Rare Footage from 1976 Kawasaki BMX Race at Saddleback Park

[@fivecitydirttracker4776]

Was Livin' my best life. Thanks to all that helped me.

[@marchebert9813]

I raced from '77 till about '83. It was a great time to race. This was the origins of the sport.

[@walkerpeterson1149]

I raced from 73 to 75 then got a motorcycle, those were such fun times,simplicity, and innocence

[@philbalon6992]

Well ... I’ve watched this wonderful film many times but never commented . I won third place Banzai expert at that Kawasaki Grand National which was on August 1st 1976 and I still have the trophy ! BMX was the best times of my life !

[@demonweber666]

Ahh, the memories. Oval number plates with holes, snake belly tires, prism stickers, Oakley 1 grips, fluted posts. I first started riding in the 70s on Motocross tracks by my neighborhood. My first decent BMX was a Rampar. (After my Evil Knievel bike) Great times!

[@markd4926]

My dad used to ride his dirtbike there, love this

[@UncleRobsGarage]

I was so! Lucky to race in 1974 ,and win! Such a great time in my life .I had a gary little john frame with Yamaha forks,and a motorcycle rear rim.im now 61! What a great life ive lived.

[@williamknutson6163]

Yes indeed... I had a Yamaha BMX bike in 1978.. orange...full suspension.. heavy as a ship anchor...

[@TimMcVey]

Simply glorious. Gave me goosebumps!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@petshopox]

Those old 70's downhill bmx tracks are so sweet.

[@youlooze2me]

Seeing pictures of people race like this in magazines is why i got in to riding bmx in the 90’s when i was growing up.

[@NGH99999]

I raced from '83 to '88, so never got to experience the first wave of BMX, but what I did experience was an absolute blast. Racing in Oregon, I never saw a downhill track, or sidehacks. BMX was some of the best years of my life.

[@dbag_actual]

I raced from 86-95 and then off and on. Back into it now hard at the age of 38. Watching this is so damn awesome. THIS is racing. Steel bikes, pie plates, tires for markers, and RACING. I wish there was an old school type association for racing now.

[@mshinn13]

I raced from 1980 until 1985 here in Charlotte and it was a great time. This video literally looks like any track I went to back then. I traveled all over the southeast.

[@popeyethesailor6337]

Start one dude.

[@dbag_actual]

@@popeyethesailor6337 I wish lol time and money are luxuries I never have at the same time

[@crldnlc]

Frogtown is the weekend after Labor Day this year!! it’s the closest you’ll get to this

[@williamknutson6163]

Love these old time tracks...loose dirt, flat turns and lots of twists and turns.. you really had some good action on these tracks.... Love it...

[@denaekrisman2588]

That’s crazy! My sister and I were the first girls to race with the boys in 1976 here at Saddleback and we very well could have been there on this day. Thank you for sharing, it brought back many great memories and made me dig up old photos. :)

[@user-hx5vh9uh2n]

Where is saddleback? South Oc?

[@bmxtv8243]

@hobbit lad yo Coaster

[@bobbygzzz7116]

They good times...

[@claymoses9629]

I know im randomly asking but does any of you know a method to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot my account password. I would love any tips you can offer me.

[@zionalberto7680]

@Clay Moses instablaster =)

[@user-hx5vh9uh2n]

Man this brings me back to life in Orange County in the early 80’s. I miss how life was then .

[@UncleRobsGarage]

Me to mark!

[@billminyard2846]

Raced orange y from 1978-83. Lots of 🏆

[@markd4926]

Ditto

[@jeffalbillar7625]

I'm still here. I miss those times as well

[@jeffalbillar7625]

​@@UncleRobsGarage where do you live now? I just checked out your channel.

[@glenpiro313]

How do you possibly give this a thumbs down? Good god man.

[@392643]

I was one of the first black BMX racers in California...I raced for The Bike Shoppe in pomona. I was actually in this race! I remember it well. I then got sponsored by Torker and raced for them for a short time before my mom decided to move to Houston. Anyone remember a black kid with a big Afro 😊

[@rob4433]

I had a Torker 280X Started racing on that bike too. You'll have to share some pics Ronald!!

