I mowed grass in the hot summer sun of FL for two years to save for my first bike! It was hanging in the widow of the local bike shop! Maxxed out Redline Proline! I paid the old man in ones and fives! it was 400 bucks back in 1979! Stu Thomsen was my Hero!
ha! I know that feeling. I had a paper route and delivered thousands of newspaper to support my BMX racing and lifestyle habit. I remember saving up for my GJS frame and taking all the parts off my Mongoose and swapping them over. I wish I still had possession of that bike. I never got to go to any Nationals to watch the guys I read about in the magazines. One weekend there was an Pro race at out local ABA track in Tucson, Stu Thomsen and Greg Hill showed up to collect the prize money. It was a big deal for the us to see these national ranked pro riders. A local pro beat them both. I remember how excited he was to have beat the top two riders in the country. I think he won $300 for first place.
He was big - looked big on a 24". Never raced him, but I raced Kosmala and a few other pros - totally smooth except for Anthony Sewell who raced on the edge.
@@johnmcvicker6728 Yeah. I seen Big Stu in New Zealand 🇳🇿 around 1980 he was Touring and he just Blew everything away with about 10 -15 Bikes lengths from Everyone else. Looks like Greg Hill & him had some Battles in the early days but I see Stu come from behind a few times from behind to take the win 🥇Stu was a great Finisher his Endurance was outstanding.
Ron, his bike, along with the whole team had the framesets, seatposts and bars made by a quality USA builder you probably knew of, but for sure not made at the main Huffy plant. The best thing about the dept store huffys during his reign and endorsement was his input on geometry but otherwise yeah, a HUffy
Stu went to GT to have them build his custom frame! Huffy stu bikes were for the kid who couldn't afford nice novice bike but had the Stu name on it. For me it was Team murray x20r...best bike under $170!
Greg Hill married Stu Thomsen's sister, so their brother-in-laws. That's amazing how Stu was able to power past Greg on the final straight. There is no usually a lot of passing in the final straight.
"The duke" of Oakley (but I can't remember his name). Speaker of the BMX Action trick team and icon of the Bicross de Paris/Bercy 84/85 : "Je ne vous entends pas !"👍😉
I was holding NBL national 9 14 x in 1979 when I declined Murry BMX full ride due to embarrassing issues. My CO sponsor and parental unit finance seemed more dignified. Now our man stu. Probably got a good check$$ for the embarrassing moment.
@@V8Deuce when the video pans across the back of the gate, you get a close up of Pete's trainers.. He's not wearing Vans, he's got a pair of Pony trainers on. They're just flat bottomed. I'd have thought all the pros wore Vans.
That was unbelievable how Stu Powered Passed Greg at the end like that.,.. Greg's legs must have been burnt out... or Stu just had more Power for days!!
My only regret in life is racing in the 80s/90s and not taking my training serious and not turning pro. ☹️ Drinking and chasing girls ruined the training, focus and determination required to be pro for me.
Norcos were a low cost version of "Red Line". I could only afford a Norco. But pretended I was Stu Thomsen. My friends looked up to me, I was always the first to test a new jump
Greg NEVER makes mistakes when he's out front except when Stu is behind him. Stu always makes him feel the pressure and Greg will slip up JUST enough for Stu to get past him. You NEVER want Stu Thomsen or Mike King behind you when you're in first. They will ALWAYS find a way to pass you.
Wonder if stu was actually riding a huffy frame ? Been told they had good frames made , then added huffy decals for the frames that were actually being raced by their pro riders ?
Ok .. so who was that riding for SE .. Toby Henderson? I remember reading about this race in BMX Plus .. i loved BMXA for specific reasons but Plus was way more informative. As for the comment about "BMX has come a long way" I'm not sure if that means what you're watching here is easier or ancient, i beg to differ. The BMX racing Pro class of today wished they had legit full sponsors and major $$$$ purses to compete for ..
Rod, Bickering and Toby Henderson raced that weekend. The Old Man did his manager thing. I took a great shot of them talking tactics before the final 📸
@@lastnameleonard I don't think it's faster, the tracks today combined with the size of the start hills and tires.. Today's riders will hit a higher top speed.. But, I agree that the skill of these guys, power and strength would be higher. I raced on dirt (as it should be, that's what the sport was invented to do) and then later or tarmac.. The skill of getting round a berm on shail was key, and a big part of racing. I lost that when I came back in the 2000's. It's all about the gate now.
@@staffh3815 yep, the gate was important. I've raced dirt and asphalt. Today's racing is not as rounded. Yes it's tough and requires a lot of skill, power and control. But it was better in the 80s for sure
@@rob4433 yea totally agree pal i raced early 80s it's way more dangerous now clipped in and a 5 meter start hill I've been watching the supercross live it's gnarly much more fun on dirt
📺 Get More Great Videos almost every day! bit.ly/stuntabiker
Might as well, all the bmx videos I click on end up being yours. You do know you own TH-cam as far as bmx goes right??
