December news

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31/12 Knox Dome videos
We have sorted out our technical issues and have finally compiled the AA Mens final and Pro womens final moto videos from the Knox Dome held in November. The files are 4 Mb each, so it will take a while for them to download if you are on dial up, but we have made it worth your while (the dimensions are 352 x 288 and the movies are very clear). The files are free to download but we have limited disk space, so as we put new ones on the site these will be removed. It would be a good idea to save them to your disk drive so you can access them long after they have been removed.
Click here to check out our video collection.

31/12 BMXPros.com Race Report: NBL X-Mas Classic National Sarasota, FL
The 2005 NBL Pro National series kicked off on the day after Christmas, with the first round of racing for the Pros in Sarasota, Florida. Florida has some of the best BMX tracks in the USA, and the Sarasota track is one of them. With just 7 weekends of Pro racing, the NBL series is made for the most consistent riders to have a shot at the #1 Pro title. Last years #1 Pro's Kyle Bennett Elite Men and Randy Stumpfhauser Elite Cruiser, were both ready to defend their titles and along with the other BMXPros.com riders, were some of the fastest racers at the event. Here is how each of the riders finished up.

Cristian Becerine missed practice and almost missed the start of the race on Day 1. But to watch him race the rest of the day, you would have never known it, as he had the track down and made it to the Elite men's main event. Cristian had a good start, but a small mistake cost him a bit, and he would finish 6th. On Day 2 it showed that Cristian had the track wired as when the gate dropped for the Elite men's main he was gone! Boom! From start to finish, Cristian's incredible power and skill amazed the fans and he took home a huge win in the Elite Pro Class. Cristian's sponsors include Crupi, O'Neal, Answer, UGP, ODI, Sun Ringle, Marwi, Shimano, Tool Shed, Powerbar, BMXpros.com, Cyto Sport/Cyto Max, and Thomson Seat Posts.

Randy Stumpfhauser seems to be in every elite and cruiser main at each NBL race and that was the situation in Sarasota. Randy looked to take the lead just as the gate dropped in the Elite men's main event, but was just squeezed out before the turn. Randy had to settle back to 2nd, but a small mistake slowed him down just a bit before the finish and kept him back to 4th for the day. In the Elite Cruiser main, it looked as Randy would take home the win, but just before the last turn, he slid out and crashed, and finished 6th. On Sunday, Randy showed off his consistency once again, placing 4th in Elite men's and this time staying up and finishing 2nd in Elite Cruiser. Randy's sponsors include GT Bicycles, Hyundai, ODI, IRC Tires, Shimano, Fox Racing, Smith, Sun Ringle, Bombshell Forks, AC, Thomson, Powerbar, CTI Knee Braces, Tool Shed, Marwi, SDG, FSA Headsets, S & M, Cyto Sport/Cyto Max, and BMXpros.com

Kyle Bennett seems to excel when it comes to the main event and especially at the NBL Pro series events, and once again he proved how good of a rider he is. On Saturday, Kyle was up front and in 3rd place going into the 1st turn in the Elite men's main event. Kyle rode the track smooth and fast and just missed out of winning the main on a track with little to no passing after the 1st turn. Chalk him up for a 2nd. Day 2 Kyle was in the Elite men's Open main event and he finished up 5th for the day. Kyle's sponsors include Free Agent, KHS, Answer, Sun Ringle, UGP, Truvativ, Velo, Vans, S&M bars, ATI, Shimano, Profile, Powerbar, Smith, Cyto Sport/Cyto Max, and BMXpros.com.

Dale Holmes flew back from England to hit the first round of the NBL series, and he made it a worth while trip, as on day 1 he was in the Elite Men's Open main event. Dale had a good ride and he finished up 5th for the day. On Day 2, he rode even better, as he was in both the Elite Men's and Elite open main event. Dale had a great race and finished an incredible 3rd in Elite Men's, as well as a 7th in the Elite Open main event. Mark down another great weekend for DaleHolmes.com Dale's sponsors include Free Agent, KHS, Kenda, Troy Lee Designs, Sun Ringle, Shimano, S & M, Power Bar, Truvativ, DaleHolmes.com, BMXpros.com, and Cyto Sport/Cyto Max.

Christophe Leveque
has ended any doubters about him making a full recovery and race comeback, as his 3rd race in 4 weeks was another great showing. Although his results don't show any impressive overall finishes, Christophe was up front in the motos and just missed out on the main event both days, Its great to see Christophe back on the track and back on track to take home another #1 Pro title. Christophe's sponsors include GT Bicycles, Hyundai, ODI, IRC Tires, Shimano, Fox Racing, Tangent, SDG, Smith, Sun Ringle, Thomson, Marwi, S & M, Cyto Sport/Cyto Max, and BMXpros.com

BMXpros.com proudly represents Kyle Bennett, Cristian Becerine, Dale Holmes, Christophe Leveque, Brandon Meadows, John Parker, Jamie Staff, and Randy Stumpfhauser. For more information on any of the riders, or questions abut sponsorship of any of the athletes, please visit www.BMXpros.com

30/12 The Liverpool Masters Entry form
The Liverpool BMX Club (NSW) are hosting the Liverpool Masters once again in 2005. It will be held Sunday the 20th of February. For full details check out our race calendar and download the entry form.

30/12 UNIVOFBMX December 2004 update
Please find, after some hard work because it was a lot of information that had to be put on the right spot on our site, the following DECEMBER 2004 update:

Facts, results and pictures on World Championships as follows in the HISTORY of BMX section;

- 1978 JAG BMX Worlds 1 - USA
- 1979 JAG BMX Worlds 2 - USA
- 1980 JAG BMX Worlds 3 - USA
- 1981 JAG BMX Worlds 4 - USA
- 1982 first I.BMX.F. Worlds - USA
- 1983 second I.BMX.F. Worlds - Holland, the first outside USA Worlds
- + the U.N. World Championships by Roker Ventures - USA
- 1984 third I.BMX.F. Worlds - Japan
- 1985 fourth I.BMX.F. Worlds - Canada

Enjoy reading www.univofbmx.com!

Furthermore, we all wish you all the very best for the year 2005.
Take care and till later !

Kind regards,
Gerrit Does

23/12 Happy Holidays
Things have been a little quiet around here, that's because we have been spending the last week in Adelaide on holidays, hitting up the local riding spots, BMX tracks and dirt jumps and checking out the old school gear in the bike shops. I picked up a sweet looking NOS Profile XL with forks today for Dave Cleary's private collection, you should get down to Glenroy Cycles if you are in Melbourne and check out his museum.
People have been asking about the back yard BMX track and if we have found land yet, well that's full steam ahead, we found a house on a 1 acre block just north of Melbourne and we're all set for settlement at the end of January. The building of the back yard track should commence shortly after settlement, we'll keep you up to date with progress of the track.
As you can see there's not much in the way of news at the moment, so have a safe happy holiday from the crew at BMXUltra.com. We would also like to take the time to thank our sponsors and supporting sites for their support in 2004, and thanks to you our visitors, especially the regulars (BMXUltra.com junkies - you know who you are), you make this all worth while. If you are looking for some sites to check out while we take advantage of a little down time don't forget to visit our sponsors, you can find their links on the front page of the site, just click on their logos. Click the banner above to get back to the front page.
If anything pops up in the way of news over the next few days we will be sure to post it, updates will be back to normal shortly after Christmas.

21/12 John Purse on Vet Pro
John Purse (Mongoose/Hyundai) has been one of the biggest names in International BMX for over a decade, he was the 1997 UCI Elite world champion and in 2004 he still manages to pull big wins at events like the ABA Grands. We caught up with John to ask him for his take on Vet Pro.
BMXUltra.com: Hey John, it's has been a while, how are things?
John:
Things are going great for me. My wife Nicole and I are expecting our first child on May 3, 2005. The year is finishing up really good with me winning the ABA Grands and the NBL RM59 Tropical Challenge in Puerto Rico. I am currently getting ready to get it all started back up for 2005. I will break the ABA AA Pro win record next year and also accomplish more... http://ababmx.com/article.asp?newsID=229
BMXUltra.com: How do you see Vet Pro developing as a class?
John:
I think it is great that the organizations are both recognizing our pioneers and giving them an opportunity to race on the national level. The worst thing you can do to a pro is take their there bike and racing away from them when their Elite time is up. These programs get these riders sponsored and back on the track...
BMXUltra.com: What does Vet Pro mean to you?
John:
Pioneer Veteran of the sport of BMX Racing
BMXUltra.com: Do you think there is any room for non-pro riders competing in a Vet Pro class just because they are old enough?
John:
Yes, I think there is room for those riders that haven't been pro before. They want to compete just like everyone else. I do however feel if there are riders that have never been pro before, their BMX history needs to be reviewed and maybe they would have to be voted in or get some type of approval before entering the class. In 2004, NBL started a 30 and Over Open class for money which turned out to be a pretty cool class. So in this case, if the rider wants, he can race a real competitive class with the bonus of money on the line to make it more exciting and still have amateur status.
BMXUltra.com: Do you worry that a class like Vet Pro will take some of the AA money?
John:
I am not worried about the Vet Pro class taking away money from us. I actually wouldn't mind if it did. Those guys deserve to be out on the track and part of the program.
BMXUltra.com: Do you think that you will ride Vet Pro when you are finished with the AA ranks? Why?
John:
I am not sure if I will ever ride Vet Pro. I am going to stay in Elite/AA Pro at least to the conclusion of the 2008 season. If the time comes and I were to turn Vet Pro, I think I would maybe take a year off before doing so. Also, it would all depend on my BMX Racing involvement at the time and sponsorship opportunities. I am probably going to be on the bike and involved with BMX Racing for the rest of my life; I just am not going to put myself on a timeline or anything. Just like I said before, it is nice to know that the "older pro" has somewhere to go...

