National Bicycle League
The
National Bicycle League (NBL) is an
United States based sports
sanctioning body originally based in
Pompano Beach, Florida but after several moves is now based in
Hilliard, Ohio. It was created by George Esser in 1974 as first the bicycle auxiliary of the National Motorcycle League (NML) then set up as an independent non-profit organization unlike the earlier
National Bicycle Association (NBA) and the later
American Bicycle Association (ABA).
|
Logo of the National Bicycle League (adapted in 1990) and slogan. |
George Esser, unlike the earlier NBA and later ABA set up a non-profit organization with a very inclusive government including a Competition Congress meetings in which opinions of how the body was being administered would be heard. Unlike the later ABA, the major national events are run by local track operators, not professionals from the main office who travel across the country from National to national. It is perhaps this input and exercise of corporate democracy kept it in touch with the grass roots and from suffering periodical lost of member track operators, like what happened to the ABA and NBA, in the NBA's case, fatally.
The NBL's first race at Miami Hollywood Speedway Park on January 26, 1974 Greg Esser, George Esser's son, won the 14 & over class (there was no proficiency classes as we know them now, just age divisions). In 1975 Mr. Esser broke the NBL off from the NML to become its own entity and not the bicycle auxiliary of the NML. Starting in Florida in these early days its track affiliations were overwhelmingly concentrated east of the Mississippi River with only a few west of that boundary. However, after the 1981 racing season it commenced joint operations with the troubled National Bicycle Association (NBA) that was shrinking both terms of ridership and track operations. The NBA handled from then on handled race promotions, sponsor relations and marketing of NBL races but cease sanctioning races in its own right. In return, the NBL absorbed the remaining NBA membership and tracks, particularly those west of the Mississippi, making it a truly nation spanning sanctioning body like the rival ABA.
It is associated now with
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) through
USA Cycling which it joined in 1997. USA Cycling is the sanctioning body that represents virtually all aspects of Cycling in the United States. It is in turn associated with the UCI which is the sanctioning body that governs international Cycling. The UCI in turn is the governing body that deals with the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) that holds the Olympic Games. The UCI did have previous affiliations with the NBL through the now defunct NBL sister international organization the International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) which the UCI absorbed in 1993 through its amateur Cycling governing body FIAC. In both cases NBL members were able participate in the UCI BMX World Championship that the UCI inherited from the IBMXF. However, it was the NBL joining USA Cycling that was the key to BMX being accepted by the IOC as part of the Olympic Summer games. It was not necessary for the NBL to join USA Cycling for BMX to be part of the
Olympic Games, but since it was in the United States that BMX started and most of the best racers are American, it was critical for the USA to have a representative body involved. The NBL was chosen by USA Cycling in part because of its history of being involved with BMX at the international level and it is being a non-profit organization. The ABA is not a non-profit organization. BMX had trouble becoming an Olympic sport in the past, particularly before the 1990s was in part because of the then in place rules against professionals in the Games. However, the professionals especially the American ones were the best in the sport and to leave them out of the competition would not be showcasing the best. Much more importantly, This was the realization in other sports which has led to the elimination of the bar against professionals in the Olympic Games in all sports in the 1990s.
BMX is now part of the
Olympic Summer Games and the first
Olympiad for BMX will be the
2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing, China.
One thing the NBL has is a fierce independent streak. In 2002 members of the NBL apparently foiled an attempt by USA Cycling Chief Executive Officer Gerard Bisceglia to sell the NBL to the ABA.
[Initial USA Cycling sells NBL rumor. Scroll down to October 24, 2002 Article] [Clayton John Letter about USA Cycling offer to sell NBL.] [ABA rejected by USA Cycling. Scroll down to November 6, 2002 article.] There has always been a fierce rivalry between the two sanctioning bodies even after USA Cycling acquired the NBL in 1997.
Founded: 1974
Motto(s)/Slogan(s): "The Sanctioning Body from Coast to Coast"; "The Best in BMX"
Years of operation: 1974-Present
Former Headquarters: Pompano Beach, Florida
Current Headquarters: Hilliard, Ohio
Original Owner: George Esser
Current Owner: USA Cycling
Original President: George Esser
Current President: Richard Bunt
Original Executive Director: George Esser
Current Executive Director: Robert Tedesco
Employees:First track: Soledad Sands, CaliforniaPeak claimed number of tracks: 200 (1985)
Claimed present number of tracks: Approx. 170 (as of May 2003)
Peak claimed number of members: 49,000 (1985)
Claimed present number of members: Approximately 45,000 (Year 2000 figure).
Span: National
Number of races per year (Local & National): 3,500
In house newspaper:In house magazine: BMX TodayNumber of nationals per year: Approximately 30 (including Grand National) Number varies from year to year.
Proficiency levels Amateur 20" class: Rookie: 5 & Under to 17 & over in one year steps, Boys and girls.
Novice: 6 to 17 in one year steps then 18-21, 22-29, 30-34, 35 & over. Boys and Men only
Expert: Same as Novice.
Amateur Cruiser:
9 & Under, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-21, 22-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55 & Over. Boys & Men only
Girls 20" Amateur (age classifications only).Rookie, (boys and girls) See above.
Girls class:
6-7 then 8-15 in one year steps, then Junior Women (16-18).
Girls Cruiser:
10 & under, 11-13, 14-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40 & Over.
Open:
7& under, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-29, 30+ (boys and girls)
16 & over girls.
