What was the first thing

Like many on this site I built, jumped, crashed, broke, and built again so many 20″ early wannabe BMX bikes back in the ’70s. “Junk Day” was shopping day for bikes as far as I was concerned.

For me it was natural evolution: I needed to find parts that did not break. I can’t be the only guy here who bought the cheap V-Bars at Two Guys Dept. Store, can I? But the old goose necks started snapping, so my dad and I went in search of the “Holy Grail”, a stem that would not break and also hold. 3 or 4 stems and several bike shops later I had my first Mongoose Gold Stem….then some KKT Pedals….and then some Tuff Wheels (with coaster brake!). At the bike shop they had those cool posters on the wall of BMX Racers doing something on a bike: roosting a turn, doing a kick-out, etc… Helmets with goggles and mouth guards, stylish uniforms, and lo and behold, A NUMBER PLATE! I think thats what did it for me. I was not even racing yet when I got my first plate and put #22 on it (don’t know why, but it looked cool). Got a BMX Action Mag and wow, this was what I wanted to do. Screw little league. (I had one overlap year)

The rest is history as they say.

the first thing for me had to have been watching the “older kids” riding and jumping their bikes and wanting to be like them. sheesh, that wouldve been around 79-81 or so…. i still remember seeing DG’s, loop quads, and motomag gooses.
we lived in a newly developing development in south jersey where there was alot of cleared lots with mounds in them from being septic tested. the older kids would carve trails and jumps into these mounds and lots and race around.
i had a huffy hand me down motorcycle looking bike that i cruised around on and rode around these trails (i was probly just like those little kids that get in your way now a days), the huffy bike got replaced by a sears “eagle 1” BMX bike, which ended up being upgraded with almost all new parts by the end of its life.
then i came by a randor bike, which is when joe moved from jersey city to our “hood” who was knowledgable on the new “freestyle” movement… i got a torker from him that his brother used to ride and fully realized that it was “2 wheels or no wheels” and just fell in love with being on a bike. it didnt matter if i was trying curb endos in 10 degree weather since our front brakes didnt work, jumping the dirt mounds in town, or just riding to cumberland farms to play video games……i just knew that bikes were meant for me.

how ’bout having the younger kid watch the big kid do a big jump and go out and ride off a curb (kinda like he’s trying to mimick the older kid)

Late seventies early eighties bunny hops off picnic tables,motomags,curb endos, trails by Dan Menapaces house……Spicoli and the checkered Vans…FREESTYLIN,SUPER BMX AND FREESTYLE,wedge ramp……………

MOto mags, Ha, I just get home form the hospital, and I’m not supposed to do anything, cause I was in bad shape from a road bike crash, my brother had a goose with moto mags, and he out back jumping off the picnic table in the back, and Ka Boom!!!!! Over he goes, mom comes home, and yells at me for being up , and asks where he is, “Mom, don’t worry, there’s not much blood”, she drops the groceries,and off to the hospital with another one. Yep Motomags