21/12 SE Bikes Announces the Members of the 2005 Factory Race Team.
Todd Lyons –Vet Pro/Dirt Jumper from California
Todd is a multi-time World and National champion amateur racer. He is also one of the biggest names on the BMX circuit. He has competed in the X-Games eight different years from 1995 through to 2003, where he finished 4th in the Downhill BMX event. His personal website at www.Toddlyons.com is one of the most professional and updated rider sites on the web.
Travis Postany -A-Pro/Dirt Jumper from Texas
In only his fifth year of racing, Travis won his first A-Pro national this summer in Ohio. What’s even more impressive is how quickly he has become a no-holds-barred dirt jumper. He’s not afraid to throw down 360 flips, double backflips, and a whole slew of other tricks. Keep an eye on him on the track. He might fire off a flip when you least expect it.
Justin Wike -A-Pro from Virginia
Justin is one of the most solid guys in the A-Pro class. Part of his training is based around the strict regimen he’s put through in the US Navy. He’s been sponsored by SE for the last two years and has received some good magazine coverage flying the SE flag.
Trevor Cummings -19 year old expert from California
Over the last two years, Trevor has won some of the biggest ABA nationals on the West coast. He had a solid year in 2004 and finished with the National #5 plate. When not on his bike, he’s updating his website at www.BMXRated.com
Logan Collins -14 year old expert from Tennessee
For the last five years, Logan has been ranked in the top five of his age group. His career highlights include a UCI World #2 ranking and a NBL national title. He’s a high profile amateur racer who has caught the eye of many of today’s pro riders.
Trent Newkirk -8 year old expert from Michigan.
Trent finished up 2004 with eight national wins and the National #4 plate in the NBL. He’s the little dude you’ll see blastin’ all of the jumps that his competition isn’t. He may be young, but his skills are years ahead of him.

21/12 HYPER / TANGENT CLINIC TOUR COMING TO A TRACK NEAR YOU
Carlsbad, California - The NBL's two-time defending National Champs, Factory Hyper / Tangent, is set to hit the road after the ABA season opener in Reno, Nevada in January. With former Supercamp trainer and Hyper team manager TJ Johnson at the helm, look for the Hyper crew to warm up winter at your local track with tons of BMX knowledge. With names like Lance McGuire, Paul Lange, Mike Lundy, and Mike McGonigle, plus the rest of the Hyper / Tangent Factory Squad rotating in and out of the lineup, you can be sure that the Hyper / Tangent Factory Clinic will get your skills where you want them. From gates, rhythm sections, turns and jumps to proper training and stretching, they've got you covered.

Track Operators!!! If you want to schedule a Hyper / Tangent Factory Clinic at your local track or for general clinic info, please contact hyperbmx@cox.net. Clinics are sheduled before most major NBL nationals (check the BMX Today for listings) and also coordinated with the ABA National schedule.

Hyper BMX, we are competition! www.hyperbicycles.com

The Hyper / Tangent Factory squad is proud to represent the following companies:
Tangent Products - www.tangentproducts.com
No Fear BMX gear - www.nofear.com
Bell Helmets - www.bellbikehelmets.com
Shimano - www.shimano.com
X Games - www.expn.com

17/12 ONE BICYCLES debuts it's 2005 team
First off ONE BICYCLES would like to recognize their sponsors for how many years in a row they have supported ONE's BMX TEAM, and to thank them for supporting the team again in 2005:

Nike - 2 years, Allstate Insurance - 3 years, Baxter Healthcare - 4 years, Bolle - 8 years, Troy Lee Designs - 3 years, Bombshell - 4 years, Fizik - 3 years, ODI - 3 years, Zitoun - (lifetime) 8 years, WLM Designs - 3 years, Bomba - 2 years, Kenda - 1st year, Thomson - 2 years, FSA - 2 years, Pro-Gate - 1st year, Cool Shirt - 1st year

Sometimes people ask us "How do you do it?" Well, we couldn't if it was not for the excellent and continuous support of these fine companies. THANK YOU! ONE would also like to thank the many people who have worked hard in the background handling all the logistics and all the friends of the team who have supported what we are all about. Examples? BMXmania.com, BMX-Press Magazine, Moto Mag, BMXultra.com, BMXpics.com, FloridaBMX.com, the UCI, NBL, SSA, and ABA, and many many more. THANK YOU TOO!

As you know the existing team consist of some of the Worlds best riders like 8 time World Champion Manuel Lopez, 2 time World Champion Arturs Matisons, MTB World Champion Jana Horakova, and the list goes on. All of them and the rest of the team want to extend a warm welcome to the following list of recent new comers, and brand new riders to our team for 2005:

Recent to the team - NBL Nat'l #2 Harley Kelly, NBL Nat'l #2 Rachel "Thunder" Smith, Ecuador's #1 Emilio Falla, Canada's ABA #1 Kevin Hill

Brand new to the team - 5 time Nat'l Champion Brian Gagnon, 5 time Nat'l Champion Jonathan Hoffer, 3 time Nat'l Champion Tommy Zula, World #1 and 3 time Nat'l Champion Gary Slater, Nat'l Champion Jessica Moore, Nat'l Champion McClain Bryant, Nat'l Champion Justin Joy, and Australia's absolutely awesome Khalen Young!

The existing team, the foundation of who we are today, and the new additions to the team are extremely proud to be associated with each other and the fine sponsors who have backed us for so many years. ONE BICYCLES, who enjoys World Wide recognition for their premium BMX Products, is also proud to have so many fine human beings representing what they have always stood for: The BMX Athlete, the sport of BMX, and most important the character building relationships that come along with all the FUN this adventure brings all of us.

SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!

17/12 Supercross UL Cruiser frame for sale
There's been a few enquiries about this cruiser frame but it's still available.
I have a brand spankin' new custom painted two tone red, heat treated, triple butted, 4130 cro-mo current model Supercross UL cruiser frame, still in the box, that I'd like to sell. They don't get any better than this classic looking high-end pure-bred racing machine, check out the review we did on the 20 inch model. I brought it in to Australia for myself thinking that it was longer than the SX Evo cruiser frame that I already have, but it was the same. The frames are $US400 retail, plus shipping, we're asking for $AUS600 but any reasonable offer won't be refused.
It's a pro 24 with a 21.5 Top tube, comes with Dirt Designs padset.
Email webmaster@bmxultra.com for further details.

16/12 BMXPros.com race report: St Entienne Indoor French BMX Event
Each year, the french season kicks off with 2 great events, with the St Entienne event being the lead off and Tours just shortly after. This indoor event is a huge weekend of entertainment put on by the French BMX association, as not only does it include 2 nights of BMX racing, but it also has freestyle moto cross, and dirt jumping. With more than 500 riders signed up for the elite men's class, it was one of the biggest fields in the history of the event, and our own Dale Holmes made the trip to France to show the world just how well the veteran rider can do.

Dale HolmesDale Holmes made the trip over to Europe last week to attend a few different BMX events, with St Entienne being one of the biggest international events to be held this season in France. The St Entienne track has always been designed with the traditional french style with very technical jumps lining the entire track. On Saturdays race format, over 500 riders had signed up to race the Pro Elite Class. Dale was excited about the track as after the last few weeks of training, it seemed to suit his newly refreshed riding style perfectly, as he was airing out all of the jumps in practice, treating the fans to some English style. It did just stop there, as once the race kicked off, Dale showed his power side as well, as he easily won all of the races he entered. As Dale lined up for the main event, he knew he could take home the win, but it wouldn't be easy. As newly crowned ABA #1 Pro Champion Bubba Harris was lined up of he gate for the finial with Dale. As the gate dropped, Dale used his experience and hard training to good use, as he got up front in the first turn the main event. Three riders, including Dale were all about even going into turn one, and it was Dale who rode smoothly around the other two and came out of the turn in first place and went on to win with Jean Christophe Tricard finishing 2nd and Bubba Harris in 3rd.
On Sunday, Dale once again was in the main event, but didn't time the gate perfectly, went a bit early and hit it, but was able to make his way back up to 6th place for the day. Dale left his mark on the French fans from 2 days of great racing.
Dale's sponsors include Free Agent, KHS, Kenda, Troy Lee Designs, Sun Ringle, Tangent, Shimano, S & M, Power Bar, ODI, Vans, Truvativ, DaleHolmes.com, BMXpros.com, and Cyto Sport.

BMXPros.com proudly represents Kyle Bennett, Cristian Becerine, Dale Holmes, Christophe Leveque, Brandon Meadows, John Parker, Jamie Staff, and Randy Stumpfhauser. For more information on any of the riders, or questions about sponsorship of any of the athletes, please visit www.BMXpros.com.

16/12 UCI BMX News
2005 UCI BMX International Calendar

The 2005 UCI BMX International Calendar has been published on the UCI website. The ever-growing BMX calendar is now covering over 60 events in 15 different countries on 4 continents.
Please visit; http://www.uci.ch/modello2.asp?1stlevelid=C&level1=5&level2=3&idnews=3108 to view the complete calendar.

