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Author: Editor
It’s been 40 years this summer since you became the first British rider to win a World Championships. You also got 3rd in Open class that weekend. You were so young at the time. Did you realised what you had done?
Wow, has it been that long?! Honestly, I was so young I just didn’t take in what I’d achieved back then, couldn’t really understand the massive response to what I’d done as I was just a kid who loved riding his BMX and was a shy so felt a little awkward at times with all the attention. I was lucky enough to travel the country every weekend with my brother and dad and all over Europe. It’s weird, I look at my son now and he’s just turned 6 and I can’t imagine him doing what I did at his age. Pretty crazy when I think about it.
You received all kinds of media attention at the time including the major newspapers if I recall. How was all the attention back home?
It was crazy, as I said before, I was rather shy back then and was so young it just didn’t really sink in. I still watch the interview I did on breakfast tv and my mum has still got the sun newspaper and all the magazine cutouts bless her but I watch that tv interview now and still can’t quite believe what I achieved back then.
Back home in the UK you also became UKBMX National Champion that same year. Who were some of the guys you battled with?
There were some great riders around me back then that I used to race most weekends including, Scott Vogel, Sam Jarvis, Russ Swift, etc. I think we were the top 4 and we really and had great battles – apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone; there was Sam on Mongoose, Russ on Kuwahara, and me on Diamond Back. Brilliant times.
You were also on the very prestigious Diamond Back Factory Team. Do you remember your teammates and what it was like on the team?
Diamond Back was always my favorite factory team back then. My hero was Harry Leary and even before I got signed by them, I rode a Diamond Back and had all the outfits so to actually sign for them was just amazing. As I’ve shared, I was so young I can’t really remember the others on the team except for Jason Maloney, who took me under his wing and looked after me. Also, Tim March I remember as well, although Tim wasn’t on Diamond Back he too Iooked out for me. I think he and my dad used to chat on race days and I remember using his number plates when he first started producing them.
You also raced on a trick custom bike. Do you still have it?
Can’t remember the custom bike but I still have my Turbo Lite that Diamond Back gave me for winning the Worlds, it was the first one in Europe I believe so I’m always keeping that. I’d love to get it fully restored as it’s currently red and white! After I left Diamond Back I rode a year un-sponsored and I wore the red and white Hutch outfit which in my book was the coolest look around at the time. I had the bike sprayed red one side and white the other, and it looked really cool with the Hutch gear.
It looked like by 1985 you were winding things down in racing. Any reason why you retired?
I think it was taking its toll on my schooling and my mum thought at the time that that was more important. Diamond Back at the time was interested in me relocating to the States but she was having none of it. I often think about what my life would have been like if I moved to the States but I was so young they just didn’t think it was sensible at the time.
Do you still keep up with racing over the years? Or still, ride for fun?
I keep up with everything BMX on social media, it will always have a special place in my heart. I was always looking at how well you were doing Dale, absolutely smashing it here and then moving to the States and beating everyone over there! And now, the best English BMX racer ever, is giving me an interview! Very surreal.
Sadly, I don’t ride anymore but if either of my sons wanted to ever take up racing I’d love to support them.
Are there any other highlights from your BMX days?
The main highlight obviously was winning the Worlds but looking back I really hoped I gave hope or motivated the young kids who wanted to get into racing back then and hopefully pushed English BMX into the spotlight a bit.
What are you doing these days? On social media it looks like you are busy with family life.
Yeah, settled down to family life now Dale, nothing exciting like when I was young but I’ve got my amazing wife, Faye and my two amazing boys, Grayson and Hudson who are my world so I’m extremely lucky.
In what year and how did you discover BMX?
1982 was my first year. My dad knew Jamie and Jeremy Vince’s dad from the antique furniture trade. They were coming to race at the new Hillingdon track near us and said we should go along. We went to watch the first race then went back soon after.
Local scene / tracks?
Hillingdon was always my local and Region 9 – Slough, High Wycombe, Hemel, Hounslow then Harrow and the London skateparks and Pinner.
Your early day’s crew?
