Motorcycle Classics – September-October 2019

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eventy-five years is a rather long time. In the doggie world

that’s 525 years, and in real terms 75 years equates to

three-quarters of a century.

Closer to home in the motorcycle community, 2019 marked

the 75th annual banquet hosted by the Trailblazers, an organi-

zation formed in 1940 that pays homage to longtime and key

members of the motorcycle sport. Today the Trailblazers is an

affiliate of the Motorcycle Industry Council, the industry’s major

trade organization. Current Trailblazers president Don Emde

explained the purpose behind

the Trailblazers, “Our mission has

been, and continues to be, to

keep the sport of motorcycling

alive by gathering annually to

reconnect, remember and honor

our fellow motorcycling friends

and associates.”

And so it was in 1940 that A.F.

Van Order and a core of motorcy-

cle racers within the Los Angeles,

California, area gathered for a

banquet. The group called them-

selves the Trailblazers, and table

settings were for men only; no

women allowed.

Beyond enjoying a good meal

and camaraderie with fellow rac-

ers, the order of business at that

first gathering included electing

a club president. The honor fell to Paul “Dare Devil” Derkum,

although Van Order remained the driving force for the annual

banquets until his passing in 1954.

Eventually another motorcycle industry icon, Floyd Clymer,

assumed the role of banquet organizer, and later club presi-

dent, until he died in 1970. With Clymer’s passing, the annual

banquets fell into limbo until a few stalwarts stepped forward

to revive the tradition. Max Bubeck and Earl and Lucile Flanders

set the table for future generations, and you can bet that it was

Mrs. Flanders who made sure that the revived festive occasion

included women!

During the past 40-something years the annual banquet has

morphed into its own event, one that includes a pre-dinner

vintage bike show (officially known as the Tom Cates Memorial

Bike Show Presented by Hagerty), an annual wine toast to

motorcycle legends that the sport lost during the previous

12 months, and commemorative awards including induct-

ees into the Trailblazers Hall of

Fame (for 2019, A.C. Bakken,

Mark Blackwell, Ed Burke, John

Penton and Rex Staten), The

Earl & Lucile Flanders Award

(Chris Agajanian, 2019), and

the Trailblazers’ most prestigious

award, the Dick Hammer Award,

presented this year to popular

national and world champions

Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey.

By now you might have fig-

ured that the math doesn’t add

up — it’s been 79, not 75, years

since the Trailblazers’ first ban-

quet. What gives?

Blame it on two factors: The

war years prompted suspension

of some early-year banquets and

Clymer’s passing forced another

brief hiatus. This year’s 75th celebration resulted in the ban-

quet’s largest number of attendees, more than 800 people.

Motorcycle Classics will help continue the celebration in upcom-

ing issues with bike features of two award-winning entries from

the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show. Meanwhile, count on the

Trailblazers to continue blazing new trails for future generations

of motorcyclists to come.

— Dain Gingerelli

96 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2019

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The Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show not only includes

dozens of classic bikes, it’s the perfect mixer that

transforms into a classic bench racing session.

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