I mowed grass in the hot summer sun of FL for two years to save for my first bike! It was hanging in the widow of the local bike shop! Maxxed out Redline Proline! I paid the old man in ones and fives! it was 400 bucks back in 1979! Stu Thomsen was my Hero!
ha! I know that feeling. I had a paper route and delivered thousands of newspaper to support my BMX racing and lifestyle habit. I remember saving up for my GJS frame and taking all the parts off my Mongoose and swapping them over. I wish I still had possession of that bike.
I never got to go to any Nationals to watch the guys I read about in the magazines. One weekend there was an Pro race at out local ABA track in Tucson, Stu Thomsen and Greg Hill showed up to collect the prize money. It was a big deal for the us to see these national ranked pro riders. A local pro beat them both. I remember how excited he was to have beat the top two riders in the country. I think he won $300 for first place.
Haw haw haw, wee wee, Great race Stu! What a line up of Legends!
I think it was really cool that Stu signed autographs right after the race. Classy act.
Stu stayed on Greg ……. Awesome win!
Yep greg got some air on the last jump while stu rode it and powered past him.. class win🤘
The Golden years. All LEGENDS.
Amazing
Damn, seeing those Hutch Bear Trap pedals upclose brought back some very painful memories!!! 😂😂
A great example of how A CHAMPION REFUSES TO LOSE !!!!!!! PERIOD. THIS WAS ALL HEART. THIS IS WHY STU IS A LEGEND. REFUSING TO LOSE.
Agreed. Greatest BMX racer ever. . Should be in the sports Hall of Fame.
Cool to see O.M and the Duke of Oakley
Rod Beckering was in a nervous wreck that morning
Harry just sitting there like a boss! He was my favorite.
R.i.p
Harry Leary my great of great !! Legend battle racer
Harry used to do speed reps with 400lbs on the leg press back in high school
The 80s at the peak. This is my bmx
The old school bike were/are super cool. Rode one then and still ride one today.
Yeh.....lotsa chrome-moly then, flat pedals, some Skyways and the seats were up !
What's great to see is not a "clip in" pedal in sight . I use to worship these guys ,great video !!
Stu belongs in the USA sports "Hall of Fame."
Absolutely!!
Big Stu, No one can beat him when he was on Form.
He was big - looked big on a 24". Never raced him, but I raced Kosmala and a few other pros - totally smooth except for Anthony Sewell who raced on the edge.
@@johnmcvicker6728 Yeah. I seen Big Stu in New Zealand 🇳🇿 around 1980 he was Touring and he just Blew everything away with about 10 -15 Bikes lengths from Everyone else. Looks like Greg Hill & him had some Battles in the early days but I see Stu come from behind a few times from behind to take the win 🥇Stu was a great Finisher his Endurance was outstanding.
At this Level of Competition its Anyones Race. They Both Ruled the Bmx Planet back in the Day.
Isn't that SE founder Scot Breithaupt giving out the message at 1:00? So much old-school BMX royalty in this video!
3-years late, thanks TH-cam, but, I think that is Perry Kramer, of P.K. Ripper fame, not Scot.
db leary turbo pro is /was by far the most underrated set of all time , and it was killer . liked imy black chrome turbo better than my hutch pro
You know your a badass when you ride a huffy!! Even though his was one of the trickest bikes in existence!!
GReg HILL when I was racing was with GT and then started his own bike company Greg Hill products
Hill just ran outta gas at the end and Stu rolled on through for the win!
Look how high those seatpost are
This is a legendary line up.
Wow! That pass!
Right..Stu was the master at the finish line pass….
Stu- the greatest! Though I still clearly remember the disappointment when he went to Huffy! We knew they were junk.
Ron, his bike, along with the whole team had the framesets, seatposts and bars made by a quality USA builder you probably knew of, but for sure not made at the main Huffy plant. The best thing about the dept store huffys during his reign and endorsement was his input on geometry but otherwise yeah, a HUffy
I'd still take a piece of that junk now!!!
Stu went to GT to have them build his custom frame! Huffy stu bikes were for the kid who couldn't afford nice novice bike but had the Stu name on it. For me it was Team murray x20r...best bike under $170!
@@df-ln8sn I was a poor kid that couldn’t afford it but I mowed lawns and got a Hutch Pro Star $799 usd
I remember a guy who blew everyone away at our local track riding a Huffy. Kyle Stotenberg....
Stu doin' what Stu do.
Greg Hill married Stu Thomsen's sister, so their brother-in-laws. That's amazing how Stu was able to power past Greg on the final straight. There is no usually a lot of passing in the final straight.
