Thankful Thursday | The Editor’s Column

Back in the TransWorld Motocross Magazine days, I penned a monthly editorial page at the front of the book. It was the bane of my existence. Most often the last page of each issue that was turned in for layout, my swap column was great some months when I found inspiration, but mediocre when I had nothing, in particular, to write about. My default topic? Covering the happenings of the past month as we put together the pages for the newest magazine issue. Lame.

These days, with swapmotolive.com as our platform, things are a lot different. Content is pumped out daily at an alarming rate and we are able to produce much more for our website than we were back at TransWorld, mostly because we have no magazine to produce each month. I can remember meetings at TransWorld when we first began. to have managers’ meetings with the corporate bosses regarding “new” strategies. “Make your websites your priority,” they told us. “The best content goes live immediately…don’t save it for the magazine issues!” Of course, this was the 2010s and all of the editors of the TransWorld Media titles were dyed-in-the-wool, print magazine guys and firmly believed that magazines were here to stay. Of course, those corporate bosses were the same crew who refused to update our website platforms or allow us to utilize YouTube as a video host…

As telling as those meetings were back in the day – and as irrelevant and outdated as print magazines seem now – the times continue to change and the way that motocross enthusiasts consume content is constantly changing. These days, it’s videos, videos, videos! Social media platforms like Instagram have also seemed to take over, and our IG account is quite often the biggest traffic driver to our website. Breaking news? Get it on the website first, then tease it on Instagram! The written word, it seems, is becoming less and less relevant. And for an old-school magazine guy like me, that’s heartbreaking! That said, I’ve decided to bring back my Editor’s Letter. Not weekly, not monthly…when I feel so inspired to write something. Haha!

So let’s get to it. My pal Brian “Scrub Daddy” Smith fancies himself a social media minister or something. One of the nicest guys I know, he starts every day with an inspirational post on Instagram. Today’s post was titled “Thankful Thursday,” and when I read it, I laughed and thought he really missed the Thanksgiving mark by a few months. That theme stuck with me throughout the morning, however, and I thought about all of the people who helped me and my crew make Swapmoto Live a reality. 

Frank and Julie Kashare

Without a doubt, one of the biggest inspirations and driving forces was and is my friend Frank Kashare, President of O’Neal USA. My first encounter with Frank was not a pleasant one by any stretch of the imagination, but through the years we have developed a great friendship that’s based on a shared passion for the sport, mutual respect, and lots of jokes and insults! Before TransWorld Motocross, I launched a bi-monthly motocross magazine called MXracer. One month, I interviewed a behind-the-scenes personality in the sport who had launched a few of the largest brands in motocross and beyond. That interview didn’t sit well with Frank at all, and I remember fielding his phone call. “Who wrote that terrible article? You didn’t get both sides of the story!” he yelled. Apparently, Frank had different experiences with my interview subject than I, and he didn’t agree with the light I shed on that person’s career. I won’t go into the details of the rest of the call, but I remember yelling some expletives and hanging up! 

We didn’t speak again for years and to be honest, I can’t remember our second, third, or fourth conversations, but at some point during my 19-year tenure at the helm of TransWorld Motocross, Frank and I patched things up and became friends. Though Frank spoke mostly with our advertising staff, he would call me periodically and ask me to wear O’Neal gear once in a while. “Come on, you look fast and slim in our stuff,” he’d say. 

But where did my pal Frank Kashare get his start? Growing up in Calabasas, California, Frank was bit by the motorcycle bug at a young age and grew up riding at places like Indian Dunes and Gorman. That passion for motorcycles stayed with him throughout his formative years, and while in college, he created a product that kickstarted his career in the motorcycle industry: Pro-Style Levers!

Pro-Style Levers. I had a pair.

With a partner, Kashare produced both OEM replacement and Pro-Style Levers, which had a notch in them to provide a complete range of lever motion without the lever coming into contact with the rider’s fingers that were still on the grip. In 1988, Frank began to sell his Pro-Style Levers to O’Neal, as well as to distributors Tucker Rocky and Parts Unlimited. (As an impressionable teen, I remember buying a pair for my 1988 Suzuki RM250…they were fluorescent pink with paint splatter! The 80s were great, weren’t they?) 

After college, Frank saw the writing on the wall and jumped on the mountain bike tidal wave that was surging in the early 90s. Azonic Cycling Products was born, and its products were found on almost every top racers bikes in the NORBA Nationals, World Championships, and World Cup events. Mountain bike racing was growing at an alarming rate, and Azonic was a major player. Heck, it even produced bikes at one point! To this day, Azonic mountain bike products like handlebars, stems, pedals, and seat posts are in the O’Neal catalog.

Kashare made some moves in 1997 and instead of just selling products to O’Neal USA,  joined the team as Vice President. In 1999, he and I had the wonderful phone call I mentioned earlier (haha!) and soon thereafter, Frank became the President of O’Neal USA, the position he remains in, to this day. Through the years, Frank and his team at O’Neal have launched countless new products, and many members of his team have tenure that spans over two decades. Through the years, Frank has established a stellar track record in all aspects of his business: marketing, advertising, and production.

One thing I will definitely credit my friend Frank with is an entrepreneurial spirit and keen business foresight. In 2019, Frank visited me at the TransWorld Motocross offices and gave me a pep talk. “Look here, Donn,” he said. “You have to start investing in yourself. What if one day TransWorld Motocross goes away and you’re left with nothing? You need to start building The Donn Maeda Brand.” I laughed and retorted that TransWorld Motocross was the largest motocross magazine in the world, and it was going nowhere. Frank persisted and pitched the idea of me hosting an interview show of sorts, utilizing a television studio that he had access to. Frank showed me examples of the interview shows that were currently being filmed in the studio and I immediately refused. I was a behind-the-camera guy, after all! As he does in most things in his life, Frank won in the end and the Swapmoto Live Show was launched as part of TransWorld Motocross.

Cole Seely was my first guest on the Swapmoto Live Show. I was nervous…and fat.

“Make sure you tell the bosses that the show is yours and that you take it with you no matter what!” Frank advised. Though it was only a handshake deal with my boss Norb, the deal was struck and the show was launched. Little did I know at the time that Frank was my own personal Nostradamus! 

Less than a year later, American Media purchased all of TransWorld Media and promptly shut down TransWorld Motocross and Ride BMX because they didn’t fit in with the “Men’s Journal Super Group” they were trying to create by wrapping up our skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and other outdoor lifestyle magazines in with their flailing Men’s Journal magazine. My staff and I were all laid off and I found myself unemployed for the first time in my adult life. 

And guess who one of the first phone calls was from? While I sat in shock, devastated over my unexpected life change, Frank was my cheerleader. “Take a week or so to mourn your loss, hang with your family…whatever you need to do,” he said. “Then get off your ass and let’s make some moves!”

I’ll cut the details short but while my team and I initially hoped to purchase TransWorld Motocross back from American Media, the deal went sideways and we were forced to launch something original. Since the Swapmoto Live Show already had some brand recognition – and it was MINE – we decided to go with that Through the entire process, Frank was invaluable as his business advice and insight paved the way for the media platform that now provides a living for my team of five and allows us to have one hell of a good time in the process. While I have a few very important backers that none of this would be possible without, Frank is a continual source of motivation and support for my small team of employees. Even to the point of being a pain in the ass! Haha!

So there you have it…my version of Thankful Thursday. Thank you Frank, for all that you have done for me and mine. And sorry about hanging up on you back in the day…

Frank Kashare – SML for life.