Debra Lynn Kalsow was an American amateur "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)

BMX

Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...

 racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981-1985.

Racing career milestones

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Started racing: At age 11 in 1979. She presuaded her reluctant father to let her race like her brother Dennis "Digger" Kalsow.

Sanctioning body:

First race result:

First win (local):

Home sanctioning Body district(s): National Bicycle Association

National Bicycle Association

The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...

 (NBA) District "A" (Arizona) 1979-1981;
American Bicycle Association

American Bicycle Association

The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...

 (ABA) Arizona-1 (AZ-1) 1979-1985.

First sponsor: East Langsing Cycle Shop 1979.

First National race result: Third place at a National Bicycle League

National Bicycle League

The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...

 (NBL) in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 on July 4, 1979.

First national win:

Turned Professional: No Professional Career

Retired: 1985

Height & weight at height of her career: Ht:" Wt:lbs

Amateur

• East Langsing Cycle Shop: 1979-1980
• JAG BMX: 1980-September 6, 1981
• CW (Custom Works) Racing: September 6, 1981-1985. The owner of CW Racing's Roger Warsham offered Debbie a sponsorship after the end of the ABA 1981 Fall Nationals in Devonshire Downs, California.

Amateur

National Bicycle Association

National Bicycle Association

The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...

 (NBA)

• 1981 11-13 Powder Puff Grandnational Champion

National Bicycle League

National Bicycle League

The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...

 (NBL)

• 1979 11 Girls National No.1
• 1984 16 & Over Girls National No.1

American Bicycle Association

American Bicycle Association

The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...

 (ABA)

• 1980 Intermediate Powder Puff Grandnational Champion
• 1981 13 Girls U.S. Gold Cup Champion.
• 1981, 1982 Arizona District #1 (AZ-1) Girls No.1
• 1981 13-14 Powder Puff Grandnational Champion
• 1982 National No.1 Girl.
• 1983 15 & Over Girls U.S. Gold Cup Champion.

United States Bicycle Motocross Association

United States Bicycle Motocross Association

The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...

 (USBA)

• 1984 National No.1 Girl
• 1984 15 & Over Girls 7-Up World Champion** (USBA promoted & sanctioned)

Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)

• None

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

• None

Significant injuries

• Broke her arm during practice at the ABA Summer Nationals in Elkhart, Indiana
  Elkhart, Indiana
  Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
  
   on August 14, 1983. She was laid up for approximately two weeks. She then had the cast formed around the handlebars of her bicycle in a grip fashion so she could pull up on them. Unlike other forms of bicycle racing, BMX racing involves pulling up on the handlebars to generate torque in aiding the legs in accelerating the bicycle out of the starting gate, lifting the front wheel over moguls and wheelieing out of turns. Appropriately accelerating out of turns is called "Pulling", a slang term created by Pro racer Ronnie Anderson.

Miscellaneous

• Debbi's father Denny Kalsow was an ABA track operator of the Chandler Jaycees track in Chandler, Arizona
  Chandler, Arizona
  -Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
  
  , the ABA's home track. until 1984 when he transferred the track's sanction to the United States Bicycle Motocross Association
  United States Bicycle Motocross Association
  The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
  
   (USBA).

• Debbi's brother Dennis "Digger" Kalsow was a respected racer in his own right.

• Debbi was one of the female racers who advocated and lobbied the ABA for the girls to have their own separate points ranking and National No.1 plate.

BMX press magazine interviews and articles

• "CW'S #1 Girl" ABA Action April 1983 Vol.6 No.4 pg.18
• "Debbi Kalsow" Bicycles and Dirt July 1983 Vol.1 No.10 pg.54

BMX magazine covers

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Bicycle Motocross News:

• None

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

• None

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

• None

BMX Plus!:

• None

Total BMX:

Bicycles and Dirt:

NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):

Bicycles Today & BMX Today (the official NBL membership publication with one name change):

ABA Action, American BMX'er, BMXer (the official ABA membership publication with two name changes):

• April 1983 Vol.6 No.4 standing with Brent Patterson
  Brent Patterson (BMX rider)
  Brent Hathaway Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer....
  
  , Steve Veltman
  Steve Veltman
  Stephen James Veltman is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1983 and 1989 to 1998...
  
  , Robert Fehd, and Greg Hill
  Greg A. Hill
  Gregory Alan Hill is a former "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1989...
  
   (ABAA).

USBA Racer (the official USBA membership publication):

External links

• The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.
• The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.