TRAILBLAZERS BANQUET POSTPONED

Save the date! Annual banquet rescheduled for November 7, 2020

The Trailblazers Board of Directors has decided that the ever-changing situation of the Coronavirus outbreak has made it inappropriate at this time to hold its annual banquet as planned on April 4th . The 76th annual event will now be held on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at the same location in Carson, California.

The directors met in an emergency session to discuss how the Coronavirus could negatively impact the upcoming banquet if it were held in less than a month as originally planned. With all 800 seats already sold out, the directors questioned the appropriateness of carrying on with its event at a time that community leaders are urging restraint in holding events with large crowds. Of great concern to the directors was the obvious health risk for attendees and others, both at the event, as well as their need to travel to get there.

Trailblazers President Don Emde, stated, “I am very happy that the Trailblazers Board of Directors considered the health and safety of our many members who will be attending the banquet and will not take any unnecessary risks at this time of a potentially historic health crisis.” He added, “we want to assure all ticket holders and sponsors that everything is in place and will remain as-is until the banquet is held on its new date.”

The Trailblazers board also noted that not moving the date risked having a last-minute cancellation imposed on them by state or local authorities, a move that would have wiped the event for 2020. Emde said that only one suitable alternate date was available at the Carson Center which made their decision at this time even easier. He added, “as the Trailblazers President, it would be unthinkable to not have a banquet this year. We have too much history to let that happen.”

For more information, donemde@me.com or call 949-215-4780 x206.

BANQUET TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT!

IMPORTANT DETAILS - PLEASE READ

This year’s banquet – our 76th annual – will be held at our usual location at the Carson Center in Carson on Saturday, April 4th . The popular Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show presented by Hagerty precedes the banquet. Plan to come early, see some cool old bikes and spend time visiting with friends. Ticket Will Call and Bike Show entries begins at 11:00 a.m., the Bike Show opens at 1:00 p.m., doors open for the banquet at 5:00 with opening ceremonies at 6:00.

This year's banquet sold out quickly. To add your name to the waiting list, please email our new Seating Director, Nancy Emde-Steward at nancyemde56@gmail.com . If you purchased your tickets online, she can try to move you to another available seat or table. Seats will fill up fast, so no guarantees, but she will try to accommodate you. If anyone is not able to get seats reserved, send an email to Nancy asking to get on the waiting list. We have found that many duplications happen, people ordering for friends who also order tickets. We have usually been able to locate seats for everyone in the coming weeks. Please be patient.

Note that your ticket confirmation will show both a table and seat number. The computerized ticketing system uses a seat number to keep track of available seats, but we then only use the table numbers which will be printed on your badge.

Lastly, if you need to cancel your seats before the banquet, up to 30 days before the banquet you can go back online and process a fully refundable cancellation credit to your credit card. Sorry we cannot offer any refunds after March 4, 2020.

We look forward to seeing you at the banquet!

Trailblazers Board of Directors and Banquet Committee

800 Attend 75thAnniversary Banquet

-CLICK PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE-

Trailblazers Banquet: Great Memories and Well-Deserved Awards

By Ty van Hooydonk / Photo by Jim Gianatsis / See who’s - who below

The 75th anniversary Trailblazers banquet—held on Saturday, April 6th—was a celebration of racing, riding, motorcycles, and above all, people. Time and again, when asked by event emcee Larry Huffman to name the highlight, the high point of their careers, the 2019 Hall of Fame inductees and Dick Hammer Award winners said “the people,” as in the parents, the family, the friends, the teams and supporters that surrounded them through it all. 

Joining the Trailblazers Hall of Fame this year were racing promoter Chris Agajanian; desert and Baja racer A.C. Bakken; motocrosser and industry executive Mark Blackwell; Yamaha research and design executive Ed Burke; off-road racer turned aftermarket executive and bike-brand namesake John Penton; motocross hero Rex Staten, and trials rider and motocross racer Jim Willson. For the first time, the highest Trailblazers honor, the Dick Hammer Award, went to two recipients: road racing giants Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Both are good friends and both won two AMA Superbike Championships. Both won the Daytona 200, and Lawson won four 500cc grand prix world championship titles while Rainey won three.

