Right as we received the first bikes, Hans Heim came on board (Keith Bontrager’s former partner) and as they say, "The rest is history." ![]() We had Control Tech make the first 100 bikes and we were off. From there, I brought Mike Marquez into the project and we found a local bike designer by the name of Tom Morris (creator of the Tazmon, our first model). Full suspension bikes were in the beginning stages at that time, so it seemed like the best way to enter the market. It seemed like a good idea, so I did a bunch of research. I got Rich into mountain biking too, and he asked me one day if I thought making Santa Cruz Bicycles would be of any interest for me. My partner Rich Novak had become my mentor over the years, so I had learned almost every aspect of the business. I went back to school at night and worked at Santa Cruz Skateboards during the day. At that time in my life, I had to figure out what I was going to do. I really caught the mountain biking bug and began competing more and more. By the end of the ‘eighties, I started riding much more and then entered my first race in 1990. I bought my first mountain bike in 1987 and starting riding with friends. Towards the end of my skating career I found the bicycle again. What motivated you to jump from the gravy train into a risky proposition like making mountain bikes? You were a pro skateboarder with Santa Cruz when it was the most wanted skateboard brand on the planet. It must be, for there is no other way to explain how, against formidable odds, the brand grew from a one-room bike building operation to become a World Cup dominating global business in less than two decades. The vibe from top to bottom at Santa Cruz is all about making great bikes. While there is no question who is boss, the respect is mutual. ![]() Half man, half beast, Roskopp is the best of both - devoted to family, fiercely competitive, loyal to those who earn his trust, calculating when it comes to risk, and courageous when called to decision. The same can be said of the entire crew, from the factory in its namesake city, to the Syndicate pits at the World Cups. ![]() Roskopp has never dealt me a sales pitch in the two decades I've known him and he expects the same in return. The man doesn't mince words, especially when the subject is about his bikes. Rob Roskopp is the founder and president of Santa Cruz Bicycles and a damn good bike rider. It's a big part of success - without it, you have nothing. People I work with understand that and respect it.
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