ERIC RUPE PHOTO PAGE!

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Scenes From The DVD, "Joe Kid On A Sting Ray"

1982      1985      1987-89      2000     2001     2002   2003   2004-05   2005-06   2006-07   2007-08   2009-10 - 2011-12 - 2014

 

2014

USABMX Reno - January 11-12, 2014

 

2011-12

GT's, ERIC RUPE Receives European BMX Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award
Chula Vista, CA - October 2, 2011
From Left - Eric "Big Daddy" Rupe, Gerrit Does & Greg Hill

Back in 2007 Eric "Big Daddy" Rupe was inducted into the European BMX Hall of Fame. 

This year Eric was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from that Hall of Fame. 

Gerrit Does, the president and founder of the European BMX Hall of Fame was on hand in Chula Vista, at the ABA U.S. Open Nationals to personally give Eric the award. 

Along side Eric was this year’s Hall of Fame inductee Greg Hill (past GT BMX Team Champion). 

Big Daddy was quoted as saying, “It’s an honor to have been inducted into the European BMX Hall of Fame, but now to also have been given their lifetime achievement award is really special." 

"I’m blessed to have had such an awesome BMX racing career, but even more importantly, to have touched the lives of so many BMX’ers the world over." 

"BMX is the greatest sport on earth and I’m proud to be part of it and to be forever remembered as part of its history”.

GT proudly represents the following partners: Maxxis Tires, Epic Cameras, Alienation, SDG Saddles, Profile, Sapim spokes, ODI grips and Troy Lee helmets.


'Big Daddy' Wins the

2011 UCI BMX World Title in

45 & over Men’s Cruiser!

Eric "Big Daddy" Rupe took the win in 45 & Over Cruiser........ONE MORE TIME!
2011 UCI BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - July 21, 2011 - Copenhagen, Denmark

 

ABA Reno - January 14-16, 2011

 

 

2009-10
Eric Wins 2010 UCI BMX World Title in 45 & over Men’s Cruiser!
Eric makes the USAC Web Site!

 

 

 

 

 

ABA Roseville, California

 

2007-08

Eric Makes the cover of Masters cycling magazine!

Eric was featured in a nice nationally distributed article profiling his career and extended role in BMX as a Masters Cyclist......Nice!

 

2008 UCI BMX Worlds - Taiyuan, China

Photos by Jerry Landrum/BMXmania.com

 

2006-07

2007 UCI BMX Worlds - Victoria B.C. Canada

Photos by Craig Sainsbury & Warwick Wheeler - BMX World Mag

Photos by Jerry Landrum/BMXmania.com

 

2007 ABA Silver Dollar National - Reno, Nevada

Photos by Derek Novaes/BMXmania.com

   

     

 

2006 NBL Christmas Classic - Columbus, Ohio

 

 

2005-2006

Eric Does Tulsa! - 2006 ABA Grands

Team Mongoose 2006 ABA Grands Race Report - ABA Grand Nationals - Tulsa, OK - November 25-26, 2006 - Attendance:  25,500

 MONGOOSE PARTICIPANTS - Eric Rupe:

Race Of Champions: Vet Pro: 6th Pro Open: DNQ
Grands: Vet Pro: 4th Pro Open: DNQ

At the 2006 ABA Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Big Daddy Eric Rupe was looking to keep his Grands Vet Pro win streak alive and make it four wins in a row.  He was looking good in practice with solid starts and good first straight pull.  First up was the R.O.C. race. That’s the ABA’s Race Of Champions event.  Eric went 1-4-1 in the motos, took a second in the semi and was poised for the win come main time.  With a pretty good start in the main from gate three, he was just about to get into full pull mode and shoot to the front when he was side swiped NASCAR style by V-Dog Steve Veltman and nearly wrecked off the side of the first and second jumps.  He dropped back to 6th place and never recovered. Big Daddy was pretty disappointed to say the least.

Next up was the Grands event.  With lots of extra pressure due to the importance of the event, Eric played it safe and smart during qualifying as he finished with a 2-3-2 score in the motos and a 4th in the semi.  Next up, SHOWTIME!  After snapping out of the gate in main number one from the outside and then settling for second, then getting a bit lucky (luck is simply when preparation meets opportunity) in main number two and getting another third place, he was in position to take the overall if he could win main number three.  From lane one, he nailed a perfect start and was out front to the first jump.  He got out smoothed by Jason Carnes (eventual Vet Pro number 1 for the season) and settled for second place as they headed into the first turn.  He held that spot until halfway down the third straight when bobbled pretty bad and dropped back to third.  He then tried to fight off a hard charging Todd Parry but got nipped at the line and ended the lap in fourth place. 

Two riders tied for first place with nine points and two riders tied for third with 10 points.  Unfortunately, Big Daddy got the short end of that one and ended the year with a fourth place overall.  His record in main events at the ABA Grands over the past 11 years is 7 wins, 2 seconds and 2 fourths.  Not bad for the now 43 year old BMX Veteran.  Big Daddy did move up in the standings from last season, as he finished the year in the number 3 spot overall.

The Mongoose BMX Team is proud to be sponsored by: Kenda, Sun Rims, Fly Racing, OGIO, X Balm, SDG, SRAM, SRP Products, Easton and Pearl Izumi.

 

Big Daddy At The UCI Worlds!

