Scot Breithaupt
Encyclopedia
Scot Alexander Breithaupt (b. July 14, 1957 in Long Beach, California
) is an entrepreneur, "Old School" former professional Motorcycle MX and Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer and a founding father of BMX in 1970 whose prime competitive years were from 1970 to 1984. Indeed, in some ways, he is considered by many to be a founder of "Old School BMX" the era roughly regarded to be from 1969 to 1987 or 1988; from its very beginnings to just after its first major slump in popularity from 1985-1988. Racing started to rise in participation again around 1988-89 and is regarded as the start of "Mid School BMX", roughly 1988-2000.
His nickname was and is "OM" for "Old Man" which was in part derived from him being older than most of the kids at a time when BMX was seen as a pre-teen and early teen activity by the late 1970s; he was doing things usually beyond his young age, like promoting races, nationwide tours, teaching racing clinics, safety seminars for the C.P.S.C., and starting and consulting with companies while he was still a teenager. Later, it became a running gag
as to just how old he was. In the January 1975 issue of Cycle Illustrated in its report on the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Finals (a.k.a the Bicycle Motocross Championship of California State), which Scot conceptialized, promoted and built a custom track for, has him listed as 17 years old. At 17, his age hadn't become a running gag yet, although he could not participate in the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup series finals-ironically since he was the race promoter-because he was disqualified after a win in the Expert Class in the first qualifying race at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California with Brian Ramocinski declared the winner. This was the first of three preceding qualifying races prior to the final to be held in September 1974. Only those 16 years and younger could participate and he had turned 17 between the time he signed up for the race and the day the qualifying race was actually held, July 20, 1974. He turned 17 on July 14, 1974, six days before the race. This would give him a birth year of 1957 and the age of 13 at the time he started organizing races in Long Beach in November 1970. In fact 9 other riders in the event were over 16! In fact, Ramocinski's sponsor, "Dirtmasters", and it's G.M. Mike Devitt is the one who protested Scot. Further confirmation came in the November 1975 issue of Bicycle Motocross News on page 11 which described Breithaupt as an "18 year old dynamo
".
This running joke is done with his complicity. He used to put a "?" mark in the space reserved for the rider's age on the ABA sign up form for when he raced Cruiser class. Also, in part two of a four part series of interviews done by BMXUltra.com profiling Mr. Breithaupt and SE Racing in response to a question "When did you start SE?" he quips "I started SE Racing in Mid 1977 when I was 14." Of course the joke being, if true he helped invent BMX in 1970 when he was seven years old.
Young Scot did not just tend to his own track. He designed the Saddleback Park B.M.X. Track in Orange County, California
, Westminister BMX, City of Walnut BMX, Signall Hill BMX, Escape Country, and also collaborated with the municipal government of La Palma, California
to design the La Palma Youth Village BMX track, and also Fountain Valley Boys and Girls Club Track. Significant accomplishments for a teenager by any standard. In later years, Scot designed and built "Narler Park" in Long Beach, California, the first to have a separate "pro section". It was also the site of the last ever National Bicycle Association
(NBA) Grandnationals in December 1982. It was a story in Popular Mechanics in 1974 by Mike Anson, headlined, "Promotional Genius at 16."
During his early years Scot promoted a bevey of races both independent and in conjunction with the nescient NBA. He was brought on as their National Public Relations Director in 1975 and announced many of their major events, including the 1975 Shimano Grandnationals which he sat out due to injuries. He also produced and promoted the very first Pro BMX @ Saddleback Park in 1975.
