What happened to SoCal?

Team Euro
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Team Euro 6/19/2010 11:13am
6/19/2010 11:13am
fullfloater wrote:
I've never lived in California but I did spend a few memorable summers there when I was a kid (early-mid 80s). I had the special opportunity...
I've never lived in California but I did spend a few memorable summers there when I was a kid (early-mid 80s). I had the special opportunity to ride and race at places like Indian Dunes, Saddleback, etc. I thought the place was heaven on earth. I remember looking at other kids living/surfing/skating around the beach cities and I thought they were so lucky to grow up there.

Given that, I'm surprised to see so many riders name California as the "worst place on earth" in RXI 2-Tribes and other interviews. What the hell happened? I know about the financial problems in CA but why would riders not like it there? The weather, the scenery, the atmosphere (at least the atmosphere as I remember it). What's not to love? Is it because the fun-loving surfers and skateboarders have turned to the MMA/TKO bros or what? I refuse to believe it. I'm hanging on to my positive memories of California.
local races,speed,trophies..go to work monday morning.
zjbell
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zjbell 6/19/2010 11:15am
6/19/2010 11:15am
fullfloater wrote:
I've never lived in California but I did spend a few memorable summers there when I was a kid (early-mid 80s). I had the special opportunity...
I've never lived in California but I did spend a few memorable summers there when I was a kid (early-mid 80s). I had the special opportunity to ride and race at places like Indian Dunes, Saddleback, etc. I thought the place was heaven on earth. I remember looking at other kids living/surfing/skating around the beach cities and I thought they were so lucky to grow up there.

Given that, I'm surprised to see so many riders name California as the "worst place on earth" in RXI 2-Tribes and other interviews. What the hell happened? I know about the financial problems in CA but why would riders not like it there? The weather, the scenery, the atmosphere (at least the atmosphere as I remember it). What's not to love? Is it because the fun-loving surfers and skateboarders have turned to the MMA/TKO bros or what? I refuse to believe it. I'm hanging on to my positive memories of California.
Team Euro wrote:
local races,speed,trophies..go to work monday morning.
you forgot drive to Orange County beaches and trash the place.
Brent
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Brent 6/19/2010 11:48am
6/19/2010 11:48am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 11:28pm
Born here

Raised here

Raced from the late 70s up to now here


Too many people from back east moved here


paradise lost
Backfire
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Backfire 6/19/2010 11:56am
6/19/2010 11:56am
hartebreak wrote:
I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (Glendora). In the 70's and 80s the valley was still full of strawberry fields, orange groves, plenty of...
I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (Glendora). In the 70's and 80s the valley was still full of strawberry fields, orange groves, plenty of hills to climb around and ride on and build BMX tracks as kids and such. Lots of riding oppertunity for MXer's as well. Now its all gone, houses in every single chunk of land, freeways that are 6-7-8 lanes wide that are parking lots during peak driving times. Also, Im far from a rasist but it really has become a place where as a white person you are bit of a minority with lots of immigrants both legal and illegal. When I go down to visit I am shocked at just how packed that whole basin has become with houses. Definately not the same place I remember as a kid.
As a white person who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, I hear ya. I'm far from racist too but the number of Mexicans here is out of control. When the Mexican people protested a few years ago and stayed home to show how significant they are to the economy, well the freeways were empty! I got home from work in half the time.

Did you ever ride at these places?
1. I practiced in the hills of San Dimas right near the 57FWY and 10FWY, now there are million dollars homes on the land.
2. Right behind the Race Tech shop in Pomona I would spend the afternoons riding.
3. Spot off Milliken ave in Ontario was a fun place to ride.
4. Spot of the 60 Fwy near Milliken was fun.
5. I spent countless days in Glendora at a place called Honda Hills near Glendora ave. riding and making BMX jumps. That place was just awesome.
6. My favorite mx riding spot was near the Hesperia airport. I would go out there and ride the whooped out tracks for hours.
7. I spent a ton of time at Azusa BMX. I remember just going to practice for the entire night and wishing I could do the same at Glen Helen or Perris. Those tracks didn't have practice days. I did hit the practice days at DeAnza but that was considered a long haul to practice! Now, 1-2 hour drive is the norm.
8. So many spots in Corona, Ontario, Cucamonga I don't have time to list them all. Long gone are the days of loading your bike up after school and hitting a vacant lot with a track and riding for several hours for free with your friend. No doubles, triples, 90 ft tables, just sandy turns and whooped out straights. For me those were the best tracks to have fun on.
9. Also, I remember going to El Mirage all the time and not worrying about green stickers, red stickers or spark arrestors. Guys would show with trucks and trailers full of "bikes" play bikes, junker bikes but now the bikes need to be in "regulation" with correct stickers and spark arrestors.
10. I rode also at Azusa canyon a few times but I remember the days when it was just fun to go up there and watch the trucks bog through the mud. That place is a ghost town now but in the early 80's it was one happening place.
11. I sure miss DeAnza Cycle Park. It was my favorite place on earth.




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JP
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JP 6/19/2010 12:01pm
6/19/2010 12:01pm
It sucks here, stay the fuck out.
adamdf
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adamdf 6/19/2010 12:30pm
6/19/2010 12:30pm
I lived in Toronto for a year, couldnt find one person that knew about motocross or actually followed it, and definitely noone that even rode mx, now that was depressing, lol...i've always said that for hard core moto guys, cali sounds like a dream land, hope to visit there some day..still paying back for my last expensive trip to paris, lol...
WonderWarthog
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WonderWarthog 6/19/2010 12:30pm
6/19/2010 12:30pm
I will tell you this about SoCal. If you have very good to great cash flow, there are places to live here that are incredible. Places you can't match for ANY amount of money most other places. Weather, quality of life, entertainment, pretty birds (both kinds, at least where I live), swimming pools, and stars, if you are into that type of thing (hehehe -- I saw Paul Anka last week in my current home away from home -- Divorce Court -- with his ex-wife, who was about 30 years younger than he) . I will put it up against any place in the world, because I've worked, traveled, or lived pretty much everywhere, sans India and Antarctica. I'm not positive, but I'll go out on a limb and say those places suck!!!
P Weezy
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P Weezy 6/19/2010 12:37pm
6/19/2010 12:37pm
Masonry wrote:
The area that all the pros live in is pretty hot and dusty and full of track homes.
crewshin wrote:
Your point is? The only thing I'm going to add to this dumb thread is... anybody that says California has bad traffic needs to go spend...
Your point is?

The only thing I'm going to add to this dumb thread is... anybody that says California has bad traffic needs to go spend a year in Chicago.

The only road that truly sucks in California is the 91 during rush hour.
THANK YOU!

Cali's traffic isn't even all that bad once you visit other places in the US (Dallas, chicago, New York, etc.)

SoCal is great, but the only thing i can think of as to why people complain is that there are too many people in some areas. But where the tracks and places to ride are (mainly desert, valley areas), it's pretty slow paced and a little easier to take in.

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