John Purse
Encyclopedia
John Eric Purse is a former American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer. His prime competitive years were from 1990-2000.
Nicknamed "The Vigilante
" early in his pro career for his alleged dirty riding and fouling competitors and later and most famously "The Jackal
" in the mid 1990s because of his "mad dog" riding style and for his not backing off and his fighting back.
Started racing: February 8, 1981 at eight years old at Armadillo Downs in Conroe, Texas
.
Sanctioning body: American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
First race result: Second place.
First win (local):
Home sanctioning body district(s): ABA Texas 3 (Tex-3) (1985);
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) Texas District 4 (TX-4) (1986)
First sponsor: U-Truck 1981.
First national win:
Turned Professional: January 1990 at age 17. He forged his mother's signature on the Pro License applications to the ABA and NBL. His mother got wind of it a couple of months later (Purse had been doing quite well as a pro in the interim, including winning his first pro race. See "First Professional race result" below) and complained to both sanctions. She ordered that John to be suspended and prevented from racing pro since he did so without her permission. He found out when he went to sign up to race the NBL Memphis Indoor Classic in Memphis, Tennessee
in March 1990. He had to sit out both days of racing. He got his pro papers in order in time to race the ABA Supernationals in El Paso, Texas
. He won this last "A" pro race on Sunday (Day 2) April 1, 1990 and was moved up to "AA" pro.
First Professional race result: First place in "A" pro at the ABA Lone Star Nationals San Antonio, Texas
on January 27, 1990. He won USD$525, the equivalent of USD$826.26 in 2007 (Cost of Living Calculator)
First Professional win: See above.
First Junior Pro* race result: See above.
First Junior Pro win: See above.
First Senior Pro** race result: Seventh place in "AA" pro at the ABA Mid-America Nationals in Blue Springs, Missouri
on May 12, 1990 (Day 1).
First Senior Pro win:
Retired: He retired from active in Senior Pro competition in 2007. He currently races in Veteran Pro class.
Height & weight at height of his career (1990–2000): Ht:6'0" Wt:~185 lbs.
‡The latest known date he was known to be sponsored by that company
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
USA Cycling:
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
However, that placid reputation would change very quickly:
Purse does indicate that he was the cause of most of the problems in this quote:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
BMX World (1990 version)
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
BMX World (2005 version)
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):
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):
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. His prime competitive years were from 1990-2000.
Nicknamed "The Vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
" early in his pro career for his alleged dirty riding and fouling competitors and later and most famously "The Jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
" in the mid 1990s because of his "mad dog" riding style and for his not backing off and his fighting back.
Racing career milestones
----Started racing: February 8, 1981 at eight years old at Armadillo Downs in Conroe, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...
.
Sanctioning body: 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)
First race result: Second place.
First win (local):
Home sanctioning body district(s): ABA Texas 3 (Tex-3) (1985);
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) Texas District 4 (TX-4) (1986)
First sponsor: U-Truck 1981.
First national win:
Turned Professional: January 1990 at age 17. He forged his mother's signature on the Pro License applications to the ABA and NBL. His mother got wind of it a couple of months later (Purse had been doing quite well as a pro in the interim, including winning his first pro race. See "First Professional race result" below) and complained to both sanctions. She ordered that John to be suspended and prevented from racing pro since he did so without her permission. He found out when he went to sign up to race the NBL Memphis Indoor Classic in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in March 1990. He had to sit out both days of racing. He got his pro papers in order in time to race the ABA Supernationals in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. He won this last "A" pro race on Sunday (Day 2) April 1, 1990 and was moved up to "AA" pro.
First Professional race result: First place in "A" pro at the ABA Lone Star Nationals San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
on January 27, 1990. He won USD$525, the equivalent of USD$826.26 in 2007 (Cost of Living Calculator)
First Professional win: See above.
First Junior Pro* race result: See above.
First Junior Pro win: See above.
