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Jeff Kosmala

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Full name
  
Jeffrey Kosmala

1978–1977
  
Mongoose

Disciplines
  
BMX

Rider type
  
Off Road

Height
  
1.85 m

Current team
  
Retired

Role
  
Bicycler

Nickname
  
"Kos"

Name
  
Jeff Kosmala


Jeff Kosmala cruiserrevolutionfileswordpresscom201211kos

Born
  
September 16, 1961 (age 62) United States (
1961-09-16
)

Weight
  
85.3–95.2 kg (188–210 lb)

bmx cruiser oldschool


Jeffrey Kosmala (born September 16, 1961 from Van Nuys, California) is a retired professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were (1978–1981).

Contents

Jeff Kosmala Jeff Kosmala cruiser revolution

Racing career milestones

Jeff Kosmala httpscruiserrevolutionfileswordpresscom2014

Started racing: 1973

Sanctioning body: ()

First race result:

First win (local): First recorded win records reveal was in 14 & over Novice on September 19, 1975, at the Van Nuys Youth Center.

First sponsor: Gus Dando's bikes

First national win: In 15 Expert at the National Bicycle Association (NBA) Supernationals in Trabuco Canyon, California on April 3, 1977.

Turned Professional: 14 yrs

First Professional race result: 1st Beat David Clinton

First Professional win:

First Junior Men Pro* race result: Not Applicable

First Junior Men Pro win: Not Applicable

First Senior Men Pro** race result:

First Senior Men Pro win:

Retired: Effectively 1983 shortly after he left Redline Engineering.

Height & weight at height of his career (1978–1981): Ht: 6'1" Wt: 188–210 lbs.

Amateur

  • Mongoose (BMX Products): July 1977 March 1982 Kosmala turned pro with this sponsor.
  • Professional

  • Mongoose: July 1977 – March 1982 As the biggest, fastest cruiser rider in the world . Jeff would line up on the starting line everyone else would try and figure out who was going to get second, in 1980 Jef won 21 out of 24 Nationals the ABA national #1 and the NBA national #1 and the JAG World Championship in the same year. To this day there is not more of a demonating year in the sport by one rider. The Kos Kruiser is the most winning bike of all time. According to Kosmala Mongoose wasn't going to pay him for his name on the Kos Kruiser which he was owed, it cost mongoose a lot more than Jeff was asking for.
  • Redline Engineering: Early April 1982 – Early May 1983 Jeff took his talent to Redline Eng, were he design and race the "redline PL-24 " which he stayed on his winning ways, His first race for Redline was the NBL Detroit, Michigan National on April 17, 1982. He won Pro Cruiser. In the middle of the summer of 83 Jeff and his long-time girlfriend got married and he decided to hang up the bars.
  • O'Neal: January 1984 — Kosmala got back into the BMX world by becoming a sales representative for O'Neal, a Motorcycle Motocross apperal company which was trying to break into the BMX market. Kosmala would occasionally race in O'Neal livery much like John George did for Mongoose after his retirement from competitive racing.
  • Amateur

    National Bicycle Association (NBA)

    National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • 1980 JAG 15-29 Cruiser World Champion.*
  • American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • 1980 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
  • 1980 Cruiser National No. 1*
  • *Note: At this time the ABA Cruiser title was a Pro/Am tile. Racers who were Professionals in the 20" class could race the amateurs in Cruiser class and win the title, but only trophies, not cash rewards.
    Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*

  • None
  • International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*

  • None
  • Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*

  • None
  • *See note in professional section

    Professional

    National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • 1980 Pro Cruiser National No.1
  • 1981 Pro 20" & and Pro Cruiser Western States Champion.
  • National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • None
  • American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • None (See amateur section)
  • United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

  • None
  • International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*

  • None
  • Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*

  • None (FIAC did not have a strictly professional division during its existence) (defunct).
  • Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*

  • None
  • *Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1997 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.
    Pro Series Championships

    Notable accolades

  • He won the first ABA sanctioned jumping contest in at the ABA Fall nationals in 1982. This jumping contest predated the King of Dirt (KOD) contest of the late 1980s and the emphasis was distance jumping and not aerial stunts maneuvers and height. He beat second place finisher Ronnie Anderson by one inch.
  • BMX product lines

  • 1979 Mongoose "Kos Kruiser"
  • Product Evaluation:

    Significant injuries

  • Broke thumb at the NBA United States Grand Prix (U.S.G.P) in Las Vegas, Nevada He had his cast shaped like a "C" in order to grip the handle bars
  • Broke his wrist at the 1983 NBL WOS Memphis double header in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Miscellaneous

    His pants motto* was "Just Be Kos/ nice try/ Kid Kos "

    A small image of what Mr. Kosmala looks like today.

    Post BMX career

  • He is still in Las Vegas has 3 beautiful kids
  • BMX press magazine interviews and articles

  • "The Thrill Of Victory, The Agony of ... Victory" BMX Action January 1983 Vol. 8 No. 1 p. 42
  • "Jeff Kosmala: Superstar" Bicycles and Dirt January 1983 Vol. 1 No. 5 p. 27.
  • BMX magazine covers

    Bicycle Motocross News:

  • None
  • Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

    Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

  • BMX Action October 1982 Vol.7 No.10 (27) in top right insert. In center left insert Andy Patterson; in bottom right insert Jeff Ruminer (8) ahead of Bobby Woods.
  • BMX Plus!:

  • June 1980 Vol. No. 6
  • Action Now:

    Total BMX:

    Bicycles and Dirt:

  • January 1983 Vol.1 No.5
  • NBA World, NBmx World (the official BMX publication of the NBA):

    Bicycles Today & BMX Today (the official BMX publication of the NBL):

    ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official BMX publication of the ABA under three different names):

    References

    Jeff Kosmala Wikipedia