NEWS
Eric Rupe says goodbye to Mongoose
Madison, WI, January 28, 2007 -- After ten seasons (this time around) with the Mongoose BMX Race Team, Eric “Big Daddy” Rupe has left the team and headed for GT. Rupe began his relationship with Mongoose back in November of 1981. During the 1982 season, he was teammates with such legendary riders as Bobby Woods, Kevin Jackson, Jeff Kosmala, Kenny Knachman, Roland Veight and Tinker Juarez. At the end of the 1982 season, he left the team for one year to pursue his pro BMX career goals and returned in January of 1984 after reaching one of those goals by earning his first Elite Men’s title in the NBL. He stayed with the team for eight years earning six more National Pro titles and two World Championship titles. He returned to the team in 1997 and was there for another 10 years up until this past December. In that time, he earned another 13 National and World Championship titles for the Mongoose name. When asked how he felt about leaving Team Mongoose, Rupe said, “I feel a bit of a loss, but I know things always work out for the best. Way back in 1978, the first time I saw the Mongoose BMX Race Team uniforms and the way they ran their program, I knew I wanted to be a part of that team. When I was first asked to join Mongoose back in 1981, it was one of the proudest days in BMX career. I’m really gonna miss being a representative for one of THE finest names in BMX.”
The names Eric Rupe and Mongoose have gone hand in hand for years. He’s helped make the Mongoose name what it is today. Thanks for the memories Eric, as Mongoose is gonna miss you too.
