Congrats to Leandro Parada of Orange, CA! Leandro is the Grand Prize Winner of the “Dig Out Your Old Diamondback” Contest! ( http://www.mtbr.com/diamondbackcontestcrx.aspx ) Leandro’s entry was chosen from over 100 entries in the contest. He got the trivia question ( “What was the name and type of wheels spec’d on the 1987 Diamond Back Strike Zone?” )correct (the answer was: DB Zytel Nylon Mag Wheels).
Below is his winning write-up and photos:
Congrats Leandro! Be sure to send us pix of you riding your NEW 2010 Diamondback Mission 2!
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“I grew up in Colombia, (South America) my dad and his love for bikes, was something that would reflect later on us.I remember, when about to turn 13 years old, my God Mother, who resided here in the states, asked what I would like for my 13th birthday. I did not hesitate to ask for one of my dream bikes, a DB viper, I did not care for the color; I just wanted a DB viper.
Soon, my birthday came. On my way back from school that day, I came to find a big brown box, sitting in front of my room. I rushed to open the box, I could not wait, I wanted the box to disintegrate and reveal its contents. As I removed, cut tape, and removed staples from the box. Anxiety, emotion, and a great joy emerged from my chest, as a volcano that has been waiting to erupt for thousands of years.
I finally opened the box and pulled out what I called art, one of the many wonders in my history of the world, it was a DB Viper, shiny and new, and it all was mine.
I had only seen this bike in magazines that would come from the States whenever a relative would come by to visit. Seeing and holding this bike on my very own hands, was a joy I could only compare to the birth of my daughter. Of course, my daughter means much more, but at 13 years of age, this was the, most important day I had ever lived. There was nothing more important; nothing mattered more than looking at my bike.
The day I got the bike, I took it out on the street for a spin around town to show off to all my friends. Then, I took it to a small park on the other side of town, just to get some dirt on it. The very moment I came home, I grabbed a towel, some water and started wiping my baby, until it was clean and shiny again. For the first 2 weeks, the bike sleep in the room I shared with my sister. Until one day, my sis got fed up, and had me take the bike just out the door.
With this bike, I crashed against 2 taxis in my home town. In one of the accidents, I got a concussion, and some stitches on my head, not to count the number of times I fell trying to jump over sidewalks, and cheap built ramps.
2 years went by, I moved to the States (The US), and the first thing that got packed was my bike. One year went by living at my grandma’s house. One Saturday afternoon I came home to find out my grandma, who knew nothing about bikes, had sold my bike at a garage sale, she had sold my bike for $25. Sure, the bike was a little bit used up; it did not look new anymore, but it could still ride. I loved that bike so much because it took all the punishment I gave it. Sure, the wheels were crooked, it did look bit beat up, but, it could still ride. I guess I will never recover from losing my bike in such way. She was something I had cherished for so long. I will never forget that bike, it is like true love that comes and leaves and you still wonder: What if I still had it?”
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(Leandro at 12, right before he got his DB Viper)
(his Viper)
(Leandro’s father and Leandro cruising down by the beach)
(night riding with friends, soon to be done on his New Diamondback Mission 2!)