Scot Breithaupt had a hand in virtually every aspect of BMX: racing, promoting, announcing, designing tracks, manufacturing, sponsoring and managing teams. He even had a hand in founding and/or guiding the existence of the founding four BMX publications; Bicycle Motocross News where he wrote some of the first articles and was the first racer interviewed by a nation spanning BMX publication. He was a contributing writer and staff product tester on Minicylce/BMX Action,** later to be known as Super BMX, when it began transitioning from combined minicycle and BMX racing coverage to BMX only reporting. He was an on of the first staff writers with Bicycle Motocross Action having a monthly editorial article; and he was a co-founder of BMX Plus! with Jim Stevens. After he gave up racing to devote more time to his company, SE Racing, he turned it to be one of the more innovative in the niche industry of BMX. At least two products bicycle frames conceived in the mid 1970s survive on the market today in modernized form: The Quadangle and the P.K. Ripper the former known for its highly distinctive configuration the other for being the first truly successful aluminum bicycle frame. They are sold by SE Racing-now known as Sports Engineering Racing-to this day, long after many beloved but now obsolete 1970's and 1980s era frames have become beloved museum pieces. Over this was a persistent dark cloud over Breithaupt; that of drug abuse, that has been with him since the l980s and tied to the untimely loss of his father. It has resulted in his incarceration on three different occasions although he is now in his 5th year of recovery as of April 2010. None of that has or ever will overshadow his accomplishments in the BMX world he almost brought into being single handedly in almost all aspects of the sport; organizing, promoting, publishing, manufacturing, track designing. He started the first large wheel (26") Cruiser Classes with the sanctioning bodies, attracting more adults to the sport. He even set bicycle long distant jump (assisted by being towed by a motorcycle) records. He had a hand in starting the first attempt of a racer's Professional Guild
in 1976. The list goes on. His being one of the organized sport's first champions (NBA National Champion in 1976) is almost a footnote. Many of the sport's early stars can trace their career beginnings to Scot's Long Beach B.U.M.S. course.
In 1978 at the track in Carson, California
called the "Runway" because it was next to the skateboard park, Scot was running races sanctioned by the NBA. He did all the work from promoting to setting up the track along with recording the results. He held the first Pro race at the Runway sanctioned by the NBA which was won by Harry Leary riding for factory JMC. The first National held at Saddleback in 1979 was won by Stompin' Stu Thomsen
fresh on the SE Racing team.
He may not have been the very first to put on a BMX race, but it would be very difficult to come up with any other single person who has left a bigger mark on the sport.
As an entrepreneur, Scot ventured into many industries, creating over 25 entities. Most were “sports related” and involved Scot’s passions. Besides being “The founding Father of BMX”, he’s considered a pioneer in promoting, marketing and televising extreme sports such as BMX, Skateboarding, Karting, Mixed Martial Arts, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking and Extreme Sports.
Scot’s 400 + TV shows, commercials and videos include:
• 1st TV production of BMX racing distributed internationally; 1987 IBMXF World Championships from Orlando, Fl. thru Prime International, HNK, STAR, TSN, BSN, and on Nickelodeon in the U.S. and others thru Scot’s cable syndication of over 60 million homes.
• 1st Mountain Bike TV program; 1988 SWATCH World Championships from Mammoth Mountain Resort, distributed through ESPN & international networks.
• 1st BMX Freestyle TV show with ESPN & International distribution; The 1987 AFA SOCKO Finals.
• 1st to televise the ABA Grand Nationals for ESPN and distribute internationally 1987–1992.
• 1st to televise Snowboarding; “1988 SIMS/VISION STREET WEAR - SNOWDAZE”.
• 1st to televise Skateboarding; “1987 ESPN/VISION STREET WEAR-ROCK –N-ROLL JAM”, then broadcast through international networks.
• 1st to televise GPV and Luge racing; “1987 GPV RAMP JAM” on ESPN, PRIME SPORTS, International distribution.
Other shows and TV series include:
• “Action Cycle Sports Series” - ESPN -1988-1990
• “Nickelodeon Special Delivery” 1987-1990
• “Kids Sports” - TSN Canada, PRIME SPORTS, PRIME INTERNATIONAL-STAR – 1990-1992
• “Action Karting” – PRIME/FOX SPORTS 1992-1993
• “Boxing at Tony Longval’s Country Club” 1991
• “Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Golf Digest” 1992-1993
• “History of Martial Arts” – SHOWTIME – 1993
• “Adrenaline High” – NICKELODEON, ESPN & INTERNATIONAL – 1991
• “Guiness World Book of Records Day” ( BMX, Freestyle & Skateboarding world records) – NBC WORLDWIDE – 1989
• “World Martial Arts Challenge” – UNLV, SHOWTIME, PAY-PER-VIEW, B-Rolls, Pre-show, commercials – 1993
• Video Catalogs for GT BICYCLES, MONGOOSE, SE RACING, DIAMOND BACK, SCHWINN, IRONHORSE, TIOGA, ATI, FINISHLINE LUBES and others
• “IHBA Drag Boat Series” - ESPN – 1991-1992
• “Vintage Grand Prix Series” – ESPN – 1992-1993
“List of Firsts”• 1970 First sanctioning body with rules, points system, classifications and championship events.
• 1971 Promoted first California State Championships.
• 1972 Promoted & conducted first official-paid BMX racing schools.
• 1972 First California State Champion in 16-over Expert Class
• 1973 Promoted first 100% trophy race.
