Eric Rupe

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Eric Rupe
Personal information
Full name Eric Fitzgerald Rupe
Nickname "Big Daddy"
Date of birth June 14, 1963 (age 43)
Country Flag of United States United States
Height 1.78 m (5'10" Imperial)
Weight ~72.58-77.1 kg (~160-170lbs. Imperial)
Team information
Current team GT Bicycles
Discipline Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Role Rider
Rider type Off Road
Amateur team(s)
1976
1977
1977		 Canyon Schwinn Cyclery
Rick & Rick Racing
Schwinn Bicycle Company
Professional team(s)
1977-1980
1981
1981-1983
1983
1984-1990
1991-1992
1993-1994
1995-1997
1997-2007
2007		 Schwinn Bicycle Company
SE Racing
Mongoose
Profile Competition Racing Products
Mongoose
Haro Designs/Bicycles
Pro Forx-GHP
Parkpre Bicycles
Mongoose Bicycles
GT Bicycles
Infobox last updated on:
March 16, 2007

Eric Fitzgerald Rupe (b. June 14, 1963 in Reseda, California) is an "Old School" American professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978-1990.

One of the most underrated Pro BMXers in its history, he also had one of the longest careers in BMX. He nominally retired from Senior pro racing after the 1990 American Bicycle Association Grand National but would go on to participate in Pro BMX competition on a serious basis for another 11 years, albeit in Masters/Veteran pro class, the class for racers past their peak competitive years, much like the Champions Tour (formally called the Senior PGA Tour) in golf. He wa given the term "Big Daddy" at a 1988 Rockford ABA race by the anouncer Dugan Finnel. He used the pharase “Big Daddy coming out on fire” for his win in Senior pro that day. He specifically called him that because he knew Eric was a father by then with a few children at home.[1] Eric was one of the first racers to become a family man when he had his first child in 1984 (albeit Greg Hill became a father in late 1983) His clean cut born again Christian lifestyle and philosophy lent greatly to the family man image.

Contents

[edit] Racing career

Note: All first in Pro Class are on the national level unless otherwise noted.

Started Racing: December 1974 Age 11.

First local race result: Sixth place over all (out of eight in his 11 Novice class) at the Van Nuys Youth Center in Van Nuys, California. Did not make main.

Sanctioning Body: National Bicycle Association (NBA)

First sponsor: Canyon Schwinn Cyclery (Bike Shop) April 1976

First win: February 1976 (local)

First national win: 13 Expert, September 1976 NBA Fall Nationals in Las Vegas

Turned Pro: 1977 Age 14* In a March 1988 BMX Action interview with Eric Rupe it has him listed as turning pro when he was 13, but in the sidebar "The Life and Times of Eric Rupe" it is listed as having him do so in July, 1977. If he was born on June 13, 1963, that would have him being 14 years of age in July of 1977 not 13.[2]

First Pro* Race result: Third place, US$3.00 winnings.

First Pro Win: July 1980 at a National Bicycle League (NBL) National.

Height & weight at the height at his career (1983-1988): Ht:5'10" Wt:~160-170lbs.

Retired (Nominally): After 1990 ABA Grand National age 26. It was according to Eric a force retirement due to the unsatisfactory contracts that was offered him by Mongoose[3]. He even made a formal announcement prior in the September 1990 issue of American BMXer, the American Bicycle Association's newspaper[4] in a letter dated July 24, 1990. However, while he may had retired from the points chasing top pro circuits that contends for no, 1 Pro for the year, racing was not out of his system. Like a lot of retired BMX racers who come back and race a national or two for old time's sake and to keep a thumb in the pie, Eric raced occasionally after his retirement. His post "retirement" racing was one of the more active. He raced in the October 26-27 1991 ABA Fall Nationals along with fellow retirees Stu Thomsen and Harry Leary. He had himself reclassified as an "A" pro and came in second to Eric Carter in that division as well as third in Pro Cruiser on Saturday and a fourth in Pro Cruiser on Sunday. In the ABA Grand National of that year he raced and won the Pro Cruiser Class. Most returning pros did it mostly for fun but Eric had a serious cant to his "semi-retirement". He raced in the 1991 ABA Grand National on December 1st, getting a first place in Pro Cruiser. Beginning in 1995, he would race and totally dominate in the mid and late 1990's and early 2000's the ABA Veteran Pro Cruiser class and win the 2000 and 2004 NBL Masters class no. 1 plate. He is still racing seriously in the ABA's Veteran Pro and NBL's Master classes as of 2006. He is 43 years old.

