Anthony Sewell

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Anthony Sewell

---

image_size = 275
image_caption = On the Murray Ohio team circa 1981
fullname = Anthony Sewell
nickname = "The Panther"
dateofbirth = birth date and age |1962|8|3
height = 1.68m (5'6" Imperial)
weight = 65.73kg (145lbs. Imperial)
country = USA
currentteam = Retired
discipline = Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
role = Racer
ridertype = Off Road
protourrank =
europetourrank =
amateuryears = 1978-1979
amateurteams = JAG BMX
proyears = 1979-1980
1981
1981
1981-1984
1985
1985
1985
1988
proteams = JAG BMX
Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd
Huffy Corporation
Murray Ohio Corporation
KHS
Birmingham Wheels (England)
GT Racing (England)
S&M
majorwins =
updated = May 6, 2008

Anthony Sewell (b. August 3, 1962 in Los Angeles, California U.S.) is a former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1984. He was nicknamed "The Panther". ["Bicycle Motocross Action" May 1979 Vol.4 No.3 pg.50 & 51] He got the moniker jumping curbs in his neighborhood and neighborhood kids likened his jumping to that of a cat."Snap BMX Magaine" May 2000 Vol.7 Iss.5 No.43 pg.91] This was soon converted to Panther. He was also known as "The Professor" due to his glassess with their thick lenses.

Racing career

Note: Professional first are on the National level unless otherwise indicated.----Started Racing: 1974 at 12 years old at the Palms Park race track."BMX Plus!" December 1981 Vol.4 No.12 pg.39] Sewell was an accomplished track star in the 120 meter low hurdles. He made it to the state finals but they were held on Saturdays and Sundays, the same days BMX races are typically held. He had to make a choice: He decided on BMX.

Sanctioning Body:

First Race Bike: A girl's Schwinn.

First race result:

First win (local):

First sponsor:

First national win:

Turned professional: 1979 at 17 years old.

First professional race result:

First Professional win:

Height and Weight at height of his career (1978-1983): Ht:5' 6" Wt:~145lbs

Retired from Senior A/AA pro racing: 1986 at age 24. He race in England until the spring of 1986. He then returned to the United States and raced sponsorless for a few months in early 1986, then dropped out of sight. Briefly reappeared at the ABA U.S. Nationals in Bakersfield, California in April 1988. He then dropped out of sight again. His disappearances became somewhat of a running joke.

Career factory and major bicycle shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.----

Amateur

*JAG BMX: 1978-December 31, 1980 He would turn pro with this sponsor.

Professional

*JAG BMX: January 1978-December 31, 1980

*Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.: January 1, 1981-Mid May 1981. "Kuwahara" means "Mulberry Meadows" in Japanese. ["BMX Plus!" April 1982 Vol.5 No.4 pg.23] ["BMX Plus!" December 1999 Vol.22 No.12 pg.32] The company is named after Sentaro Kuwahara who founded the company in 1916 in Osaka, Japan. ["Super BMX & Freestyle" May 1986 Vol.13 No.5 pg.26] Sewell left Kuwahara for undisclosed reasons shortly after the 1981 ABA Rondo Classic. ["BMX Plus!" August 1981 Vol.4 No.8 pg.17]

*Huffy Corporation: Late July 1981-September 11, 1981. His first race for Huffy was the NBL War of the Stars National in Hamilton, Ohio on August 1, 1981. ["Super BMX" November 1981 Vol.8 No.11 pg.43] This seemed to have been a limited sponsorship with Anthony wearing Huffy uniforms and racing their bicycles. He was sponsored by them for four races before Sewell signed permanently with Murray Ohio. ["Super BMX" January 1982 Vol.9 No.1 pg.22]