• 1973 First rider featured on a P.O.P. display in all Sears and Montgomery Ward stores for Matthews Motocross.
• 1973 First featured rider in national news…Parade Magazine and CycleNews.
• 1973 Built and created first municipal BMX track for cities of LaPalma, Cerritos & Westminster, CA.
• 1974 Promoted, conceptualized, created, designed and laid out coursed for the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Series with Finals at LA Colesium.
• 1974 Won Expert Class at first event of the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Series on July 20 at Birmingham High School.
• 1974 First featured rider in premier issue of Bicycle Motocross News.
• 1974 Created first BMX trophy figurine used for awards, derived from pictures of the OM on a motobike. Worked with Magestic Trophy in Ontario , CA
• 1974 First rider and BMX promoter featured in an international magazine (Popular Mechanics).
• 1975 Promoted, conceptualized, designed, laid out courses for the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup II, where there were 6 events over 2 days. ALA ISDT format – Trials, obstacle course, drags, hill climb, BMX race, downhill and Cross Country time clock.
• 1975 First BMX rider to be on cover of Shimano World Magazine.
• 1975 Promoted, staged and announced first BMX Pro Race at Saddleback Park w/$200. purse.
• 1975 Announced first NBA Grand Nationals at Randall Ranch, sponsored by Shimano
• 1975 First Nike-sponsored BMX rider.
• 1976 First to use tubing shape in alloy frames, “Foiler” teardrop designed for Cycle Pro.
• 1976 First NBA Sidehack National Champion with Jeff Utterback.
• 1976 Created first full BMX uniform, with coordinated helmet, jersey, pants and shoes; red/yellow.
• 1976 First editor of BMX Action magazine and creator of “Scotomania”.
• 1976 Created and conducted first national tour of racing clinics, safety seminars and racing NBA & NBL Nationals.
• 1978 Created first professional racing organization (P.R.O.)
• 1978 Co-Founded BMX Plus magazine
• 1978 Created Cruiser Class , getting NBA, ABA and NBL to recognize and expand racing to include larger bikes with classes for kids through adults.
Started racing: November 14, 1970 when he was 13 years old at an old field that would become his first track called BUMS which would retroactively be called Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S) in Long Beach, California
on the corner of 7th and Bellflower strees.
Sanctioning body: None. Started the B.U.M.S proto sanctioning body.
Home Sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association
(ABA) California District 22 (CA-22) (1980–1985)
First race result:1st Place
First win (local):B.U.M.S. BMX
First sponsor: Trickray (for BMX) Yamaha (for motorcycles)
First national win: Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup series "proto national" on July 20, 1974 at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California, but he was disqualified for being over aged at 17 years old. No one over 16 years old was allowed to race despite him actually signing up to race prior to his 17th birthday. This helped established the "Old Man" moniker. His first true national win was in both Open class and in Sidehack class with Jeff Utterback at the National Bicycle Association
(NBA) Shawnee Nationals in Shawnee, Oklahoma
on July 17, 1976, doubling.
Turned professional: 1975
First Professional win:1975
Retired: From 20" racing on May 15, 1977 at the Two Wheeler's/RC Cola Race of Champions national to devote more time to his business and promotional career and his associate editorship at Bicycle Motocross Magazine among other commitments, all of which was infringing on his racing career. He then started racing a 26" Beach Cruiser beginning in 1979. Due largely to the lack of training time incurred because of his responsibilities of running a company and his promotions, he retired altogether from pro racing in May 1983. He himself reclassified an amateur in the ABA's 22-30 and NBL's 25-35 Cruiser Classes. It was joked in the August 1983 issue of BMX Action that they could start figuring out his age by the cruiser class he raced. He raced intermittedly in these older amateur cruiser classes in between commitments with his business. He raced in Vet and Hall of Fame races in his spare time. In May 2005 it was announced that Mr. Briepthaupt at then 49 years of age (approximately) would race for SE Bikes (see below in "Factory sponsors, professional, SE Bikes).
Approximate height and weight at the height of his career (1974-1978) Ht:5'10 Wt:175lbs.
National Bicycle Association
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Pro Series Championships
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Pro Series Championships
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:k
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication under two names):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
) is an entrepreneur, "Old School" former professional Motorcycle MX and 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 and a founding father of BMX in 1970 whose prime competitive years were from 1970 to 1984. Indeed, in some ways, he is considered by many to be a founder of "Old School BMX" the era roughly regarded to be from 1969 to 1987 or 1988; from its very beginnings to just after its first major slump in popularity from 1985-1988. Racing started to rise in participation again around 1988-89 and is regarded as the start of "Mid School BMX", roughly 1988-2000.