 “The purpose of the Trailblazers banquet has always been very simple,” said Trailblazers President Don Emde, 1972 Daytona 200 winner. “Once a year we give former racers and members of the motorcycle industry a chance to reunite with old friends from days gone by. He added, “In addition to the legendary cast of honorees on stage this year, many more former world and national champions were in attendance, including Kenny Roberts, Malcolm Smith, Brad Lackey, Mert Lawwill, Bubba Shobert and others representing all aspects of the motorcycle sport.”

The people of our motorcycling community were the stars of the banquet in Carson, California, but some great motorcycles were on stage as well, with the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show presented by Hagerty. Before and during the dinner, dozens of classic motorcycles were on display there at the Carson Events Center, many of them lovingly restored. Some of the bikes were historic race- and championship-winners. The winners of the bike show were:

Pat Knopp: 1960 Yamaha YDS1 250cc scrambler -- Best of Show

Dennis Briggs: 1963 Honda CR110 50cc -- Trailblazers Spirit Award

Mark Henry: 1970 Triumph Trackmaster -- Tom White Competition Award

John Speight: 1972 Monark 125 MX -- Hagerty People’s Choice Award

The 75th anniversary banquet was a popular success, with 800 seats for the dinner selling out within eight hours of going online. To prepare for next year’s event, the motorcycle club’s leadership will again be meeting at the MIC headquarters in Irvine, California, home of business operations and support for The Trailblazers.

The Trailblazers 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees Past & Present

Photo by Jim Gianatsis

Front row (L-R): Neil Fergus, Debbie Evans-Leavitt, John Hateley, Chris Carter, Ernie Aragon, Del Kuhn, Don Graves, Gary Bryson.

Second row: Chuck Miller, Paul Collins, Jim Connolly, Lori Conway, CH Wheat, Kenny Roberts, Al Rogers, Dan Haaby, Ron Nelson, David Aldana, Jim Odom, Bobby Schwartz.

Third row (middle): Sonny Nutter, Wayne Rainey, Rex Staten, Sammy Tanner, Steve Scott (on the right side behind Aldana)

Top row: Larry Huffman, Tony Murphy, Mike Bast, Thad Wolfe, Susie Ellsworth, Ed Burke, Ralph White, Mike Konle, Darryl Bassani (partially blocked), Kel Carruthers, Peter Starr, Stu Peters, Dennis Mahan, Don Emde, Steve Storz, Mark Blackwell, John Penton, Judy Whitson (partially blocked), Bill Van Tichelt, Buddy Stubbs, A.C. Bakken (partially blocked), Jim Wilson (partially blocked), Norm McDonald, Bryon Farnsworth, Tom Horton, Chris Agajanian, Dave Ekins, Mary McGee, Rob Morrison.

75th Anniversary Banquet

This year’s anniversary event on April 6, 2019 at the Carson Center will be special in many ways and was a quick sell-out as it has been in recent years.

Honorees will include multi-time world roadracing champions Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey, who will both be recipients of the Dick Hammer Award, our club’s highest honor. Also honored will be 2019 Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductees Chris Agajanian (also receiving the Flanders Award), AC Bakken, Mark Blackwell, Ed Burke, John Penton, Rex Staten and Jim Wilson.

NEW TIMES FOR TOM CATES MEMORIAL BIKE SHOW

By popular demand, this year’s Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show presented by Hagerty that precedes the banquet will open three hours earlier. Check-in begins at 10 a.m., Gates open at Noon and Judging begins at 2 p.m. Space will be limited, so get there early if you are bringing a motorcycle to show. Also, please note, because space is at such a premium, the show is for vehicles only, no additional display material can be brought it with the motorcycles. A full set of show regulations will be posted in the coming weeks.