[@392643]

I’ve only got a couple of pictures from back then, I will dig them up and send them to you

[@walkerpeterson1149]

We had black racers at palms park in WLA really fast too

[@hairball1006]

I was in Htown at that time, raced for s w schwinn. We probably were at the same races.

[@neverforeverwhatever593]

Downhill, flat turns, and pedaling. I can almost feel my bars slipping! Great video. Would be better with a song from the era.

[@williamknutson6163]

1976... How about some Led Zeppelin....

[@6pup]

Yea, really. How about Big Balls?

[@rob4433]

Lyrics are appropriate tho!!

[@jasontgerhart]

the song is so bad

[@Ak_the_great]

In the 1st grade I found a magazine about BMX racing and I checked that magazine out so much the librarian told me I had to pick something else 😂🤣😂 then 6 years later I started racing this old school BMX changed my life forever as traditional sports never compared to the feeling you got from BMX

[@jcost0099]

My first race was very similar... a MX track operator built a small section for the kids to race their motocross-styled bicycles in between motos. It took off! That was in Ft Worth in 1979. It was so much fun watching BMX grow to behemoth status during my childhood and young adult years. We were outside all the time, setting up ramps, working on our bikes, and just having a blast! TX 6, LA2, TX 4 ABA from 70 to 85. Loved it!

[@JamesEmmons-w2g]

i face in 83 or 84 we were i think TX7 killeen texas

[@lordmarshall5239]

People who caught this era where lucky.

[@MikeKollin]

I raced in early 70's til early to mid 90's... it was Awesome!!!

[@jeffclark6988]

It was the best...my body not like it so much now..but at the time...AWESOME!!

[@mikeandrews1899]

So very true ! 👍

[@vincebloom2937]

it was the best..all the new frames and anadized parts...pricey back then too

[@Seraphim_skateboards]

I caught the back end of it in the late 90s and look at me I’m obsessed

[@nelsonzuniga5336]

That was awesome, THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!! Brings back so many memories, lm 57 years old and wish l could relieve those days

[@rob4433]

Hell yes!!

[@christopherthomas596]

When BMX closely resembled actual motocross.

[@bobbygzzz7116]

The real deal...not new asphault tracks made for trans kids..

[@Gehajjs62727]

@@bobbygzzz7116 that’s why I don’t race BMX, to safe and boring.

[@JonnyJetson754]

💯🚲💨

[@vincebloom2937]

@@bobbygzzz7116 great one !! and how true!! it was all new and we went for it.. big sprokets....44-16

[@michaelvitiello9960]

Good stuff!! Seeing the car tires along the track definitely let you know it's from the 70's. I wished I would've grown up in southern California. Bmx was so big there.

[@rob4433]

OK ok ok!!! Quite AWESOME!!!! This is BMX racing. The evolution over the next 20 years is still in the spirit. Now we have a shocking departure from the origins of the sport. This video shows how inclusive and available to all the sport was, we need to spin back to something closer to this

[@PgTrAxX]

Exactly! Couldn't have said it better 👍

[@Johnnyred51]

In 1976 I rode a modified Schwinn Stingray with BMX wheels and handle bars on Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley California, which is where the mountain bike was invented.

[@socks2441]

bloody fantastic, that is what kids are supposed to do with their spare time. todays generation... oh well. damn that was nostalgic, and with some great music. excellent riding there too, damn you would have to be fit to pedal a bicycle around a track like that at those speeds.

[@thedemonhunter805]

This brings back so many awesome memories I loved BMX racing on the weekends back in the 80's Totally Radical Dudes

[@MalcolmDesigns]

I was 13yo in '76 and remember tthose early daze of BMX and the birth of extreme sports...

[@cbr416]

"Pedals ready!, Anytime!...." then the gate drops. God if that video didn't bring back great memories of BMX in '76 and '77 in Modesto Calif. Kings BMX, Tinker Juarez... f'kin good times.

[@kerrypence4201]

What's your name brother… I raced Kings BMX back then. Raced for team OTP, It was DH cycles BMX team from Modesto. I was kind of a show off back then in the 16 and over expert and I would do 360s on the table top jump before the last turn if I was in first place. I loved that track And boy do I miss those days… Great memories! If you were from Modesto do you remember Graceda park and moose park? Loose park is where all the cool dirt jumps were and Graceda park had this little stage with a orchestra pit that we used to jump over off the stage. It's still there and I look at it now and think wow that was pretty wimpy but back then we thought we were the shit!

