Scot Breithaupt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Scot Breithaupt

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Personal information
Full name	Scot Alexander Breithaupt
Nickname	"Old Man", "OM"
Born	(1957-07-14)July 14, 1957 Long Beach, California, U.S.
Died	July 4, 2015(2015-07-04) (aged 57) Indio, California, U.S.
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	70.3 kg (155 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Bicycle motocross (BMX)
Role	Racer/promoter/manufacturer/sponsor
Rider type	Off-road

Scot Alexander Breithaupt (July 14, 1957 – July 5, 2015) was a key figure in the early days of bicycle motocross (BMX). He was a professional racer and a successful entrepreneur. Many people see him as a founder of "Old School BMX," which covers the sport's beginnings from around 1969 to 1987. Scot was born in Long Beach, California.

Scot Breithaupt: The Father of BMX

Scot Breithaupt was a true pioneer in BMX. He helped create the sport's modern structure. On November 14, 1970, he organized what was then called Pedal-Cross. He set up a track in a vacant lot in Long Beach, California. He also started the first group to organize BMX races, called the Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S).

How Scot Organized Early BMX Races

Scot was a teenage motocross (MX) racer for Yamaha. He used ideas from motorcycle racing to organize his BMX events. He created rulebooks, a points system, and different skill levels for racers. He also set up racing seasons, gave out trophies, and promoted special races. These special races were the first versions of what we now call National championships. In 1972, he put on the first California State Championships.

Scot was only 13 years old when he started organizing these races. Other BMX pioneers, like Ernie Alexander (who started the National Bicycle Association, NBA) and George Esser (who started the National Bicycle League, NBL), also came from motorcycle racing. But Scot was the first to bring these ideas to BMX.

The Nickname "Old Man"

Scot's nickname was "OM" or "Old Man." This was partly because he seemed older than his age. BMX was mostly for pre-teens and early teens back then. By the late 1970s, Scot was doing many things that were big for a teenager. He promoted races, led tours across the country, and taught racing clinics. He also worked with companies while still in his teens.

Later, his age became a running joke. In 1974, when he was 17, he promoted the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Finals. He couldn't race in the finals himself because he had turned 17 just before a qualifying race. Only riders 16 and younger were allowed. This confirmed his birth year as 1957, meaning he was 13 when he started organizing races in 1970.

Scot even played along with the joke. He would sometimes put a "?" for his age on race forms. He once joked that he started his company, SE Racing, when he was 14. This would mean he invented BMX when he was only seven years old!

Designing BMX Tracks

Young Scot didn't just manage his own track. He designed many other BMX tracks, including Saddleback Park B.M.X. Track and the La Palma Youth Village BMX track. These were big achievements for a teenager. Later, he designed and built Narler Park in Long Beach, California. This was the first track with a special section just for pro riders.

In his early years, Scot promoted many races. He also became the National Public Relations Director for the NBA in 1975. He announced many big events, including the 1975 Shimano Grandnationals. He also put on the very first Pro BMX race at Saddleback Park in 1975.

Scot's Impact on BMX

Scot Breithaupt was involved in almost every part of BMX. He raced, promoted events, announced races, and designed tracks. He also manufactured bikes, sponsored teams, and managed them. He even helped start and guide the first four major BMX magazines. He wrote some of the first articles for Bicycle Motocross News. He was also a writer and product tester for Minicycle/BMX Action, which later became Super BMX.

He was one of the first writers for Bicycle Motocross Action and helped start BMX Plus! magazine. After he stopped racing to focus on his company, SE Racing, he made it one of the most creative companies in BMX. Two bike frames he designed in the 1970s are still sold today in updated forms: the Quadangle and the P.K. Ripper. The Quadangle is known for its unique shape, and the P.K. Ripper was the first truly successful aluminum bicycle frame.