UCI BMX World Ranking
The 2004/2005 UCI World Ranking has already in full swing in the southern hemisphere. New for this year is the inclusion of Junior Men and Junior Women ranking. Although the Junior ranking does not count for the Elite prize money payout, it will be eligible for Nations Ranking points, giving countries even a greater chance of qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games. To view the detailed ranking rules, calendar and the current ranking, please visit; http://www.uci.ch/bmx.asp?1stlevelid=C&level2=0&level1=5

2005 UCI BMX World Championships, Paris Bercy, France
The 2005 UCI BMX World Championships will be take place 29th-- 31st July 2005 at the Paris Bercy stadium, France. The preparation of the biggest and most important event of the year is already getting hectic, and there’s no doubt that this years event in the magnificent Bercy stadium will be a great show.
With this in mind, the event schedule is somewhat different for previous World Championships, with the Elite Cruiser classes competing on Friday evening, and the Elite World Championships will be held on Saturday evening. All Challenge classes will compete during daytime all through the weekend.Please visit the official website for more information; www.bmxworld2005.com

2005 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup
The UCI continues to develop the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series as the premier international BMX racing series for 2005 and beyond.
With BMX being included in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series will become the platform promoting the Olympic BMX format. With other major events such as the UCI BMX World Championships being based on a large number of participants and age categories, the UCI BMX Supercross will showcase a limited participation number of elite athletes similar to the upcoming 2008 Olympic BMX event.
The UCI BMX Supercross World Cup will be held on stadium-format BMX tracks as well as on the previously featured downhill BMX tracks. With 8 riders going head-to-head on a highly technical BMX track, the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup offers BMX racing in a very exciting and spectacular format, tailor-made for the very best BMX athletes in the world.
The 2005 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup schedule and venues will soon be announced on the UCI website.

UCI BMX Track Building Guide
The UCI BMX track building guide is now published on the UCI website. As a cornerstone within the UCI’s world-wide BMX development plan, this guide should act as a detailed guide how to construct a track that meets international standards.
These guidelines for constructing a BMX track are flexible enough to meet a variety of site characteristics, but firm enough to provide equitable competition and spectator comfort. This guide should NOT be considered an exact drawing of a BMX track, but rather give the constructor a feel for the UCI’s recommendation and requirements. Make sure to click on the BMX track building banner on; http://www.uci.ch/bmx.asp?1stlevelid=C&level2=0&level1=5

New rules for 2005
The UCI BMX Rule book has been updated and refined for 2005. Rules related to UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, the use of timing transponders, starting system and seeding of riders has been modified. All changes are marked in bold with the note [01.01.05].

Please visit www.uci.ch to view the latest version of the UCI BMX Rule Book.

15/12 BMX at the 10th Australian Masters Games
South Australia's the Cove BMX Club has been selected to host the BMX component of the 10th Australian Masters Games.
The Games will be held from the 7th to the 16th of October '05 with BMX racing held on Sunday the 9th.
Are you over 30? Got a BMX in the shed? Dust of the cobwebs and start training for the Masters BMX in '05.

http://thecovesa.bmxa.com.au

15/12 Brian Kirkham on the mend
You may have read about Brian "THE CLAW" Kirkham's crash last month where he broke both his wrists and forearms at South Australia's Tea Tree Gully track, he over jumped the first set of doubles.
He's out of hospital now and back home at Port Lincoln, apparently he got sick of Brett MaliC visiting most days and playing with his morphine distributor, so he decided to do a runner back to the country.
We hope to see you back on the bike soon Brian.

15/12 The perfect stocking filler
Are you trying to think of a Christmas gift for the BMX freak in your family? We think the perfect stocking filler is Gavin D's BMX 2005 Calendar. It has all the race dates for all major meetings in Australia and New Zealand for 2005, awesome photos and many opportunities to win prizes throughout the year - it's the gift that just keeps giving. To find out more about the calendar, check out our review or look up www.gavind.com.au.

14/12 BMXUltra.com Top 100 reloaded
The BMXUltra.com Top 100 BMX websites is the original BMX topsites ranking page and boasted 1,200+ members. The Top 100 has been off the air for a while longer than we hoped, but finally it's back. The only problem is we were unable to restore the member data. So if you run a website, this is your opportunity to get in early and get a head start on the competition, and take advantage of the extra traffic that the Top 100 will generate for your site. If you register now and have your visitors to vote for your site you will have a big advantage over your competitors.

To register now, or to check out the Top 100 check out bmxultra.com/topsites/autorank.html

14/12 BMXPros.com race report
RM59 Tropical Challenge Championship Barceloneta, Puerto Rico

In what has become one of the best after season events in just 3 short year, The RM59 Tropical Challenge BMX race has gained a lot of attention by the US pros. BMX Pro rider Robbie Miranda has Puerto Rican roots, and his fans in Puerto Rico wanted to celebrate the fastest and most popular rider with the PR nationality. The Birth of the RM59 race gave other pro riders a chance to come down to Puerto Rico and experience the open armed welcome by the association and to meet the fans that love BMX so much. Christophe Leveque was the only BMXPros.com rider able to attend this event and he sure did make his fans happy with his being here as well as put on one great show during the race. Here is how Christophe's weekend went.

In his just his 2nd race back after injury, Christophe Leveque once again amazed the fans, riders, and media, as he not only made it to the main event at the International Invitational event held is Puerto Rico this past weekend, but he finished 2nd overall in the Pro Elite Main event.
With the main event filled with the who's who of AA Pro racing, the event was different from a normal BMX national event in a few ways. First off, it was a flat pedal race only for the Pros, second, there were 2 main event races instead of the normal 3 main events that the ABA has, or the one main event format that the NBL uses.
Christophe took the time on Saturday not only to practice, but to sit with a local GT Bike Vendor deal that was in attendance and sign autographs, and give away stickers and hats. On Sunday, it was all business at the 10 time World Champion made his way into the Elite main event. In the first round, Christophe blasted out of the gate and sat just behind the race leader going into the first turn, looking to make a move to pass, but before he knew it, the lead rider crashed and Leveque had to hit the brakes and divert his way around him. This put him back in 7th, but Christophe was able to get up to 5th by the finish.
In the 2nd main event, Leveque once again found his way up front and in 2nd going into the 1st turn, but this time no crashes and Christophe wound up finishing 2nd in the main, as well as 2nd overall for the day. With just a few months worth of riding after his last injury, Christophe has made an incredible comeback, making 2 for 2 main events of races he has entered and letting the BMX world know he is ready to take back his #1 Pro title.
Christophe's sponsors include GT Bicycles, Hyundai, ODI, IRC Tires, Shimano, Fox Racing, Tangent, SDG, Smith, Sun Ringle, Thomson, Marwi, FSA Headsets, S & M, Cyto Sport, and BMXpros.com

RM59 Tropical Challenge Elite Pro Results
1st- John Purse - Hyundai/Mongoose
2nd- Christophe Leveque- Hyundai/GT
3rd- Mike Day- Statts Bicycles
4th- Matt Pohlkamp- DK
5th- Mike Hughes- Statts
6th- Robbie Miranda- DK
7th- Todd Lyons- SE Bikes
8th- Ryan Z-Man Zielinski- Style Man

13/12 No Fear looking for BMX teams to sponsor
Carlsbad, California - Want the same edge on the competition that MX'ers like Kevin Windham, Ezra Lusk, Brian Deegan and Ronnie Faisst have? How about the NBL National #1 Team, Factory Hyper and riders like Lance McGuire, Mike McGonigle, Mike Lundy, Warren McDow, Alise Post, Chad Kerley, Anthony DeRosa, and Jacob Abbe? No Fear, makers of the finest MX gear around, is looking to help out deserving Factory, Bike Shop, Trophy, and local teams as well as talented and creative individuals. All it takes is doing a great job representing No Fear. If you think you, your shop or your team has what it takes to be part of the No Fear crew, send your resume in to nofearbmx@cox.net. Let 'em know how you're going to help No Fear become the best clothing brand in BMX, and you could be rocking No Fear's '05 line up of leathers, gloves, and helmets. Check out the goods at www.nofear.com!

13/12 Vet Pro debate/Forum
The ongoing Vet Pro debate has generated an overwhelming number of emails with many great points of view, but unfortunatly I just can't keep up with them all. It appears that we will have to make another attempt at setting up a forum so you can voice your opinion about Vet Pro and other issues. We will see what we can get going over the next week.

10/12 FMF BMX
FMFBMX We got our hands on an FMF BMX catalog a few days ago now. They have a very impressive product range that has everything from complete bikes, to frames and forks, to wheel sets, to carbon fiber crank sets to sunglasses, belt buckles, cowboy hats and t-shirts, there are too many individual items to mention, but all worth checking out.
Their frames are available in 4 different styles including; triple butted alloy, chromoly, and also alloy with 2 or 5 tubes carbon fiber. Pretty much something that will fit anyone's budget and requirements.
I must admit as an old school BMXer I looked through the catalog to see what would look good on my bike. The black Pro saddle with hollow titanium rails sounds interesting and looks good, but I'm not sure how it would work for BMX and if it would take the abuse. They have a CNC'd platform pedal with sealed bearings that is a variation of the DX style pedal, with replaceable studs, but it looks like it has a much bigger surface area.
Their website is going through a rebuild at the moment so you won't find too much there, but it should be back soon. Check FMFBMX.com for more details. We hear a rumour that FMF are looking for Australian distribution.

