On Facebook, Rich Bartlett posted this picture and the following text. A lot of reactions were the result of this post. Here just a selection.
Posted on: September 29th at 21:36
Rich wrote: Check out these shady characters (picture above). In 1991 I got the invite from Gerrit Does to race at the European Challenge Cup VIII at Ponypark Slagharen in Holland. This was one of the biggest compliments in my career. Although still living on the edge we survived a week of racing and trips to Amsterdam. The stories were legendary and most of us came home hurt. I raced and jumped at this event and remember my knee being the size of a grapefruit coming home. The Europeans were so fast and serious, the sport was changing!
like by: Nico Does, Tim March, Dale Holmes and 125 others.
Rich Bartlett: Just like the olympics, the parade of athletes
Picture placed by Rich Bartlett.
Dale Holmes: Me and Paul Roberts got some background (in the above picture)
Gerrit Does: In background Christophe Leveque as well (just the left part of his face and helmet)
Jason Berry: 91 Hawks coach trip. What a trip!
Dale Holmes: Always Jason Berry
Jason Berry: Gerrit Does sure knew how to put on amazing events. Great times indeed Dale Holmes
Dale Holmes: BMX Talk by Steve Bardens and BillyWright
Rich Bartlett: Me and my Wildman! (=Todd Lyons)
Michael Frederick: Yes this race opened up all our eyes that the U.S. needed to step it up
Eric Block: So much hair.
Gerrit Does: It was my pleasure and an honour to have you guys present at our ECC event at Ponypark Slagharen and promote BMX as top-sport on Dutch National TV.
Rich Bartlett: There will never be words to thank you enough for what you did for all of us. I felt truly blessed! You were the United Nations of BMX and opened the globe for so many! I still really appreciate the opportunity and experiences that I had because of you!
Bernard Gant: What Rich Bartlett said! Thank you Gerrit Does!!!
Gerrit Does: You guys make me BLUSH. Thanks for the nice words, I appreciate that very much (in all modesty). You, the American Pro's from ending '70 s till the early '90 s helped us so much promoting BMX in Europe, you can't image. Think of Slagharen and Paris-Bercy as well as events in England: Thank YOU all.
Gerrit Does: By the way, thanks for this post Rich Bartlett
Phil Oo: Rich I have your pants, you wore in France
Phil Oo: In the past I rode with a BLOCK frame
Rich Bartlett: Was it one of the GPR imports?
Phil Oo: I don 't know, I think not
Tom Murphy: What hair band is this?
Terry-Shag Shaughnessy: Real nice Rich !
Shannon Gillette: MAY DAY!!! (Mike Day)
Gerrit Does: Rich Bartlett, you probably never saw the Broadcasting of this event. I got a DVD and you are prominenet in the "leader" of this program on TROS TV. Interested?
Rich Bartlett: Oh, so much! I collected everything. I never knew that even existed!
Paul Schoer: Kenny May, nicknamed "May Day".
Justin Davies: Bardens looks so soo guilty
BikeDr Port: Jeff thats a lot of hair in that pic
Eric Carter: You win the internet today with tha pic Rich Bartlett !
Lynne Witt: Love it!!!
Scott Dick: Billy Wright the legend in the check shirt, done more bmx miles than most.
Dave Hilton: Keep the pictures coming. Awesome.
To give you all an impression of this event, here some more pictures and articles about the 1991 Tjolk E.C.C. VIII at Slagharen:
Two pictures above, the US Pro's ready to leave Slagharen for Schiphol-AMS airport. 7 riders and a bus/coach that could hold 40 people, did bring them to the airport.
One of the leading National TV stations at the time called TROS, made very good publicity on our event in their national TV magazine. Also other TV stations made the same publicity in their magazines. In total over 5 million magazines were issued National wide in which they wrote about BMX and this event.
Since ATB/MTB was catching on seriously at the time here in Holland, we also had a demo ATB/MTB at the BMX track. US Pro's riding Batavus ATB's. Seen here fltr. Kenny May, Walter Tiemessen the TROS TV responsable guy, Gary Ellis and Todd Lyons on tha gate. Todd Lyons however broke the front fork of his ATB during a spectacular jump. Nobody got injured.
Above (2) and below (2) pictures thanks to and courtesy of INVERT Magazine. Text and Photos in that magazine on the 1991 ECC event were by Steve Bardens.
In these pictures US Pro's Todd Lyons and Bernard Gant (picture 1) and Tom Lynch (GBR) socializing with US Pro's Todd Corbit and Kenny May. Good times
Oct.2015.GD