Lee Restall, CJ Butler, Michael Chenery, Bruce Hutchins, Dylan Clayton, Sam Jarvis, Ben Beasley were my local crew around my age. Then as I got older I rode with Paul Roberts, Bobby Hyde, Dean Iddiols, Keith Joseph, Winnie and the rest of the Hillingdon and London Locals. So many people through the years.
You were definitely one of the early riders that traveled to the US to race in the 80s. Can you remember much about your first trip and racing the Jag World Championships?
Not a great deal to be honest, just vague memories of the arena, water jump, having my photo taken with some of the pros, and winning a massive trophy.
You were so young but like so many were always one of the guys on the European trips. Favorite International events?
Slagharen was a treat in so many ways, the track was always so good to ride. Any trip to Europe was always fun, getting to ride new tracks and hang out with the euro crew.
How were some of the guys you battled with in the Am days?
I was never overly competitive, but there were a few guys that it felt nice to beat.
What teams did you ride for?
I think Revcore was my first sponsor, then onto Mongoose. UGP, Giant, Spooky, Edwardes, Beamish Bike Shop and DMR. S&M have always helped me out in some way.
Tell us about TwoAnd8?
It is a clothing brand I started in 1994 which ran well for a number of years, then slowed down for a while. I realised at the start of last year that it was 28 years since I started the brand, so we did an anniversary tee which people seemed to like so we have decided to reignite the flame and see where it goes. Stay tuned, much more planned for 2023.
Proudest moment result wise in BMX?
I was never really a results guy, I just enjoy riding my bike. Some of the more memorable ones were when I was racing master class then into elite. Not necessarily wins but good battles and fun days on the bike.
Name some of your favorite UK riders?
So many to name, mostly people I grew up riding with – Paul, Dylan, Murrays, Ross, Fortes, London / Union crew more recently going to Hastings & Sidley and hanging out with Rikki, Ian, and Dulys.
You traveled frequently to the US over the years. Where were some of the places you raced/rode visited?
Mostly Cali – Sheep was always a favourite, Hidden Valley, Orange. So many places over the years.
In addition to all the BMX stuff, what do you do for work these days?
As well as TwoAnd8, I’ve been working on a new project with my girlfriend – Cornwall Skatepark Map. Check it out, I’ve been visiting and documenting all the skateparks in Cornwall, we are in the process of producing a free map. I also work part time in a surf shop.
BMX in 2023, how much do you ride these days?
As much as I always have, if not more as I get older, I appreciated the time on the bike. Since moving to Cornwall last year, I’ve been riding some of the many concrete parks down here. Trying to ride dirt and pump tracks as much a possible.
Could you ever see yourself stop riding?
I don’t think so, as long as I keep fit and healthy I can’t see a reason to stop.
Future?
Keep building the TwoAnd8 range and see where that goes. More riding.
The 2023 British BMX Hall of Fame will take place this year at The National Conference Centre and Motorcycle Museum, Solihull on Saturday 11th November.
We are already in the thick of it with planning. We welcome everyone’s thoughts and comments, so feel free to engage with us via email or our Facebook and Instagram pages. We appreciate the feedback and the conversations and debates they generate.
One announcement we have is that Andy Ruffell will no longer be working with us on the Hall of Fame for 2023. We part on amicable terms and want to thank Andy for all of his work on last year’s Hall of Fame event. We all wish Andy the best of luck and success with his film and music industry projects.
We also welcome Daryl Gibbard as our lead design guru who will be in charge of all things HOF design related. Those of you who bought merchandise at last year’s event will already be familiar with Daryl’s work.
Right now we are considering the addition of a few more categories for 2023 and opening up the nominees from 8 in each category to 10, among a few other planned changes.
On the Freestyle side, we’ve teamed up with Will Smyth and DIG BMX Magazine plus some other soon to be revealed freestyle big hitters to have a more specialist selection group/panel in place for the freestyle categories. More to come on that in the near future.
We will also be adding more people to the general selection/voting panel who specialize in specific categories, including some of last year’s inductees.
A full update on our Organizing Committee and the selection panel is coming soon. Please feel free to continue to send thoughts, comments and input.
Dale, Mike and Darren.
