Multiple downhill and 4X world champion and 2008 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee Brian Lopes will also be inducted in to the American Bicycle Association BMX Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Oklahoma November 26.
Lopes, 37, started racing when he was 4-1/2 years old, taking his Schwinn Pixie and Rams football helmet to the track at Saddleback Park in California. At 10, Lopes hit the national BMX scene. Riding for a local bike shop, future BMX Hall of Famer Toby Henderson would help the team out with their gate starts, noticing Lopes and introducing him to SE Racing. At 17, Lopes turned pro, placing second in his first race; within five races he moved up to AA.
He then moved on to Mongoose Bicycles. Lopes had heard how ex-BMXers were making a good living racing mountain bikes. Mongoose gave him a shot, which lead to several World Cup and national titles. At one time, Lopes held the world record for bunny hopping and jumping on a BMX bicycle.
Other ABA BMX Hall of Fame inductees include:
Marvin Church who, with his dad, is credited with building the first straight-tube BMX frame in 1972, as well as cutting cranks apart and welding them to the future standard of seven inches.
Jon and Chuck Raudman, founders of Skyway Products, who introduced their light weight Skyway Tuff wheels and T/A frameset in 1982.
For more information, visit www.ababmx.com.