Scot also started the first classes for larger 26-inch bikes, called Cruiser Classes. This helped attract more adults to the sport. He even set records for long-distance bicycle jumps (with help from a motorcycle tow). He also helped start the first attempt at a professional Guild for racers in 1976. Scot was also one of the sport's first champions, winning the NBA National Champion title in 1976. Many early BMX stars got their start at Scot's B.U.M.S. course in Long Beach.

In 1978, Scot ran NBA-sanctioned races at a track in Carson, California, called the Runway. He did all the work, from promoting to setting up the track. He held the first Pro race at the Runway, which Harry Leary won. The first National race at Saddleback in 1979 was won by Stu Thomsen, who had just joined the SE Racing team.

Scot Breithaupt may not have been the very first person to put on a BMX race. But it would be hard to find anyone else who had a bigger impact on the sport.

Scot's Business Ventures and TV Shows

As an entrepreneur, Scot Breithaupt started over 25 different businesses. Most of them were related to sports, which he loved. Besides being a "founding Father of BMX," he was also a pioneer in promoting and televising extreme sports. These included BMX, Skateboarding, Karting, Mixed Martial Arts, Snowboarding, and Mountain Biking.

Scot produced over 400 TV shows, commercials, and videos. Here are some of his "firsts" in TV production:

• 1987: First TV show of BMX racing shown around the world.
• 1988: First Mountain Bike TV program.
• 1987: First BMX Freestyle TV show.
• 1987–1992: First to televise the ABA Grand Nationals for ESPN.
• 1988: First to televise Snowboarding.
• 1987: First to televise Skateboarding.
• 1987: First to televise GPV and Luge racing.

Other shows and TV series he worked on include:

• Action Cycle Sports Series (1988–1990)
• Nickelodeon Special Delivery (1987–1990)
• Kids Sports (1990–1992)
• Action Karting (1992–1993)
• History of Martial Arts (1993)
• Adrenaline High (1991)
• Guinness World Book of Records Day (1989)
• World Martial Arts Challenge (1993)
• IHBA Drag Boat Series (1991–1992)
• Vintage Grand Prix Series (1992–1993)

Scot Breithaupt's List of Firsts

• 1970: Created the first group to organize BMX with rules, points, and championships.
• 1971: Promoted the first California State Championships.
• Promoted and ran the first official paid BMX racing schools.
• 1972: Became the first California State Champion in the 16-over Expert Class.
• 1973: Promoted the first race where only trophies were given as prizes.
• Was the first rider featured in a store display for Matthews Motocross.
• Was the first featured rider in national news like Parade Magazine.
• Built the first city-owned BMX tracks for cities like LaPalma and Westminster, CA.
• 1974: Promoted and designed the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Series, with finals at LA Coliseum.
• Won the Expert Class at the first Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup event (but was disqualified for being too old).
• Was the first featured rider in the first issue of Bicycle Motocross News.
• Created the first BMX trophy figurine, based on pictures of himself.
• Was the first rider and promoter featured in an international magazine (Popular Mechanics).
• 1975: Promoted and designed the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup II, a two-day event with six different races.
• Was the first BMX rider on the cover of Shimano World Magazine.
• Promoted and announced the first BMX Pro Race at Saddleback Park with a $200 prize.
• Announced the first NBA Grand Nationals.
• Was the first Nike-sponsored BMX rider.
• 1976: Was the first to use a special teardrop shape for alloy bike frames (the Foiler).
• Was the first NBA Sidehack National Champion with Jeff Utterback.
• Created the first full BMX uniform (helmet, jersey, pants, and shoes).
• Created and led the first national tour of racing clinics and safety seminars.
• 1978: Created the first professional racing organization (P.R.O.).
• Co-founded BMX Plus magazine.
• Created the Cruiser Class, convincing NBA, ABA, and NBL to include larger bikes for all ages.

Scot Breithaupt's Racing Career

Scot started racing on November 14, 1970, when he was 13 years old. His first track was in Long Beach, California. He called it B.U.M.S. (Bicycle United Motocross Society).