*During the era Eric Rupe turned pro, there wasn't a two tier system of Junior and Senior pros.

[edit] Career factory & major bicycle shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage at the time in question.

[edit] Amateur

  • R & R (Rick Ankron & Rick Varner[5]) Racing: February 1977-June 1977
  • Schwinn Bicycle Company: June 1977-November 1980 Eric turned pro with this sponsor.

[edit] Professional

  • Schwinn Bicycle Company: June 1977-November 1980 He left Schwinn when he got indications that he and his brother Robby Rupe was about to be dropped by them.
  • SE Racing (Formally Scot Enterprises, Now called Sports Engineering, Inc.): February 1981-Nov 1981. Left under unprofessional circumstances.[6]
  • Mongoose (BMX Products): November 1981-February 1983.
  • Profile Competition Racing Products: February 1983-December 31, 1983.
  • Mongoose (BMX Products): January 1, 1984-November 25, 1990. Retired nominally after the 1990 season due to Mongoose's drastic cut in his salary, from $25,000 a year to $3,000. During the 1990 season Eric was forced to get a normal job to support his family, This cut into his training and practice time significantly which in turn affected his performance at races negatively. Mongoose was going to cut his salary even more which what provoked his-as it turned out-brief retirement.[7]
  • Haro Designs/Bicycles: October 1991-December 1992. By late 1991 his brief retirement was over. Following Ronnie Anderson's example in 1990, He had himself reclassified as an "A" pro in the ABA.
  • Pro Forx-GHP (Greg Hill Products): January 1993-
  • Parkpre Bicycles: 1995-1997.
  • Mongoose Bicycles (formerly BMX Products): 1997-February 3, 2007. This was his third stint with Mongoose.
  • GT (Gary Turner) Bicycles: February 2007-


*Pros could race in the amateur classes at the time.

[edit] Career bicycle motocross titles

[edit] Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • 1976 13 Expert Western States Champion
  • 1977 Local #1 in 14 Expert

National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • None

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • None

[edit] Professional

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • None

National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • 1983, 1984 National No.1 Pro
  • 1987, 1988 National No.1 Pro Cruiser
  • 1995 National No.1 Vet Pro
  • 2000, 2004 National No.1 Masters Pro
  • 2000 "A"* Pro National No.1
  • 2002 "A" Pro Cruiser National No.1

*By 2000 the NBL would adapt ABA practice and designate "AA" pro as the Senior pro division and rename "B" pro/Super Class to "A" pro.
American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • 1987, 1988 National No.1 Pro Cruiser
  • 1995, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01 National No.1 Pro Veteran Cruiser
  • 1998 World Cup Pro Cruiser Champion
  • 1999 Race Of Champions (ROC) "A" Pro Champion
  • 2001 Veteran Pro World Champion

United States Bicycle Association (USBA)

  • 1984 National No.1 Pro

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

  • 1987, 1989 Pro Cruiser World Champion

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

  • 2005, 2006 40-44 Cruiser Champion.

[edit] Notable accolades

  • Winner of the BMX Plus! 1985 Racer of the Year Award with 44% of the reader survey vote. Won a Honda Elite Motor Scooter.[8] This was the first ever BMX Plus! Racer of the Year award.
  • 1988 ABA Hall of Fame Inductee.

[edit] BMX Product Lines

  • 1985 Mongoose Eric Rupe Signature Edition racing bicycle.[9][10]

[edit] Peccadilloes

For whatever reason, Eric Rupe had rarely raced ABA since its inception in 1977 until January 1984. In fact until the GT Supernationals held on January 27, 1984 in Burbank, California it was only the fourth ABA national he ever attended. He happened to double, winning "AA" and Pro Open class at that one, his first ABA national wins as an amateur or professional.[11]

[edit] Notable events and pastimes outside BMX

He got married on June 2, 1983 to Kathryn H. Meleski (he proposed in Februrary 1983).

Eric is the proud parent of three boys. Eric Mathew Rupe born on August 5, 1984; John David Rupe born on December 13, 1986; and Kevin Phyllip Rupe born on September 13, 1989.

Mr. Rupe is a born again Christian. Also Eric had a love of golf and video games almost the equal of his love of racing.

