Tim Judge
Encyclopedia
Timothy Judge is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1979-1985. When he was a young racer his given name was used in the diminutive "Timmy". His nickname was "Da Judge" a play on a on the 1970s catch phrase
"Here come da judge" first popularized on the 1968-1973 comedy Variety show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
. The show was off the air for about six years when Tim Judge first came to national BMX attention, but due to the show's popularity and his name lending itself to be associated the pharase "Here comes Da Judge" was quickly associated with him.
He was greatly renowned for his pioneering jumping ability and his innovative jumps including reputedly being the first to do a "One Footer." It is jump in which you launch your bicycle to a high altitude then take on foot off a pedal; the further off the better with three feet or so being the most spectacular. Then before landing quickly place your foot back on the pedal. That jump in turn lead to the one foot "Table Top" a jump in which while in the air you lay the frame of your parallel with the ground like a standard "Table Top" but in addition you remove the foot closes to the ground from the pedal while doing so. You then quickly bring your bicycle back up right and your foot placed back on the pedal before landing. Judge doing a one foot Table Top.
----
Started Racing: 1975 at 11 years old at the South Florida Kartway BMX track. He had first saw a television commercial for races there and asked his father to take him.
First race bicycle: Huffy.
First race result: First place in 11-year-old class.
Sanctioning Body:
First win (local): See "First race result"
First sponsor: 1976 Wheeler-Dealer Bicycles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
.
First national win:
Turned Professional: Mid 1983
First Professional race result: Second in "A" pro at the American Bicycle Association
(ABA) Summernationals in Elkhart, Indiana
on August 14, 1983. He also got second in Pro Cruiser.
First Professional win:
First Junior Pro* win:
First Senior Pro** win: In "A" Pro at the National Bicycle League
(NBL) National No.6 in Homestead, Florida
on February 9, 1985. He won USD$900 (USD$1,720 in 2007 Cost of Living calculator). He also came in first in Pro Cruiser winning USD$400 (USD$765 in 2007)
Retired: November 1985. He would later become a champion Jet Ski
racer.
Height & weight at height of his career (1984): Ht.:5'11 Wt.:165 lb.
*In the NBL it is B"/Superclass/"A" pro (beginning with 2000 season); in the ABA it is "A" pro.
**In the NBL it is "A" pro (Elite men); in the ABA it is "AA" pro.
----
----
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go
BMX Plus!:
*Due to a change in ownership, BMX Plus! did not publish a May 1983 issue.
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
Bicross Magazine (French publication):
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication under two names)"
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA 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 whose prime competitive years were from 1979-1985. When he was a young racer his given name was used in the diminutive "Timmy". His nickname was "Da Judge" a play on a on the 1970s catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
"Here come da judge" first popularized on the 1968-1973 comedy Variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
. The show was off the air for about six years when Tim Judge first came to national BMX attention, but due to the show's popularity and his name lending itself to be associated the pharase "Here comes Da Judge" was quickly associated with him.
He was greatly renowned for his pioneering jumping ability and his innovative jumps including reputedly being the first to do a "One Footer." It is jump in which you launch your bicycle to a high altitude then take on foot off a pedal; the further off the better with three feet or so being the most spectacular. Then before landing quickly place your foot back on the pedal. That jump in turn lead to the one foot "Table Top" a jump in which while in the air you lay the frame of your parallel with the ground like a standard "Table Top" but in addition you remove the foot closes to the ground from the pedal while doing so. You then quickly bring your bicycle back up right and your foot placed back on the pedal before landing. Judge doing a one foot Table Top.
Racing career
Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.----
Started Racing: 1975 at 11 years old at the South Florida Kartway BMX track. He had first saw a television commercial for races there and asked his father to take him.
First race bicycle: Huffy.
First race result: First place in 11-year-old class.
Sanctioning Body:
First win (local): See "First race result"
First sponsor: 1976 Wheeler-Dealer Bicycles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
.
First national win:
Turned Professional: Mid 1983
First Professional race result: Second in "A" pro at the 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) Summernationals 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. He also got second in Pro Cruiser.
First Professional win:
First Junior Pro* win:
First Senior Pro** win: In "A" Pro at the 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) National No.6 in Homestead, Florida
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
on February 9, 1985. He won USD$900 (USD$1,720 in 2007 Cost of Living calculator). He also came in first in Pro Cruiser winning USD$400 (USD$765 in 2007)
Retired: November 1985. He would later become a champion Jet Ski
Jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...
racer.
Height & weight at height of his career (1984): Ht.:5'11 Wt.:165 lb.
*In the NBL it is B"/Superclass/"A" pro (beginning with 2000 season); in the ABA it is "A" pro.
**In the NBL it is "A" pro (Elite men); in the ABA it is "AA" pro.
Career factory and major bike shop sponsors
Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.----
Amateur
- Wheeler-Dealer Bicycles: 1976
- MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycle Specialties: 1976-1977
- Thruster (Speed Unlimted, Inc.): 1977-1980
- Hot Plate Inc: 1980
- Thruster: 1980-Late December 1980
- Mongoose (BMX Products): December 29, 1980-Late March 1981. Judge, who was racing sponsorless in a white Vera's Leathers T-shirt at the 1980 World Championships was picked up by Mongoose during the race before the mains after they were impressed by his performance during the qualifying motos they signed him up before he even raced the mains.
- Hutch Hi-Performance BMX/Products: Late March 1981-Late November 1985 Tim would turn pro with this sponsor.