First Senior Pro** race result: Seventh place in "AA" pro at the ABA Mid-America Nationals in Blue Springs, Missouri
Blue Springs, Missouri
Blue Springs is a city in Jackson County, Missouri and is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census the population at 52,575.- Geography :...
on May 12, 1990 (Day 1).
First Senior Pro win:
Retired: He retired from active in Senior Pro competition in 2007. He currently races in Veteran Pro class.
Height & weight at height of his career (1990–2000): Ht:6'0" Wt:~185 lbs.
Amateur
- U-Truck-It: 1981-1982
- Ben’s Bike Shop: 1983
- Blazer: 1984
- Roland Racing: 1985
- S.T.U.D.D: 1986
- Eagle Snacks/Profile: Early March 1987-September 1988. At this time Eagle Snacks was still a separate racing team and had not merged with MCS.
- Eagle Snacks/MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycles: September 1988-November 1989. Eagle Snacks formed a joint team sponsorship with MCS Bicycles in August 1988 to defer some of the cost of fielding a BMX racing (or in other cases freestyle) team. This was the modern start of trend of two separate companies jointly sponsoring a team that became standard practice by the year 2000.
- MCS Bicycles: November 1989-July 1990 John turned pro with this sponsor
Professional
- MCS Bicycles: November 1989-July 1990 By November 1989 Eagle Snacks had largely dropped its BMX effort. MCS did merge part of its team with Vans team having Terry TenetteTerry TenetteTerry Tenette is a professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1989 to 1998....
, Pete LoncarevichPete LoncarevichPeter Loncarevich is a former Bicycle Motocross racer. Loncarevich was an "Old School" professional BMX racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1994....
and Danny Millwee on that team, but MCS also had a team that was separate from the Vans/MCS effort. In July 1990 MCS dropped its BMX team except Terry TenetteTerry TenetteTerry Tenette is a professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1989 to 1998....
causing Purse to pursue another sponsor. - S&S Racing (Bicycle Shop): Late 1990-August 1991.
- ODi (Ornate Design, Inc.) /Revcore: September 1991-NOvember 1992
- ODi/GHP (Greg Hill Products) Late November 1992-through September 1993‡)
- Balance: 1994-May 1996
- Redline Bicycles: May 1996-March 30, 2001. After missing much of the 2000 and early 2001 racing seasons due to injuries Redline decided to exercise its clause in the contract with Mr. Purse that stated that they had the right to let him go if he missed so many races unless he agreed to accept a new contract not as advantageous to Purse and gave him until March 30, 2001 to accept. Purse didn't and moved on to Profile Racing.
- Profile Racing/Troy Lee Designs/Marzocchi Steering Systems: April 1, 2001-December 2001.
- Troy Lee designs/EVS: January 2002-October 2002.
- Marzocchi/Troy Lee Designs/Intense Racing: October 2002-January 2003.
- Marzocchi/Specialized: Mid January 2003-February 5, 2003
- Hyundai/Mongoose Bicycles: February 5, 2003-December 2005.
- Redline Bicycles: April 4, 2006-June 2006. This was a short two month sponsorship that was intended as a fill in for Redline's regular sponsored pro the injured Bubba HarrisBubba HarrisBurlin Buntster Harris III is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. Usually goes by the moniker "Bubba", as did his father when he was young.-Racing career milestones:----Started racing: August 7, 1992 on...
, who was laid up with a shoulder injury that was slated to take him out of racing for two months. - Sandersclinic.com: June 28, 2006-Late September 2006.
- Redline Bicycles: Late September 2006-2007. This is John Purse's third stint on Redline.