Professional 20" classes:Elite Masters, "B" Pro (Superclass), "A" Pro. (Elite) Men. Men only.
Elite Women, Elite Open.
Professional Cruiser Class:Elite Cruiser. Men only.
Qualifying system:Moto system
a.k.a Culamative System a.k.a Olympic System.
Bicycle League Rule Book>valign="top" Elite ("AA") Pro Nat.#1 Men
*1978 Sal Zeuner*
*1979 Greg Esser**
*1980 Anthony Sewell
*1981 Stu Thomsen
*1982 Stu Thomsen
*1983 Eric Rupe
*1984 Eric Rupe
*1985 Greg Hill
*1986 Pete Loncarevich
*1987 Pete Loncarevich
*1988 Greg Hill
*1989 Gary Ellis
*1990 Terry Tenette
*1991 Terry Tenette
*1992 Terry Tenette
*1993 Eric Carter
*1994 Gary Ellis
*1995 John Purse
*1996 John Purse
*1997 Christophe Leveque
*1998 Christophe Leveque
*1999 Danny Nelson
*2000 Thomas Allier
*2001 Jamie Staff
*2002 Kyle Bennett
*2003 Randy Stumpfhauser
*2004 Kyle Bennett
*2005 Mike Day
*2006 | Pro Nat.#1 (Elite) Cruiser Men
*1978 CDNE
*1979 CDNE
*1980 CDNE
*1981 Brent Patterson
*1982 Brent Patterson
*1983 Brent Patterson
*1984 Toby Henderson
*1985 Greg Hill
*1986 Greg Hill
*1987 Eric Rupe
*1988 Eric Rupe
*1989 Ron Walker
*1990 Kenny May
*1991 Barry McManus
*1992
*1993
*1994 Justin Green
*1995
*1996
*1997 Kiyomi Waller
*1998
*1999 Dale Holmes
*2000 Kevin Tomko
*2001 Randy Stumpfhauser
*2002 Randy Stumpfhauser
*2003 Randy Stumpfhauser
*2004 Randy Stumpfhauser
*2005 Donny Robinson
*2006 | valign="top" |* "A" Pro Nat.#1
*1978 CDNE
*1979 CDNE
*1980 CDNE
*1981 CDNE
*1982 TDNE**
*1983 TDNE
*1984 TDNE
*1985 TDNE
*1986 TDNE
*1987 TDNE
*1988 TDNE
*1989 TDNE
*1990 Benard Gant
*1991 Barry McManus
*1992
*1993
*1994
*1995
*1996
*1997 Jeff Dein
*1998
*1999 Todd Lyons
*2000
*2001
*2002
*2003
*2004 Augusto Castro
*2005 Derek Betcher
*2006 |
>Pro Nat. #1 Masters Men
*1978 CDNE
*1979 CDNE
*1980 CDNE
*1981 CDNE
*1982 CDNE
*1983 CDNE
*1984 CDNE
*1985 CDNE
*1986 CDNE
*1987 CDNE
*1988 CDNE
*1989 CDNE
*1990 CDNE
*1991 CDNE
*1992 CDNE
*1993 CDNE
*1994 CDNE
*1995 CDNE
*1996 CDNE
*1997
*1998
*1999
*2000 Eric Rupe
*2001
*2002 Derek Betcher
*2003
*2004 Eric Rupe
*2005 Dave Bittner
*2006 | Elite Pro Nat.#1 Women
*1978 CDNE
*1979 CDNE
*1980 CDNE
*1981 CDNE
*1982 CDNE
*1983 CDNE
*1984 CDNE
*1985 Kathy Schachel
*1986 Kathy Schachel
*1987 Gaby Bayhi
*1988 Discontinued
*1989 Discontinued
*1990 Discontinued
*1991 Discontinued
*1992 Discontinued
*1993 Discontinued
*1994 Discontinued
*1995 Discontinued
*1996 Discontinued
*1997 Michelle Cairns
*1998
*1999
*2000 Natarsha Williams
*2001 Natarsha Williams
*2002
*2003 Kim Hayashi
*2004 Kim Hayashi
*2005 Kim Hayashi
*2006 |
*Class
Did
Not
Exist
** A separate National #1 Pro did not exist in the NBL until the 1979 season. until then the National #1 racer could be either a pro or amateur since pros could race in the amateur classes.
***Title
Did
Not
Exist The class did exist under the title of "B" pro (which was created at the beginning of the 1981 season), but it was not until 1990 when the name was changed to "Superclass" and it became a pro/am division were the racers of that class given an opportunity to win a separate year end overall National #1 plate title separate from the pure Pro and the pure amateur classes. Amateurs competed for prizes and Pros could compete for a limited amount purses. Also beginning in the 1990 season "Pro Cruiser" was renamed "Super Cruiser" and "A" Pro "All Pro". In 1996 Super Cruiser was renamed "Pro Cruiser" once again and "All" Pro reverted back to "Pro Class" This was to harmonize NBL nomenclature with UCI/IBMXF labels. Because of this the NBL would change the name of its pro Classes many times during the 1990s, They even began calling there senior pro class "AA" and the junior pros "A" just like the ABA beginning in the year 2000. The senior male pro class is now officially known as Elite Men and the junior men "A" pro. The single level pro females are called Elite Women.
Redline Cup.
Presiden'ts Cup.
*
National Bicycle League*
www.ababmx.com - The website of the NBL's chief competitor, the American Bicycle League.