10/12 Hyper Bicycles makes its mark on Thanksgiving
Morristown, Tennessee - The Hyper Factory Team ventured to the NBL's Thanksgiving National at the Smokey Mountain Expo Center to do battle and pick up some needed team points. Although the team raked in six wins on Saturday, it's score of 96 was only good enough to finish second behind Dan's Comp. Sunday was a different story, however, with eight wins and a second. That gave the team a huge 100 point score, good enough for Sunday's victory. Hyper now has an early lead in the NBL National Team title chase and are well on their way to an unprecedented National Title three-peat.

Morristown saw double-doubles from Anthony DeRosa (10 Expert, 10 Cruiser) and Diego Alejandre (14 EXpert, 14 Cruiser). Sinead Miller doubled in 14 Girls and Mike McGonigle doubled in 22-29 Expert but just missed a double-double with a 2nd in 16 & Over open on Saturday. Jud Ciancio had some bad luck in Saturdays 35-39 Cruiser main but battled back on Sunday to take the win. Samantha Miller grabbed herself a pair of seconds in 8 Girls for the weekend.

AA / Elite Pro Lance McGonigle traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the ABA Grandnationals and made it to the semi final rounds in AA Pro and Pro Open. 14 Girl Amanda Carr made it to a stacked main but difficulties with the track kept her from a podium finish. New Hyper rider Alise "The Beast" Post made history by claiming National #1 titles in both Girl and Girl Cruiser. This is also the second time Post has won each title. Terrell Proctor, the dark horse in the National #1 Cruiser hunt, came up big for his first ABA National title. Hyper ABA team manager, TJ Johnson scored a huge double in 28-34 Expert and 26-30 Cruiser to claim NAG #1 titles in both. Lahsaan Kobza, Chad Kerley, and Jacob Abbe came up big with NAG #2 plates and UCI World Champ Tory Nyhaug grabbed the NAG #3 spot. Mike Lundy had some difficulties but still came away with the NAG #4 plate and Eric Elliott finished NAG #7.

With 2005 right around the corner, the Hyper squad is set to take on the best teams in BMX. Look for the Hyper squad at an ABA or NBL national near you and be on the lookout for the Hyper clinic tour in 2005. For more info please check out www.hyperbicycles.com!

10/12 Vet Pro. We ask the pros (part 3)
If you missed earlier parts to this series check out Vet Pro. We ask the pros (part 1) and Vet Pro. we ask the pros (part 2).
Redline's Jason Carnes is the undisputed king of ABA's Vet Pro, having won the crown for an unprecedented 3 years running (2002, 2003, and 2004). We asked Jason about his take on the Vet Pro class.

BMXUltra.com: How do you see Vet Pro developing as a class?
Jason: It's getting bigger every year. It looks like we'll be having semi's at all the ABA races next year. The class is getting faster over time as well. On the NBL side, the masters class is only a year old so it will take time to grow. There aren't many ABA vet guys that cross over. Hopefully the NBL will increase the purse for the new season and attract more riders.

BMXUltra.com: What does Vet Pro mean to you?
Jason: It means I'm too old and busy to hang with the bad-asses but too young to quit.

BMXUltra.com: Do you think there is any room for non-pro riders competing in a Vet Pro class just because they are old enough?
Jason:
I see it as it is...an over-30 pro class. If a 32 year old amatuer wants to race pro, why not? I think most of them are surprised at the speed of the class.

BMXUltra.com: Do the other pro classes bitch and moan that Vet Pro are taking their money?
Jason:
Maybe, but I don't hear too much. I think they are bummed that the vet class has no money restrictions on A-pro money. The guys crying should do more sprints.

BMXUltra.com: Do you prefer to race Vet Pro or A Pro? Why?
Jason: I enjoy racing both. I make a little more $$ in the vet class but I like to race 18 year old kids as well. The A-pro class is usually bigger and the talent goes a little deeper than the vet class. It feels good to spank the kiddies.

09/12 Supercross press release
Santa Clarita , CA - Well the dust has cleared and all the facts are out and we are super proud of all of our riders, they did great!

First and Foremost we would like to Congratulate Samantha Cools our Girl Pro who not only won the ABA Pro Spectacular Race of Champions on Friday night but backed it up by winning the ABA Grands and took home her first of many ABA #1 Pro Plates and with Sammy hitting the ABA, NBL and UCI circuit next year I would not be surprised to see her be the first to grab a Triple Crown. Following Sammy up in Girl Pro was Answer/Supercross rider Arielle Martin who had a tremendous year and piloted her custom Candy Purple Supercross EVO to a second at the Grands and a Second for the year, we are proud of them both.

In Vet Pro TP Todd Parry had ridden better this year than he ever has, proof that good things do improve with age, TP went in to the Grands along with 3 other riders who all had the chance at the ABA #1 Vet Pro Plate, TP had a little crash in the first main which gave him high points but he came back strong with a 3rd and a 2nd in the remaining two, but still added up to a 4th for the Grands and a #4 on the plate for 2005. While TP is bummed we actually like the #4 on the plate makes him easy to see with the huge 80's style of number, but as a warning to all Vet Pros' now, TP is on a mission for 2005 to retire from his Vet Pro Racing career with a #1 on the plate. Yes you read this right TP has told us that this upcoming season will be his last Vet Pro season, so he has a hunger that is burning inside and he wants that #1 before he goes.

And in A Pro Big Rig Ken Cools took his EVO XXL to a 5th at the ROC and a crash in his mains at the Grands kept him down to a 8th for the overall.

On the team front we would like to congratulate Answer BMX for their #1 ABA Factory Team title while running our Supercross StrongArm cranks. Joey has put together a heck of a squad and we were glad to do our little part to keep the program crankin' towards their goal of ABA #1 team......again!

Our Amateur Squad didn't have the best of weekends out in Oklahoma, but we were sure proud of the efforts, and with Rachael Blackwell out with a broken ankle, and Stan Horton out fighting in Iraq we were a little shy of our full program. We would like to extend our thanks to all of them for racing hard all year for us.

Now in celebration of the end of year performances of our riders and teams we have a few special deals going on for the month of December to get you a little better prepped to start next season.

Special #1 - Buy any UL Series Triple Butted Air Hardened Cro-mo frame and recieve a copy of Transit TR3 DVD for free.

Special #2 - Buy any EVO Series 6061 T-6 Aluminum frame and get a 2005 Supercross Jersey like Samantha wore to win her title for only $39.95 a $30 savings off of the regular $69.95 price.

And

Special #3 - Buy any Supercross StrongArm Crank that the Answer team rode to their ABA #1 Factory Team Title and receive an Answer Chain Wheel for free and get a $48.00 discount off ( 48 is the amount of points that Answer was ahead of the other teams to grab the title for in case you were wondering ) so for $191.95 you get the Supercross StrongArms with Euro BB set and a Answer CNC machined Chainwheel ( sizes limited to availablity ) a $270 value.

All of these offers expire Dec. 31st 2005 so act now and help us celebrate the riders end of year victories. Please visit http://www.supercrossbmx.com for details of how to take advantage of these offers or call 661/251-1270

The Supercross Factory Team consists of : Henrik Baltzersen -AA Pro, Jan Baltzersen - AA Pro, Samantha Cools - ABA #1 Girl Pro, Todd TP Parry - Vet Pro, Turnell Henry - Vet Pro, Randy Roberts - A Pro, Bryan Otten - A Pro, Paul Johnson - A Pro, Stan Horton - 36x, Ken Pliska - 36x, Moses Tillmon - 28x, Justin Dodson - 18x, Rachael Blackwell - 17g, Thomas Richards - 14x, Aaron Maxwell - 13x, Kayland Maxwell - 12g, Justin Myers - 8x

The Supercross Factory Team is proudly supported by - Blur Optics, Oneal Clothing, Tioga Tires, SDG Saddles, Thomson Posts, ATI Pads Plates and Grips, Snap Chainrings, Crank Bros. Pedals, Pauls Brakes, Answer Shoes, and Exclusive One Printing.

09/12 Interview: Supercross' Todd Parry
In the ABA's Vet Pro class stacked with former pro legends and full of history there's one rider who stands out as the underdog. Supercross rider Todd Parry doesn't have the pedigree of Eric Rupe, Harry Leary, Jason Carnes, Darrin Mitchell and the likes, but it doesn't stop him from being a player in class. Instead of his credentials Todd has used pure determination and brute strength to build a name for himself in the Vet Pro field. We wanted to find out a little more about Todd Parry and his background, what makes him tick and why he's so popular amongst the VintageBMX.com community.
Click here to check out the interview.