In 1984 at the age of 16, Geth was picked up by Nottingham’s Bunnies Bikes GT. Geth was making a name for himself, but his real break-out came at the 1984 NBMXA National at Ribby Hall. Geth battled with GT Factory rider Scott Williams, and they both crashed out going for the win, but it was apparent there was a new sheriff in town. Geth ended the season as NBMXA National Champion. In 1985 Geth Joined the new Pro Class, he proved he was the real deal, by securing the No.2 pate behind Andy Ruffell, however, the real highlight was Geth’s historic win at the Kellogg’s TV Series against riders like Stu Thomsen and Harry Leary! In 1986 Geth broke his ankle mid-season in a skateboarding accident and today he’s still riding road bikes for Charity, so now, we are proud to welcome Geth Shooter into The British BMX Hall Of Fame!
Carole Gosling was born into the cycling world as her grandfather started the family’s bicycle business, Edwardes Cycles, in 1908. In fact, she lived above the family bicycle shop for the first ten years of her life and her grandfather, Harold, known as Jack, was a championship-winning track racer.
When BMX came along in the early 80s, Carole’s son Clive got his first BMX and shortly after they were racing at Buckmore Park, where Carole took her first job, taking the car park fees. She quickly moved into a role that she did for many years where she was one of the infamous UKBMX finish line ladies. Then in 1985, Carole was elected as treasurer of UKBMX which led her to becoming the European treasurer of IBMXF. Carole was instrumental in organizing the Slough World Champs from writing the moto sheets at 4 o’ clock in the morning, to boiling eggs for the VIP egg and cress sandwiches.
Carole integrated herself into the UCI when they absorbed IBMXF in the early 90s, becoming a commissaire and UK Team Manager at multiple World Championships. Carole was invited by the UCI to be the secretary of various UCI World Cups and when the 2012 Olympics came along, Carole was the UCI secretary to the event, authorizing the results after each race.
Apart from these great personal achievements, Carole is everyone’s favorite mum, helping many racers get to events all over the globe who needed a little help. The amount of time she spent at the foot of a west London tower block honking her horn and waiting for Winnie Wright to come down with his bike cannot be measured lightly!
Carole took a few years off when her mother was too poorly to be left alone but soon found herself helping out once again at events, and she can still be seen today working the start hill and generally being what everyone has come to know Carole for, being a consistent figure of stability and commitment to the sport that she, and we, all love.
Neil Ruffell started his BMX Career in racing in 1983, but that didn’t last long, after he spent many weekends at Rom Skatepark, he realized his true calling was Freestyle. His big break came when he joined the Skyway Freestyle team with Craig Campbell and traveled the world doing Freestyle shows and kicking his brother’s ass on the ramps. You could say he had a Love / Hate relationship with the British Freestyle Association in the mid-80s, being disqualified and courting controversy. But the truth was he was way more interested in doing legendary airs at Southsea King of The Skateparks comps and riding his legendary homemade ramps at Mission Grove in Walthamstow. At The Kellogg’s in 1985, he came 2nd to Ron Wilkerson then after a split with Skyway, Neil developed his own Freestyle Frame & Fork called the Holeshot RF1. Sadly, we lost Neil in 2004 but he will always be remembered as a true Pioneer of BMX Freestyle. We are proud to welcome Neil Ruffell into the British BMX Hall Of Fame.
Malcolm and Sue Jarvis are legends of our sport, and for good reason. It all started in 1978 when a friend mentioned this new thing called BMX in the states, within days Malcolm was on a plane to California and met with the Legendary Skip Hess, Scot Breithaupt and Bob Haro. Deals were done and one of the very first BMX tracks were built in Malcolm and Sue’s back garden for their 5 kids to ride on. By 1979 The Jarvis’s spent months posting BMX info to 400 media stations and the phone didn’t stop ringing. By 1980 Ammaco were bringing in 1000’s of Mongoose bikes, Sue Jarvis was managing and promoting the Mongoose Factory team.
Arguably the Mongoose Factory team can be called the greatest British BMX Team in history, with riders like, Andy Ruffell, Tim March, Craig Schofield, John and Steve Greaves, Wayne Llewellyn and dozens of other riders getting their first break on the team. British BMX thanks you Malcolm & Sue Jarvis and we are proud to welcome you to the British BMX Hall Of Fame!