[@nicefish10]

Wow! What an awesome clip and I think that the soundtrack was very fitting because for me it was one of the great times of my life racing BMX back in those days. I never raced in Southern California as I grew up in Washington state with the style of the bikes and the riding gear was the same everywhere. Thanks for the awesome flash back to simpler times.

[@ocjon1965]

Got 3rd at that race - in the 13 year old class - my little brother got 2nd in the 8 year old class - the trophies were amazing , like a little plaque, very well put together race by Kawasaki - one of the best days i can remember racing BMX . .

[@Elcampamento]

hardcore! this is the BMX racing I came to know and love!

[@ericd.4253]

Wow this just reminds me of a time when life was a little simple and kids went outside and played! Lol cool video

[@DuffMan790]

Brilliant footage, didn't want it to stop.

[@mrs.nibblesmr.dribbles3821]

Badass, I was there that day as a 5 year old kid , my brother raced that day and in a wreck broke his collarbone , sidelined him for a while ,

[@wheeliewadethiesen2946]

I just stumbled across this totally excellent. The greatest of time’s 😢

[@gravity4fun364]

This is awesome images from great times!

[@davidatovar]

Finally SADDLE BACK PARK, I was beginning to think this was a figment of a kids imagination. We didn't know at the time this was the "Time of our life"

[@Papparratzi]

It's great to see a quality video Saddleback. Thanks Todd.

[@staffh3815]

This is bmx how I remember it, fun, too serious these days ,love he events the x games did for bmx racing if u ain't seen it ,its hardcore but much truer to real spirit of bmx

[@liamtablet7]

wow. i didn't know that BMX tracks looked like that in the 80s! BMX tracks are so different now a days

[@MichaelMeyerMotocyclist]

That is way cool I was their! La Palma Cycle center Charles Walker gave me a webco frame I had built my own wheels because nothing else was strong enough a longer crank from a 10 speed so I could pedal a taller gear (34-14?) the crank bent every race so i went through several.We were the innovators a new sport . Thanks to ken Buchanan for posting this on face book. I had a Green number plate #999, white helmet. Film Fframe 1:19 to 1:22.. Thanks for uploading this on KZbin, made my day big time loved those memories......

[@dpierce7707]

Sorry Bud, 999 at 1:19 was me Dirk Pierce and the Aqua Jersey i'm wearing with Orange lettering was from Bicycle Man of Orange, a bike shop where my Dad worked on Tustin Ave. in orange.

[@bjimbosld]

Sorry guys I was number green plate #999 And that was the first race that I wore that white helmet. I remember because I had out-grew my red one. And those cranks were not from a 10 speed. I traded those from a freind of mine. They were 175mm because I was running a 52 tooth front sprocket with a 13 in the rear. The extra leverage helped me kick ass!!

[@MichaelMeyerMotocyclist]

@@bjimbosld Standard 10 speed had the longer crank arm 185mm vs 165mm that's were I built mine from using parts from the La Palma Cycle center Green Plate #999? blue jersey white helmet.... humm I had my number plate riddled with 3/16 drilled holes all though out to help reduce wind drag back then

[@bjimbosld]

Michael Meyer LOL but that was me! LOL

[@dpierce7707]

​@@bjimbosld You guys are smokin crack or just getting old. That was me Dirk Pierce, my name, "Dirk" is on the front of that helmet, The bike was the first generation Redline square back serial number 999, that's why my Dad bought the bike for me. Before that i rode a 56 lb Little John Murphy mono shock and never won a race. i won my age group in that series and went on to be sponsored by Whitney Marine with Stu Thompsen and Greg Hill.

[@Tide12NC]

I was 2 and being dragged all around the US as my uncle raced factory MX for Maico. We never had anything like this in Alabama in the 70’s/80’s. Cool to see.

[@crazyalcayne]

That was awesome! Thanks for doing this!

[@genoolsavick2601]

Very kool... Really takes ya back if your OLD like me... Appreciate the efforts fellas..

