FLAT PLAYING FIELD FOR GLORY

I saw the Sport of Vintage Motocross for what it really was. It isn’t about recreating the past. It isn’t about motocross legends, although all of us get all jazzed - thrilled to meet our boyhood heroes – including me. But they aren’t really what the sport is about. It isn’t really reliving anything. Really it’s about US. Us guys that are racing these bikes, right now.

So whenever I made a new shirt I put a current racer on it. The helmet is a modern helmet, and the gear is modern gear. But the bike is a Vintage Bike. And that’s fine. THIS is what we are doing – and THIS is what it looks like.

None of us regular guys got to be on the front page of Cycle News, or Dirt Bike. Or the Rolling Stone. And while my website is a modest creature compared to those celebrated & established focal points, it is what I had to offer. Riders were delighted to be featured on the website, especially the cover page, and for me that, very significantly, WAS the reward.

Jeff Kuykendall, floating above the earth's crust
One of my favorite photo- crystalizing the moment - a new scene in 2004 :
Man, machine, and the distant Volcano...

GENESIS

Ages ago - back in the early 90s, I was Road Racing my RD400. Only one time in seven years, on a dark July day in absolutely pouring rain – did I ever win a race. Everyone had stayed home, and I only had to beat two riders. But I had won a motorcycle race fair & square, to me that was huge.

But when I went pick up my trophy the club president informed that there weren’t five guys in my class and therefore I would receive no trophy. I was disgusted – you’re kidding right? The club is in a hole ‘cause it’s raining, and you’re going to penalize those who came and paid, who are gonna rescue the day, and reward those who stayed home.

In the end they did reluctantly give me the trophy. It wasn't the trophy, it was the fairness. At the time I remember thinking if I am ever in charge of anything – and of course I had absolutely no idea I’d be running a race series - EVERYONE will have the same chance to get recognition – to get his name in the paper, or his photo on a poster.

ALL EQUAL

And that is how my approach was born – that riders fast or slow, young or old, especially those participating on the most moderate level be featured. That each person get exactly the same chance to be in the paper, on the poster, in a shirt design. Because it's us. WE are what matters here. (Not me of course, I always wanted to be on a shirt, but it was too easy, never important enough to skip the next racer whomever he was on any given year.)

LEFT : YZ Man Mark Schmidt first rider on a H&T Shirt

CENTER :: Tom McAllister on his sidepipe CZ a Woodland

RIGHT : Jeff Ramsdell on the 450 Husky
the Washougal Photograph became the McQueen Race image