08/12 Staats Teams Set For Global Domination!
For 2004, Staats Bicycles set out to find the best teams in the world of BMX. We were surprised to find that there were so many top-caliber teams and riders on every corner of the planet! We were looking for teams/riders that could be model rider-representatives for Staats. To start off we needed a wrecking-crew stateside to take on all comers for the factory team title. That team was ANSWER/STAATS Factory captained by Joey Licata. The Answer squad slammed the door shut on the rest of the teams by scoring a perfect team sheet at the ABA Grand Nationals thus securing the highly coveted 2004 #1 Factory Team trophy! We look forward to more big-time accomplishments from the ANSWER/STAATS Team in 2005. To round out the American support crew, we were proud to enlist these elite teams:
J&R Bicycles - Florida
24/7 - Florida
JBL - Minnesota
Staats/Lizard Skins - Utah
Performance Bike Parts - Utah
Team Diamond - Michigan
Hurricane Racing - Pennsylvania
Schanewolf - North Carolina
Team AJO - Arizona
Team Rockin’ - Arizona
Team Jugular - Arizona
Dream BMX - South Dakota
K.A.M.I Racing - Texas
To wage world-wide BMX war fare, we needed an international contingent of troops to occupy and control their territories. The Staats allied forces include the following:
Staats Europe - United Kingdom
Groovy International - Japan
Serious Sports - New Zealand
MXM - Belgium
Staats Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico

Staats Bicycles wishes to thank and congratulate these teams for their contributions and achievements in 2004 and look forward to their involvement in 2005!

Be sure to go to www.staatsbikes.com to catch the latest news on the Staats teams and quality products.

Staats proudly supports its “world-class” sponsors:
www.answerproducts.com world-class forks and handlebars, www.blackflamebikes.com clean & mean, light & priced right stems, www.hotshoppedesigns.com top-o’-the-line designer race jerseys, www.lhthomson.com easy adjustable seat posts, www.lizardskins.com eye-catching plates and pads, www.maxxis.com “holy-rollin’, max-daddy” traction, www.mist-ified.com keepin’ it cool misting systems, www.odigrips.com comfortable grips, www.ogio.com pack anything gear bags, www.sdgusa.com bolt on and go seats, www.sharpbmx.com perfectly round gears, www.shimano.com quality brakes, shoes and pedals, www.sunrims.com winning wheel sets, www.systems-web.com state-of-the-art web site design, www.troyleedesigns.com stylin’ race gear and clothing, www.weider.com top-fuel race nutrition

07/12 Staats’ Grass-Roots Riders Representin’!!!
Year End Grass-Roots Rider Report
After its first full year, Staats’ Grass-Roots Sponsorship program has flourished! For those of you who don’t know, Staats Bicycles offers riders every where a chance to be a part of the Staats racing team. The program assists the rider in learning what it takes to be a sponsored rider and part of a team. They are required to actively represent their local bike shop and track as well as Staats Bicycles and its sponsors. Riders participate in putting on instructional clinics, assist the track and bike shop in promoting BMX, submit monthly status reports along with racing and exhibiting good sportsmanship. Riders are rewarded for going “beyond the call of duty” and outstanding race performances. A rider that has proven them selves to be worthy may be considered for a spot on the Staats Factory Team.
The 2004 Grass-Roots roster have proven to be not only great racers but great people. We are privileged to be affiliated with these outstanding racers:
Brayton, Joshua - Holt, MI - BMX
Campbell, Kyle - Grand Blanc, MI - BMX
Carrick, Kyle - Raleigh, NC - BMX
Cheetham, Greg - MA - BMX, Street, 4-cross
Corless, Jake - Western Australia - BMX
Cummings, Jarett - Loveland, CO - BMX
Darling, Cody - Peoria, AZ - BMX
Dixon, James - Western Australia - 4- Cross
Doran Bradshaw - BMX
Dukeman, Mark - Harriman, NY - BMX
Ellingwood, Tood - Indianapolis, IN - BMX
Geraci, Kyler - 4- Cross
Kwilasz, Jacob - Valparaiso, IN - BMX
Melanson, Dylan - Phoenix, AZ - BMX
Mulhern, James - New Jersey - BMX
Murphy, Colby - Drummonds, TN - BMX
Newkirk, Trent - Sterling, MI - BMX
Ontivares, Michael - Boulder, CO - 4-Cross
Reid, Corey - Idaho Falls, ID - BMX
Schuler, Peter - Durango, CO - 4-Cross
Sherpard, Brandon - IN - BMX
Tafoya, Tyler - NM - BMX
Takamasa, Naoki - OH - BMX
Tolbert, Sebastian - Powder Springs, GA - BMX
Winters, Alex - Canada - BMX
Staats Bicycles wishes to thank and congratulate these riders for their contributions and achievements and look forward to their involvement in 2005!
Staats is always on the look-out for a few good riders. If interested in the Staats Grass Roots Program, go to www.staatsbikes.com to contact us for more information.
Staats proudly supports its fantastic sponsors:
www.answerproducts.com world-class forks and handlebars, www.blackflamebikes.com clean & mean, light & priced right stems, www.hotshoppedesigns.com top-o’-the-line designer race jerseys, www.lhthomson.com easy adjustable seat posts, www.lizardskins.com eye-catching plates and pads, www.maxxis.com “holy-rollin’, max-daddy” traction, www.mist-ified.com keepin’ it cool misting systems, www.odigrips.com comfortable grips, www.ogio.com pack anything gear bags, www.sdgusa.com bolt on and go seats, www.sharpbmx.com perfectly round gears, www.shimano.com quality brakes, shoes and pedals, www.sunrims.com winning wheel sets, www.systems-web.com state-of-the-art web site design, www.troyleedesigns.com stylin’ race gear and clothing, www.weider.com top-fuel race nutrition

07/12 Ian Maclachlan on Vet Pro
I am with you i want all the vet pro fuss to die down as there are much bigger issues in the sport. I fully support the concept of vet pro. Like anything it will take time to establish. The class was conceived to try and entice riders back to the sport, ex Pros who might sit on the sideline or who still keep in contact with the sport as its in there blood. As it has just been pointed out, numbers are down and the sport is struggling to keep members. Well is this not a positive way to increase numbers even if it is only by a few. All the talk about vet pro was always to give ex pros a class to maybe retire into or make a comeback. Doesn't this mean we are then keeping members in the sport or having them return to the sport they love. I don't think you can point a negative and then in the same conversation bag a positive.

I live and race in Qld so I do not know the situation of things down south. Shane I was always worried about the perception of a new pro class especially as it was rightly pointed out the money for our current pros is a joke compared to professionals of other sports. Who better to understand this than ex pros. To all current pros, I think I could talk on behalf of all the Qld eligible vets that the money for us is not an issue. We will not take any prize money away from you. We would race for entry money or the lowest of low prize money or heck none at all. We are just looking for a class to race. At present our options are Bruiser Cruiser or AA/A. We of all people know that the focus should always be on the AA's and A's. Its up to us to ensure that clubs do not allow prize money to be taken away from other pro classes. I totally agree if money is being taken away then it shouldn't. I know the last thing that we all wanted was anyone thinking money would be taken away from the
pros. It seems like its the ex pros who are pushing the concept and even organizing this class, so it seems like it should be in our control for this not to happen. I for sure am not going to sit back and wait for pro money levels to increase before pro active ideas are put forward. That is putting things in the hands of the people who are to blame already. If we as ex pros sit back and take the attitude of waiting for things to get better before we try ideas, then lets wait another decade or two. The way I see it and this is just my opinion take it or leave it, more ex pros should be involved in running this sport from the very top positions down to the club level. Maybe then our ideas and gripes and concerns can be heard and put into action by riders. If current riders such as pros were pitching ideas to ex riders, such as national series, track designs, marketing ideas, does anyone agree that we may one day see a change in this sport. Riders such as Sean Dwight and the boys at BMX Press and you Shane with this web site are pro active in the sport. I think this is the future as the way it has been done for the last two decades or so is not much chop. So I say let's get as many ex pros back into the sport one way or the other. It may spark some of us to get involved on other levels.

In Qld I feel the support will not be there all year round. The majority of open days up here do not even offer AA or A classes let alone putting a vet pro class forward. Most open days offer 14 plus
money class which whether we like it or not we are all in the same boat. Nerang and the Qld Titles are two places where vet pro will work. It did not work this year at the state titles for us. 2 of the competitive vets at the last moment could not make the trip to Mackay although entered. This left Scott Petie almost by himself in this class (we apologies for this Scott). More advertising of the class, better understanding of the class and maybe a closer state titles than Mackay would of made this class competitive. Nerang have opted for Bruiser Cruiser this coming January which can be only blamed on us vets for that. We trained most Wednesday nights, talked about vet pro a lot but none of us actually approached Nerang about the concept. So i respect the decision of Bruiser Cruiser. By the way I feel that there is definitely a place for the Bruiser Cruiser class. That is a very competitive class for the cruiser boys. Quick opinion on the ex pro versus over thirty debate. I think if we put a class forward with already small numbers and put a restriction on it such as you must be an ex pro, it will never work. Like you said Shane, the amatuers will slowly slide back anyway. The
over thirty guys cannot wind the clock back and become pro but they can train hard if they wish to get up to speed. Don't penalize them for joining the sport late. I want to race the best over thirty guys there is. If he was an amateur back then but quick enough now then I want to race him.

I am sure Shane that if the vets up here were to put it to you boys down south that the Qld fellas could hose all of you (not true) in vet pro, you guys would be up here in a second getting square with us and not caring at all about prize money, just some good old fashionable competitive spirit. Lets just race boys.

Myself, an ex pro and a current pro are preparing to present a model to all pros regarding the first week in January for 2006. It will be based on making that week the richest pro purse ever for AA's. More on that throughout the year.

