Holy hell! I know these people - like half of them. Insane! I can't believe this is on YouTube! Makes me want to get out Blenders and post it, too. I can. It's so going to happen!
Dan Lovering was on the motorcycle, also a reporter and in thailand the last i knew. The fabulous Laura Hoblitzelle (Seattle, married with two, maybe three kids) and Megan Thomas (PHD in political science, not sure what she's up to now) interviewed implying Fred Starr paid for the whole thing at the end.
Don't know too much, but here's what i do know: The four guys carrying the derby queen on the litter were me and three good mates. Paul O'Donnell was in the Rugby shirt -- think he got a PHD in either English or Philosphy, lost track of him. I'm Dan Murphy, in the long hair, skirt and hockey helmet -- I'm a reporter living in Cairo.
I don't know Pink Bike rider, but i hated that bike. It was plastic and almost indestructible. I think we brought a sledge hammer to take care of it on the next outing.
Ethan Prince the other long hair in that bunch is a doctor, married to another Oberlin grad and they have, i think, two kids. Nils Mellquist the fourth out of that crew is a banker in New York, also married to an oberlin grad with two cool kids.
this is fantastic!!!!! anyone have the year after when the environmentalists got their panties all in a bunch with the torching of the bikes? classic. i don't know about a "where are they now" section - but search "bike kill" to see how the tradition lives on in kings county...
I'm thrilled that everyone's enjoying the video! I'd been meaning to put it up on YouTube for ages (after editing out the cheesy Video Toaster effects), but Dara beat me to it. One of the reasons Stefan and I made the video was to convince our friends we weren't exaggerating when we told them about the bike derby. The only thing the video is missing is a 15-year "where are they now" section on the participants. Glad to hear the tradition lives on...
I'm the eight year old girl whose pink bike won the grand prize- a case of beer- oh the glory! You'll spot me on my dad's shoulders and holding the trophy in the victory lap. I remember students were throwing condoms from the roof of harkness. My sister and I thought they were candy and started fighting over who would get the blue one. Ah me, the innocence of an eight year old child. Hey, does anyone remember the name of the guy riding my good ol' pink bike?
Also, those years WERE the "fiercest" derby years.Historically it was a skill thing, with no bike destruction. No bikes burned until the early 1990s, which i now feel was a bit excessive. That derby was the first one that had had a "skill round" for a while. I would also like to apologize if anyone ever felt i "borrowed" their bike for a derby; I blame herms. Anyone want to contact me i'm at yahoo, with the same username name as shown here.
This was my second favorite derby - best being the easter weekened one with the crucified trinity. Thanks so much for posting; a bummer the video has so badly deteriorated.
roger @bungdan on the crucified trinity in the easter derby. it was... OFF. THE. CHAIN.
my witnessing that bike derby was evidence of forces in the collective psyche beyond the control of any human-wrought institution.
classofnukemhigh 2 years ago
people still dress like that at oberlin
Cursed Hipsters!
bigmig9000 3 years ago
Holy hell! I know these people - like half of them. Insane! I can't believe this is on YouTube! Makes me want to get out Blenders and post it, too. I can. It's so going to happen!
abbyladybug 4 years ago
Dan Lovering was on the motorcycle, also a reporter and in thailand the last i knew. The fabulous Laura Hoblitzelle (Seattle, married with two, maybe three kids) and Megan Thomas (PHD in political science, not sure what she's up to now) interviewed implying Fred Starr paid for the whole thing at the end.
bungdan 4 years ago
Don't know too much, but here's what i do know: The four guys carrying the derby queen on the litter were me and three good mates. Paul O'Donnell was in the Rugby shirt -- think he got a PHD in either English or Philosphy, lost track of him. I'm Dan Murphy, in the long hair, skirt and hockey helmet -- I'm a reporter living in Cairo.
bungdan 4 years ago
I don't know Pink Bike rider, but i hated that bike. It was plastic and almost indestructible. I think we brought a sledge hammer to take care of it on the next outing.
bungdan 4 years ago
I was "yellow bike".
Thank you for posting this. A shard of memory.
andrew242b 4 years ago
Ethan Prince the other long hair in that bunch is a doctor, married to another Oberlin grad and they have, i think, two kids. Nils Mellquist the fourth out of that crew is a banker in New York, also married to an oberlin grad with two cool kids.
bungdan 4 years ago
this is fantastic!!!!! anyone have the year after when the environmentalists got their panties all in a bunch with the torching of the bikes? classic. i don't know about a "where are they now" section - but search "bike kill" to see how the tradition lives on in kings county...
chukuleli 4 years ago
I'm thrilled that everyone's enjoying the video! I'd been meaning to put it up on YouTube for ages (after editing out the cheesy Video Toaster effects), but Dara beat me to it. One of the reasons Stefan and I made the video was to convince our friends we weren't exaggerating when we told them about the bike derby. The only thing the video is missing is a 15-year "where are they now" section on the participants. Glad to hear the tradition lives on...
joshscherr 4 years ago
Oh why isn't Harkness like this anymore?
aqme28 4 years ago
I'm the eight year old girl whose pink bike won the grand prize- a case of beer- oh the glory! You'll spot me on my dad's shoulders and holding the trophy in the victory lap. I remember students were throwing condoms from the roof of harkness. My sister and I thought they were candy and started fighting over who would get the blue one. Ah me, the innocence of an eight year old child. Hey, does anyone remember the name of the guy riding my good ol' pink bike?
silvijakoschnick 4 years ago
Also, those years WERE the "fiercest" derby years.Historically it was a skill thing, with no bike destruction. No bikes burned until the early 1990s, which i now feel was a bit excessive. That derby was the first one that had had a "skill round" for a while. I would also like to apologize if anyone ever felt i "borrowed" their bike for a derby; I blame herms. Anyone want to contact me i'm at yahoo, with the same username name as shown here.
Dan
bungdan 4 years ago
Good work. And I saw a guy in a team rugby jersey so the team must have still existed in '92. RIP Oberlin Men's Rugby.
FezAZ 5 years ago
This was my second favorite derby - best being the easter weekened one with the crucified trinity. Thanks so much for posting; a bummer the video has so badly deteriorated.
bungdan 4 years ago
The Salad Days of my senior year at Good Ole OC...I remember that day vividly, well some of it anyway!
totalpakaj 5 years ago
My senior year, saw some old friends. Thanks for posting.
Dokdoforever 5 years ago
I was there! as a prospie. oh, the good old days...
sighless 5 years ago
Aw, I miss the good old days when Oberlin was really radical. Even by the time I got there (2001) the bike derby couldn't hold a snuff to this.
Pitzdragon 5 years ago
That's the most FEARLESS this I've ever seen. The admissions office should insist on this appearing on the college's front page.
detlefbenjamin 5 years ago