Since coming back fully to the local scene in 2005, I personally have always talked about having a “New Jersey BMX Hall Of Fame”. A place to recognize the enormous contributions that New Jersey have made to the sport from racing to freestyle and even in the collecting realm as the stuff that was new school has become old school.
Since the funds to get a building, a committee and a whole organization together to make a Hall Of Fame happen is a more than a bit beyond my personal reach and also because no one else has taken up the mantle, I’ve decided to start the project right here on the BMXNJ site.
Over the coming months and years you will see names pop up here with pictures and descriptions of what these various people have done to help the sport-lifestyle of BMX in the Garden State. The depth of what NJ has done for BMX is deep from racing to freestyle we have ALWAYS been in the forefront of BMX. In the early days one of the first stops on the NBA (National Bicycle Association) Summer Tour was the now legendary Craigmeur BMX, one of BMX racing’s greatest promoters, Charlie Litsky, hailed from NJ. In freestyle, we had the biggest AFA contests ever, held in Wayne, New Jersey and for a time a company called General Bicycles sponsored the biggest name of the Old School freestyle era, R.L. Osborn. Beyond those few mentionables there are a LOT of people who deserve recognition in all realms of BMX in this state.
Although the BMXNJ Hall Of Fame will not be a “official” thing, the explanations behind the people in it and the person behind it, (me) who has over 35 years experience in all realms of BMX, will strive to make this, for all intents and purposes, legit.
I’ll also be asking for help from the general New Jersey BMX populace on who should be in here and most importantly WHY they should be in here. That way, going forward, the legitimacy of the BMXNJ Hall Of Fame will inspire other people to do whatever they can to help make BMX, whether it is racing or freestyle, bigger and better in the state.
Thanks for checking it out,
Brett