Ian Maclachlan

07/12 Greg Siinmaa on Vet Pro
It is with interest that I read these comments from pro riders and ex pro riders about the Vet Pro Class. All of them have the opinion that Vet Pro and Bruiser Cruiser has been taking money away from the A and AA prize pool. With all the clubs that have been running Vet Pro I am positive that the class has had its own sponsorship as well as being self funded. If these clubs had not offered Vet Pro they would not have put any more money into the 14 plus or A and AA.
The Vet Pro has been pushed along by a handful of people (mainly Shane Jenkins and Bret Malic and a few Victorian clubs) who have funded the class without taking from other classes.
Only two clubs in Victoria ran A and AA at their respective sanctioned meetings this year with both clubs only just filling the AA gate.
I am a committee member at Knox BMX Club and we were told last year at the DK Grands by the interstate riders that if we wanted to get more of them to our meeting we needed to shift the date from the long weekend, we needed to offer bigger prize money. We did both with a minimum prize pool for A and AA Men and Women of $4.000 plus pay back. On top of this we offered 8 to 12 and 13 to 15 girls and boys vouchers plus Vet Pro 20" and cruiser with a separate prize pool. These classes had far less money and were better supported than the A and AA classes.Where were all the Pros? we did what they asked and still they didn't come. Maybe that's why clubs don't bother offering big money. That's maybe why clubs are trying different things like paying vouchers to all classes and running classes like Bruiser Cruiser and Vet Pro.
My hat goes off to Warick Wheeler for the two years he busted his arse to get the DK Series happening.It was good while it was there. But I know not much is going to happen for the Pro riders unless they take some time out their arse busting training schedules and chase something up for themselves and support it
I will say it again the Vet Pro money is not milked off the pro class. It is driven by a few riders and clubs and has its own sponsors for that class only. If the pros want more money don't take it off other classes go out and support your club, chase up some sponsorship, chase up your fellow Pro riders for more payback.Do this and show the clubs that you want to support you that you all are serious and maybe they will support you back with some bigger money.

Greg Siinmaa
Knox BMX Club

06/12 Australia National Squad Selection

Calendar events deemed to be used as selection events

Round 1 January 2 Nerang UCI
Round 2 January 3 Nerang
Round 3 February 20 Liverpool
Round 4 March 5 Canberra UCI
Round 5 March 6 Canberra
Round 6 March 26 Cairns UCI
Round 7 March 27 Cairns UCI

For further information contact sdwight@bigpond.net.au

06/12 Julian Millis on Vet Pro
I have done what I can to hold my tongue on this topic, but I feel I need to say some things from someone who is qualified to fit into a Vet Pro Class, yet feels that the class is not required in the current Australian BMX climate.
The current state Australian BMX is struggling to get numbers, because of this classes such as the Pro Class both A and AA are pretty low, particularly low in Victoria. Just as low is the prize money that these guys are now racing for. It has to be the lowest I've ever seen, again particularly in Victoria. This has detracted from a lot of interstate Pro riders making the journey down to Victoria to race. Adding any extra Pro class means that more prize money that could go to A and AA doesn't, the priority should be to get the prize money back up to a level that Pro riders from Queensland and W.A will be able to afford to take the gamble and travel to race.
People should keep in mind that a lot of these guys are trying to do this for a living and make a career out of racing BMX, for those of you who doubt me perhaps you should speak with Wade Bottes, Warwick Stevenson, Luke Madill, Mike Robinson, Tony Harvey and others past and present who have all tried or are trying to make this happen. If prize money of any sort is available it should be going to the absolute pinnacle of our sport (AA Pro) until it reaches a level that we are in a position to be able to look at expanding into other areas such as Vet Pro.
It's not fair to make comparisons to Vet Pro in the USA and whether or not US Pros feel that their Vet Pro class would take away prize money from their A and AA Pro Classes, as the A and AA Pro prize money in the USA hasn't dropped the same degree as it has in Australia and again particularly Victoria.
As to whether the class should be only allowed to Ex Pro riders rather than people who never really raced Pro and only qualify by Age, I must support the fact it should only be for Ex Pro riders. The guys who raced the Pro class week in, week out for years at a time. Riders that have EARNED the right to be called a VETERAN of the PRO class. Having said that I don't think it's an argument of any real importance while the A and AA Pro classes suffer from low prize money.
Perhaps when the prize money for A and AA Pro has been restored to a respectable level, I will think differently about whether Vet Pro has a place in BMX in Australia.
I for one won't be racing the Vet Pro class and contributing to taking away what litte prize money there is left in AA and A Pro, I DID race Pro week in and week out for many years and the best support I can give the current AA & A Pro riders is not to be a part of this.

Julian Millis

06/12 Billy Dixon on Vet Pro
Billy "Ray" Dixon is one of the pro legends of Australian BMX. He's been off the scene for around 10 years now, but those of us who were around in those days (late 80's - early 90's) will remember him racing and writing for the now defunct Holeshot BMX newspaper that came out of BMXVictoria and then BMXAustralia.
He uses BMXUltra.com to keep in touch with what's going on in BMX today sending us emails here and there to let us know he's still around. Here's his take on the whole Vet Pro thing.

Dear BMX Ultra,

If I had the time to train, Vet Pro would be a good thing. I'll bet I still have a killer holeshot left in me. But now, too many things are more important. Paying the bills. Keeping the wife happy. Spending time with my kids.
Don't get me wrong. I loved racing. Travelling. Not so much the crashing and the pain and the scabs. Winning the odd race was great too. The money was never an incentive. It would be cool to get all Bob Seger and re-live the "good old days", but it aint gonna happen for this little black duck.
But now, I'm too old, too fat, too bald to get back on the BMX bike that is sitting in the garage. And I'm not getting any younger, slimmer, or hairier (except my ears, why do you ear hairs keep growing when the rest of your hair keeps falling out?). Cest la vie.
For those who can, get the Vet Pro off the ground and have some fun. I'll see you at Nerang in January.

Billy Ray - former BMX racer.

06/12 Shane Jenkins on Vet Pro
If you haven't worked it out yet, I'm the guy behind BMXUltra.com, I have been racing non-stop since 1981 and racing pro since 1986, I'm also the guy behind the whole Vet Pro debate that you are probably all getting a little tired of right now. So here's my say on the whole thing...I'll try to get back to regular articles on the site very soon, but I'm sure the Vet Pro thing wont go away in any hurry.
The Vet Pro seed was planted at the start of 2004 when I had a casual conversation about "Bruiser Cruiser" with Julian Millis, he said that if there were a 20 inch vet pro class riders like Dean Patch and others would start racing it. I wanted to see riders like Dean back on the track, so off I went thinking of ways to make it happen.
I don't know if it's just coincidence but after a few articles on BMXUltra.com Vet Pro started to appear in entry forms across Victoria and for the Queensland and South Australian state titles. It has been said that I started the class so I could create a class that I could win, it couldn't be any further from the truth. I am still competitive as an A Pro despite giving away 20 years to some of the riders in the class, to me it's all about making the main (which is usually quite tough in a field of 24 or more riders), not about winning, who would it benefit anyway if I managed to earn enough money to turn AA Pro?
Even though there are some events where I have competed in the Vet Pro class to help get it started, if you have a look at my results I only won one of the three races I entered. In fact I would much prefer to get my butt kicked in A Pro than win Vet Pro, it's far more motivating.
It's the clubs decision to run the prize money, they were never forced to put up a certain level of prize money. I would encourage clubs to make the class self funding. Each rider paying a $20 entry fee and the finalists divide the money pool up, that way the riders get the class and at no cost to the clubs. You will find that the riders in the Vet Pro class in Australia would race for $5, because it's not about the money, it's about competition that the smaller amature classes can't provide for riders over 30 years old. It was never the intention to eat into AA prize pools and I don't believe this has happened, however I can see how the AA riders and onlookers may interpret it that way.
As to whether a rider is worthy of the class, that shouldn't matter. As the 30+ pro (current and former) riders start racing in the class you will see a number of the riders in the class now dropping back to the amature ranks. But for now those riders are benefiting from some great competition and the spectators are seeing some close racing. Isn't that what BMX is about?

04/12 Hyper BMX announces 2005 team roster
Carlsbad, California - Big things are in the works for the Hyper BMX Factory squad in 2005. With team manager Anthony DeRosa at the helm of the NBL battalion and TJ Johnson running the ABA squad, Hyper is ramping up efforts to dominate both the NBL and ABA national scenes, three-peat as the NBL's National #1 Team, and score its first ever ABA National #1 Factory Team title.

Hyper has the majority of its 2004 NBL championship team back for battle in 2005, with some major additions. First off, DeRosa has signed east coast rippers Trae and Terrell Proctor to the squad. Both brothers have dominated for years and Terrell is coming off the 2004 season as the ABA's National #1 Cruiser. Also new are most of the ABA's 2004 World Championship team including 2001 and 2004 ABA National #1 Girl and 2003 and 2004 ABA National #1 Girl Cruiser Alise "The Beast" Post, NBL National #1 Mike Lundy, 2004 UCI 12 Expert and 12 Cruiser World Champ Tory Nyhaug, and 2004 NBL National #1 Connor Fields. With Post and Rell Proctor, Hyper has managed to scoop up 3 out of 4 of the ABA's overall National #1 amateur titles.