The Pioneer and Entrepreneur
Scot Breithaupt was one of the pioneers of BMX; perhaps its inventor in terms of giving it its modern infrastructure, after he first organized what was called "pedal-cross" at the time on November 14, 1970 and his establishment of a track in a vacant lot in Long Beach, California. He also founded what could be called BMX's first sanctioning body of any kind, the Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S). Breithaupt, who was a teenage MX racer for Yamaha, did set up organizational features around his races very much as the following sanctioning bodies would base theirs; rulebooks, a point system, a skill level structure, a racing season, trophies and promotions of special races that were the prototype for Nationals. He produced the 1st California State Championships in 1972. Scot adapted these structures from those of motocross sanctioning bodies such as the AMA, CMC and AME, as would other pioneers like Ernie Alexander [the founder of the National Bicycle Association (NBA)] and George Esser [the founder of the National Bicycle League(NBL)] both of whom, like Breithaupt, had roots in motorcycle motocross as racers or promoters. Scot was only the first to do it in BMX and at the ripe old age of 13 at that.His nickname was and is "OM" for "Old Man" which was in part derived from him being older than most of the kids at a time when BMX was seen as a pre-teen and early teen activity by the late 1970s; he was doing things usually beyond his young age, like promoting races, nationwide tours, teaching racing clinics, safety seminars for the C.P.S.C., and starting and consulting with companies while he was still a teenager. Later, it became a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
as to just how old he was. In the January 1975 issue of Cycle Illustrated in its report on the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Finals (a.k.a the Bicycle Motocross Championship of California State), which Scot conceptialized, promoted and built a custom track for, has him listed as 17 years old. At 17, his age hadn't become a running gag yet, although he could not participate in the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup series finals-ironically since he was the race promoter-because he was disqualified after a win in the Expert Class in the first qualifying race at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California with Brian Ramocinski declared the winner. This was the first of three preceding qualifying races prior to the final to be held in September 1974. Only those 16 years and younger could participate and he had turned 17 between the time he signed up for the race and the day the qualifying race was actually held, July 20, 1974. He turned 17 on July 14, 1974, six days before the race. This would give him a birth year of 1957 and the age of 13 at the time he started organizing races in Long Beach in November 1970. In fact 9 other riders in the event were over 16! In fact, Ramocinski's sponsor, "Dirtmasters", and it's G.M. Mike Devitt is the one who protested Scot. Further confirmation came in the November 1975 issue of Bicycle Motocross News on page 11 which described Breithaupt as an "18 year old dynamo
Dynamo
- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
".
This running joke is done with his complicity. He used to put a "?" mark in the space reserved for the rider's age on the ABA sign up form for when he raced Cruiser class. Also, in part two of a four part series of interviews done by BMXUltra.com profiling Mr. Breithaupt and SE Racing in response to a question "When did you start SE?" he quips "I started SE Racing in Mid 1977 when I was 14." Of course the joke being, if true he helped invent BMX in 1970 when he was seven years old.
Young Scot did not just tend to his own track. He designed the Saddleback Park B.M.X. Track in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, Westminister BMX, City of Walnut BMX, Signall Hill BMX, Escape Country, and also collaborated with the municipal government of La Palma, California
La Palma, California
La Palma is a city located in northern Orange County, California. Incorporated on October 26, 1955, the population was 15,408 at the 2000 census...
to design the La Palma Youth Village BMX track, and also Fountain Valley Boys and Girls Club Track. Significant accomplishments for a teenager by any standard. In later years, Scot designed and built "Narler Park" in Long Beach, California, the first to have a separate "pro section". It was also the site of the last ever 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) Grandnationals in December 1982. It was a story in Popular Mechanics in 1974 by Mike Anson, headlined, "Promotional Genius at 16."
During his early years Scot promoted a bevey of races both independent and in conjunction with the nescient NBA. He was brought on as their National Public Relations Director in 1975 and announced many of their major events, including the 1975 Shimano Grandnationals which he sat out due to injuries. He also produced and promoted the very first Pro BMX @ Saddleback Park in 1975.