- GHP/www.SandersClinic.net/PowerBar: January 2008–Present
‡The latest known date he was known to be sponsored by that company
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 1985 12 Expert Grandnational Champion
- 1987 15 Expert President's Cup Champion.*
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1985 12 Expert Winter Season Texas 3 (TX-3) District Age Group (DAG) No.1*
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)
- 1985 Texas District 4 (TX-4) 20" and Cruiser Group No.1
- 1986 TX-4 Cruiser Group No.1
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1987 14 boys Silver Medal (2nd) World Champion
- 1988 15 boys World Champion
- 1989 16 boys World Champion
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- None
Professional
National Bicycle LeagueNational 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)
- 1995 Mid Year Series Champion
- 1996 Pro Class and Pro/Super Award Grandnational Champion
- 1995, 1996 National No.1 Pro.
- 2003 Elite Men National No.2
- 2009 Elite Nasters Grand National 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)
- 1992 "AA" Pro and Pro Open Race of Champions Champion (Double)
- 1997 National No.1 Pro.
- 1997 ABA Pro World Champion.
- 2003 "AA" Pro National No.2
- 2008 Veteran Pro Race of Champions Champion
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None (defunct)
- None (FIAC did not have a strictly professional division during its existence).
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- 1997 UCI Elite Men World Champion
USA Cycling:
- 2009 Masters Class First Place National Champion
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
Notable accolades
- He is a consecutive three time winner of ABA's BMXer magazine Golden Crank Award for Pro of the Year in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
- In 1998 he set the single season record of most wins at 25.
- He is a 1998 BMX Plus! Racer of the Year Award winner.
- He is a 1999 BMX Plus! Racer of the Year Award winner.
- He is a 1999 winner of Snap Magazine's Number One Rider Award (NORA) Cup*.
- In 2005 he set the most mains appearances record at 308 becoming during that time the first to break the 300 mains barrier. As of May 2006 his mains appearance is up to 310.
- His Senior Pro career is a contiguous 17 years, the longest BMX pro career in its history.
BMX product lines
- 1999 Redline John Purse signature series frame.
- Product Evaluation:
- Snap BMX Magazine August 2000 Vol.7 Iss.8 No.46 pg.87
- Snap BMX Magazine December 2000 Vol.7 Iss.12 No.50 pg.116 (2001 Model Year)
- 2005 Mongoose John Purse signature series bicycles
- Product Evaluation:
- Product Evaluation:
Significant injuries
- Had seven broken clavicleClavicleIn human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
s over his career, including on May 9, 1999 at the ABA Dixieland Nationals in Marietta, GeorgiaMarietta, GeorgiaMarietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
. He was laid up until the UCI World Championships in Vallet, France in July 1999. - He separated his shoulder in a crash at the 1999 ABA Grandnationals in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. - He reinjured his collar bone on March 19, 2000 at the Mercury Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CaliforniaMonterey, CaliforniaThe City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. - Broke thumb at the January 2001 ABA Silver Dollar National in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. - Jammed the fingers of his right hand in a crash at the NBL Speedway Nationals, in East Moline, IllinoisEast Moline, IllinoisEast Moline is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,333 at the 2000 census. East Moline is one of the five Quad Cities,, along with the cities of Rock Island, Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities has a population of 379,690...
on June 15, 2002 (Day 1). He sat out Day 2.
Racing habits and traits
- He developed a reputation of having an erratic riding style that made him unpredictable and therefore hard to pass when he was in the lead. This was also partly responsible for him being labeled by his competitor a "dirty rider". Ironically, even earlier in his career before he "earned" the "vigilante" moniker, he had a reputation as being a quiet pro:
"....JOHN PURSE would no doubt win an award for quietest pro in the biz. Because he's so mellow, maybe no one considers him to be a big threat. Or maybe since he draws no attention to himself, he can sneak in for wins and top finishes. For whatever reason, Johnny has been jammin' all year. Pro Open was his target this weekend taking second to Veltman
Steve VeltmanStephen 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...
on Saturday and then winning it Sunday. And I don't think anyone noticed him. ----American BMXer August 1990 referring to the July 1, 1990 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) Summernationals.
However, that placid reputation would change very quickly:
Dale HolmesDale HolmesDale John Holmes was a British professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-2004. He is now a respected champion mountain bike racer....
