1980s

Texas Region Sept 2013

This is a letter from Pat Gumabon (Pete’s son). It's a very brief summary of the inception of Shur-Start.
Pat Gumabon speaking….

“It started back in 1989 when 2 men, Barney Phillips and my dad Peter Gumabon came up with the Shur-Start. They both were tired of watching the inconsistent gate starts and faults of manual controlled gate starts.

I remember it like yesterday when me, my brother, Randy Phillips, and Nick Phillips would be riding our bikes to their house. Our dads would be soldering and putting these blue metal boxes together which were the Shur-Start systems. It had a voice recording of a man as we all know, the infamous Mr. Dugan Finnell. His cadence will be forever be embedded in my head and many others.

It was first introduced to the national circuit in 1989 at the ABA Super Nationals in El Paso. Nobody know how to react to an automated gate starting system. It went to the Oklahoma Sooner nationals thereafter and many others in the following years.

My dad and I had spent many hours and days at the Phillips residence to help this get started. We started making two man gate starts for personal use and had many days and nights perfecting our starts.

It didn't seem to be a big thing then, but after 24 years it was way before it's time.  I raced BMX from 1988 to 1995 and grew up with the Shur-Start. Those were some of the best times of my life and being part of such a thing like the Shur-Start was unforgettable.

As I look back while I was watching the 2008 Olympics, I never thought that the Shur-Start would have such an impact on the sport of BMX. Although it has been refined and changed in the last 24 years there will only be one Shur-Start.

Barney was the brains behind the system and Pete was very instrumental in helping with marketing and of course manufacturing was both families.
My Dad, Pete passed away a couple of years ago and Barney is enjoying retirement up in Michigan.