Another World Title! Eric takes the Gold in 40-44 Cruiser!

NBL Las Vegas - Nellis BMX

2004-2005

 

05 ABA Grands

2003

Dueling it out with "T.P." Todd Parry. At the ABA Grands. Chris Ham tryin' to catch up. Racin' with Jason. Strrrrrrreeeeeecccccchhhhhhh!

No Vet Pro class at Rockford? No Problem. Just kick everyone's butt in A Pro! Skyin' the big doubles in the first straight at Rockford BMX. Jumpin' the BIG Pro Section at NBL South Park. Winning another round of A Pro Cruiser! NBL South Park.

2002

Todd Parry trying to catch, yet again! Didn't work, though. Night time racing at the ABA Falls in Del Mar. Today was my birthday at the Falls and this balloon blew IN TO THE TRUCK on the way to the race! Nice! Gatin' it at the ABA Falls. Leading Vet Pro at the ABA Fallnationals. Sunday at the ABA Falls.

Signing autographs at the Vintage BMX Old Skool display. Linin' up on the gate at ABA Rockford. LOVE that Ogio sponsorship!

Accepting ABA Hall Of Fame award for my brother Robbie. On the right is long time Mongoose team mate, Travis Chipres, who got his H.O.F. award too. Sorry guys, I got mine a LONG time ago!

2001

2000

Eric, Second Turn, ABA Fall Nationals in 2000. Photo by Jerry Landrum/BMXmania.com 

Weaponry of choice for Big Daddy from the 2000 Mongoose Catalogue.

 

1987-89

Eric, gracing the cover of BMX Action. Thanks to gOrk for the shot.

Mongoose Cruiser test in BMX Plus, Nov. 1987 A photo from the Plus Cruiser test.

 

Big Daddy and Jason Chang in 1988 at the ABA Fall Nationals, Coal Canyon, CA. We're sporting these temporary tattoos from JT Racing. They looked so good, that lots of people thought they were real. JT Racing for life!

Part of a 17 x 11 poster/magazine advertisement featuring, from left, Sam Arrelano, Eric and Travis Chipres.

"White Hot" ad, autographed by Eric, Sam Arellano, Travis Chipres, Karim Richardson (Blue Max Pro and current pro, J Rich's Bro.) and cool guy, Team Manager, Dave Custadero. VERY 80's! Like all BMX stars, Eric has had his share of hot magazine shots. This is a BIG poster, from the same BMX Plus photo shoot as the cover shot. Nov. 87. It was much bigger than this, with Travis Chipres and Sam Arrelano jumping right behind him. NICE!

(The Mongoose 'Dream Team' Years with Sam Arrelano, Shelby James, Travis Chipres and Gary DeBacker)

In 1988, Mongoose picked up NBL recruits, Shelby James and Gary Debacker, two of the hottest Am's in the world. Along with Eric, Travis and Sam they formed one of the coolest teams ever. Here's a June 88 interview of the team in BMX Action. This HAS TO BE one of the best BMX ad layouts ever. It was run on two separate pages, during the Fall of 1988  in all the major BMX mags. The 'joke' was that  right at that time Haro and somebody, maybe DB, were running battling "We're #1" ads. (Little known fact. When they pulled the duct taped trophy off the front of the rented '57 Chevy, it pulled the show car's paint off! Yikes!) More Mongoose propaganda featuring the newly expanded team. Got to be from the Summer of '88.

1987

From video, "Vision Street Wear/NBL World Cup of BMX"

1985

 

Eric at the infamous "Bud's BMX" in Elkhart, Indiana. This particular photo is signed to, "The Landrum's"

ABA Bud's BMX National / Elkhart, Indiana Big Daddy, at NBL S. Park racin' with
Brackens - GT, Rob Rupe - DK, Pete Loncarevich - CW. Scot Clark - Redline, Eddie King - DB, Shawn Texas - Gear

1982

 

Young Daddy at the NBL Grands at Pittsburgh's, South Park BMX.

 

Scenes From The History Of BMX DVD

1983 NBL War of the Stars at the Kendall track in Miami, FL. Eric is On the gate between Toby Henderson (Hutch) and Anthony Sewell (Murray)
Snappin' in the main with Sewell, Eric, Toby, Brent Patterson, Scot Clark, Stu, Grubbs & Brian Patterson
 
On the gate with Greg Hill at the 1982 Jag World Championships at the Tropicana Hotel in Vegas.
 
Exiting the first turn in the main event at the JAG World Championships, where Eric finished Second behind Greg. The JAG Championship Finish Line after the main. Sewell and Stu follow.
               
Here's one for ya. This was a Schwinn TV promo featuring Boy Wonder, Eric Rupe. Eric leads a troop of little kids out to build some trails, then he's off to the races where he and several members of the Schwinn Factory Team are shown motoring down some CLASSIC Old Skool BMX tracks. Awesome!

 

The opening scene. Not sure if Eric got permission to dig in these people's yard, but dig they did! Eric checkin' out the moto sheets. Eric suiting up for the Big Race! That's Eric,  following Scott Angus (IE Bikes) around the track. Kevin crosses the Finish Line and Robbie runs up while Eric chills in the background.
1978 Schwinn BMX Team - (L to R) Mark Pippin, Kevin Jackson, Robby Rupe, Richard Zagars, Eric Rupe
 

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