(Update: Tim Cook emailed me last night and pointed out a few things! #34 in the photos is actually his brother Geoff Cook. #82 is Tim himself rocking the old school ashtabula cranks and forks. The photo in the gallery where Dechert is losing that pedal….1979 Craigmeur and the guy out front? Tim Cook! Thanks for the corrections, BMXNJ slips the pedals and bar endos again.)These pictures are so clear, so cool, so amazing and show what BMX, when we first did it, was all about. Number17x in one of these photos is Dave Dechert’s brother Dan racing in the 10 year old class. (just class no classification) The photo where #71 is out in front you can see a much younger Dave Dechert hanging as a spectator on the left in the back. (wearing the Budd Lake shirt) The photo where #77 is out front Dave is clearly visible behind him riding the #41 plate. Amazingly enough you will see in that picture, NJ legend Terry Zeuner (that is pronounced zainer, thanks Brian!) spectating. Finally the little dude with #34 on his plate, well that thar is Tim Cook.
To old farts like us, this kinda stuff can almost bring a tear to the eye and inner laughs remembering the innocence of those times. The beginning of for all intents and purposes, a movement.
You don’t get much more NJ roots then this right here. These photos show the earliest days of BMX racing in New Jersey. 1976, the USA was remembering it’s own revolution and the kids in the dirt trails, well they were having their own.