*Murray Ohio Corporation: September 12, 1981-September 1984

*KHS (Kung Hsue She): February 1985 to Early Summer 1985

*KHS/Birmingham Wheels (Birmingham, England): Mid 1985-Late Summer 1985. He was living and racing in England and at this time and Birmingham Wheels was his sponsor along with KHS when he was there. Birmingham Wheels had inited him over to replace departing Trevor Robinson. Interestingly Andy Ruffell, one of Britain's most respected pro racers at this time lead a campaign on the behalf of other UK pros to bar American professional racers from racing in United Kingdom BMX Association (UKBMXA) races. The National BMX Association (NBMXA) did not ban the Americans but the larger, rival UKBMXA did, forcing Sewell to race only the NBMXA circuit. ["BMX Action Bike" early 1985] Unlike in the United States, British racers had a strong player's union in BMX.
*GT Racing (England): Late Summer 1985-December 1985. Sewell returned to the United States in early 1986 after his guest stint on Birmingham Wheels and on the British affiliate of GT Racing was over, racing sponsorless in the meanwhile. He failed to get a sponsor in 1986 due to the paucity of hiring by the major companies caused by both the slump in popularity of BMX racing and the wish to expand their freestyle teams in light of the rise in popularity of BMX Freestyle. By mid 1986 Anthony Sewell had quietly faded out of the racing scene.

*S&M (Greg "S"cott & Chris "M"oeller ["BMX Plus!" September 1989 Vol.12 No.9 pg.49] ) Bicycles: April 16-17 1988. After dropping out of racing for two years he raced at the ABA Bakersfield Nationals in Bakersfield, California. ["BMX Plus!" August 1988 Vol.11 No.8 pg.60] It was in response to Chris Moeller jokingly posted signs around the Orange YMCA BMX track as part of the "search" for Sewell. Sewell heard about the search and the posters and went to the Orange YMCA track for those responsible. Not at all angry he was happy that people still knew of him after his retirement. He struck a deal with S&M Bicyles and given a bicycle two uniforms and his entrance fees paid. He was sponsored for only the weekend. He did not make any mains. He crashed in all three qualifying motos both days. Later, his S&M race bicycle was stolen. ["BMX Action" April 1989 Vol.14 No.4 pg.12] He then disappeared from the racing scene once again.

Career bicycle motocross titles

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in "italics". "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles.----

Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

*1978 Jag BMX 16 year old class and Overall World Champion* (NBA/NBL sanctioned)

*At the time the overall champion was decided by a trophy Dash between the age winners in points and open classes. With the oldest Amateurs, the 16 & over class and 16 & over open they also race the pro winners, so the overall world champion could be a professional or amateur. This rule was changed in 1983 and the Pros no longer raced the Amateurs.

National Bicycle League (NBL)
*NoneUnited Bicycle Racers (UBR)

American Bicycle Association (ABA)
*NoneUnited States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
*NoneInternational Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

Professional

National Bicycle Association (NBA)
*"1980 National No.1 Pro"

National Bicycle League (NBL)
*1980 Pro and 14 & Over Open* Grandnational Champion (Doubled)

*At this time professionals could race in the older amateur classes.
*"1980 National No.1 Pro"

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

*1982 Jag Pro Cruiser World Champion (ABA Sanctioned)United Bicycle Racers (UBR)

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
*NoneInternational Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
*1982 Pro Cruiser Murray World Cup of BMX I ChampionIndependent races; Pro Series and Invitational Championships

Notable accolades

*Antony Sewell became the first official World Champion in 1978 by winning the trophy dash at the 1978 Jag World Championships.*

*He did on screen stunt work for the BMX race subplot in an episode of the American television series "CHiPs" which originally aired on March 3, 1979. Fellow racers John George and Charlie Litsky also appeared. ["Bicycle Motocross Action" June 1979 Vol.4 No.4] It was entitled "CHP-BMX" (Season 2, Episode 21). [ [http://www.tv.com/chips/chp-bmx/episode/34932/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;20 TV.com episode guide page with brief synopsis.] ]
*He is credited as being the first person to do "No-Handers", a jump in which you launch yourself off a high jump and take you hands off the handlebars (the farther and longer you get your hands away from the handlebars the better) and quickly grabbing back onto the bars before you land.