2005 NBL / ABA Factory Team Roster:

Lance McGuire - AA Pro
Jud Ciancio - 36 Expert
Bob O'Gorman - 35 Expert (NBL only)
Eric Elliott - 32 Expert - ABA NAG #7
Mike McGonigle - 24 Expert - National #1, World #2
Mike Lundy - 18 Expert - NBL National #1

Warren McDow - 16 Expert - NBL National #1
Diego Alejandre - 15 Expert - National #2 Cruiser
Ben Kubalak - 14 Expert - ABA NAG #5
Sinead Miller - 14 Girl - NBL National #3
Amanda Carr - 14 Girl - UCI World #4
Trae Proctor - 13 Expert - ABA NAG #4

Lahsaan Kobza - 13 Expert - ABA World #1
Alise Post - 13 Girl - 4 Time ABA National #1
Doug Hayes - 13 Expert - NBL National #11
Tory Nyhaug - 12 Expert - UCI World #1
Connor Fields - 12 Expert - NBL National #1
Justin Posey - 11 Expert National #2 (NBL only)

Terrell Proctor - 10 Expert - ABA National #1 Cruiser
Chad Kerley - 10 Expert - ABA NAG#2
Krista Fournier - 11 Girl - NBL National #1(NBL only)
Anthony DeRosa - 10 Expert - NBL National #1
Samantha Miller - 9 Girl - NBL National #1
Jacob Abbe - 8 Expert - ABA NAG #2

Look out for the Hyper squad doing battle at an ABA or NBL race near you and check out the new frame line January 2005. For more info visit www.hyperbicycles.com!

04/12 Staats race report: ABA “Grand”–a-lama-ding-dong!
ABA Grand Nationals – Tulsa, OK
A long season of racing can wear any racer down. Sitting in airports, logging hundreds or thousands of miles driving, weekends away from home, injuries, bad weather and more can make any hard-core racer want to put off hitting the road again. But when it comes to the ABA Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, all concerns are tossed aside. This is “The greatest race on earth!” and is not to be passed up. It is where all the national champions are determined after a long hard year of training and racing. Riders from around the world come to compete for the Grand National title and haul home a 7 foot-tall trophy! But on the other side of the coin there are the novice and intermediate racers who make trip to Tulsa. There are no titles on the line, just a love of the sport, the thrill of competition and to watch the factory super-stars that they aspire to be one day. The ABA Grands is the biggest dose of BMX anyone will ever get.

The Staats factory squad were looking to cap the year off with some top finishes and hopefully be able to slap on the ol’ skinny digit (that would be a #1) on the front of their Lizard Skin number plates.
The Staats pro’s Mike Day, Michael Hughes and “Afro Bob” deWilde were enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend on and off the track. When the boys weren’t carving and airing out the track, they were playing football, hacky-sack or a manly game of “slap-n-tickle” he he he. They ran some great races with Mike “365” Day and Big Bob scoring a 3rd and a 4th at the Pro Spectacular. They are not only great racers but ever greater people off the track. We are honored to have Day, de Wilde and Hughes as representatives of Staats Bicycles.

Even though the Staats amateur factory team effort is channeled through the newly crowned 2004 #1 Answer/Staats factory team, the red-white-blue am’ crew was in effect.
Masahiro “Air-Miles” Sampei has been making a name for himself in the ultra-tough 14x class this season. The 14x main was one of the best mains of the weekend and Masa was in the mix and hauled home a big third place trophy and a N.A.G. #3 plate.
Staats’ AZ connection, Joey Backus has had an up and down year with injuries but came to Tulsa healthy and locked him self a spot in the main event for the 17-18x class which was the largest class of the weekend with 62 riders! With Joey’s determination and skill, he will be a factor for a top spot next year.
The Staats mafia ring-leader Jason “Grand Master” Halverson has also been a victim of an injury plagued year. But like Backus, was fit and fired up to get back into the race action. Halvy left his gate snap at home which left him relying on his track speed to make up the difference. It worked as he battled his way through the pack every lap making it all the way to the 31-35 cruiser main and a 5th place trophy. Not bad for an industry CEO.
Rounding out the crew was “Spence-deezie”, Steve Spencer. It has been a banner year for Spence’ with 14 national wins and was sitting nationally #5 in cruiser and tied for #1 in class going into the Grands. The 36-40 cruiser class has consistently been the largest class all year and overall national points leader Kirk Chrisco was the favorite to take home a second consecutive title. Spence hole-shotted and won the main and scored enough points to capture the #1 plate! Steve now had a chance to double up titles with a strong finish in class but after some action in the last turn, Spence went down. Mark down a #3 plate in class for the year. Steve still went home to his family smiling with his seven-foot-tall trophy and his first ever national age group #1 plate!

Staats wishes to congratulate and thank its team riders, Joey Licata and the Answer/Staats team, all of our incredible sponsors, the ABA, all of the Grass-Roots riders and Staats supporters everywhere for a tremendous season. THANK YOU ALL!

Staats proudly supports its fantastic sponsors:
www.answerproducts.com world-class forks and handlebars, www.blackflamebikes.com clean & mean, light & priced right stems, www.hotshoppedesigns.com top-o’-the-line designer race jerseys,
www.lhthomson.com easy adjustable seat posts, www.lizardskins.com eye-catching plates and pads, www.maxxis.com “holy-rollin’, max-daddy” traction, www.mist-ified.com keepin’ it cool misting systems, www.odigrips.com comfortable grips, www.ogio.com pack anything gear bags, www.sdgusa.com bolt on and go seats, www.sharpbmx.com perfectly round gears, www.shimano.com quality brakes, shoes and pedals, www.sunrims.com winning wheel sets, www.systems-web.com state-of-the-art web site design, www.troyleedesigns.com stylin’ race gear and clothing, www.weider.com top-fuel race nutrition

03/12 Vet Pro. We ask the pros (part 2)
If you missed part 1 of this series check out Vet Pro. We ask the pros (part 1)
We were hoping to have two mini interview this week, but with the ABA Grands on the weekend we are still waiting for some of the pro riders to get back to us.
American A Pro Mike Gul (Enigma Bikes) has been out of the racing scene for a little while, taking a break and pursuing other interests. He always has something to say about BMX, so we thought since he has been racing all these years he would have an interesting opinion on the Vet Pro class.

BMXUltra.com: How do you see Vet Pro developing as a class?
Mike:
Vet pro is really picking up. There are more and more riders racing Vet Pro and the class is really starting to take shape here in the States. For years Eric Rupe ran that class week in and week out. Now you have Jason Carnes, Darrin Mitchell, Eric Rupe, Todd Parry, Chris Ham, and a bunch of others that are all winning. It's great to see those guys out there doing their thing still. Great for the sport as well.
BMXUltra.com: What does Vet Pro mean to you?
Mike:
Vet Pro is for the guys that for what ever reason can't or no longer want to race AA/A pro all the time but still love to race their bikes. They can go out and race, still have fun, still make money, but they don't have to take the burden of being on the road like the AA's do.
BMXUltra.com: Do you think there is any room for non-pro riders competing in a Vet Pro class just because they are old enough?
Mike:
No I don't. The Vet Pro class is for the people that used to race pro. There for it's not for the ams, it's a pro event and should stay that way. You have to earn your stripes right?
BMXUltra.com: Todd Parry was never a Pro was he? should he not be allowed in the class?
Mike:
I have no clue if he was or wasn't. Good point. But he's doing really good in the class to date. But I'm not sure if he was a pro before he raced Vet. I do know that he was racing the AM class up until he went into Vet pro about 2 or 3 years ago. No clue what he did or was before that time.
BMXUltra.com: Do you worry that a class like Vet Pro will take some of the AA money?
Mike:
No it shouldn't. Each sanction has the way they do their payouts. And Vet Pro, Girl Pro, A Pro, etc. shouldn't take away from the AA payout. Each class should have their own money that justifies the class, period.
BMXUltra.com: Do you think that you will ride Vet Pro when you are finished with the AA ranks? Why?
Mike:
Well, I was finished racing AA last year haha. But I still race A pro. I have another year and half before I could race Vet pro. I'm not sure if I will or won't race Vet pro. Just have to wait and see what happens when I'm 30.

03/12 Classifieds back up and running
Our classifieds were taken out when we had some technical difficulties last month, but it's back up and running.
We still have to get the top 100 working. Hopefully that will be back by late next week.
Thank you for your patients.

03/12 Bullows takes out BMXUltra.com unofficial Vet Pro series
Jamie Bullows (Harding Cycles - Bendigo) has taken out the 2004 BMXUltra.com unofficial Vet Pro series. Jamie was consistant in the 5 round he attended of the 6 round series. Greg Siinmaa (Sinister) was also a big supporter of the series and it paid off giving him second over all. David Comport (BMXBits.com.au), Shane Jenkins (BMXUltra.com), Craig Walczuk (Redline/TotalBMX) and Glenn Suridge (Sinister) took wins throughout the series but finished in minor positions.
The 2004 series was a pilot for something bigger and better in 2005, which should include a final event towards the end of the year that will bring all the Vet Pro riders together for a grand slam style event.
With the help of some Pro riders we would like to extend the unofficial series to the A/AA Pro male and female classes as well. We will need someone to volunteer to chase up all Pro results from around Australia, but only for events that also have a Vet Pro class. We will be looking to raise prizes for end of year winners of the "2005 BMXUltra.com unofficial Pro series". If you are interested email us at the address above.
For the full points break down check out our series page.

