Before the invention of YouTube video’s and cell phones, the tried-and-tested formula for brand promotion relied upon the factory teams performing advertised freestyle shows at local-level bicycle dealers. Throughout the 1980s, sponsored riders - some high school age - prepared to spend their summers on the road. They drove vast distances in brightly branded trucks, towing portable ramps, and following relentless daily schedules to meet the regional demand for freestyle demonstrations. This tried-and-tested rubber-to-the-road methodology put the three essential components for success into one environment - the riders, the fans, and the products. The summer tour programs underpinned an era of prolific growth for freestyle products in the United States, and by the mid-1980s, crews of globally recognized riders ventured overseas into Europe, Australia, and Asia.

From as early as 1981, when Bob Haro and Bob Morales, rolled out of Torrance, California, and into the corners of the nation as the newly formed Haro Freestyle Team, the culture of touring evolved and the legendary “tales from the road” were written. Enjoy these snapshots from the riders own personal archives and stay tuned for updates.