When did we start skimming whoops?

Jim Neese was skimming the hell out of them in 91 at my first AX race. I thought it was amazing to see. 

JMB in 89. 

Pretty sure I've seen skimming in some early-to-mid 80's SX's, but it was rare.

I believe MC talks about this in his book, they were at the test track and one day they see JMB staying on top of the whoops and they were all mind blown.

I think it's hard to pin down, because whoops really weren't standardized in the 80s. Check out Atlanta '89, they are skimming some smaller ones but RJ is partially jumping and then skimming the big ones. Then go to 1:07 and watch RJ at 1987 Seattle - clearly skimming too but small whoops. Interesting question!

That was during my era in the early 80s I believe it might’ve been Keith Bowen

I remember back in the '80s the doctrine of the day was to wheelie off one whoop and set your front tire down over the next one. Imagine doubling through, but your rear tire doesn't really leave the ground. At my local track, the fast dudes started doubling and tripling through the whoops. That was the "gnarly" way to do it. I don't remember skimming being a real thing until the '90s. 

We just started.

I would have said RJ in the late 80’s.

He started the trend towards stiffer suspension I believe, which allowed whoop “blitzing”.

JMB 

So skimming whoops lasted 35 years. Now they’re all jumpers. Somewhere in Minnesota a single tear is rolling down the Whoop Monster’s cheek. 

Yeah Keith or Keit my Dutch grandma would say was the 1st big name to skim.  My 1st Mx bike within 1 min of riding. I was skimming 1/2 mi long with big trees on each side . Threw a national Forrest during deer hunting. The hunters were real pissed.  Sorta by mistake at 12 degrees the NSR cr125 was ripping. I just kept shifting on the surge. I was in 6th trying to up shift. I ended up going so fast I just clipped the tops.  On a diff track with close to 4 footers . I broke the rear shock I slammed them so hard.  I just Love whoops 

*Motocross lore has JMB at Pontiac SX skimming a long section, forget the year and, allegedly, this was the first time most had witnessed this phenomenon. **I remember Phil Alderton (former YOT boss) told me a story that, supposedly someone from another team had asked JMB what gear he took in the whoops and he told them “third”. Allegedly, JMB’s team boss was angry for him revealing that, and, to which JMB responded - “Why, I actually take them in fourth….”

At one time I thought my greatest accomplishment in life would be participating in the birth of my son...but then I learned how to skim supercross whoops.

I mean, anybody can catch a kid coming out of a uterus, its sorta like the center hiking the football to the quarterback. Its just a reverse stance of that...and a little more gorey.

Nice story but not true. Keith Bowen was the 1st consistent skimmer. 

I came here to say Keith Bowen but you beat me to it. In 1984 on factory Yamaha he started just pinning it through the whoops. It was a hold on and pray style but was the closest thing to skimming whoops that we had seen. It blew everyone's mind and was a big focus of attention.

Warren Reid 1983 Pittsburgh SX. When he rode an injured Rick Johnson's OW Yamaha.

What's this we shit  ? 

I saw Broc do it in 79. LA Coliseum. 

"You got a mouse in your pocket"?

I felt the same way ("we"), but figured the joke would only work if I was one of the first few folks to respond to the thread.

God Bless ya for just plowing through and posting it. 

Good times.

Always thought it was JMB but I only got into racing in the 90s

The royal we. You know, the editorial, man.

The decade of the 80s went from twin shocks, to milk bottle ProLink. It was awesome 

need more threads like this. 

need more threads like this. very nice post.

sup sandberm! Miss seeing you on pulp fantasy lol -Spud