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Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
Scott Rinde
12/26/2010 7:33pm
12/26/2010 7:33pm
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 7:39pm
DUH! It was Roger DeCoster. Mine too. Well, except for this other guy...
Have you seen this: http://www.akejonsson.com/
When I rode, I didn't conciously try to ape DeCoster's style. But it was a plain fact that my conception of how to ride was imprinted by all the pictures I saw of him. If I was doing it right, that's what it would look like.
But all these years later I don't ride anymore. And the only lasting influence he (Roger) has on my life more generally is cast by his mystique of absolute integrity. That's still alot.
On the other hand Ake Jonsson's story, as told in Popular Cycling in my first year of moto conciousness, and as related in his own book that held it's place as a primary text on top of the pile of all the others my freshman year of high school - now That guy had a huge and lasting influence. His development work when he switched to Yamaha, resulting in the famous iterations of Yamaico's, gave me the license and impulse for a lifetimes worth of dissatisfactions with my hardware and interminable efforts to improve them. I couldn't have enjoyed and engaged my wheeled sports nearly as much without Ake's contribution to my quirks.
From my Bridgestone MB-1 with a steep head angle that I put a stiff Accutrax fork on, to the ultra short chainstay Alpinestars that needed alot of stem to turn at all, to a race car that's like a bridezilla addicted to surgery, I've never escaped the spell Ake cast. And it's not like I was searching for the unknown. An off the shelf Klein Attitude with the gigantic UniKlein fork was the 72 Maico Trans-Am machine of it's day. I coulda bought one. But instead I tried to make other machines work as good. I succeeded as many times as Ake won world championships. I'd do it all over the same way. And I'm gonna keep on doing it.
Thanks Ake.
Have you seen this: http://www.akejonsson.com/
When I rode, I didn't conciously try to ape DeCoster's style. But it was a plain fact that my conception of how to ride was imprinted by all the pictures I saw of him. If I was doing it right, that's what it would look like.
But all these years later I don't ride anymore. And the only lasting influence he (Roger) has on my life more generally is cast by his mystique of absolute integrity. That's still alot.
On the other hand Ake Jonsson's story, as told in Popular Cycling in my first year of moto conciousness, and as related in his own book that held it's place as a primary text on top of the pile of all the others my freshman year of high school - now That guy had a huge and lasting influence. His development work when he switched to Yamaha, resulting in the famous iterations of Yamaico's, gave me the license and impulse for a lifetimes worth of dissatisfactions with my hardware and interminable efforts to improve them. I couldn't have enjoyed and engaged my wheeled sports nearly as much without Ake's contribution to my quirks.
From my Bridgestone MB-1 with a steep head angle that I put a stiff Accutrax fork on, to the ultra short chainstay Alpinestars that needed alot of stem to turn at all, to a race car that's like a bridezilla addicted to surgery, I've never escaped the spell Ake cast. And it's not like I was searching for the unknown. An off the shelf Klein Attitude with the gigantic UniKlein fork was the 72 Maico Trans-Am machine of it's day. I coulda bought one. But instead I tried to make other machines work as good. I succeeded as many times as Ake won world championships. I'd do it all over the same way. And I'm gonna keep on doing it.
Thanks Ake.
We are still friends and like family today. Gary (and Jody) got me racing again last year on a more regular basis in the Vet Class at REM-Glen Helen. I feel like a kid again but as an adult and I'm having the time of my life!!! So much so my company sponsors his son Justin every few races as he moves up the MX ranks.
The kid is fast like his ol'man!!! The apple did not fall far from the tree...
A guy by the name of Mike Clevland, a dist 7 rider.
Watched him ride an orange cappra, lift the front wheel and carry it thru all 4 gears,
in a field of waist high rye. '69, maybe 1970, I was maybe 12 or 13. He was just cleaning
the thing out before a moto, but damn, what a sight for a kid.
Pro wise, I looked at Torston Hallman a a role model early on.
Richard Thorwaldson was another that gave me work and taught me the right way do do things. I was lucky enough to be with him at his last AMA Pro Race at Anaheim.
The Shop
A friend from high school (El Camino High, Woodland Hills), Bob Smith really is the one that got me into photography. He pinged me a few years ago - and reminded me!
From a rider perspective - DeCoster, Sylvain Geboers, Brad Lackey, John DeSoto...One rider I missed, by about a year was Joel Robert - I never got the chance to see him ride.
Then in 73 or 74, I saw Marty Tripes actually changing direction mid air to set up for a turn following a jump (at the Daytona Supercross) I had seen Bailey doing crossups, but it appeared to be just for looks. Tripes was actually using it to accomplish something.
Very impressive. (Gary Bailey was in that race, too. Finished 10 th, I think)
Then, maybe a year or two later, at a District 7 race at the old Balto City landfill aka motocross course, I saw a fast D7 expert , Bill Denton using Marty's cross up technique.
There was a jump that launched us in a direction that did not line us up properly for the following high speed straightaway. Bill just changed direction mid air, just like Marty did at Daytona.
If nothing else, watching my buddy Denton pull that move, just reinfored to me, the skill level that separated the guys that ran at the front of the A class, vs those of us that ran mid pack.
RB
.Geez, Bill was just about my neighbor.
We both lived across the street from the Dust Bowl, I watched that guy go from
a squid on a I think dt1 to a shop sponsored [Ken Dixon maybe?} Elsinore.
Really good guy.
If yer out there Bill, chime in guy!
He was a good guy.
.
RB
David Bailey naturally!
I´m Smooth, Stylish and Slow!
It´s not about how fast you go and winning, oh no. it´s all about how good you look! lol
Coming home from school and seeing Wardy on the cover of Cycle News for winning the first night of the 84 Seattle double header (his first ever main), and then a few months later driving from Phoenix to Saddleback with my Dad to watch the 84 Saddleback national (the last ever) were just incredible...
I will never forget that era, like everyone else on this forum we all had a special time that will we always remember and for me it was the Ward vs Omara 83-84 seasons. Those guys will always be the heroes from my youth memories.
Pit Row
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