Racing Milestones

• First race result: 1st Place.
• First win (local): B.U.M.S. BMX.
• First sponsor: Trickray (for BMX) and Yamaha (for motorcycles).
• First national win: He won a "proto national" race in 1974 but was disqualified for being 17, which was over the age limit of 16. His first official national win was in both Open class and Sidehack class with Jeff Utterback at the National Bicycle Association (NBA) Shawnee Nationals on July 17, 1976.
• Turned professional: 1975.
• First Professional win: 1975.
• Retired from 20" racing: May 15, 1977, to focus on his business and promotional work.
• Retired from pro racing: May 1983. He then raced in amateur cruiser classes for older riders.
• Returned to racing: In May 2005, at about 49 years old, he announced he would race for SE Bikes again in the BMX cruiser class.

Main Sponsors During His Career

Scot had many sponsors throughout his career. Here are his main ones:

Amateur Sponsors

• Matthews Motocross Products: 1973 – early 1974.
• Matthews Motocross/Yamaha International: Early 1974 – December 1974. He helped Yamaha create their famous Moto-bike.
• Dan Gurney All American BMX Bicycles/Bell Helmets: January 1975–.
• FMF (Flying Machine Factory): Early 1976 – December 1976.
• SE Racing: January 1977 – 1999. He founded this company and turned professional with it.

Professional Sponsors

• SE Racing: January 1977 – November 1999. Scot founded and owned this company. It started by selling stickers and T-shirts, then made its first bike part in 1978. Scot and his friend Mike Devitt lost control of the company in 1999.
• SE Bikes: 2005–2006. In 2005, Scot signed a contract to race for SE Racing again, the company he founded. This showed that BMX riders never truly retire!

BMX Titles Scot Won

Here are some of the major titles Scot Breithaupt won:

Amateur Titles

Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S)

• 1972 California State Championship.

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

• 1976 Open Grandnational Champion.
• 1976 National No.1.

National Bicycle League (NBL)

• 1980 16 Expert Grandnational Champion.

Professional Titles

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

• 1980 Pro Cruiser National No.3.

Notable Achievements and Awards

• He helped start BMX Plus! magazine and was a contributing editor for Bicycle Motocross Action and Minicycle/BMX Action. This means he played a big part in the three main founding BMX magazines.
• He put on the first event that could be called a pro-class race in 1975 at Saddleback Park.
• He was a founding member and President of the Professional Racing Organization (PRO), the first group to try and form a BMX professional racers' union.
• He invented the modern BMX racing Cruiser bike and the Cruiser class for racing them. In 1978, he convinced the NBA to start the Cruiser class.
• He also invented the inverted BMX racing bicycle stem, also known as a "gooseneck."
• He held the long-distance jump record for bicycles in 1979, averaging 76 feet. The record lasted for 10 years.
• He won the very first Pro Cruiser Main race in BMX history at the ABA Northwest National on January 18, 1981.
• In 1990, Scot Breithaupt was inducted into the ABA BMX Hall of Fame.

Significant Injuries

• In November 1974, he broke his ankle during a photo shoot for a book. People thought he might never race again, but he recovered by March 1975.

After His BMX Career

After a failed attempt to buy out foreign investors, Scot Breithaupt and Mike Devitt lost control of SE Racing in 1999. Scot then worked in promotion and real estate. However, he still stayed involved with the sport he helped create. In 2005, he raced for SE Racing (now called SE Bikes) in the amateur cruiser classes. This showed that older BMX riders can still enjoy the sport.

Scot Breithaupt passed away on July 4, 2015. He is remembered as a true legend and pioneer in the world of BMX. He was survived by his two sons, Scot Breithaupt Jr. and Brandon Breithaupt, his mother, Carole White Breithaupt, his brother Jeffrey Breithaupt, and sister Lynda Breithaupt Muenzer.

Images for kids

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  Scot Breithaupt, a founding father of BMX.

See also

In Spanish: Scot Breithaupt para niños