Russ Okawa
Russ Okawa
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 | From Jim Wannamaker
Russ Okawa:
From April 1983 until August 1996, I had worked on Long Island for Service Cycle Supply Company- a distributor of parts and accessories and also Mongoose Bicycles. Service was one of about 16 Mongoose distributors and back then the bikes were ‘kit bikes’ with frame-fork, seat post, saddle, pedals, cranks all in one box and the dealer could order 3 types of wheels: Mongoose Pro Class Wheel set (Rims were drilled between spokes and had Mylar film over the spoke heads and holes; Skyway Wheels (type of plastic) and lastly Mongoose Moto-Mags- cast aluminum wheels.
Russ worked in Torrance, California for BMX Products, Inc. and that was the name of the company Skip Hess Sr. had for Mongoose. Russ handled the BMX Mongoose team and drove the team to event and handled all the paperwork for the team.
Service Cycle bought BMX Products, Inc., in 1984 or 1985. At that time, Mongoose had a up and coming BMX racer named John Tomac. Tomac was from Michigan but moved to California to be where the industry is. In 1985/86, the BMX market was down and funding for the Mongoose BMX Team was dwindling. So Tomac tried a new sport- mountain bike racing. John, JT, the Tomes, or ‘the Kid’ as he was sometimes called as he was still a teenager, we shuffled from one race to another mostly by Russ Okawa. I met Russ in Connecticut for the Rock Hopper East and Tomac won. A few weeks later I met Russ in Wendell State Park in Massachusetts and Tomac won the Ross Swatch Stage Race. A few weeks later it was Mt. Snow and I think JT won that also but have to research it. At all of these events, Russ was busy with helping JT and Max Jones – the other Mongoose racer. He would cook for them and Russ was darn good cook in the condo’s or rentals we had.
As time progressed and Tomac left Mongoose first for Yeti and then for Raleigh and later for Giant- Russ Okawa keep plugging away supporting any of the new crop of Mongoose Professionals. And Mongoose did have some of the best riders in the USA with Brian Lopes, Leah Donovan, Eric Carter and others. I believe Russ worked in Torrance until 1994 and then left to work first I believe at KMC Chain in La Verne as marketing and sales manager- the position I now hold. At this time (1994) another former Service Cycle worker – John Neugent was working for Trico (saddles). Eventually John left Trico and became the President of Sachs Bicycle Components (USA). John asked Russ to also join Sachs and he did. Both helped develop the Sachs brand for 4 or 5 years until the parent company Sachs in Europe decided to go in another direction.
Russ then found himself at Giant Bicycles and this was around 2000 or 2001. He held numerous positions at Giant including marketing and events, customer service and other positions. He was there for about 10 years before Giant let him go as they were reorganizing their staff & positions.
When John Tomac retired from racing in 2000 at the end of the NORBA season at Mammoth Mountain , California, Russ Okawa and Greg Herbold were the 2 master of ceremonies for that event. I seems like just yesterday I was there listening and laughing to the stories Russ and Greg had about Tomac.
Russ pass away in December 2009 ( I have to check the date) after complications from heart surgery. He was recuperating at his sister’s house when the end came. Russ was just 59 years old when he died. He was known and liked by numerous people in the industry and when he passed, the first person I e-mailed was John Tomac to let him know.
The Staff of Mountain Bike Action Magazine also did a piece on his passing as they were fond of Russ for all he did for up and coming racers. I have several articles about his passing at home. I also have several great photos I took at events of him. His is missed by many.
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Crested Butte History 