: Over the years you have had some run ins with other riders, who would say were some of your best disagreements with?
John Purse: The one that comes to mind first is Charles Townsend. He gave me my 2nd and 6th broken collarbone from BMX racing. I had an after the race moment with Charles in San Antonio in the early 90’s and yelled at most of the AA’s that were there, I threw my bike at Greg HillGreg A. HillGregory Alan Hill is a former "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1989...
at the Fall Nationals in 1990, a last turn fight with Eric CarterEric CarterEric Robert Carter is a former American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1983 to 1998...
at the 1990 ABA Grands, a conversation with Gary EllisGary EllisGary Leo Ellis Jr. was an American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer.Ellis was one of the last of the "Old School" BMX racers whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 1982-1996.Nickname: "The Lumberjack"...
at the 1995 ABA World Cup after he ran me off the track, and many others along the way. Actually Dale, me and you went round and round when I broke my thumb at ABA Reno in 2001. ----DaleHolmes.com 2002 interview
Purse does indicate that he was the cause of most of the problems in this quote:
When I first turned, (pro) I would just defend myself against others and ride aggressively in return, but I learned that you'll just get disqualified, you'll look bad, and it's just going to cause problems. So I just played their game. If they messed with me on the track, I let it go and just get them next time. So I learned just to chill out.----Ride BMX December 1993
Miscellaneous
- He was named number two on the list of the five "Dirtiest Riders in BMX" for 1992 in the June 1992 issue of BMX Plus!
- Along with Alan FosterAlan Foster (BMX racer)Alan David Foster was a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years were from...
and Brian Lopes John Purse is credited with bringing back the full face helmet back into BMX in the Summer of 1996. The Full Face Helmet (Figure 1) has a rigid chin bar structure to protect the lower front half of the head. It had fallen out of fashion since the mid-1980s for BMX racing due in part with claims that it hindered the racer's vision. The fact that it also obscured the racer's face in magazine photos also may had a role in its decline in popularity. By the mid-1980s the three quarter or "open faced" helmet were standard (Figure 2). For lower face protection a racer used a combination chin and mouthguard that strapped onto the bottom of the helmet called generically a "Joffa". During this ten year interim the only serious BMX riders who regularly used full faced helmets where ramp style freestyle riders and later dirt jumpers. Both of whom perform complicated trick maneuvers from significantly high altitudes off the ground, as much as 30 to 40 feet at times. Ironically, as full face helmets gained in popularity among racers, it declined among dirt jumpers (although ramp freestylers still used them). Dirt Jumpers and even some freestylers stopped wearing BMX helmets of any kind and started using skateboarding helmets that only protected the crown of the head; again for visibility reasons when doing stunts.
- While not mandatory in either the ABA or the NBL, The full face helmet is the worn today by the large majority of BMX racers; pro and amateur alike.
- John Purse like countless BMX racers before him has tried his hand at Mountain Bike racing, the first being the 2001 NORBA Downhill event the Bump & Grind at Oak Mountain in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He came in fifth place overall with a 4 minute, 35 seconds first run and a 4 minutes, 33 seconds second run. - John Purse is the step father of BMX pro racer Kyle BennettKyle BennettKyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
. This makes them technically the only father-son combination to win racing titles in BMX, professional or amateur. They both held the NBL National No.1 pro title. Bennett won in 2002, 2004 and 2007; Purse won in 1995 and 1996. They also both won UCI Elite Men World Championships; Purse in 1997 and Bennett in 2002, 2004 and 2007. When Purse was an up and coming pro and Bennett was an amateur at the beginning of his career, they were on the same team; S&S racing in 1991. It was a bicycle shop team.
- John Purse like countless BMX racers before him has tried his hand at Mountain Bike racing, the first being the 2001 NORBA Downhill event the Bump & Grind at Oak Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "John Purse" Ride BMX December 1993 Vol.2 Iss.6, No.8 pg.30 Note: Ride BMX magazine at this time did not number its pages.