[@Cigaro1887]

Was the year I was born. Reminds me of some the home tracks we use to ride in the 80's...

[@MsDannyrevs]

sept 3 1976

[@crisslastname9417]

Remembering Saddleback Park and Escape Country. 😭

[@jeffalbillar7625]

Where is saddleback Park located?

[@crisslastname9417]

@@jeffalbillar7625 It was located in Orange, Calif. It closed in the early '80's.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

@@crisslastname9417 I knew that it sounded familiar. My memory is not what it once was. Regional Park was another if I remember correctly. Thanks for replying.

[@crisslastname9417]

@@jeffalbillar7625 Do you remember Escape Country? It was another motorcycle park.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

@@crisslastname9417 It doesn't ring a bell. We mostly went to regional Park or a large empty lot close to our house that we named motorcycle hill.

[@jacobjames1171]

Dang! They get flying down those hills. Thank you.

[@herbwhitmore4482]

Nice footage of saddle back downhill .. In 1977 I was 6th in points ibmx 16 and over ..raced the best out there ..mainly at western sports arama

[@Buelligan88]

Thanks for this. I thought it was gonna be stupid because of the music at first, but the music was spot on. Perfect.

[@HibernusMortis1]

I agree...not much of a Green Day fan myself...but the music was perfect for the video. :)

[@garycraigbmx]

Wow, that is awesome. I started in 78 in Niagara Falls so we had more flat tracks but I can remember watching video's like this from Schwinn in my Dad's bike shop when we first started.

[@Numantino312]

your Dad ran a bike shop? you were/are mega BLESSED! i hope you are passing proud bike heritage onto your kids!

[@scottporter1108]

Niagara Falls in the house... grew up on 5th Niagara St.

[@pcnetworks1292]

These truly were the best times!

[@rastagideon8236]

How F'n Rad is this! I saw my first BMX race in El Cajon, CA on the side of a hill just like this track in the video. It was around 1979.

[@16pennynails]

Rancho San Diego track. There was another one in El Cajon off Main Street too.

[@MacDaddyRico]

I was Class of '77 but joined the Navy and ended up missing all this fun...

[@ccironworks8984]

Brings back memories,, awesome video,, thank you!

[@HibernusMortis1]

WOW! This just made 1979-1980...my BMX days...seem like yesterday..from NJ. We never did have the sidecarts out here. Only saw that in magazines. Mongoose frame here.

[@rv6205]

i still have my 79 mongoose ...i grew up in montclair nj ..ahhh those were the days

[@HibernusMortis1]

@@rv6205 Did you do any BMX racing in NJ? Vineland/Millville, Lawrenceville, Tinton Falls, Flemington? And wow! You still have a '79 mongoose frame? That could be some nice $$$ to a collector! Wish I still had mine.

[@rv6205]

@@HibernusMortis1 I wish i raced, we had woods where we would all gather everyday after school and ride . My mongoose still has those heavy motomags ..lol...you would love my chrome SE quadangle , i still have on display in my music room ..the 70s and 80s rocked !!!!!!

[@neuregel]

Unbelievable! Loved these days

[@fivecitydirttracker4776]

Un real !!

[@fuellerr]

what Amazing footage

[@lv2xlr8NOW]

Life before technology and no participation trophies. You won or didn't. Life was full of fun. Kids today missed the greatest decades

[@kifOq]

Awesome stuff.....we want to see more!

[@SAXONWARLORD1000AD]

im smilin the whole time and great music too for this vid

[@stuntabiker]

Thats fantastic, nice work!

[@AdamJStoryDC]

that was fantastic

[@mariocampos2044]

That kind of BMX was the root of nowadays MTB Downhill

[@chubbyb5718]

Absolutely awesome

[@kevinbarker1233]

This is awesome 👍

[@hostilecarrot]

That was so sick, thanks for sharing

[@marksummers8086]

Wow, great footage!

[@teammonkeyers]

Great Stuff Todd, I remember when you were the Factory SE superstar at Placerville.

[@angelaedwards2071]

Very cool video of OUR ROOTS! Thanks

[@bh8459]

People having fun...makes u smile

[@markb7067]

Greatness. Thanks for sharing!