Patrick, the other way around, Stu married Greg Half-sister
I've got the stomping stu DVD. it's brilliant, if you haven't seen it.. BUY IT!
Great Racing but who is the Bird in the Oakley T-Shirt at the gate? 😂
"The duke" of Oakley (but I can't remember his name).
Speaker of the BMX Action trick team and icon of the Bicross de Paris/Bercy 84/85 : "Je ne vous entends pas !"👍😉
STU JUST OUT POWERED THE MAN!! GREG HILL IS STILL THE GREATEST IN MY OPINION!!!❤
I was holding NBL national 9 14 x in 1979 when I declined Murry BMX full ride due to embarrassing issues. My CO sponsor and parental unit finance seemed more dignified. Now our man stu. Probably got a good check$$ for the embarrassing moment.
Pete rocking the Pony's
That's the first time I've ever seen Pistol Pete Loncaravich race in last place, and we grew up in the same Santa Ana neighborhood .
Did you see his trainers? Pony! You'd think everyone wore Vans right?!?
@@rob4433 What are you talking about ?!?!?
@@V8Deuce when the video pans across the back of the gate, you get a close up of Pete's trainers.. He's not wearing Vans, he's got a pair of Pony trainers on. They're just flat bottomed. I'd have thought all the pros wore Vans.
That was unbelievable how Stu Powered Passed Greg at the end like that.,.. Greg's legs must have been burnt out... or Stu just had more Power for days!!
Greg Hill didn't take that last berm well and Stu got the power down beautifully
Yep looked like greg got some air on the jump and stu kept his bike down and powered past🤘
Oh mercy it's Bercy
My only regret in life is racing in the 80s/90s and not taking my training serious and not turning pro. ☹️ Drinking and chasing girls ruined the training, focus and determination required to be pro for me.
Nah... if you were a Pro you could have done both! I mean wasn't the whole point of racing to Drink
and chase girls??? 🤣🤣 Just kidding!
But at least you had fun
Hmm... who does the race start?
Automatic
Norcos were a low cost version of "Red Line". I could only afford a Norco. But pretended I was Stu Thomsen. My friends looked up to me, I was always the first to test a new jump
I can remember when he hung out in NEBRASKA undisco pointing brief !
Man BMX racing has come a loooong way!
Has it really?
RIP Scott & Harry
Harry just chillin....
Greg NEVER makes mistakes when he's out front except when Stu is behind him. Stu always makes him feel the pressure and Greg will slip up JUST enough for Stu to get past him. You NEVER want Stu Thomsen or Mike King behind you when you're in first. They will ALWAYS find a way to pass you.
Wonder if stu was actually riding a huffy frame ? Been told they had good frames made , then added huffy decals for the frames that were actually being raced by their pro riders ?
Ok .. so who was that riding for SE .. Toby Henderson? I remember reading about this race in BMX Plus .. i loved BMXA for specific reasons but Plus was way more informative. As for the comment about "BMX has come a long way" I'm not sure if that means what you're watching here is easier or ancient, i beg to differ. The BMX racing Pro class of today wished they had legit full sponsors and major $$$$ purses to compete for ..
Rod bickering I think ,he died recently rip
Rod, Bickering and Toby Henderson raced that weekend. The Old Man did his manager thing. I took a great shot of them talking tactics before the final 📸
Thats what bmx racing is on a proper track...not the crap that passes for bmx tracks these days🙄
Really ita been 20 yrs but the way these guys have to pump jump ride, seems harder and faster?
@@lastnameleonard I don't think it's faster, the tracks today combined with the size of the start hills and tires.. Today's riders will hit a higher top speed.. But, I agree that the skill of these guys, power and strength would be higher. I raced on dirt (as it should be, that's what the sport was invented to do) and then later or tarmac.. The skill of getting round a berm on shail was key, and a big part of racing. I lost that when I came back in the 2000's. It's all about the gate now.
@@rob4433 it was always the gate
@@staffh3815 yep, the gate was important. I've raced dirt and asphalt. Today's racing is not as rounded. Yes it's tough and requires a lot of skill, power and control. But it was better in the 80s for sure
@@rob4433 yea totally agree pal i raced early 80s it's way more dangerous now clipped in and a 5 meter start hill I've been watching the supercross live it's gnarly much more fun on dirt
Couldn't understand a fukn word he said. Excuse my French.
Who wears short shorts?
Wtf was Scott doing. That was weird.
Why do all the 80's racer seem like full grown men to me.
BWCAUSE OF THE MAGNUM PI STASH
@@SAXONWARLORD1000AD exactly.
People back than aged faster.
Clipless for mtn bikes ok not bmx .....
.mtb is trash
I rode bmx,road and mtn bike all disciplines so much fun to ride for life...
An Stu came from the outside an pulled off that win!