*He became the first pro to hold the No.1 pro title in two different sanctioning bodies simultaneously: The NBA and the NBL in 1980.

*Mr. Sewell is a 1998 Inductee to the ABA BMX Hall of Fame.

*There were minimal foreign participation at the time, but given the fact that BMX during that era was virtually a US exclusive sport(with some then small Canadian and Mexican participation), the title of "World Champion" had some legitimacy. The only question was that it was not part of a series but just one race. Many felt that a World Champion could not be decided by just one race given the luck factor. The winner could have been having one good day by coincidence while an otherwise more consitant racer could have had one bad day at a bad time to have it.

ignificant injuries

Peccadilloes

*Noted for his thick Coke bottle bottom thick glasses to correct his Hyperopia until he switched to contact lenses at the end of the 1980 racing season.

*He was considered a noted sprinter down the first and last straight with minimal technical skills concerning going over obstacles and setting up passes in turns. He also was reputed to be a "concrete specialist," at his best on flat, dirtless indoor stadium tracks with slick concrete or wooden floors and wooden moguls and flat, bermless turns."BMX Plus!" December 1981 Vol.4 No.12 pg.37] The Jag BMX World Championships first four races were held on these dirtless courses and he was its first Overall Champion in 1978.

*He also had the habit of dropping out of sight for periods of time being a very private person. There was even an underground tongue in cheek video of the search for him called "The Search". ["BMX Action" September 1988 Vol.13 No.9 pg.16] After coming back for one ABA National at Bakersfield, California in April of 1988 he dropped out of sight again, unofficially retiring. In hindsight it was his goodbye race.

Post BMX career

Audio/Video

[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hIfPMD6gnvI YouTube Video: Anthony Sewell wins second Main at the 1985 Screen Sport Pro Series in Great Britain]

BMX magazine covers

"Bicycle Motocross News:"
*None"Minicycle/BMX Action" & "Super BMX:"
*December 1979 Vol.6 No.12 (M/BMXA)"Bicycle Motocross Action" & "Go:"
*April 1984 Vol.9 No.4"BMX Plus!:"
*January 1979 Vol.2 No.1 main image. David Clinton in insert.
*December 1984 Vol.7 No.12 (13) in insert behind Pete Loncarevich (73) (bottom center) In other inserts Eric Rupe (22) & Clearance Perry (20) (top center); freestylers Mike Dominguez (top left); Woody Itson (top right); Rick Avella (bottom left); Ron Wilkerson with Shawn Buckley clowning around."Total BMX:"
*January 1982 "Bicross Magazine:" (French Publication)
*October 1983 No.13"BMX Action Bike:" (British Publication)
*February/March 1983 Vol.1 Iss.6

"Bicycles and Dirt" (ABA Publication)
*None"NBA World" & "NBmxA World" (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication): "Bicycles Today" & "BMX Today" (The official NBL membership publication under one name change):

"ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer" (The official ABA membership publication under two name changes):

"USBA Racer" (The official USBA membership publication):

Non BMX magazine covers

*August/September 1979 "Ebony Jr." magazine with fellow JAG BMX teammates.

BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles

*"The Complete Racer: Sewell Rules!" "Bicycle Motocross Action" May 1981 Vol.6 No.5 pg.78
*"Anthony Sewell!" "BMX Plus!" December 1981 Vol.4 No.12 pg.35
*Short blurb in "BMX Plus!" October 1982 Vol.5 No.10 pg.82
*"Flashback: Anthony Sewell" "Snap BMX Magaine" May 2000 Vol.7 Iss.5 No.43 pg.90 Brief retrospective of the career of the "Old School" racer.

End Notes

External links

* [http://www.ababmx.com/ The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.]
* [http://www.nbl.org/ The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.]