A BRIEF HISTORY: In 1979, BMX Action Magazine introduced the NORA (Number One Rider Award) Cup. This award was given to the most popular rider and team as voted by the readers of BMX Action (and later GO). In 1983 a new category was added for the most popular bicycle. A fourth category was later added for the most popular magazine ad (but I have not included those results here). The NORA Cup quickly became one of the most prestigious and coveted awards in BMX. Bicycle manufacturers who won the bicycle category were entitled to include the NORA Cup seal on their bikes for that year. Hence, some of these bikes are often referred to as 'NORA Cup' bikes. In 1985, Freestylin' magazine (BMX Action's sister magazine) introduced the NORA Cup for the freestyle community. These awards were for the most popular freestyle rider, freestyle team and freestyle bike (these results are not included here). The NORA Cup ended with the 1991 results as Wizard Publications (the publishing company behind BMX Action, Freestylin' & GO) ceased operations in early 1992.
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Snap BMX Magazine revived the award in its September / October 1997 issue. The first winners of the new NORA Cup Awards as published in the January / February 1998 issue were: #1 Rider: Gary Ellis #1 Team: GT/WD-40 #1 Bicycle: GT Gary Ellis was still riding for GT Bicycles/WD-40, so he and GT picked up right where they had left off seven years earlier. Ellis retired after the 1998 ABA Grand Nationals.
ADDITIONALLY: Although the 1987 NORA Cup was technically a clean sweep by GT, Tommy Brackens had already left the team over a salary dispute by the time the results were published.
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