Gary Ellis

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Gary Ellis
Personal information
Full name Gary Leo Ellis Jr.
Nickname "The Lumberjack"
Date of birth March 21, 1966 (age 41)
Country Flag of United States United States
Height 1.91 m (6'3 Imperial)
Weight ~86.18-88.45 kg (~190-195lbs. Imperial)
Team information
Current team Retired (1998)
Discipline Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Role Racer
Rider type Off Road
Amateur team(s)
1979
1980-1981
1982-1983		 Pedal Pushers Bike Shop
Robinson Racing Products
Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.
Professional team(s)
1983-1984
1984
1984-1986
1986-1998		 Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.
Flying W
Huffy Corporation
GT Racing & GT Bicycles/WD-40
Infobox last updated on:
March 16, 2007

Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (b. March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington USA) was an American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer.

Gary Ellis was one of the last of the "Old School" BMX racers who careers started in the 1970's to early 1980's. His prime competitive years were from 1982-1996.

Nickname: "The Lumberjack". Like with Tommy Brackens being nicknamed "The Human Dragster", "The Lumberjack" was coined for Mr. Ellis by the BMX "play by play" announcers at nationals.[1] Due in part to his size, he was already 6' 2" tall and 190lbs at 16 years of age (he would eventually settle at 6' 3"); the thick beard and mustache he could grow even at that young age and often grew throughout his career to help intimidate his opponents by looking meaner and older; the fact that he hailed from Tacoma, Washington, a stereotypically American Lumberjack region of the United States; and the apocryphal story that that he sawed down a tree that was in the right of way of a practice track he was building in his front yard. He actually had workmen do that for him.

Contents

[edit] Racing career

Note: Professional first listed are on the national level unless otherwise noted.

Started Racing: 1977 Age 11.

First local race result: Second at the Tacoma Jaycees BMX track.

First local win:

Sanctioning body: Northwest Bicycle Motocross Association (NWBMXA), a short lived regional governing body in Washington State.

First national amateur win: At an American Bicycle Association (ABA) 15 Expert in Portland, Oregon in 1981.

First Sponsor: Pedal Pushers Bike Shop in 1979.

Turned Professional: December 1983, age 17

First Pro race: 1983 ESPN Pro Spectacular Final December 27, 1983; 2nd place "B" Pro and Pro Trophy.

First Pro win: 1983 Jag BMX World Super Bowl Championship December 29, 1983 in both "B" Pro and Pro Trophy.

First Senior Pro race result: Seventh place in "A" Pro at the National Bicycle League (NBL) Celebrity Race For Childhelp USA/International in Azusa, California on January 22, 1984. He moved himself up to "A" pro after the 1983 Jag World Super Bowl Championship. This was a charity event. The purse was only US$40 and 100% payback for the top pro finishers.[2]

First Senior Pro win:

Height and Weight at peak of his career (1989-1993): Ht: 6'3" Wt:~190-195lbs.

Retired: November 1998 after the 1998 ABA Grand National. Age 32.

[edit] Career factory and 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

  • Robinson Racing Products: 1980-December 1981. Began as a co-sponsorship.
  • Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.: January 1982-Early September 1984. Turned pro while on Kuwhahara. "Kuwahara" means "Mulberry Meadows" in Japanese.[3] The company is named after Sentaro Kuwahara who founded the company in 1916 in Osaka, Japan.[4]

[edit] Professional

  • Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.: January 1982-Early September 1984. Ellis quit due to a salary dispute with Kuwhahara a week after the NBL Grand National held on September 1 & 2.[5]
  • Flying W (bike shop): September 8, 1984-September 22, 1984. Interum sponsor between Kuwhahara and Huffy.
  • Huffy Corporation: September 23, 1984-March 20, 1986. Gary was sponsorless for over a month after Huffy dropped him.
  • GT (Gary Turner) Racing & GT Bicycles/WD-40: April 27, 1986-November 1998.

[edit] Career Bicycle Motocross Titles

[edit] Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • None

National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • None

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • 1983 17 & Over Expert Gold Cup Champion
  • 1983 17 & Over Expert National No.1 Amateur (National No.2 overall)*

*Beginning with the 1983 season the ABA instituted age class rankings, much like NBL practice. However, the overall National No.1 Amateur title was retained. Doug Davis was overall National No. 1 Amateur for 1983.
International Bicycle Motorcross Federation (IBMXF)

  • 1983 16 & Over Expert World Champion

[edit] Professional

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • None

National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • 1989, 1994 National No.1 Pro
  • In his last NBL race ever, the 1998 NBL Grand National held on September 6, 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky, he scored a perfect three wins in the pro main motos which as was BMX standard procedure for the pros, both ABA and NBL were run three times to minimize luck and to reward consistency. This performance that lead to his victory as Grand National Champion, (albeit not National No.1) was the capstone of his reputation as being at his best under pressure at very important races.