Scot Breithaupt had a hand in virtually every aspect of BMX: racing, promoting, announcing, designing tracks, manufacturing, sponsoring and managing teams. He even had a hand in founding and/or guiding the existence of the founding four BMX publications; Bicycle Motocross News where he wrote some of the first articles and was the first racer interviewed by a nation spanning BMX publication. He was a contributing writer and staff product tester on Minicylce/BMX Action,** later to be known as Super BMX, when it began transitioning from combined minicycle and BMX racing coverage to BMX only reporting. He was an on of the first staff writers with Bicycle Motocross Action having a monthly editorial article; and he was a co-founder of BMX Plus! with Jim Stevens. After he gave up racing to devote more time to his company, SE Racing, he turned it to be one of the more innovative in the niche industry of BMX. At least two products bicycle frames conceived in the mid 1970s survive on the market today in modernized form: The Quadangle and the P.K. Ripper the former known for its highly distinctive configuration the other for being the first truly successful aluminum bicycle frame. They are sold by SE Racing-now known as Sports Engineering Racing-to this day, long after many beloved but now obsolete 1970's and 1980s era frames have become beloved museum pieces. Over this was a persistent dark cloud over Breithaupt; that of drug abuse, that has been with him since the l980s and tied to the untimely loss of his father. It has resulted in his incarceration on three different occasions although he is now in his 5th year of recovery as of April 2010. None of that has or ever will overshadow his accomplishments in the BMX world he almost brought into being single handedly in almost all aspects of the sport; organizing, promoting, publishing, manufacturing, track designing. He started the first large wheel (26") Cruiser Classes with the sanctioning bodies, attracting more adults to the sport. He even set bicycle long distant jump (assisted by being towed by a motorcycle) records. He had a hand in starting the first attempt of a racer's Professional Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
in 1976. The list goes on. His being one of the organized sport's first champions (NBA National Champion in 1976) is almost a footnote. Many of the sport's early stars can trace their career beginnings to Scot's Long Beach B.U.M.S. course.
In 1978 at the track in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
called the "Runway" because it was next to the skateboard park, Scot was running races sanctioned by the NBA. He did all the work from promoting to setting up the track along with recording the results. He held the first Pro race at the Runway sanctioned by the NBA which was won by Harry Leary riding for factory JMC. The first National held at Saddleback in 1979 was won by Stompin' Stu Thomsen
Stu Thomsen
Stuart L. Thomsen was an American bicycle motocross racer.Stu Thomsen was one of the first of the "Old School" of professional BMX racers who gained fame in the early days of the sport beginning in 1974. His prime competitive years were from 1976-1985...
fresh on the SE Racing team.
He may not have been the very first to put on a BMX race, but it would be very difficult to come up with any other single person who has left a bigger mark on the sport.
As an entrepreneur, Scot ventured into many industries, creating over 25 entities. Most were “sports related” and involved Scot’s passions. Besides being “The founding Father of BMX”, he’s considered a pioneer in promoting, marketing and televising extreme sports such as BMX, Skateboarding, Karting, Mixed Martial Arts, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking and Extreme Sports.
Scot’s 400 + TV shows, commercials and videos include:
• 1st TV production of BMX racing distributed internationally; 1987 IBMXF World Championships from Orlando, Fl. thru Prime International, HNK, STAR, TSN, BSN, and on Nickelodeon in the U.S. and others thru Scot’s cable syndication of over 60 million homes.
• 1st Mountain Bike TV program; 1988 SWATCH World Championships from Mammoth Mountain Resort, distributed through ESPN & international networks.
• 1st BMX Freestyle TV show with ESPN & International distribution; The 1987 AFA SOCKO Finals.
• 1st to televise the ABA Grand Nationals for ESPN and distribute internationally 1987–1992.
• 1st to televise Snowboarding; “1988 SIMS/VISION STREET WEAR - SNOWDAZE”.
• 1st to televise Skateboarding; “1987 ESPN/VISION STREET WEAR-ROCK –N-ROLL JAM”, then broadcast through international networks.
• 1st to televise GPV and Luge racing; “1987 GPV RAMP JAM” on ESPN, PRIME SPORTS, International distribution.
