SCOT BREITHAUPT
"The OM of BMX - The Founding Father of OS BMX"
Welcome to the Rewind Spotlight Scot, cant begin to tell you how much we appreciate you taking time out of your upcoming 40 years Bmx celebration to do this. The very daddy of Old School bmx, the whole of Rewind welcomes you mate.1. Whats your thoughts on S.E Racing 2010 Scot, is it how you would imagine the brand would be 33 years after you first started the Iconic Brand ?Todd Lyons has done a tremendous job with the line.. plus he has added a full line of bitchen fixed gear bikes, expanded the freestyle and urban line.. add the retro lines I collaborated on, TL has built a whole line plus soft goods that the dealers have embraced.. I’m proud of him..
Is it what I thought it would be?.. Hmmmm as a designer and inventor, I have a wild imagination just like Todd.. Being that I was the owner and able to do as I pleased without interference, I may have tried a few things differently.. we all have different quirks…but again, I stress that Todd has done a great job.. It’s still an honor to be associated with the line.. (Hey TL, DON’T GET A FAT HEAD FOOLIO!!! ) J
2. As a pioneer in the development of Bmx Scot, did you always have the drive to achieve to the extent you did ?, and back in the early 70s was it the Ankle that forced you to focus on the Promo/team side of the sport ?Yes, I was ALWAYS DRIVEN!! I grew up in a very competitive environment. I hated to lose at ANYTHING. Being small in size until I was 19, I was a bit of a scrapper and thrill seeker.
Actually I started in the advertising and promotions business, and created SE Racing from Scot Enterprises (SE) that handled ads and marketing for Mongoose, Skyway, Oury Grips, Bel-Ray lubes and others. My broken ankles didn’t slow me for long. I raced injured many many times in both BMX and motorcycle motocross.
Being a #1 rider myself and having a fantastic team with Stu Thomsen, Greg Hill, Jeff Utterback , Rod Beckering and others made it easy to promote our line.. we won everywhere we went!
3. Take us back to 1980, this was a time when the Brands got serious. How did the scene change "if it did" inside the SE Factory during this time.1980 was status quo, make as much product as possible and ship it!!! We expanded our line, built complete bikes, bought up several of the contractors making my bikes and put it all under one enormous roof… We had in house mfg., International Distribution, Marketing, Art Dept., Publishing, Domestic Sales and more… I was also still racing and had created the Cruiser Class. I got the sanctioning bodies to add numerous classes for all the age brackets and skill levels. 1980 was our first Pro Cruiser race; ABA National at Monroe Washington.. I had a great race and won! Good way to promo my OM Flyer 26”’er. We also raced a lot overseas promoting BMX in foreign countries.. Fun to race my cruiser with the 20” bikes in the Open class and smoke ‘em!! J Scared a lot of guys with those big wheels! LOL
4. How did the idea for the Quadangle come into being Scott, and what influenced you at that time for such a Radical concept ?I designed a motorcycle roadrace frame for Yamaha first with the inverted head tube to strengthen the frame. The bikes had too much power ! LOL.. Stompin Stu was a horse and flexed most anything he rode. So I tried the original STR-1 with the tubes UNDER the BB but it was a nightmare to make.. so I went with two downtubes that had large copes at the weld juncture for superior strength. I changed the name to Quadangle when Stu went to Redline…
5. Looking through SE Racings history, and also Scot Breithaupt’s and what both you and the company achieved, can you put into words how it felt when SE Racing was no longer in your hands ?
I still miss being at the helm SE Racing , but at the time I was producing TV shows for ESPN, Nickelodeon, Prime Sports, BBC, TSN, MSG and many others in addition to a Mortgage Company, and the toy lines I developed… I like a variety of operations to learn and explore.. But luckily, I have been able to work with guys like Todd, Toby Henderson (CEO of Intense/Speed/Eye Bikes...) who are brilliant designers and Bike guys... I still learn alot everyday...
As I have hinted before, there may be a new line of bikes coming, both the BEST in Freestyle and Racing! ....
6. What was your favorite BMX, and was there any bmx that you feel reached the pinnacle of engineering during the whole era of bicycle motocross ?Both the PK Ripper and STR-1 /Quadangle were WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY ahead of their time and have continued to be two of the most recognized frames in BMX history. I’m honored to see them in dealer showrooms and on the tracks, trails and street!
7. What part did the BMX community play in bringing you back after the drugs Scot " If any " and was it the loss of this family that played a small part in them darker days.Yes, the community was there through thick and thin. Guys like Perry Kramer, Stu Thomsen, Sean Ewing, Jeff Utterback, Ben Joy, Greg Hill and many others have motivated me, tuff loved me and walked me through dark days and nights… It’s been 5 years of internal freedom now and we are all closer than ever! I make myself available to others in recovery whenever the chance arises…
My Dad’s death was the pinacle of my use, the downward spiral and running from reality.. there was a lot behind the fear, the low self esteem and pain. No matter what you’ve accomplished or who you are, the disease of addiction can and will kick your ass until you deal with the core issues! You can go to
http://www.fast-life.org/ and read my testimony.. it’s old and needs to be updated, but still effective. Bottomline, for me it came down to communications , opening up and asking for help without the fear of rejection. I accepted I could not do it alone….