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995* National No.1 Pro

*There is a great unfortunate controversy involved with Gary Ellis's 1995 title. In 1995 the actual points winner, after soundly defeating the competition in the 1995 ABA Grand National was a Frenchman, Christophe Leveque. However, he was not awarded the title due to an obscure rule in the ABA rule book that you must be an American citizen to win the ABA No.1 Pro title. One had to wonder why did they let him race and collect points throughout the season in the first place if this was the set rule. Despite the flagrant violation of common sense, the rule stood (it has since been revoked) and Ellis was rewarded the title.

International Bicycle Motorcross Federation (IBMXF)

  • 1985, 1987, 1988 Pro World Champion.

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

  • 1993 Pro World Champion*

*The IBMXF merged with the UCI in 1993 and had been holding joint World Championships with the IBMXF since 1991, so the IBMXF stats are the direct precedents of the UCI.

[edit] Peccadilloes

As a young amateur he used to go off by himself and cry and sulk when he lost. As a Professional he was described as emotionless at races.[6]

[edit] Notable Accolades

  • Named as one of BMX Action's "Terrible Ten" of the 10 world's fastest amateurs to watch in 1983 as potential future top pros.[7]
  • Named as one of BMX Action's "1984's Hottest Rookie Pros."[8]
  • 1990 BMX Plus! "Racer of the Year" with 61% of the vote receiving 846 votes of approximately 1,387 cast. Won a Yamaha RT-180 MX motorcycle.[9]
  • 1990 Go Number One Racer Award (NORA) Cup winner.[10]
  • 1991 BMX Plus! "Racer of the Year" with 42% of the vote. Total votes not given nor derivable. Won a custom painted helmet by Bob's Krazy Brush.[11]
  • 1994 & 1996 winner of the ABA BMXer magazine "Racer of the Year" award.[12]
  • 1995 BMX Plus! "Racer of the Year"[13]
  • 1996 BMX Plus! "Racer of the Year"[14]
  • 1991 Go Number One Racer Award (NORA) Cup winner**
  • 1998 Snap*** NORA Cup winner with 20.2% of the vote. Total votes not given. Prize won: A Honda CR-125 motocross motorcycle.[15]
  • On the cover of 48 various BMX magazine covers. The July 1982 issue of BMX Plus! being his first one.
  • Gary Ellis is an 1998 ABA Hall of Fame Inductee.

* Go was what BMX Action/Freestylin new name until its demise in 1992.
**This was the very last NORA Cup to be awarded before Go ceased publishing. The NORA Cup would not be awarded for another six years until 1998 when Snap magazine brought it back with Gary Ellis winning in 1998.
*** Snap magazine, by acquiring the rights to the NORA Cup, became the spiritual heir to BMX Action/Freestylin magazine, which ceased publication in 1992 as GO magazine.

[edit] Significant Injuries

  • He has only three notable injuries over his career, which explains in part its 15 year longevity. Many pros like Mike Poulson for instance have had otherwise promising careers cut short by multiple serious injuries.

[edit] Events, activities and hobbies outside of Racing

[edit] Post BMX Career

Like a lot of former BMXers they have either returned to Motorcycle Motocross or picked it up for the first time. Gary Ellis revisited it. He also likes to relax riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Unlike many former top pro BMXers, he has never raced again in BMX after his retirement in 1998, not even the Veteran and Masters classes in the ABA and NBL respectively, not even for fun. However, this does not mean he totally abandoned BMX. He became the non racing team manager of the Nirve BMX Team in early June 1999.[16]

[edit] BMX magazine covers

Bicycle Motocross News:

  • None

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

  • January 1987 Vol.l2 No.1 (BMXA)
  • December 1988 Vol.13 No.12 (BMXA)
  • April 1990 Vol.1 Iss.6 main image. In insert freestyler Matt Hoffman (Go).
  • September 1990 Vol.1 Iss.11 in insert. Main images is freestyler Rick Moliterno (Go).

