Agreed Upon History?

Mark Lathrop was Co-Owner of Moonlight Bike Shop & Founder of Swamis Cycling Club (est. 1989)

1989 founding members are: Mark Lathrop, Dano Rock, Charlie Meredith, all working at Moonlight Bikes. Dan Jenkins, Adrew Lee (owner of Adams Avenue Bikes ), Pete Tholl, Steve "Zoomer" Zumaras, "Marine Dan", Steve Quartz, Eric Baker (who designed our first jersey) & Steve Hughes . Any others??

Oldest continuing Sponsor
-Furgerson's Garage - supporting Swamis since 1992

Oldest returning Sponsor
Steve Hughes with Crown Circuits ('90) and now Hughes Circuits ('08)

First time "Gurus of Cycling" coined
First Version:
-Swamis first UCSF event was a track event at the SD velodrome in 1989. At that race, Ralph Elliot was providing the Start/Finish. Hearing from Mark that the name of his team was Swamis, Ralph starting commenting about Swamis over the PA. He announced to the crowd that Swamis was the “Gurus of Cycling” and that “they did their winter training at the Taj Mahal.”1989 was the first year of the CA lottery, so primes were lotto tickets, and were announced as “4 Million Dollar Primes”

Second Version:
-Mark Thomas, Dougie Pomeranz, and Hylton Murphy sitting somewhere in Solana Beach. Mark looks around with that big smile on his face and said “You know what we are? We are the gurus of cycling” (1993?)

Charlie Meredith started the now famous Swami Ride. The ride was originally called The Horny Toad Ride. The Horny Toads were a clan of runners, triathletes, cyclist that were strong athletes in the 70s & 80s.

In ???? Swami Henry Chang steals one of UCSD's Fred Jerseys and Swamis starts its own tradition of the famous Fred Jersey and abuses Swamis members ever since.

Swamis First Fred Award

-Many European riders rode with Swamis through the years. Axel Merckx rode a lot with us and was a good friend of John Edwards. After winning at Belgain Championship, Axel gave John his winning jersey. John proud of the gift, road the Saturday Swami ride with the jersey on and on the way back on Del Dios, hit a broom stick went down and ripped Axel’s Jersey.

John’s ripping Axel’s jersey also won him the Fred of the Year award in the next hear. With this John was the first Fred winner and the only Fred to win the award two years in a row.

Jim Durbin has been designing the Swami Jersey since the 1994 McDonald's Jersey

First sighting of Swami Temple on Jersey
-'95 AMC Jersey

First sighting of "Gurus" on a Jersey
- '96 Jane Jersey
- Still need picture documentation

In 1996 Jane Cosmetics (Howard Katkov) becomes the title sponsor and brings Swamis to a new level of competitive cycling with the Women's Team into the next century.

In 1999 Jenny Eyerman, becomes the Collegiate National Criterium Champion.

In 2001 several Swamis branch off to start Island Boy Racing
- They are sad to find out they are still Friends of Swamis (FOS)

In 2001 Jenny Eyerman, racing for Jane Cosmetics/Swamis wins Irvine Pro Cycling Event.

Swamis participates in the first 24 hour RAAM in 2005 and racks up more penalties that any other team in history

Raceplan working with Swamis starts the Del Mar Crit Series in 2006

Marc Yap & Chris Daggs starts the Swamis Developmental Elite Team in 2008

Monday, April 21, 2008

Mark Lathrop interview

Thanks to Lisa Rothemund, Ryan Cady, Steve Cahill for updating info below

Met with Mark at Pannikin yesterday. It was good to talk to him about Swami History. As usual, new insight occurred …..

First there are corrections or different versions to Swami History.

Swamis was started in 1989 not 1986. This was also emailed to me on Saturday, by Steve Hughes. It must be correct for I had a phone call from Mark and an email from Steve within 30 minutes of the other.