- "John Purse: Model Citizen" Snap BMX Magazine November/December 1995 Vol.2 Iss.6 No.7 pg.32
- "Texas Road Trip" Snap BMX Magazine May/June 1996 Vol.3 Iss.3 No.10 pg.41 One of four separate mini interviews of two fellow pro racers Jason Carnes Wade BootesWade BootesWade Bootes is an Australian professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross and Mountain Bike racer whose prime competitive years are from 1995 to 2003 in BMX and 1999 to 2004 in MTB. Usually goes by the moniker "Bootsie" or "Bootsey", an obviously diminutive of his surname...
and "Poor Boy" company owner Steve Inge residing in the American state of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. - "How to Win BMX Races" BMX Plus! January 1997 Vol.20 No.1 pg.60 John Purse describes the mental attitude to have to be successfully at racing. In the same issue on page 56 "The Champion Speaks: A Quick Interview with the #1 Pro" A mini interview on Purse's reaction to becoming the 1996 NBL National No.1 Pro.
- "From One Track to Another" Transworld BMX May 2003 Vol.10 Iss.5 No.79 pg.32 An article written by pro BMX racer Jason Richardson the described the tryouts on a Velodrome track at USA CyclingUSA CyclingUSA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and collegiate racing...
's United States Olympic Training CenterUnited States Olympic Training CenterThe United States Olympic Training Centers are three campuses created by the United States Olympic Committee as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lake Placid, New York; and Chula Vista, California. There is a U.S. Olympic...
(USOTC) from January 8 to 14 2003 with Steven Alfred (track racer), Jason Carnes, Kenth Fallen, Rob Lindstrom (track racer), Darrin Mitchell, John Purse, Craig Reynolds, Richardson himself, Greg Romero, Randy StumpfhauserRandy StumpfhauserRandall Richard Stumpfhauser is an American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1998 to the present...
and Terry TenetteTerry TenetteTerry Tenette is a professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1989 to 1998....
. Following the lead of Jamie Staff making the British Track Cycling team some of his fellow BMX racers explored the possibility of trying out the track racing discipline with the idea of going to the Olympics. This was done Just before the announcement on June 30, 2003 by the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) of their making BMX Racing an Olympic sport beginning in 2008. - "Pop Quiz: John Purse" Moto Mag November/December 2003 Vol.2 No.6 pg.23 An interview in the form of a mock school quiz.
BMX magazine covers
----Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- None
BMX Plus!:
- January 1990 Vol.13 No.1
- July 1993 Vol.16 No.7 in top insert ahead of Charles Townsend. In bottom left insert Todd Corbitt. In lower right insert freestyle frames and forks.
- July 1998 Vol.21 No.7 in middle right insert studio shot. In top insert Greg Romero and Neal Wood in a physical confrontation with two ABA track officials intervening. Bottom insert freestyler Ruben Castillo. Main image Ultimate dream bike 1998.
- June 2009 Vol.32 No.6 Main image.
Total BMX:
- None
Bicycles and Dirt:
- None
BMX World (1990 version)
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- Snap March/April 1996 Vol.3 Iss.2 No.9 (8) in second place behind Christophe LévêqueChristophe LevequeChristophe Lévêque is a French professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-2003...
(15) and ahead of Neal Wood (23) in third. - Snap July 2000 Vol.7 Iss.7 No.45
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
- None
BMX World (2005 version)
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):
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):
External links
- Daleholes.com 2002 interview
- John Purse's website
- John Purse BMXUltra.com April 2002 interview
- The American Bicycle Association (ABA) website
- The National Bicycle League (NBL) website
- CNN Transcript of interview of Purse on July 2, 2003 on the admission of BMX racing into the Beijing Olympics in 2008
- January 2008 interview on bmxactiononline.com by Gary Haselhorst.