Retro Done Right | Thor MX’s Fast Boyz Collection

The Fast Boyz class of 2020: Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols, Dylan Ferrandis, and Mitchell Oldenburg. Does it get any fresher?

Retro Done Right | Thor MX’s Fast Boyz Collection

By Donn Maeda

The 1990s were a dynamic time in motocross: two-strokes still ruled the sport, riders weren’t afraid to race dirty, and the gear was bright, bold and downright gaudy. And all was right in the world.

In recent years, plenty of apparel manufacturers have produced retro gear – paying homage to designs and cultures of the past – but one of our all-time favorites has been the recent relaunch of Thor’s Fast Boyz line, which was debuted at Millville by Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha racers Dylan Ferrandis, Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols, Mitchell Oldenberg and Ty Masterpool. The Fast Boyz line was originally launched in 1989 and enjoyed a three-season life span. During that time it was worn by numerous racers, but most famously raced in by legends Ricky Johnson and Jeff Emig. 

Jeff Emig and his Thor Ladies.

Reads the current press release from THOR:

“As America’s first motocross apparel brand, THOR takes pride in its history and heritage. That being said, THOR looked back over its history paused on the iconic, “Golden Age” of motocross, the ’90s. A time when 2-strokes were king and hot pink kits were a staple in a racer’s gear bag. 

With the ’90’s style and two-strokes making reappearing in the industry, THOR saw the ‘90s trend making a comeback, thus deciding to re-make the Fast Boyz kit and offer it in the 2020 Fall Collection. The original kit was featured on Emig, Brooks, Craig, Tichenor, and Johnson in ’91 and ’92 and still sits on display in the THOR headquarters today.

THOR took an iconic classic and brought it to modern times with bold colors and even kept the original call outs on the lower legs reading, ‘Locals Only,’ and ‘WFO Club.’ The revamped kit is offered in two colorways, Pink and White, and is available in adult and youth sizing.”

Best of all, in regards to the relaunch of THOR’s Fast Boyz relaunch, is the print advertisement in which they recreated the original using the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team.

The original Thor MX Fast Boyz advertisement from the ’90s features Michael Ray Craig, Jeff Emig, Ronnie Tichenor and Larry Brooks.

“Man, personally I really like the new Fast Boyz stuff a lot,” says Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Colt Nichols, one of the riders in the pits who pays close attention to fashion trends. “I really like the big, bold lettering, and the bright, vivid colors they use, as that style is definitely coming back. I was born in 1994 so the original Fast Boyz stuff was obviously before my time, but I knew of it from old photos of Jeff Emig and my dad was a big fan of it. I’d say that through the years, the Fast Boyz was one of the most popular and distinctive offerings from THOR, so if anything is going to recognized immediately as a throwback kit from THOR, that’s it!”

Colt Nichols

The Original Fast Boyz

We wanted to hear from some of the OG Fast Boyz, so we made some calls…

“The Fast Boyz stuff ran for two to three years, and I certainly have some great memories of racing in it,” says Jeff Emig, who wore it as a member of Team Yamaha. “Producing a retro kit is cool, especially when you actually have some heritage to draw from. I remember signing with Hallman in 1986 when the gear was very ’80s…I think the jerseys were Lycra and fit very tight which was rare at the time. If you were a grown man with muscles it was flattering, but when you were a scrawny 15-year-old…not so much. They hired Jim Gallagher to be the lead designer and creative director a couple of months after they signed me, so the two of us got to be very close while working together. Jim rebranded the company THOR in 1989 and I think that was a turning point for the brand.”

As for the Fast Boyz gear? “When you’re a kid, you’re stoked on stuff that has a vibe to it,” Emig says. “And that Fast Boyz stuff was edgy and different. I remember getting black boots to wear with the kit and they were rare because the brand I was riding for didn’t sell black boots…but I paired the gear with black boots and a helmet that Troy Lee painted to match with the chain link fence on the back. I remember telling him that the mouth guard had to be black to match my boots.”

Jeff Emig: a Fast Boy with black boots and a black mouthguard. Photo courtesy Tony Blazier.

But what of the other Fast Boyz in the original advertisement? We were able to track down Larry Brooks, who wore the Fast Boyz gear during his year as a Honda CR125R-mounted privateer with help from renowned motor builder Pro Circuit. “I can remember shooting that ad with me, Emig, Tichenor, and Craig,” he says. “We were at the El Cajon airport leaning on a fence at nighttime. Jim Gallagher was directing the shoot, and we were all trying to look tough, even though none of us were. (Laughs) It was different for sure at the time. I have never been the fashionable kind of guy, so back then it was wild for me with the chain link fence on it. It was good, though…I liked it and no one ever bagged on it. It was some good-looking stuff. Thor wasn’t super cool at the time yet they were making some big strides in popularity and the Fast Boyz stuff was a big part of it. I was stoked when I saw that they re-did the stuff; it brought back a lot of great memories!”

We also got ahold of Mike Craig, who wore THOR when he was on Team Kawasaki in 2000. “I remember I signed when Hallman had just changed its name to THOR, and I remember thinking, ‘Like the viking? That’s not cool,'” says Craig. “But then I saw the stuff and it was super badass. The Fast Boyz stuff was like nothing I had seen before and I remember I felt super cool wearing it. We did this ad down by the old El Cajon motocross track near the airport and we were all leaning against a chain-link fence. At the time I was wondering what the heck we were doing but it ended up looking cool.”

One of the last racers to ever wear the original Fast Boyz kits was motocross legend, seven-time motocross and Supercross Champion Ricky Johnson. “I signed with THOR for the 1992 season, which just happened to be the last of my career,” he says. “That was a real transitional time for THOR, and they were just starting to really gain some popularity. It was also a strange time for fashion: punk rock and new wave were very influential, and gear was very bright and loud and busy with neons. I remember I wanted to run cleaner, simpler stuff, but Fast Boyz was it at the time. I think the new rendition of the Fast Boyz stuff is a lot cooler than what we had back in the day, and I am sure that technically the stuff is fart superior with a modern fit and materials. Back then, I had big legs and a small waist, and they had to make me size 30 pants with the legs the size of the 36s!”

Fast Boyz 2020

Fast Boyz 2020: which color would you rock?

“When they first handed me the Fast Boyz stuff I was surprised,” says Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Justin Cooper, of the Fast Boyz 2020 line. “I had never seen anything like it and they had to show me what it was all about and where the influence comes from. We even did a photoshoot recreating the old original ad and I was in the place of Mike Craig. I think they made Oldenberg stand in for Ron Tichenor, who had a pretty good mullet. (Laughs) But yeah, I like the stuff. I usually get tired of almost every set of gear after I have worn it a few times, but I like the Fast Boyz stuff! I am a fan of the white kit for sure, but I really like the pink because it pops. Retro is cool.”

Justin Cooper

So what do you think? Are you good enough to be one of the Fast Boyz? CLICK HERE to learn more!