Other shows and TV series include:
• “Action Cycle Sports Series” - ESPN -1988-1990
• “Nickelodeon Special Delivery” 1987-1990
• “Kids Sports” - TSN Canada, PRIME SPORTS, PRIME INTERNATIONAL-STAR – 1990-1992
• “Action Karting” – PRIME/FOX SPORTS 1992-1993
• “Boxing at Tony Longval’s Country Club” 1991
• “Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Golf Digest” 1992-1993
• “History of Martial Arts” – SHOWTIME – 1993
• “Adrenaline High” – NICKELODEON, ESPN & INTERNATIONAL – 1991
• “Guiness World Book of Records Day” ( BMX, Freestyle & Skateboarding world records) – NBC WORLDWIDE – 1989
• “World Martial Arts Challenge” – UNLV, SHOWTIME, PAY-PER-VIEW, B-Rolls, Pre-show, commercials – 1993
• Video Catalogs for GT BICYCLES, MONGOOSE, SE RACING, DIAMOND BACK, SCHWINN, IRONHORSE, TIOGA, ATI, FINISHLINE LUBES and others
• “IHBA Drag Boat Series” - ESPN – 1991-1992
• “Vintage Grand Prix Series” – ESPN – 1992-1993
“List of Firsts”• 1970 First sanctioning body with rules, points system, classifications and championship events.
• 1971 Promoted first California State Championships.
• 1972 Promoted & conducted first official-paid BMX racing schools.
• 1972 First California State Champion in 16-over Expert Class
• 1973 Promoted first 100% trophy race.
• 1973 First rider featured on a P.O.P. display in all Sears and Montgomery Ward stores for Matthews Motocross.
• 1973 First featured rider in national news…Parade Magazine and CycleNews.
• 1973 Built and created first municipal BMX track for cities of LaPalma, Cerritos & Westminster, CA.
• 1974 Promoted, conceptualized, created, designed and laid out coursed for the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Series with Finals at LA Colesium.
• 1974 Won Expert Class at first event of the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Series on July 20 at Birmingham High School.
• 1974 First featured rider in premier issue of Bicycle Motocross News.
• 1974 Created first BMX trophy figurine used for awards, derived from pictures of the OM on a motobike. Worked with Magestic Trophy in Ontario , CA
• 1974 First rider and BMX promoter featured in an international magazine (Popular Mechanics).
• 1975 Promoted, conceptualized, designed, laid out courses for the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup II, where there were 6 events over 2 days. ALA ISDT format – Trials, obstacle course, drags, hill climb, BMX race, downhill and Cross Country time clock.
• 1975 First BMX rider to be on cover of Shimano World Magazine.
• 1975 Promoted, staged and announced first BMX Pro Race at Saddleback Park w/$200. purse.
• 1975 Announced first NBA Grand Nationals at Randall Ranch, sponsored by Shimano
• 1975 First Nike-sponsored BMX rider.
• 1976 First to use tubing shape in alloy frames, “Foiler” teardrop designed for Cycle Pro.
• 1976 First NBA Sidehack National Champion with Jeff Utterback.
• 1976 Created first full BMX uniform, with coordinated helmet, jersey, pants and shoes; red/yellow.
• 1976 First editor of BMX Action magazine and creator of “Scotomania”.
• 1976 Created and conducted first national tour of racing clinics, safety seminars and racing NBA & NBL Nationals.
• 1978 Created first professional racing organization (P.R.O.)
• 1978 Co-Founded BMX Plus magazine
• 1978 Created Cruiser Class , getting NBA, ABA and NBL to recognize and expand racing to include larger bikes with classes for kids through adults.
Racing career milestones
----Started racing: November 14, 1970 when he was 13 years old at an old field that would become his first track called BUMS which would retroactively be called Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S) in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
on the corner of 7th and Bellflower strees.
Sanctioning body: None. Started the B.U.M.S proto sanctioning body.
Home Sanctioning body district(s): 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) California District 22 (CA-22) (1980–1985)
First race result:1st Place
First win (local):B.U.M.S. BMX
First sponsor: Trickray (for BMX) Yamaha (for motorcycles)
First national win: Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup series "proto national" on July 20, 1974 at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California, but he was disqualified for being over aged at 17 years old. No one over 16 years old was allowed to race despite him actually signing up to race prior to his 17th birthday. This helped established the "Old Man" moniker. His first true national win was in both Open class and in Sidehack class with Jeff Utterback at the 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) Shawnee Nationals in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...
on July 17, 1976, doubling.
Turned professional: 1975
First Professional win:1975
Retired: From 20" racing on May 15, 1977 at the Two Wheeler's/RC Cola Race of Champions national to devote more time to his business and promotional career and his associate editorship at Bicycle Motocross Magazine among other commitments, all of which was infringing on his racing career. He then started racing a 26" Beach Cruiser beginning in 1979. Due largely to the lack of training time incurred because of his responsibilities of running a company and his promotions, he retired altogether from pro racing in May 1983. He himself reclassified an amateur in the ABA's 22-30 and NBL's 25-35 Cruiser Classes. It was joked in the August 1983 issue of BMX Action that they could start figuring out his age by the cruiser class he raced. He raced intermittedly in these older amateur cruiser classes in between commitments with his business. He raced in Vet and Hall of Fame races in his spare time. In May 2005 it was announced that Mr. Briepthaupt at then 49 years of age (approximately) would race for SE Bikes (see below in "Factory sponsors, professional, SE Bikes).