OFFICIAL TRAILBLAZERS T-SHIRTS and HATS AVAILABLE

You have been requesting Trailblazers apparel so we are again offering T-Shirts and hats. They are good quality and you can choose the Trailblazers logo or the 75 th  anniversary logo. You can view and order them online. The shirts will be printed per order. You can choose black or white, men’s long or short sleeve, women’s and embroidered hats. Hats take a bit longer than T-Shirts.
Order online from Team Swolen at:  www.teamswolen.com
Scroll down and click the Trailblazers banner. Use password: trail18
Orders can be shipped or will-call by phone request. (714) 978 3797.

74th Annual Trailblazers Banquet

An all-time record crowd of 800 was in attendance at the Carson 
Center on April 7th for the 74th annual Trailblazers banquet. With 
legendary motorcyclists and industry leaders from wall to wall, 
the event had strong emotions running the entire time. Attendees 
got to see and talk with old friends at the Tom Cates Memorial 
Bike Show presented by Hagerty, held in the courtyard in the 
afternoon. The evening dinner program, emceed by Larry 
Huffman and Trailblazers president Don Emde, opened with a 
rousing National Anthem sung by Sandi Weidler and an invocation 
by Craig Vetter. The program continued with awards from the bike 
show, a toast to the late-great Skip Van Leeuwen, Hall of Fame 
inductions for Scott Autrey, Kel Carruthers, Debbie Evans-Leavitt, 
Bruce Flanders, Dennis Kanegae and Chuck Miller and a 
presentation of our Dick Hammer Award to the family of the 
late-Tom White, who passed away last November. The event 
concluded with the annual photo of the attending Trailblazers 
Hall of Fame inductees past and present. Photo by Dennis Suter.

Mark your calendars!

75th Annual Banquet to be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019.

Tickets to go on sale in January 2019.

Be a Member

Banquet attendees receive a year’s membership in the Trailblazers. 
If you did not attend this year and want to keep up on news of 
events and activities, a one-year membership is $10. 
Go to the Banquet Tickets link above to join.

The Trailblazers Motorcycle Club is also on Facebook.

74th Annual Trailblazers Banquet

Where: Carson Center, Carson, CA. Off I-405 at Carson Street Exit, go west (under the freeway). The Carson Center shares the same parking lot with the Doubletree Hotel (which is visible from the freeway). Online: http://carsoncenter.com

When: Saturday. April 7, 2018 – Bike Show opens at 3:00 p.m. / Banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. Contact info. Email: CLICK TO EMAIL. Phone (day of event): 909-226- 6038. Internet: Facebook (Trailblazers Motorcycle Club) and website: www.trailblazersmc.com

Bike Show
Bike Show Move-in: Banquet attendees with motorcycles to display should be there from Noon to 2:00. No pre-registration. First come, first served until the area is full. You must have a ticket for the banquet to display or view the bike show. We do have limited security on-site, but everyone is encouraged to bring your own locks and display info, also drip pans required. The Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show presented by Hagerty opens at 3:00 and runs until 6:00. There will be judging and three winning machines will be brought into the hall for the trophy presentation during the banquet program.

Check-in / Ticket Will Call
Your banquet tickets will be available in your name at Will Call. If you had an un-named person on your table list, those will be given GUEST passes and will be in your envelope. You are probably familiar with our Pit Passes that everyone needs to wear.

Banquet
Since we will have a record crowd of 800 this year, we are going to open the banquet hall doors at 5:00 p.m., with the program still beginning at 6:30. For your friends and family who are not attending, the banquet will again be on Facebook Live on the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club page beginning at 6:30. Look for link to Live Video. It will cut off at 7:00 and resume at 8:00.