Career bicycle motocross titles
Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.----
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 1976 11-12 Class "D" Winternational BMX Series Champion
- 1976 11-12 Class "D" National No.1
- 1977 11-12 Class "D" National Championship Champion
- 1977 11-12 "D" Expert National No.1
- 1978 13 Expert National No.1
- 1980 15 & Up Schwinn Orange Bowl Classic Champion
- 1980 15 Expert National No.2
- 1980 Jag Overall World Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1982 17 Expert & 15-25 Cruiser North Central Gold Cup Champion
- 1982 15-25 Cruiser Northeastern Gold Cup Champion
- 1982 Florida District-1 (FLA-1) Amateur & Cruiser No.1
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- 1983 16 & Over Expert Third Place World Champion
- 1983 18-24 Cruiser World Champion
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)
- None
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 and Invitationals
Notable accolades
- Named one of "1984's Hottest Rookie Pros" by BMX Action Magazine.
- Named #40 of the 100 greatest BMXers in December 1993 issue of American BMXer.
BMX product lines
- "Timmy Judge Replica" Frame for Thruster in 1979.
- Product analysis:
- Bicycle Motocross Action December 1979 Vol.4 No.5 pg.90
- "Da Judge" Frame and Fork series for Hutch in April 1983
- product analysis:
- BMX Action April 1985 Vol.10 No.4 pg.38
- "Judge II" frame and fork from Hutchins Performance Products in July 1990.
- product analysis:
- BMX Plus! October 1990 Vol.13 No.10 pg.40
Significant injuries
- On June 6, 1981 Judge suffered a major automobile accident when the Volkswagen he was driving struck an opposite coming car head on. He was propelled through the windshield. He suffered torn ligaments in his right leg and had to have stitches in his face and shoulder. It was reported that he could be laid up for a year recuperating but his first race back was the NBL "Miami Connection" National in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on June 28, 1981. - Injured right hand at the invitational 1985 Kellogg's Frosties BMX Championships in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on May 25, 1985. The injury occurred in the third moto of the first round. He had crashed on a set of double jumps, but that was not what caused the injury. After he landed British pro racer Jamie Vance, after jumping the doubles himself, landed on Judge's hand, dislocating his middle finger and perhaps breaking the knuckle. Prior to having it examined Judge tried to race with his injured hand but it progressively got more swollen and painful. Two days later he dropped out of the competition and sought proper medical attention. After being treated by English paramedics and doctors he flew back home to be attended by his personal doctor.
Post BMX career
In 1984, Tim left BMX racing to try his hand at watercraft racing and motor building. During his career in 1985, Tim captured several national and world titles piloting his Yamaha Blaster. Personally responsible for over 40 world titles, Tim served as RIVA/Team Yamaha's chief performance mechanic as well as a racer until late 2003.BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Here Comes The Judge"Super BMX May 1981 Vol.8 No.5 pg.24
- "Tim Judge: World Champion" BMX Plus! June 1981 Vol.4 No.6 pg.26
- "Timmy Judge" BMX Action September 1983 Vol.8 No.9 pg.64
- "United they conquer: The Rise and Rise of Team Hutch" BMX Action Bike December 1983 Iss.14 pg.50 Article about the Hutch BMX team as a group and as individuals.
- "Racing Tips From 'Tabletop' Tim Judge" Bicycles and Dirt August 1984 Vol.2 No.9 pg.14
- "1984's Hottest Rookie Pros" BMX Action October 1984 Vol.9 No.10 pg.75
- "Moto-Notes: Chewin' The Fat With Timmy Judge" BMX Action December 1984 Vol.9 No.12 pg.72
- "Da Judge" Super BMX & Freestyle July 1985 Vol.12 No.7 pg.42
BMX magazine covers
Bicycle Motocross News:- None
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- Super BMX April 1981 Vol.8 No.4 In top corner insert. Main image is 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...
. - Super BMX September 1982 Vol.9 No.9
- Super BMX July 1985 Vol.12 No.7
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go
- BMXA October 1979 Vol.4 Nol.10
BMX Plus!:
- October 1980 Vol.3 No.10
- December 1983 Vol.6 No.11* In inset with Stu ThomsenStu ThomsenStuart 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...
, Greg HillGreg A. HillGregory Alan Hill is a former "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1989...
, Nelson ChanadyNelson ChanadyNelson Chanady is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1987-Racing career milestones:-----Amateur:...
and others at beginning of national banner presentation at the start of a race. Brian PattersonBrian PattersonBrian Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer.Brian Patterson is the younger of the most potent sibling combinations BMX has ever seen. With Brent the Brothers Patterson are the only brothers to both hold the National No.1 Pro title in any major BMX sanctioning body...
is the main image. - September 1984 Vol.7 No.9 in circular insert with Brian Patterson as main image.
- November 1985 Vol.8 No.11 in main image jumping with Motorcycle Motorcross (MX) racer Johnny O'Mara. In top insert freestyler Eddie FiolaEddie FiolaEdward Lynn Fiola in Bellflower, California, USA was a professional freestyle BMX rider in the 1980s and a film stuntman....
, in bottom left insert O'Mara again, in bottom right inser Freestyler Mike Dominquez.
*Due to a change in ownership, BMX Plus! did not publish a May 1983 issue.
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
- October 1982 Vol.1 No.2 (55) ahead of Eddy KingEddy KingEdward King is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1985....
(9) and unknown (175). - August 1984 Vol.2 No.9 with freestyler Woody Itson in main image. In insert Bart McDaniel (17), Eric RupeEric RupeEric Fitzgerald Rupe is an "Old School" American professional bicycle motocross racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990....
(33) and Harry LearyHarry LearyHarry Clarence Leary Jr. was a "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer....
(Diamondback).
Bicross Magazine (French publication):
- Août (August) 1984 No.23
- 1985
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication under two names)"
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):