Ezra Lusk stories?

Kid shows up in Bermuda to an old track they called Coney Island...borrows a beater CR80 and beats all but the best guy they had who was on a CR250...year was 88 or 89...
Bet if you ask him a wry smile would appear on his face...

He was my guy when he was racing RM125's in the east. A bad mofo

Great rider..when McGrath was dominating every week, My friends & I would watch SX every Saturday nite, we were all rooting for Ezra to take down the king!

Ezra was so fast and a threat to win every time he lined up. Frickin Honda signed him at his peak and then the bike tried to kill him the entire time he was there.

I was the last off the line for practice at the Washougal amateur day one year back in the 90's. There I was at the back of the pack learning a new track and about halfway through the first lap when I hear a bike absolutely pinned coming up behind me. I'm thinking to myself, self, there was nobody behind you when you left the line and if the guys that started in front of you are coming around that quick, you're in the wrong class.

Then a yellow flash flies past me absolutely pinned through the whoops. I was about to pull off and head home with my tail between my legs, when I looked up a saw the name Lusk on the back of their jersey. I treid to stick with him through the flat corners after the whoops in Washougal, but by the second turn he was flat gone.

He must have snuck out into our practice session to check some jetting or something.

Ezra was a local 60 rider when I lived in Tallahassee during the early 80's. Rode out of the same shop that I rode for.

His Dad, Ronnie, was a big guy who also had an 81 RM465 like mine. It wasn't uncommon for them to show up at the track hauling both the RM465 & KX80 on the back of Ronnie's pulp wood log truck in those days. Very humble beginnings.

You could tell even at a very young age that Ezra had "it" and was going to be successful as a pro. Absolutely no fear in that kids head.

He was my favorite rider as a kid. I used to pray he’d beat McGrath every weekend.

One of my all time favorites. He was another guy who beat the best and would jump the bigger quads or big rhythms that only one or two would do. He was an animal with his helmet on and would push you out of the way. Miss his style.

I don’t have any stories but I remember him in ‘98 riding with what if I recall correctly became ‘99 stock CR graphics. Loved the look of that bike. Always cheered for him - didn’t begrudge McGrath for winning so much but Lusk brought excitement back to Supercross.

agn5009 wrote:

He was my favorite rider as a kid. I used to pray he’d beat McGrath every weekend.

I did too.

He didn’t get to watch much TV growing up. It was all riding, all the time

JD35 wrote:

Last night I watched Bar to Bar 2004 and it reminded me how cool Ezra’s riding style was. 2004 season was near the end of his career, but this man could twist the throttle like a mad man. When I was 8 or 9 years old, I was pulling hard for McGrath and when Lusk beat him I hated the guy. With time though, I really learnt to appreciate how amazing rider he was.

Do you have any cool Yogi stories?
What’s he up to nowadays by the way?

he's operating a mx school in north GA

https://www.facebook.com/ezraluskmxacademy/

Reed was video taping him at the Yamaha track prior to the 04 season. Ezra was putting down faster laps and Chad wanted to know where.

He may or may not be my dad

Wish he would have stayed blue for 98. He was getting dialed in 97

Super fast, but inconsistent. I did not like McGrath and wanted Lusk to beat him, and thought he had teh talent to do so but it never materialized.

disbanded wrote:

He may or may not be my dad

All timer....

Good rider outdoors also...

One of the most humble guys out there. Talked to him a bit about the old days last year when my son was in one of his classes. He cant really ride any more because his wrists hurt so much, but commented that he wish he could have reeled himself in a little. It would have cut back on some of the injuries. He then followed that up with saying that probably just wouldnt have been him to do that.

He would be a great Whiskey throttle guest.

No stories here but I got into the sport when he was on Suzuki 125’s number 17. Think him and button won the coastal championships in like 94. My first bike was a zook so He was my fav 125 rider. Always loved his style! Def one of my all time hero’s. I remember when I used to go to lake Whitney all the time and practice. My dad worked on their equipment in exchange for practice and race fees. Was in their big shop one time while my dad was looking for parts for their forever broken dozer. Lol found an old trophy of Ezra’s in a box. To this day I wish I had nabbed it! Would have been cool to have.

Fwiw, Ezra is a bada-s tennis player

Florida Gold Cup, Gatorback, 1990, during the rider's meeting, a young RC getting super excited "Ezra's here! We can have a supermini class!!!". That day, I also got to be a berm to Ezra while getting lapped by him, haha. He was in 14-15, I was in 12-13. 2 wave start, 12-13 was second. I got a great jump in my class but went down in a pileup in the chicane before the Gatorpit, took forever to get my bike started. Get going, think I'm hauling. Next thing I know, bang, braaaap, gone!!! So demoralized, hahaha!!!