Program schedule / details (subject to change)
6:25 - Welcome by emcee Larry Huffman
6:30 - National Anthem sung by Sandi Weidler / Welcome from Trailblazers President Don Emde, Bike Show awards, Toast to Skip Van Leeuwen & invocation by Craig Vetter
7:00 - Dinner Break
8:00 – In-Memoriam video / Awards Program begins
9:00 - Dick Hammer Award presentation
9:30 - Group photo / Banquet concludes

2018 Trailblazers Hall of Fame Inductee: Debbie Evans

Did you know there is royalty in motorcycling? We have a King (Kenny Roberts), a Sultan of Supercross (Jeremy McGrath) and a Prince of Peoria (Chris Carr). In 2018 we induct another member of motorcycling royalty into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame, Debbie Evans, the Queen of Trials.

Debbie is considered a pioneer in Observed Trials competition. She was the first woman to compete in FIM World Championship Trials and was dubbed the “Queen of Trials” by the motorcycling press. She was also the first woman to successfully ride in the U.S. Trials during the late 1970’s and is considered one of the best female Trials riders in the history of the sport.

Debbie was born in Lakewood, California, on February 5, 1958. The daughter of an avid motorcyclist, she learned to ride when she was just six years old. Her father was a Trials rider and young Debbie grew up around the sport. She entered her first Trials when she was nine and took third in her class.

At a time when there were no classes for girls, Debbie competed successfully against the guys and rose-up in the Trials ranks quickly. She earned a sponsorship from Yamaha. In addition to Trials competition; Debbie began giving exhibition shows, first at fairs and local races, and eventually in front of thousands of fans at Grand National and Supercross events. Her trademark move became a trick in which she would stop her motorcycle, balance stopped on two-wheels, and perform a headstand on the seat.

Debbie became the first woman to obtain expert classification in Trials, and in 1979, she recorded another first when she scored a victory in the sportsman class at the U.S. Trials Nationals. At just 19, Debbie accepted an invitation to race in the grueling Scottish Six Days. She proved her skill by not only finishing the event, but placing an impressive fourth in the 175cc division against some of the best riders in the world.

While she was attending college and competing on weekends, a friend called to ask if she would be interested in doing stunt work for a movie, and a new career began. The movie was Death Sport with David Carradine and Debbie proved to be an exceptional stunt rider. This first movie was just the beginning. Her expert Trials skills gave her the perfect background to plan and pull off the trick riding required for Hollywood stunts. Debbie rapidly became one of the leading stunt actors in Hollywood. She performed stunts on many of the top TV shows and movies from the 1980’s to the present day. Along the way she was thrilled to get to work with some great riders who made the move into stunts including Bud Ekins, Dave Ekins, John Hateley and others.

It was Debbie who doubled for Lynda Carter for motorcycle stunts in the hit series Wonder Woman and that was her wheeling the big full-dressed Kawasaki CHP bikes in CHiPs, doubling for Pam Anderson in Barb Wire, and later riding as “Trinity” doing the motorcycle stunts in the Matrix movies. Debbie has been seen in multiple TV shows, commercials, and movies and has been recognized for her accomplishments by winning numerous awards for her stunts, including a prestigious Taurus World Stunt Award in 2002.

With stunt work taking up most of her time, Debbie stopped competing in Trials for nearly two decades. Then, in 1998, Italy hosted the first Women’s Trials World Championship. After 18 years away from the sport, and at 40 years old, Debbie still had enough talent and skill to finish eighth in the world. The next season she led a U.S. squad that finished third overall in a Women’s Trials Team competition.

Debbie Evans-Leavitt is married to three-time U.S. Trials Champion Lane Leavitt. The two have often collaborated in business ventures, including teaching Trials schools and forming a top stunt-work agency. They still ride together, work doing stunts, and have raised three children and one grandchild.

          The Trailblazers proudly welcome Debbie Evans-Leavitt—the Queen of Trials—to our Hall of Fame.