02/12 BMXPIX.org is online
BMXPIX.org
Hi Everybody,
We did it.
BMXPIX.org is now online and will be bigger and better.
Christian van de Groenendaal and Cyrille Olive are offering you their BMX pics - for free !
Check it out at http://www.bmxpix.org
Companies that want to have their name/logo and a link on the site can contact us at info@bmxpix.org.
You'll be surprised how low the rates are.
Remember, people will visit the site VERY often.
Have fun,
BMXPIX.org

02/12 Australian 2005 freestyle BMX calendar
For the first time in AUS there is a calendar with a different approach and look, showcasing 12 of some very recognised riders world and nation wide.
Riders featured: Ryan Guettler, Luke Parslow, Luke Fink, Mick Bayzand, Lindsay Brown, Kenny Raggett, Dan Montoya, Nick Richardson, Clint Millar, Zack Musarsa, Kym Grossser and Simon O'Brien.
The format of the calendar is layed out with a large action pic, some random lifestyle shots, a portrait and a bio depicting the personality of the rider.
On top of that there are of course date sections and a shop directory page for your BMX needs.
The size of the calendar is 300 by 600mm and is printed on 250gram gloss artboard paper.
Each calendar is individually packed and is ideal as a christmas gift.
Contact your bike shop and ask for it by name. "Forty degrees in the shade" and tell your bike shop they can find it at TripleSix Distribution.
It's also available at newsagency's through Gordon and Gotch Distribution.

Click here to view the "flyer".

02/12 Greasy Comb Expands into Soft Goods with INOPIA Footwear Agreement
Greasy Comb Distribution is proud to announce that beginning in the early Spring of 2005 it will become the exclusive INOPIA Footwear distributor for the bicycle industry. Our primary goal for adding INOPIA is to expand on what we can offer to our dealers and help develop INOPIA as a brand. GCD will be carrying all of the brand NEW and IMPROVED 2005 INOPIA products. For those of you who are unaware, INOPIA Footwear is a New Jersey rider owned and operated shoe company that also offers a line of soft goods, such as, t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks and backpacks.

INOPIA is said to be responsible for launching the trend of rider owned shoe companies. INOPIA’s founder George Hoernig had this to say about working with Greasy Comb. “I am very excited to be working with Greasy Comb. INOPIA has been ready to expand its sales efforts for quite some time now. We chose to work with Greasy Comb instead of the larger distributors because we wanted to work with someone who would be more down to earth and have the ability to focus on INOPIA. Greasy Comb is a smaller start up company who is doing a great job and growing everyday by providing a great service for dealers, which is exactly what INOPIA needs. This will allow us to focus more on our marketing, and developing new and improved products, while still offering affordable retail prices with great dealer margins. All of the people involved at Greasy Comb are easy going, plus they are all riders which makes the work relationship/friendship have a more common bond.” INOPIA brand development and marketing will still be run out of INOPIA’s New Jersey office, but sales and shipping will be handled by GCD.

David Wootten a GCD partner had this to say about the INOPIA deal. “We have been friends with George (Hoernig) for some time now and our business relationship grew out of this friendship. Aside from our friendship, we looked at INOPIA like we would any other company, and what we found is that there is a huge amount of potential in INOPIA for GCD and its dealers. I really believe in INOPIA as I do all of our brands which makes pimping the INOPIA brand easy.”

Greasy Comb Distribution is the exclusive importer and distributor of several European brands and is expanding it's ever growing product lineup with the addition of INOPIA Footwear.

For more information regarding Greasy Comb or INOPIA check out www.greasycomb.com and www.inopiausa.com

01/12 Preview: SE Racing 2005 models
For Australian's it has been a while since we have seen SE Racing bikes in stores. Fuji Bicycles have owned the brand for around 3 years and now have BMX legend Todd Lyons at the helm. If you were wondering how long you will have to wait for SE's to hit Australian shores you will be happy to hear that according to Todd "SE is looking to make a push into the Australian market for 2005". They have a large range of bikes from entry level Bronco to the top of the range PK Ripper Team, and the old favourite Floval Flyer cruiser. Click the images below for a closer look at some of the bikes in the 2005 range.
Bronco Mini Bronco X-Pert PK Ripper Floval Flyer
For bike specs and further information check out www.sebmx.com

01/12 Say no to sprocket rule!
International readers might think this is a push for belt drive into BMX.
The Sprocket class in Australia are non-competition classes for riders under 8 years old, they get to participate, but are not scored. This always gets confusing for parents and riders when the UCI world championships come around each year.
There is a push for a change to the rule which will not allow a rider to compete in a competition class until they turn 8 years old. Currently the age is determined by the age of the rider on the last day of the year.
I'm an outsider and way too old for the sprocket rule to effect me personally but the problem with our rules today is that there are too many of them, and so many that are confusing and contradictory. Determining the age at the end of the year or on the day of a race meeting, there should only be one rule. It's like the 3 different ways that Pro BMX racing is run in Australia. Let's get some consistancy to our rule book, let's make it simple and concentrate more on promoting the sport.
We have some upset readers that would like to voice their opinions so here we go.

Karen Turner, Victoria. "On BMXA they have tried to explain why this ruling is coming into place. Government funding!! I'd like to see that!
What about the 75% of all the potential 8 year olds next year who miss out on a chance at the Nationals Titles and for some - a State title.
We will be partitioning against this c%$p rule and let BMXV know how p!$%d off we are. BMXV voted this rule in for Victoria without one member there having a sprocket of their own and without consulting any of the Victorians this will effect!
SPROCKETS ARE THE PRO'S OF THE FUTURE. They have now been descriminated against which will devasted not only them but will do nothing to encourage other young ones to join our sport.
And when was BMXA going to let all the members effected know of this ruling. I have paid to go to Cairns and now feel like pulling out - but have paid for this trip.
Will BMXA refund my money? Maybe with this so called funding???"

Sally Jeffree, Victoria. "Im pi***d as well. I was looking forward to our kids to be able to compete with the chance to finally bring home a trophy and a title instead of the c^%p medallions that they have been getting for what seems an enternity. You would think that BMXA & BMXV would consult with all of the sprocket parents before they changed a rule that effects so many of us. If things aren't already bad enough in Victoria now BMXA are doing there bit to send the sport into the dark ages. If they run the Aussies under the UCI rules then there shouldn't be a sprocket class at all. And what about the so called funding they get for the junior sports policy, never seen any fruits from that. Entry fees are the same for sprockets and there is no coaching during the year for sprockets except for 2 hours at the Aussies once a year. I'd like to know where all that funding goes.
Would you beleive that we had a similar issue when Ahron was about 8 and they brought in the year of birth rule, he missed an entire age class."

If you don't like the new sprocket rule contact BMXAustralia, details on their website www.bmxaustralia.com.au

01/12 BMXVictoria titles report
The weather was very hot in Sunbury over the weekend for the 2004 BMXVictoria State Titles, but not too uncomfortable for racing. The track was in the best condition I have ever seen it in. It would have been nice for it to be a little more technical to push the skills and challenge the states best riders, but when you look at it, everyone had to ride the same track. It's BMX and it would be boring if every track was exactly the same.
Saturday ran very smoothly, each round of motos taking only an hour. In the Elite Womens class (4 riders) Emma Franklin won all three, with Caroline Sabotka close behind and Kate Elliot looking a little off the pace. Elite Men (7 riders) was a little disappointing when it came to numbers, but there was plenty of action as each race was like a final. On paper the race should have been a 2 horse race with Tony Harvey and Jonathan "Jon Jon" Hoare leading the field, but Levi Collins and Ben Price had stepped it up for the weekend. No one particular rider looked dominant so it would come down to who would be the most consistant. "Jon Jon" had a bit of bad luck and put himself out of the running for the #1, but Levi was right up there with a chance. The Junior Elite men (10 riders) was shaping up to be a great battle between Scott Lacey and David Page, those guys were side by side all the way to the line in some great racing.
Sunday was a little strange though, riders were told no riding on the track on Sunday and that racing would start at 9 am sharp. It looks like someone had changed their mind and there was a practice session on at 9 am for an hour with racing starting at 10 am. Emma Franklin, Caroline Sobotka and Kate Elliot all hit up the big doubles in their practice session with the crowd watching on and cheering them along. The motos ran through smoothly once they started. Then a very long lunch break and then finals. In Elite Women Emma Franklin continued on her winning ways taking the #1 for 2004. In Elite Men the racing was more aggressive, making it more exciting for the spectators. It was Tony Harvey's experience and consistancy that took him to the #1 in the end. Levi Collins finished second with Ben Price in third. I think you can expect to see a new champion next year as the younger riders close the advantage that Harvey has had over them for so long. What would be nice to see next year, if there are enough for a final are 3 qualifying motos on Saturday and 3 finals on Sunday. In the Junior Elite final Lacey was a little slow on the gate and was shut down all the way up the first straight. Ahron Jeffree was first into the first corner but he went down. Page took the lead and didn't look back. Lacey was doing a great job making up ground and pulled within a bike length into the last corner until he dropped the bike and handed the win to Page.
The presentation was a big let down and seemed to drag out, but over all the meeting was well run, now if we can just do something to improve the number of riders for Portland next year, maybe lower the entry fees?

 

Last updated: Thursday, 2 April, 2009 7:33 AM