Vander Memorial Ride, GG Park to GG Bridge, San Francisco, Sunday 10/18/09

Oct 22, 2009

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 9839 times

For an afternoon in mid-October an intersection in Golden Gate Park was transferred back in time to the 1980's. The scene developed slowly like a lazy Sunday does; first a few bikes, then a few more and before you know it you've got 50 people with bikes and an impromptu jam circle just like back in the day when BMX freestyle was brand new. To think this used to happen every Sunday is almost unbelievable but it did. And, I'll venture to say that until this last weekend's 2nd annual Dave Vanderspek Memorial Ride,

this has not happened for 20 years.

This was actually the third time I've organized a reunion kind of ride in Golden Gate Park - once in '99, last year and this ye

ar. Each was fun in it's own right but this was the first time we had a bonified jam circle. Mostly thanks to the efforts of Pete Brandt who looped in all the dedicated flatland riders from the area and even some who made the trip from So Cal like Day Smith.

It's fun to see the different aspects generations and perspectives that are going on these days at an event like this. And, it's really great to see them all come together. For some it's a reunion kind of a thing where you haven't seen someone for 20 years.

For others, it's a chance to see what this scene was like (and I can say this was a good sampling). Then there are the old school builds aspect which aren't always the focus when a ride is going on. Kind of hard to bring all your show bikes when everyone is going to up and leave after lunch. Nevertheless, there were was nice bikes on-hand including a

good supply of Boss bikes which are the Nor Cal local's favorite having been made here. And, some of us are juggling kids who of course have a whole world of their own developing. One 10 year old even came on the entire ride. It's amazing how much of a community has formed around these little bikes.

Although it took a while, we somehow got the crowd moving for a short ride to The Brick at the Golden Gate Bridge to pay our respects to Vander. Dave did a lot to shape the sport/lifestyle of freestyle and makes a fitting icon for Nor Cal riders. Mainly because he really did ride/compete in everything - skateparks, vert, street, flat, race and even GPV and skating. He was also a tireless promoter of freestyle hyping the

Curb Dogs, setting up shows, running the first pro vert half-pipe contests. More than anything, Dave was an individual. In Dave's last couple years in the conte

st circuit, he wasn't winning like he had been earlier. Freestyle had gone more tech but he was unknowingly leading the rider's revolt on uniforms and the corporate uniformed look. Street soon became the focus of a lot of coverage but not long into that phase Dave passed away in 1988 sealing his forever young (24 years old) BMX icon status.

When a group of us goes to the brick, the unstated ritual involves a cleaning of the brick, some reminiscing, photo-taking and an endo-session. But, this year a few people took the Vander challenge. That challenge being the table-top bunnyhop. Because, after all these years a trick he did before freestyle contests existed has yet to be duplicated. It's been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I have to thin