Scot Breithaupt was found dead inside of a tent in a vacant lot in Indio, California and the Riverside County coroner is investigating the cause of death. Breithaupt, who was a major figure in the popularization of BMX biking, was 57 years old. Breithaupt was nicknamed "The Godfather of BMX."
Per The Los Angeles Times, Breithaupt was participating in motocross races by the age of 12, and eventually started a BMX (originally called pedal-cross) craze throughout Long Beach. BMX, which stands for bicycle motocross, became wildly popular thanks to "renegade" races he organized on dirt tracks. He also co-founded a BMX magazine, and established a pro organization for BMX bikers that doubled as a component developer.
"He was an entrepreneurial teenage kid, but just always going at 100 miles per hour and super energetic," said Craig Barrette, a spokesman with the international BMX racing organization.
"With his contagious enthusiasm for this new sport called BMX, his races just kind of got bigger and bigger."
Breithaupt also struggled with addiction and did time in prison, but that was not the part of his life people are remembering right now. "Scot Breithaupt should be credited with figuring out a way for organizing ... BMX events for what we have today," said Harry Leary, a pro BMX rider.
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