Approximate height and weight at the height of his career (1974-1978) Ht:5'10 Wt:175lbs.
Amateur
- Matthews Motocross Products (a division of Leisure Recreation Vehicles (LRV)):* 1973-Early 1974
- Matthews Motocross/Yamaha International:* Early 1974-December 1974 He consulted with Yamaha to create and refine their famous Moto-bike, a BMX bicycle that was designed to mimic the look and feel of a motocross motorcycle, including having shock absorbers built into its frame and fork. It is a famous milestone in BMX with early BMX stars like David Clinton winning the first BMX titles on it but it with its energy robbing shock absorbers was not the future that the BMX bicycle would take.
- Dan Gurney All American BMX Bicycles/Bell Helmets:* January 1975-
- FMF (Flying Machine Factory):* Early 1976-December 1976(Partner w/Tony Rogers & Donnie Emler)
- SE (formerly Scot Enterprises, now called Sports Engineering, Inc.) Racing: January 1977-1999. Scot would turn professional with this company he founded. More below.
Professional
- SE (formerly Scot Enterprises, now called Sports Engineering, Inc.) Racing: January 1977-November 1999. Scot Enterprises, Originally founded and owned by Scot Breithaupt, started as an advertising and promotional company that expanded into Scot Enterprises Racing Division, which made and sold stickers, T-shirts and hats. In 1978 it produced its first BMX component the JU-6 frame (JU stood for Jeff Utterback, a top racer at the time, the six referred to his status as the number six rider in the country in the National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle AssociationThe 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) after the 1977 season). Scot's friend Mike Devitt, took over SE Racing in the late 1980s. After a failed bid to buy out foreign investors Scot Breithaupt and Mike Devitt lost control of SE Racing's trademarks and the control of the company passed to the foreign investors on October 15, 1999 Mike Devitt and Breithaupt left SE Racing as a result. Later with Gary Turner (the Co-founder of GT Racing, later called GT Bicycles) they founded Alliant Bicycles. after Breithaupt and Devitt left the company, a Taiwanese firm acquired SE Racing, but it lay dormant for several years with no bikes sold or manufactured. Sports Engineering is now owned by Advanced Sports Inc. through Fuji Bicycles, which bought SE in August 2002. - SE Bikes (Sports Engineering Bikes, formerly Scot Enterprises Racing Division): 2005-2006 Showing that BMXers never really retire, on May 15, 2005 Scot announced he had signed a contract to race for SE Racing the old company he had founded but left in 1999, in the BMX cruiser class. At an approximate age of 50 in 2006 this would mean he would race in the 46-51 Cruiser class in the American Bicycle AssociationAmerican Bicycle AssociationThe 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) and 50-54 Cruiser class in the National Bicycle LeagueNational Bicycle LeagueThe 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).
Amateur
Bicycle United Motocross Society (B.U.M.S)- 1972 California State Championship.
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)
- 1976 Open Grandnational Champion.
- 1976 National No.1
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)
- 1980 16 Expert Grandnational Champion
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)
- None
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)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- None
Pro Series Championships
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational 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)
- 1980 Pro Cruiser National No.3. Jeff KosmalaJeff KosmalaJeffrey Kosmala was a professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from -Racing career milestones:----Started racing: 1973...
was Pro Cruiser No.1 in 1980.
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)
- None
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)
- None
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)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- None
Pro Series Championships
Notable accolades
- Co-founded BMX Plus! magazine and was contributing editor to both Bicycle Motocross Action and Minicycle/BMX Action (not to be confused with Bicycle Motocross Action which would later condense its name to BMX Action) which would subsequently become Super BMX. He therefore had a large hand in all three of the major founding BMX magazine periodicals.
- The first to put on what could be called a pro class race anywhere in 1975 at Saddleback Park in Orange, CaliforniaOrange, CaliforniaSouthern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
(US$200 purse).
- He was a founding member and President of the Professional Racing Organization (PRO) the first attempt to form a BMX professional racers guildGuildA guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
.
