Stuart Winder, anyone know why he was called Pepi?
Pepi, from the mean streets of Carlisle, burst onto the national scene after a few early freestyle contests and then his appearance at BMX Beat, where he pretty much became a household name. Random kids at school who didn’t even own BMX bikes knew the name Pepi.
He had an instant charisma and magnetism that made him impossible to forget, along with the fact that he seemed fearless and rode a BMX harder than almost anyone around at that time. Pepi always seemed to thrive when all eyes were on him at a contest or demo.
Of course, a rider with that much energy was bound to come up with a few tricks of his own, and Pepi is credited with creating the Candy Bar air, a trick that riders still do today.
Pepi went from Ammaco to Vincent, where he became a regular fixture in the BMX magazines of that era. Tours, contests, magazine features, covers and interviews all became commonplace for him.
RIP Stuart “Pepi” Winder. You are sorely missed.
By John Dye
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