lombardozzie, Dan Smith, Lee Leary Rob Youngblood to name a few. We ended up riding as a "trick team" for Touring Cyclist when they moved to West Florissant but I do remember very clearly riding up to Florissant Cycle up on St Francois window shopping and daydreaming. I grew up off of Lindsey so I was very close to it then. I guess I forgot to mention that I am 39 years old.

I remember some of the really fast guys like Bob Hunt and John Piant. When I would ride down to the races and watch. Actually ran into Piant when I used to race RC cars about 10 years ago. I was one of the helping hands in running the RC races and heard his name. I went up and asked him and his buddy chimed in that he used to drive Bigfoot...Told that guy that doesn't nearly interest me as much as his BMX career. The look on that guys face was priceless. Nonetheless, thanks for the reply and maybe we will see ya out at the track when it warms up a bit.

I race rc also,from 1985. John will be here this week and will stop by the rc track in st.charles this saturday an race with us.

I know where the post office is and where that Hazelwood Jr. High was.
I remember the names Joe Lombardozzie and Dan Smith and I definitely saw the TC team ride. Dan may have even gone on to do the deliveries for TC, if it's the same guy I'm thinking about. I didn't know too many freestylers besides a guy named Mike Hoffman who later stopped riding to skateboard.

Just to introduce myself (and get my post count # higher) Hello Ward! Can we fill a gate yet with all the old timers finding this sight? BTW I'm gathering pictures to download hear after Christmass. I have action shots from: Bonzi, Collensville, YMCA with Garrett Larwance at age 8 or so, Ed G at weight 155 or so! Hey Ed say Hi to John Piant for me! Please. I also have some indoor pictures of the Jag nationals ect. and some issues of Bob Hunts Mag., Lou.

I sure will,155 pounds those must be from the 70's haha. Remember hanging out at bikes unlimited that was a great shop,and south side cyclery.those were the days.

Wow, thats crazy. Then there is a darn good chance you have seen me ride. I also used to ride with Mike Hoffman. He had a bunch of SE Quads his Dad bought for him. One of my friends bought the white one and recently found out he sold it a few years ago for $25. Remember "The Blue Whale"? The huge quarter pipe in his backyard? That is where my vert riding started and pretty much ended. Flatland was more my thing. I still talk to Joe from time to time. He still has a Haro and breaks it out from time to time.

Those trails near Sunset were right behind that school but on the other side of the road.....Like everything else around here it got leveled and turned into apartments (or something of that sort).

Eddie, did John move back to town or just visiting for the holidays?

Probably. Mike lived in the same neighborhood as my friend Gregg Riess, another old school racer. I was thinking that when he first started freestyling he had a quarter pipe in his driveway but maybe it was in his backyard. I remember all of his SE's too. Mike used to skate with a bunch of the Skates Plus guys, I still talk to a few of them pretty regularly. Plus we had a mutual friend named Bill Brewer. Also, Mike and his girlfriend at the time, I think her name was Jamie, used to come see my old band play. Years later Jamie was dating Rick Thorne, which is why I guess he lived here for a while? Do you ever see or talk to him anymore?

Someone sold an SE for $25? The whole bike???

No, Just back for the holidays. John will be at the track Saturday,the track is located off of hwy 94 in st.charles just north of 370 about 1 mile on the right behind the zx gas station.

Hey Duck, havent seen Hoffman for quite a few years. A friend of mine was the manager of the QT at Howdershell and 270 says he came in there a few years ago.

Skates Plus...Wow...kinda forgot about that place. Used to know a guy named Chris Trammel (sp?) and some really cool guy we always just called Jaymz....never really knew his last name...they used to skate there.

As far as the SE for $25....that is a true story....Was a good friend BITD but he never really took to BMX or Freestylin....Saw him at a reunion and of course that was the first question I asked him. Bummer. It had the Standing Gear forks, the SE platform e.t.c. and yes it was complete...Someone got lucky.

Hello, the zx station is that near the go kart track? If so thats the path we take to the marines on the Mississippi. We have a "St.L Jet Ski" club and love the water action up there, we ride stand-ups only! Not those sit down things people crash into each other with and think the're doing something sporty. LoU

The "Figure 8" South County trails at Orlando Gardens is alive and well. I believe it's the only "legalized" bmx trails in the country. Back in '95, Crazy Russ tried to jump the creek! There's a video floating around somewhere.

I heard that the "Weithaupt" trails in Florissant behind Quinn's old house is still alive, but I haven't been back there in years.

