Escape Country BMX racing 1974 75

[@SavageAudits]

Wow! Great video, man. 👍

[@jonise2524]

Nice put background music, loved it, it gives the sense of nostalgia

[@thecottage4493]

Banana seat bmx!

[@purebloodiiier]

I rode in San Jose, CA back in '78-79 Helyer Park.. Good times

[@DarrinR.-pq8md]

In 1975, I had a newspaper route on a Schwinn Scrambler. Used it to get to and from school, in the snow, uphill both ways. So I was pretty good at riding a bike by 1979. Kids in the eighborhood turned me on to BMX. So I bought a new SE Basher, a helmet and a pair of Van's shoes and I was set. Started in 14 novice class and smoked em. 14 expert I smoked them too. Once I turned 15 expert, it was a challenge. In Texas, I won many championships. (I mean, Jesus won them through me) My Mom wouldn't let me turn Pro at 17, so the Pipe dream kinda died out the following year. My Dad put me in the Army at 18 and that was that.

[@mattmacarewich854]

Thank you for your service. A broken leg ended my BMXing. I got into skateboarding and skatepark competitions after that and did that through high school.

[@tomcastrosr]

Shoutout to the parents who worked all week and spent time with there kids on the weekends.

[@whatyouseenow411]

SUPER COOL VIDEO!!

[@Azskippyz]

OMG, I was there. And I still have my drilled out front number plate and a few Bicentennial trophies.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

The greatest time ever, made possible by the greatest generation ever.

[@mandroidmusic]

so cool, i raced in the 80's in the netherlands.

[@mattmacarewich854]

My sister lived in the Netherlands in the 80's:)

[@JeffMarks-q5f]

Awesome film!!! Thank you for posting! I'm #891 in your film, and I can't thank you enough for sharing this.

[@newera6001]

Bomboclat! Very special Doc.

[@ThatPatriot]

This is awesome, anyone here see Joe Kid on a Stingray? It’s great

[@mattmacarewich854]

I just watched the trailer. It looks pretty cool. I'll have to watch the whole thing. Thanks..

[@Mattp21]

Awesome stuff ! Will show my kids as they started BMX last year and it's a lot different. Must of been a blast back then ! Glad you have the footage to look back on 👍

[@johnjudge9089]

Awesome! You put the 'old' in 'school' with that throw back!

[@Swayzeo]

Wow! Before they put the pond in. I must have rode there a couple years later. Cool vid

[@larrytate5605]

GOLD

[@petekreamer4492]

tape up that right pantleg...love it

[@davidkopec9442]

Love this footage! Those Stingrays are so awesome, insane fun. I miss my late 70s, early 80s days of BMX life. Zero worries, too young for chick drama and bill paying…haha.

[@hyperboytkl1077]

These were basically modified cruiser bikes ( easy riders ) that they used back in the day. The invention of the true bmx bike with the addition of some alloy components and cromoly frames cut down the overall bike weight of the cruiser by about 20 to a little well over 40 - 50 % if I’m correct. With very little change in front to rear wheel sprocket gear ratios.

[@TheSasquatchNation]

Awesome footage. I’m 48 and just got back in to racing BMX. I raced when I was a kid in the 80’s. It was an awesome childhood.

[@dougking8566]

A year or so ahead of me.Great times.

[@mygolfballsannoy]

Yes that’s when i started.. 74? Encino velodrome Mostly

[@tolanstout]

The pre-1968 Sting Ray bars were so wide. It's amazing the kids could even hang on to them.

[@alvaromolpeceres836]

PURE ART.

[@kallusmusicchannel7261]

Man this is awesome, I competed bmx from ‘87 right before I turned 5 in a little town of elm mott, TX. Competed through 2002. I wish I had lived through to experience the start of bmx racing world. I remember going to the Grandnationals in Oklahoma City and seeing the displays of these old bikes. Fun times. Thank you for sharing this.

[@philbalon6992]

I remember racing at Escape Country during the day and then racing at Western Sports a Rama at night.....Best times of my life !😎👍

[@stevepadilla9729]

I raced there a couple times when my brother was racing motorcycles

[@stuntabiker]

Amazing!

[@chrisjones9460]

😂🤣 I was a year old then. Still takes me back to a simpler time as a kid. Playing outside in the dirt. Making mud pies, Tonka Trucks, Hot Wheels, View Masters, Super Friends... then my favorite... Star Wars!!

[@richesterescopico1497]

Thanks for post this, great video!!

[@whojahbless1560]

So awesome that these videos have survived. Awesome.

[@Scandle68]

Thanks posting this. I'm 54 years old and this brought up a lot of memories for me. I would have loved racing bicycle events like that. I never did, but in 1979 at the age of 9 or 10, I started racing motorcycles (motocross). Those years were the best years of my life.