Swamis first UCSF event was a track event at the SD velodrome in 1989. At that race, Ralph Elliot was providing the Start/Finish. Hearing from Mark that the name of his team was Swamis, Ralph starting commenting about Swamis over the PA. He announced to the crowd that Swamis was the “Gurus of Cycling” and that “they did their winter training at the Taj Mahal.”1989 was the first year of the CA lottery, so primes were lotto tickets, and were announced as “4 Million Dollar Primes”

Founding Members of Swamis
Mark Lathrop, Dano Rock, Charlie Meredith, Dan Jenkins, Adrew Lee, Pete Tholl, Steve “Zoomer” Zoumaras, “Marine Dan”, Steve Quartz, Steve Hughes

The only Team member that had raced before forming Swamis was Charlie Meredith. From what I here, Charlie was the original “Bike Nazi” of Swamis, making sure that the team road 2X2 and taught the rest how to race bikes.

The first Swami to become a contender was Pete Tholl. He went from a Cat 4 (there were no Cat 5 back then) to a Cat 2 in a little more than 1 year. Swamis first podium place was 3rd in the Cat 4 Boulevard race in 1989

Rich Meaker and a 19 year old Chris Horner (who was a Cat 3 at the time) joined Swamis in 1991 and it started to become clear to the other clubs on the West Coast that Swamis was becoming a contender. In later interviews, Chris Horner was quoted as saying that “He learned bike racing, riding with Swamis”.

Rich Meeker soon became the heart & soul of the Cat 2 team. Along with driving the team to a 3rd team place at Redland in 1992, Rich taught the team be friendly and give back to the general Swami membership.

All of the Swami racers, Elite & Masters, started hanging out together at races, watching and cheering each other on.

Lance Armstrong’s first ride with Swamis
Lance was on the Jr Olympic Team when he came out to Encinitas to train. Lance showed up in his Stars & Stripes Olympic Jersey. Riding up a long hill, Lance and Charlie M were in the front riding 2X2 with Lance 1/2 wheeling Charlie. After a while, Charlie could not take it any more and launched an attack with all his effort. Just as Charlie exhausted all his energy, Lance came flying by. Charlie & a strong master racer, Art Spar tried to catch lance rotating the front, but it was clear that the young Lance was toying with them. Lance showed Swamis, what a great cyclist he would become.

Swamis First Fred Award.
Many European riders rode with Swamis through the years. Axel Merckx rode a lot with us and was a good friend of John Edwards. After winning Belgian Championship, Axel gave John his winning jersey. John proud of the gift, road the Saturday Swami ride with the jersey on and on the way back on Del Dios, hit a broom stick went down and ripped Axel’s Jersey.

John’s ripping Axel’s jersey also won him the Fred of the Year award in the next hear. With this John was the first Fred winner and the only Fred to win the award two years in a row.

Thanks Mark for the info.

Dave Callender

2 comments:

bradeisman said...

Hi, Brad Eisman here. I believe I was a memember from 1990-96. I'd like to add a few Swami's tid bits.

Addtl members in 1990. Myself, JT, Chirs Collins, Mac (don't remember his last name, but he rode HARD and constantly drove the swamis ride), Jim Costello,

Other notable points of interest:
1. Early Swamis Rides: Myself and Pete Tholl and Chris Collins lead the ride up Questhaven (past the rt turn on Harmony Grove). Questhaven continued climbing, then went down the great descent, which turned to DIRT... we hit this dirt section at 30+ mph... to the alarm of the peleton! I remember one ride where Jim Costello and I were off the front on this dirt section and staged a fake crash w me laying in the dirt, just to get a reaction from the group as they passed by. FUN!

2. The sprint used to be at the bridge just before the church. It was really fun and exciting. But, traffic and the better judgement of Mark changed the sprint to where it currently is.

3. Mark organized a SWAMI outlaw MTB race in Elfin (now called Mt. Israel Rec Area). This race started by Mobile home park (no longer there). The route was something like 20 miles and was comnplete circuit of the area. We climbed to the top, crossed the entire length of the area and descended (Once is Enough) the then, SUPER GNARLY descent that dropped to Del Dios. The race then headed West on Del Dios to a rt turn on Mt Israel road (super steep pavement climb). At the top of the pavement we turned left, climbing the fire road to the top and desceneded back to the start. It was a brutal loop and complete mayham (and a blast) riders flatting, getting lost.... Truely a Swamis classic.

Anonymous said...

mark richey original SWAMIS rider/sponsor

FIRST SWAMIS WINNER SD VELODROME

1990 masters natz 8th kilo