8. Moving on to 2010 Scott, what advice do you have to anyone looking to start a bmx racing team, or has the whole Sport changed beyond recognition now ?Passion for the sport has to be balanced with everything else so you don’t get burned out.. Too many get all pumped up and thrash themselves, the kids, the bank account and then fade or drop out.. The average “ Lifespan” of a BMXer is 18 months!! Live ALL of life’s adventures and opportunities and you’ll stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually balanced through BMX and the family!
9. Out of all your SE Racing frames Scott, was there a one stands out as the one you thought "that's it" ? personally the Floval rings my bells every time i see one !!!Thank you.. I too love the Floval Flyer, but have to say that the PK Ripper and Quadangle are the foundation of SE Racing … The Floval is just a bigger PK Ripper !!
10. Was there any ideas left that never made it into a final production bike, and who helped you decide what would work and not work back in them days ?Sure there's LOTS of ideas that never made it into production and someday you will see in a new line of Legendary Bikes... Who knows what lurks in the mind of a mad man BMXer huh?.... STAY TUNED!!!
For the first few years it was just me. Then over the years I hired Mike Devitt, Frank Stone, Sal Correa and a others from our contractors as I bought them up. As PK , Fred Blood, Toby Henderson, and Brian Lopes matured, they too had a hand in some product development. It was a team effort ! [/center]
11. How far are you now from the Scott Breithaupt that hit the headlines in the Nineties and early 2000s, you certainly seem happy in your current life.[/b]
Night and day to be honest. I give back what I can.. I sponsor several men and youth in recovery, I have a site (it needs UPDATES!!! LOL.. )
www.fast-life.org and it has some neat stuff… I’m so busy with “Life” , BMX and helping others, I haven’t updated it, but it’s worthy of looking at…
I have learned that I can work smarter and not have to say YES to ALL requests just to be a people pleaser. I’m only human and have now realized I need to come first . My health, my sanity, my recovery and future depend on it. I’m WORTHLESS without balance.
I ride daily and hit Bellflower BMX track weekly and the beach strand too… Bikes and BMX is STILL my passion even after 40 years!!! Gotta keep the six pack you know !!
It’s wonderful too to be promoting and doing all I can to further our sport. I’m working with the ABA on Global expansion, helping emerging countries develop tracks in the right way from the start. Plus the Grassroots efforts here in the states are already starting to take effect and show growth for tracks.
The 40 Years of BMX event is shaping up to be the event of the decade for racers, freestylers, and collectors too! Go to:
www.40yearsofbmx.com and on face book: 40 Years of BMX under events…
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. What is your most outstanding memory from the SE Racing days Scott, if its possible to put only one forward.?Gosh, that’s a tough one.. could be the first PK Ripper off the manufacturing line… the BMX Bus tours… the first Quadangle.. the first Landing Gear fork I tested… the first magazine cover with an SE Bike on it.. buying our giant building on Paramount… buying up our contractors to go inhouse with mfg. … winning our first Team National Title?... There’s a ZILLION AWESOME MEMORIES from SE Racing days… and Todd keeps ‘em coming..!!
13. Does the revival of OS BMX play a part in your everyday life now, how does it affect your daily routine and are you surprised how big the whole thing has become ?It’s incredible. I get heart touching messages and e mails daily how I have affected peoples lives in a positive way. I relish them and am honored to be included in these people’s lives.
It’s exciting to think of these people getting their kids, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th generations into BMX…
We are hoping for a GIANT turnout at “40 Years Of BMX” Nov 5th for the History Expo (see:
www.firstfridaylongbeach.com) and then again Nov 13-14th… TONS of Fun and excitement for Old Schoolers and newcomers alike….
The Retro models with SE and other makers have been great sellers, many people getting the bikes of their childhood dreams! How cool is that?.. I love my Looptail Quadangle, PK Ripper and OM Flyer too!
14. Bit of personal info here Scott, outside of bmx what else gets you up in the morning.?I’m blessed to be alive. I have damaged my body in MX, BMX, Extreme Sports and many other insane things over the years… and now I have the opportunity to enjoy each day with friends and family and to give back to those less fortunate or struggling with demons , fears and pains I’ve been able to conquer.
I try to live each day as if it were the last. … I have a bitchen bucket list and plan new adventures daily !
Lately, the 40 Years of BMX gets me up at 5 AM, and I work til 10 at night many nights.. there’s TONS of details to an event of this magnitude. But it’s all fun and exciting to be hands on making it happen…
15. So all that's left from the Rewind team is to say thanks for taking the time to do this Rider interview Scott and is there anything you would like to add that has not been covered ?Sure there is LOTS not covered.. but I’m saving that for the movie… “Back on Track”….ha ha ha Thx Paul.. C-Ya
The Pleasure is all mine Scot, i have to add your enthusiasm in all your projects Scot is infectious and certainly rubbed of a bit on what i want to add to bmx in the future, a personal thanks from me, and a big thanks from RewindSome more SE RACING PICS from Scot
SCOT BREITHAUPT
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