I ran into Russ at jury duty last week, and no it wasn't for either of us, I didn't know or reconize him but he had a Kawasaki shirt on, a short conversation dated us riding way back. I asked him about that creek jump. he said " my front tire made it across." then he went off to hit on some chick.

It was 1978 when we came out from Pittsburgh, Pa. to race the NBL Nat at Collinsville. Was over Mom's house and found my brother's trophy he would have been 12 yrs old. My brother was thinking we were at the St. Louis National the week before and Evansville the week after that. I don't remember......

Hello Dremel, I was at that national in 1978 as a 14 novice! These pictures were take by Ken Winn the owner of Bikes Unlimited a photographer for the St. L. Post-Dis-Patch news paper. These are local race though, I remember using the "hole shot" gear system at this track you really needed the firt turn . I still have that bike!

This is Collinsville '78 or '79 this phote from the rear at the gate; John Baker, Mark Hamilton? Me, Scott Segeno. Fill in the names! or correct me!!!

Cool pixs Lou. I was in the 16x at that National but disqualified for crashing in the first turn. I took another kid out (not intentional) just going for it. Ripped a bunch of spokes out of his front wheel with a pedal. Good times......

Hey Donald. I remember racing Springfield a couple of times. Brian and I did the hairspray and VHT(?) trick at Indy too. Good times.

Hey Bob, amazing to see the photos of the old trails. Not sure if you were there the day that Scott Lewis endo'd over the woops and screamed "King of pain" as he took a header off a tree. Ricky Barker, Jeff Thompson and I couldnt stop laughing.

Noel,

I saw your comment on Tim's Facebook page, glad you joined. St. Louis isn't represented well on here even though we had so many racers back then. I was trying to remember when I saw your name on Facebook- you used to ride a Traker cruiser for a while right? I know we knew each other back then but time has me misplacing faces with the wrong names. Where are you living now?

Jeff Thompsen! I wonder how he and his brother Rick are doing. I saw Ricky on Facebook and hit him up but he never got back to me. Do you ever speak to either of them?

I was not there that day, but there were plenty of days that people and bikes hit trees at those trails!

- Bob

I saw Ricky in December when I was back in STL. He works out of state and commutes back and forth each week. He's doing good. As for Jeff and Rick, haven't seen them or heard of any news in years. Believe Jeff lives in O'Fallon.

Rode a Traker cruiser for many years then switched to a Cyclecraft. Stopped racing around 86-87 but still hv my CC. Didn't touch a bike for years following. Reside in Seattle for 4+ years now, love it. Water and mountains everywhere.

I forgot most of the of the past so it's been cool to relive it via TK's post and now here. Was great to catch up with Ricky over a few beers, he still remembers most of it. I will blame my recall issues on the last concussion.

Its always great to re read and view the pic. I am looking for two people from the 1980 year.

1st
Scott Noel he use to take me to just about all the races, I probably owe him gas money still !!!
2
A friend of Owen Dawdys he didn't ride like us, first name Frank and I think his last started "Z" he drove a 67 camaro. Anyone know his last name.

You know there was a bmx/ freestye old school bike show July of 2010.at ramp riders parking lot. I missed any true bmxers from this sight. They also have a old school city ride I think the 3rd weekend of may.

Lou

Maplewood, i actually was on the crew that built the metrolink extension right thru there.Sure i was making money, but it was real sad.

Does anyone know an address or location for the Surefoot bmx track that was in Arnold? I'm thinking about doing a blog or something on the history of bmx in the St. Louis area.

I bet Gary Anzalone would know. Dude knows everything about the early days of St. Louis BMX up until the early- mid 80s. Are you on the Missouri Outlaws Facebook page? Gary was a member here but I don't know how often he checks in. He and his brother post on the FB page frequently. If you want to know anything about Missouri BMX, especially the St. Louis area, that's the place to go. Several former national class riders from the 70s and 80s.

Here's a link- https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/185082378208890/

Thanks, Duck! I am aware of the Outlaws page but never felt if I should request to join or not. Always thought it was just a private group of old friends, or something. But I have since read some things about it on here that make it seem more inviting so I will give it a go. Thanks again.

If for some reason you can't join up, send me your facebook profile and I'll invite you to the group. There's all kinds of people on there that are not from MO. Renny roker and Lenny Baticki have posted. Tim Judge is a member. No one is any more important than the others. It's a fun group. I like it because people like Piant, Kakouris, and a bunch of the really old school guys from the late 70s/early 80s post a lot.

Requested and allowed last week! Aaron is me. Are you Donald on there? If so, I think we got a couple of mutual friends.

Yup, that's me. Cool, glad it worked.