- He both invented the modern BMX racing Cruiser and the Cruiser class to race them with. In September 1978 Scot showed up at the famous Corona Raceway, in Corona, CaliforniaCorona, CaliforniaCorona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
, on a converted Emory beach cruiser. It had 26 inches (660.4 mm) wheels and low rise handlebars from a motorcycle. That same year he convinced the National Bicycle Association (NBA) to start the Cruiser class.
- He also invented the inverted BMX racing bicycle stem (also known as a "gooseneck"Stem (bicycle part)The stem is the component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the steerer tube of the bicycle fork. Sometimes called a goose neck, a stem's design belongs to either a quill or threadless system, and each system is compatible with respective headset and fork designs:-Quill vs...
). Unlike the standard "quill gooseneck" stem, BMX bicycles in need of a stem with a much tighter clamping force on the bars to eliminate movement forward or back. That could be caused by the more violent physical abuse racers put upon it like pulling with maximum force during racing and jumping their bicycles, these stems were four point block clamps secured with Allen bolts, unlike the single point quill gooseneck that had a single "pinchbolt" configuration to clamp the bars. Most other stems of this type, like the standard gooseneck, raised the bottom level of the handlebars up, the inverted stem dropped them down. Breithaupt was heading to an NBA National in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 1979 to race cruiser class a new division in BMX that at the time was made up of BMX bicycles (during this time most were converted Beach CruisersCruiser bicycleCruiser bicycles, also known as beach cruisers, combine balloon tires, upright seating posture, single-speed drivetrains, and straightforward steel construction with expressive styling...
with 26" diameter wheels, built for the larger rider as opposed the standard 20" vehicle. As he was fitting his handle bars onto the stem of the bicycle he noticed that it was to high for his liking and presumably it couldn't be lowered far enough down to get the feel and leverage he desired. he then removed the clamp the part that actually held fast to the handlebars, from the stem, that was inserted into the head tube and into the fork's neck. He flipped it over and reattached it. He was able then to drop the bottom of the bars another few millimeters to his liking. He later won his Cruiser class at this national using that configuration. He would then persuade "Tuff Neck", a leading manufacturer of BMX bicycle parts at the time, to mass produce the new component.
- Held the long distance jump record for bicycles in 1979 at an average 76 feet.* He accomplished it on a SE OM Flyer 26" Cruiser. The record held for 10 years.
- He won the very first Pro Cruiser Main of the first Pro Cruiser class in BMX history at the ABA Northwest National in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
on January 18, 1981 defeating Tim Lillethorupt and Jess Goymon who came in second and third respectively.
- Scot is a 1990 Inductee of the ABA BMX Hall of Fame.
Significant injuries
- Broke ankle in November 1974 during photograph session for a book. Was thought never to be able to race again. He was laid up until March 1975.
Post BMX career
- After a failed bid to buy out foreign investors Scot Breithaupt and Mike Devitt lost control of SE Racing trademarks and the control of the company passed to the foreign investors on October 15, 1999.
- Scot was in the Promotional and Real Estate business, but he still was involved with the sport he helped create on a casual basis including racing. In 2005 Scot was racing for SE Racing, now called SE Bikes, in the amateur cruiser classes, showing that for most BMXer's there is no real "post BMX career".
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Interview with Scot Breithaupt" Bicycle Motocross News June 1974 Vol.1 No.1 pg.7
- "Scott Breithaupt" Bicycle Motocross News August 1974 Vol.1 No.3 pg.18 article in which Scot gives racing pointers.
- "Talkin' Twenty-Fours" BMX Action May 1982 Vol.7 No.5 pg.53 side bar
- "The Origins of BMX" Super BMX March 1984 Vol.11 No.3 pg.60
- "The Origins of BMX" (part II) Super BMX April 1984 Vol.11 No.4 pg.27
BMX magazine covers
Bicycle Motocross News:- July 1974 Vol.1 No.2 with Brian Ramocinski
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:k
- February 1981 Vol.6 No.2 (23) to the far right behind John Crews (53) leading and ahead of Bobby EncinasBobby EncinasBobby Encinas is a former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1973 to 1980. He was one of the first superstars in BMX and one of its most savvy promoters...
(54), Kenny Nachman (142), and Seth Buccieri (5). - June 1981 Vol.6 No.6 with Perry KramerPerry KramerPerry Kramer is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1974-1981....
and R.L. Osborn.
BMX Plus!:
- May 1980 Vol.3 No.5
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
- None
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication under two names):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):