[@schreds]

a full day of racing then a stop at Bob and Jeans on the way home for some chili and beer ,, 76 was 7th grade for me Tustin was my home town Saddle Back Race Track was my stompin' grounds always a stop going to the old dump lol ,, great time to live in orange county Irvine was still a ranch ,, feel sorry for the kids that call it home now they will never know what a cool place it was

[@debilthomes501]

Orange County in those days was like God's Country for a kid like me from Marin. I started BMX in 1974 and remember visiting Saddleback Park one day just so we could take the famous Banzai jump. What a rush! WE would often have our parents drive us to LA for races in those mid-70's days... Great video thanks.

[@debibabakitis8393]

I remember this track my whole family the babakitis raced good times never will forget them

[@michaelpanagiotis7109]

When the tracks were tough and the Kids were tougher . . .

[@markcoronel6369]

make me smile, such a great video ! thanks..!

[@MrEriCash]

Only of we had opportunities in the hood to get away and maybe get some sponsorship.80s. I love bmx.. bronx NYC

[@MrJaz8088]

1978 it was, i remember that weekend

[@frankpless2532]

Yes. Our youth was so grand. Beats a Playstation anyday!!

[@rodf73]

LOL!...nothing like the good old days, check out the guy cheering you on at the finish-line with a smoke in his mouth.

[@dbag_actual]

rodf73 made me remember all the times my dad was posted at the top of the corner at River Valley screaming at me to pedal. Smoke in one hand, cup of coffee in the other. Good times man.

[@mikeandrews1899]

@@dbag_actual now its marijuana and Starbucks coffee flavored milkshakes in the trend .......+50 yrs it'll be sumin dif 🤔

[@majortolleson7976]

1976 i raced 11-12 novice at Bearclaw & Seminole BMX in longwood FL. my bike was a brite yellow "miami sun"... $87.00. It was a good bike but heavy. I didnt have the money for that $115.00 Webco! Great memories!

[@MaxPanic]

Quite wonderful. Quite wonderful indeed.

[@juliocesargonsalves8093]

Que massa ... Vamos divulgar o máximo essas imagens ... E a raiz do bmx .. O esporte que amo e pratico . Muito legal ... Deus abençoe o bmx 🙏🙏

[@tylerrowden2151]

Very Kool!! I expected to see more Stingrays. I guess these were the better racers of the time.

[@DTM45]

Awesome thank you

[@dmenace259]

WOW...totally BAD ASS!

[@Max-bb2zn]

Bmx racing is so different now

[@bigbeaer4906]

😢..Perfect..Thanks

[@eugenehoward3243]

Now that is some bmx racing !! Would love to see some of the racers today hit up tracks like this, or the tracks back in the early 2000's when racing came into the X Games. I hate to say it, but todays tracks are all pretty much identical, and as much as I love bmx racing, it has got, well a little boring and predictable. Did becoming an Olympic event really help the sport ??

[@petshopox]

X games downhill bmx was mint.

[@skiptowne5724]

Great stuff. Thanks.

[@davidm4160]

The expression on number 9 at 1:11 is all the explanation needed.

[@bbearc3552]

Saddleback Park was the first place that a kid named Stu Thompson Pull the first 360 off a downhill jump it was a round not up and over I thought I was gonna fall off my bike those were great days I think he went on to make a big name for himself and BMX thanks for the memories oh by the way I lived in Silverado Canyon about 5 miles up the road from this park raised for 20 years

[@nishiki7047]

God bless early bicycle motocross

[@beandipss]

Nothing captures the adrenaline packed excitement of classic BMX racing like..."Good Riddance" by Green Day! 😐😐

[@joebauer7357]

I was part of it I'm 57 years old today and I was 13 and raced a panda and upgraded to a 19 pound tricked out Schwinn sx1000 in 1978 and I raced for Dale's Schwinn in Santa Rosa California

[@williamknutson6163]

Me too.. I'm 55 and raced here on the Midwest..

[@wsmaga]

awesome.

[@awm891]

This is f*ckn great !!!

[@joseluisgonzale8336]

Yea, yea, que chingon Vídeo, muy buenos tiempos, cuando corría uno en pistas sin peralte y además sin frenos, jajaja..

[@davemitchell1323]

good shit .