[@paulbernard2397]

Superb footage man, just great. It must have been such an exciting time to be involved and create our sport! Thanks for that. I´m still enjoying the results of your pioneering work/fun. Riding bikes is always fun and never gets old!

[@paulbernard2397]

And by the way, great narration.

[@DustyShowers]

This is awesome. I was born in '71 and had the same set ups on my Schwinn. I only raced once but I was on my bike 24/7 jumping everything I could. Now as 51, I race 51-54 Intermediate at the Oldsmar Supercross track. I crashed hard 7 weeks ago with 6 broken ribs, a broken collar bone and knocked out for 4 min...I tell you, the older you get, the harder you fall 🤣🤣. Thanks for sharing.

[@mattmacarewich854]

I ride mountain bikes now and still ride steeps and jumps. I'm 60 and I have to remind myself that I'm not 15 years old. I just go around most gap jumps:) Be careful on the track, but keep doing it.

[@DustyShowers]

@@mattmacarewich854 Amen brother, same to you.

[@shuzzbot]

Awsome, thx for uploading this great content

[@dirtydave2691]

Very cool. I started racing BMX in 77. Never raced Escape Country but did a lot of the other tracks. Irvine, Santa Ana Elks, Orange YMCA, Saddleback and Corona. Corona was a gnarly fast downhill track,

[@mattmacarewich854]

The tracks kept getting better. The Sports-O-Rama in Orange added the gate drop and berms instead of off-camber turns.

[@FreeMTrider]

My first race was in 1975 here in NorCal, Auburn Dewitt BMX. I was 9 years old. It wasn't until about '82 or '83 when I raced those SoCal tracks you listed. Huge turnouts back then. I raced throughout the '80s and finally returned to racing in '97 after about ten years away from the sport. Most of those tracks were still going. SoCal was always the BMX mecca.

[@JacksonD489]

Sooo RAD!

[@noahholliday9761]

I was freshly minted in Indiana in 76' but sure did enjoy watching your childhood racing BMX. I also raced in the early 80's, and when I hit my growth spurt I sold all my G.I. Joe's and Star Wars stuff to my neighbor who was a collector of all kinds of things for a Gitane 12 speed and started racing that. I was pretty good for my age, but by 1990 I found mountain bikes and never looked back.

[@akatgif]

Super Rad video. Brian Ramocinski and I think Brian Lewis were top riders from that track. Then there is the NBA super Nationals Whinert Mountain at Escape country 👍🤜🏼🤛🏻

[@mikehagen3785]

This is GOLD! Thank you

[@kevinsilverthorn5235]

Nice to see the start of it all / I started in 1980/landmark Raceway, Peoria, Illinois/Detweiller Park, Peoria, Illinois

[@DavidLuna-wf4ix]

Sick stuff !!!! Keep them coming !!

[@edrunyon]

I remember that place!! Rode my XR75 there after getting in trouble for riding at Nophies.

[@mattmacarewich854]

We all got in trouble for riding our motorcycles Nophies:)

[@mattmacarewich854]

@@tareksaba1ify Yes.

[@paulwatsonLN]

Hey I live in Laguna Niguel but wasn't living in the area at this time, but where are these places you're talking about specifically (I want to check them out)? I grew up racing motocross in Colorado during these times and this is awesome footage!

[@markmontgomery2562]

SMILE thats good stuff. Thanks for posting

[@samallardyce2522]

rad!

[@stevegarbade4576]

This is amazing

[@LearnBMXRacing]

What wonderful and priceless footage to have. You are very lucky. I love that you put on some narration and didn't just slap music over it. Thanks for sharing this slice of your childhood with the world.

[@dualipagb4742]

Muy Cool

[@gregghatfield9946]

The transition from sissy bars to motor bars go to Lovett on the twins

[@flyingfiona]

epic

[@paulwatsonLN]

I remember how cool it was just to get a number plate on the front of my bike...I thought I was so cool. And before that, I wanted a speedometer hooked up to see my self going full speed at 20 mph hahahaha. I live in the area, where was this track?

[@coreygarcher5514]

Did you ever race with Danny garcher? Raced then and still races now into his mid 60s.

[@mattmacarewich854]

If he's in his mid 60's he would have been a number of years older than me. I'm just turning 60 now. I didn't know the older guys. I was only 11 and 12 years old back when I raced.

[@KurbzGarage]

I am so pissed my parents wouldnt let me race there

[@hyperboytkl1077]

I’m a little worried about those thin forks and long butterfly handlebars you have come those big jumps. Just hoping none of them breaks or you would have lots of nasty crashes.

[@kipdiddy23]

No matter what bike you had to have Schwinn forks🙂

[@hyperboytkl1077]

And some heavy duty motocross handlebars to replace those long butterfly ones for improved bike handling and more rugged durability.