[edit] Significant injuries

  • Tore Ligaments in ankle at the NBL Memphis National on March 31, 1985. Was supposed to be laid up for only three weeks but it stretched to two months.[12]
  • Badly injured knee on November 3, 1985 at the ABA Lake Elsinore Fall Nationals race. Laid up for four and one half months.[13]

[edit] BMX magazine covers

Bicycle Motocross News:

  • None

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

  • July 1985 Vol.10 No.7 in insert with Mike Miranda following. Brad Birdwell main image.
  • July 1987 Vol.12 No.7 (BMXA)

BMX Plus!:

  • January 1983 Vol.6 No.1
  • June 1984 Vol.7 No.6 main image. In insert Stu Thomsen.
  • December 1984 Vol.7 No.12 (22) in insert with Clearance Perry (20) (top center). In other inserts Pete Loncarevich (73) & Anthony Sewell (13) (bottom center); freestylers Mike Dominguez (top left); Woody Itson (top right); Rick Avella (bottom left); Ron Wilkerson with Shawn Buckley clowning around.
  • February 1985 Vol.8 No.2 in insert. Main image: Toby Henderson.
  • April 1985 Vol.8 No.4 main image. In insert Harry Leary (2) & Eddy King (5).
  • September 1986 Vol.9 No.9 in photo composite behind Greg Hill (1), Tommy Brackens and ahead of Gary Ellis (1) and unidentified (15). Freestyler Eddie Fiola "above" them.
  • October 1986 Vol.9 No.10 In bottom insert (2) behind Pete Loncarevich (3) ahead of, Eddy King (6.) In upper insert Robby Rupe, Scott Towne, Bill Griggs, Dave Cullinan & Tim Ebbett. Main image Todd Anderson.
  • November 1987 Vol.10 No.11 (5) with teamate Travis Chipres (8) following.

Bicycles and Dirt:

  • None

Snap:

[edit] BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles

  • "Eric Rupe" BMX Plus! January 1982 Vol.5 No.1 pg.20
  • "Top Pros Speak Out" BMX Action April 1982 Vol.7 No.4 pg.62 Joint interview with Stu Thomsen, Greg Hill, Kevin McNeal, Harry Leary, Brent Patterson, and Scott Clark, speaking about various issues facing the racing world.
  • An Eric Rupe side bar. BMX Action August 1982 Vol.7 No.8 pg.40
  • "Eric Rupe: A New National Number One Pro." Super BMX January 1984 Vol.11 No.1 pg.70
  • "Eric Rupe" BMX Action March 1984 Vol.9 No.3 pg.42
  • "Devonshire" BMX Action July 1984 Vol.9 No.7 pg.31. One of eight mini-interviews with other racers held during the 1984 Devonshire Downs NBL race.
  • "Eric Rupe on...Turning Losses Into Wins" Super BMX September 1984 Vol.7 No.9 pg.38
  • "Moto-Notes: Jawin' With Eric Rupe" BMX Action December 1984 Vol.9 No.12 pg.60
  • "My Road To The NBL #1 Pro Plate" Super BMX & Freestyle June 1985 Vo1.12 No.6 pg.34 Story written by Eric Rupe.
  • "The Champs: Eric Rupe" BMX Plus! April 1988 Vol.11 No.4 pg.40 One of six mini articles of the six ABA National No.1 winners of 1987.
  • "Cook with Eric Rupe" BMX Action March 1988 Vol.13 No.3 pg.62
  • "The Big Daddy of BMX" BMX Plus! April 1991 Vol.14 No.4 pg.24

[edit] End Notes

  1. ^ bmxmania.com January 10, 2007 interview.
  2. ^ BMX Action March 1988 Vol.13 No.3 pg.64
  3. ^ BMX Plus! April 1991 Vol.14 No.4 page 26. (Table of contents page is mislabeld March 1991)
  4. ^ American BMXer September 1990 Vol.12 No.8 pg.10
  5. ^ Bicycle Motocross News April 1975 Vol.2 No.3 pg.10
  6. ^ BMX Action March 1988 Vol.13 No.3 pg.63
  7. ^ BMX Plus! April 1991 Vol.14 No.4 pg.26
  8. ^ BMX Plus! June 1985 Vol.8 No.6 pg.38
  9. ^ BMX Action August 1985 Vol.10 No.8 pg.56 Official BMX Action test article.
  10. ^ BMX Plus! February 1985 Vol.8 No.2 pg.24 Official BMX Plus! test article.
  11. ^ BMX Plus! May 1984 Vol.7 No.5 pg.66
  12. ^ BMX Plus! July 1985 Vol.8 No.7 pg.5
  13. ^ BMX Plus! April 1986 Vol.9 No.4 pg.8

[edit] External links

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