I love 80s Racing: The Hardcross
This weekend marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1987 edition of the Antwerp Hardcross. On Sunday, December 20, 1987 we attended one of our very first matches in the Antwerp Sports Palace. Reason: one good Christmas report. Or what did you think?
Unfortunately, we had to do without Saturday evening's winner, Guy Cooper, during that 'matinée'. There was also a good reason for this, in his enthusiasm about the (easy) victory in the Saturday final, “Airtime” had found no better option than to tap the Coca-Cola banner when crossing the Finish jump. Unfortunately, Guy's left arm faltered behind the soft drink giant's banner and our brave cowboy fell to the ground in perhaps one of the most spectacular crashes in Belgian MX history. Result: a badly broken lower leg and of course a forfeit for Sunday.
Golden generation of Dutch MX
Anyway, the absence of Airtime couldn't spoil the fun. The Belgians and Dutch on the list of participants alone were worth the trip in themselves. In the program booklet, vice world champion 125cc, Dave Strijbos, was not among the participants, but the Ossenaar was at the appointment. Was it a coincidence that top performers like Pedro Tragter, John Van Den Berk, Dave Strijbos and Eric Geboers, the rest of the field, including Americans, drove home in the qualifications? The difference between the above-mentioned stars and the average lowland rider was so big that guys like Tragter and Van Den Berk simply doubled them in “mid-air”. Super spectacular and something you won't soon forget as a young teenager.
Flagmen in spacesuits
The entire Hardcross had a look and feel that I never encountered again in the Low Countries. All flagmen wore a 'flashy' silver suit, the circuit was lined with blue straw bales and everything was also extensively covered on TV and in the newspapers. Gazet van Antwerpen, a media partner of the event, devoted an entire page (then still in large format) to the Hardcross in the Monday newspaper. The Hardcross was also far ahead of its time in terms of sponsorship, as evidenced by the large multinationals whose names adorned the billboards along the circuit. A brand like Schweppes even had an advertisement specially made for the Hardcross in the largest Belgian magazines.
Hopefully one day someone will take the initiative to organize a major Supercross in Belgium, but even 20 years later, the bar set by Hardcross is still very high.
Photos credit: Hardcross Association
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