Cycle News

Cycle News 2017 Issue16 April 25

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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IN THE WIND P48 T he Trailblazers MC hosted its annual banquet and awards cer- emony on Saturday night, April 22, at the Carson Center and as usual, they knocked it out of the park. The event was founded in the early 1940s, when a group of SoCal motor- cycle pioneers, led by A.F. Van Order, decided to turn their bench racing sessions into an annual get-together. What began as a few dozen motor- cycle enthusiasts paying homage and trading lies, has become the hottest ticket in town, with all 750 seats sold out within days. The list of past inductees to the Trailblazers Hall of Fame includes racing legends and industry titans, some whose reputations precede them and some you may have never heard of. They are men and women of exceptional skill, courage and fortitude, who shared something that everyone reading this can relate to: a love of motorcycles. Motorcyclists have always had an unspoken bond between them, a feeling that only those who ride can know. Each year, the club inducts a handful of new Hall of Fame members, whose names will join leg- ends like Malcolm Smith, Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts, Preston Petty, Steve McQueen, Bud Ekins, Dave Aldana, Al Gunter, John Hately, Gary Jones, Eddie Lawson, Joe Leonard, Dick Mann, Joe Parkhurst, Wayne Rainey, Don Vesco, J.N. Roberts, Dan Gurney, Mike Bast, Mike Bell and so many others. The nomina- tion and vetting of inductees is a task not taken lightly by the 14 Trailblazer board members, with the process be- ginning the day after each banquet and continuing throughout the year. Club President, Don Emde, a former Daytona 200 Champion, and V.P. Keith Mashburn organize the banquet, along with the help of the other members and a slew of volun- teers. Putting together an event of this magnitude requires a lot of sacrifice and cooperation among the individual members. One member that deserves huge props for a job well done is Tom White. Tom is the man in charge of the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show, Dave Ekins took home the Dick Hammer Award for Drive, Determination and Desire! Trailblazers Hall of Fame members gather for a photo. 73RD ANNUAL TRAILBLAZERS BANQUET

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