FOX Museum Opening Offers In-Depth Experience of FOX History
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“Without these three guys back in the 1970s and what they did, I wouldn’t be here today, and FOX and this museum wouldn’t be here either.”

Bob Fox thanked the professional motocross racer Brad Lackey for his testing, rider feedback and unspoken endorsement of AirShox by bolting them on his bike. Kent Howerton was another motocross athlete he thanked for choosing the AirShox to race the AMA race season after a day of testing.

Kent Howerton's vintage AMA motocross bike & a replica of Marty Smith's bike from the mid 70's were on display at the FOX Museum

“I had no idea how important that decision was — how important that day was going to be for my future. Kent ended up winning the 1976 500 cc AMA National Motocross Championship that year. He won it using Fox AirShox. That really put us on the map in a big way. And we have the actual bike Kent won the race on in the museum today.”

Bob Fox extended his gratitude to Marty Smith, another motocross racer who rode Fox AirShox and won the 1977 national motocross championship.

“He did the same thing Kent did in 1976 — only difference was he did it on a Honda,” Bob Fox said. “Those two back-to-back championships are what truly what launched my career and launched my business.”

With all the current and former athletes attending, the sentiment was well-received. “It was neat to see how much he appreciated the riders that put him on the map,” Levi LaVallee, snowmobile racer, said.

Bob also took a moment to thank the employees who had stuck with him through thin years — some of whom are still with the company today.

“Several times I had to ask guys to hold their checks for a couple of days. We still have at least one of these guys here who held his check and trusted me. I’ll never forget that,” he said as his eyes welled with tears. “And you can see I haven’t. Wow.”

After rounds of hoots, hollers and applause, he was ready to cut the ribbon.
“There’s a lot more to the story than just FOX AirShox. There are more stories. There are more products. And there are a lot more talented, dedicated people who helped make it all happen. And we tried to capture the highlights with the new museum. So without further ado, let’s drop the flag and get on with it. Who’s got the scissors?”

After the ribbon cutting, these double doors were opened welcoming eager crowd	A Split FOX logo adorned the entrance representing then and now

The double doors opened wide, welcoming the eager crowd into the lobby, past a mountain bike hanging in a bike stand. Each step in drew them closer to a brilliantly designed welcome sign: the distinctive FOX logo, in its original orange and black that backslashed into its present day incarnation in black and white. The exhibit was aptly named Defining Moments: Then & Now. Looking to the left, vintage Bob Fox was staring back, looking cool and unfazed, sunglasses on, cigarette hanging out the left side of his mouth. This is where it all began.