BMX Plus!:

  • July 1982 Vol.5 No.7 Gary's first cover ever.
  • May 1985 Vol.8 No.5 in insert with Pete Loncarevich, Tommy Brackens, Ronnie Anderson & Eddy King; Scott Clark in circular insert; freestyler Martin Aparijo insert; and freestyler Chris Meier as main image.
  • December 1985 Vol.8 No.12 with Pete Loncarevich (16) and Tommy Brackens (3). Also Dizz Hicks and Brian Scura (building quarter pipe) in separate inserts.
  • August 1986 Vol.9 No.8 In insert behind Scott Clark (10) and Shawn Texas (falling). Main image freestyler Ron Wilkerson.
  • September 1986 Vol.9 No.9 in photo composite behind Greg Hill (1), Tommy Brackens, Eric Rupe (1) and unidentified (15). Freestyler Eddie Fiola "above" them.
  • December 1986 Vol.9 No.12. (1x) in top insert ahead of unidentified (7). In separate insert freestyle Ken Powers. Main Image: Scott Towne.
  • August 1987 Vol.10 No.8 in bottom insert (6) slightly ahead of Greg Hill (3) and ahead of Charles Townsend (CW) and ahead of unidentified (23). Top insert freestyler John Ludvigson; Main image: freestyler Matt Hoffman.
  • May 1989 Vol.12 No.5
  • March 1990 Vol.13 No.3
  • October 1991 Vol.14 No.10 with Pete Loncarevich, Todd Corbitt & Steve Veltman.
  • March 1995 Vol.18 No.3

Bicycles and Dirt:

  • March 1983 Vol.1 No.7 in inset with Unidentified racer. Main picture: Steve Veltman.
  • September 1984 Vol.2 No.10 with Cheri Elliott and Brit Audeoud in separate frames.

Snap:

  • November/December 1995 Vol.2 No.6 Iss.7

[edit] BMX and general press magazine articles and interviews

  • "Gary Ellis: Kuwahara's Mr. Low Key" BMX Plus! October 1983 Vol.6 No.9* pg.40
  • "Sharpshootin'" side bar. BMX Action April 1984 Vol.9 No.4 pg.69
  • "Interview: Gary Ellis" BMX Action May 1984 Vol.9 No.5 pg.56
  • Mini-interview BMX Action August 1985 Vol.10 No.8 pg.46 Commentary on his race performance.
  • "Tom and Gary: Not to be confused with the cat and mouse" BMX Action February 1987 Vol.12 No.2 pg.64 Joint interview with Tommy Brackens.
  • "Gary Ellis..." BMX Action December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.24
  • "Get To Know Gary Ellis" BMX Action June 1988 Vol.13 No.6 pg.18
  • "Gary Ellis: Winning's His Business And Business Is Good" American BMXer December 1990 Vol.12 No.11 pg.30
  • Gary Ellis's BMX Plus! "Racer of the Year" interview BMX Plus! June 1991 Vol.14 No.6 pg.44
  • "Gary Ellis Here And Now, The Number One Rider" Snap Magazine January/February 1998 Vol. 5 Iss.1 No.20 pg.47
  • "Gary Ellis The Lumberjack prepares to hang up his ax" BMX Rider Fall 1998 Vol.1 No.1 (Premier issue) pg.55
  • "When He's Gone, He's Really Gone..." BMX Plus! January 1999 Vol.22 No.1 pg.45

*Due to a change of printing companies, BMX Plus! technically did not have a May 1983 issue. The issue succeeding April's was called the June issue.

[edit] End Notes

  1. ^ BMX Plus! October 1991 Vol.14 No.10 pg.67
  2. ^ Super BMX May 1984 Vol. No. pg.54
  3. ^ BMX Plus! April 1982 Vol.5 No.4 pg.23
  4. ^ Super BMX & Freestyle May 1986 Vol.13 No.5 pg.26
  5. ^ BMX Plus! January 1985 Vol.8 No.1 pg.12
  6. ^ BMX Plus! November 1987 Vol.10 No.11 pg.44
  7. ^ BMX Action May 1983 Vol.8 No.5 pg.87
  8. ^ BMX Action October 1984 Vol.9 No.10 pg.73
  9. ^ BMX Plus! July 1990 Vol.13 No.7 pg.45
  10. ^ Go August 1990 Vol.1 No.10*
  11. ^ BMX Plus! June 1991 Vol.14 No.6 pg.46
  12. ^ Gorkgraphics.com Site.
  13. ^ BMX Plus! August 1995 Vol.18 No.8
  14. ^ BMX Plus! December 1996 Vol.19 No.12
  15. ^ Snap January/February 1998 Vol.5 No.20 Issue 1 pg.41
  16. ^ bmxtreme 1999 article. Word search for "Gary Ellis" (without the quotation marks).

[edit] External links

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