Hello,
I would like to introduce myself,My name is Don Kuss;
I live in Red Bluff CA.
As most stories go I had my very first Cushman scooter when I was 12 yers old.
That was in 1960's.
Then came across cars,the milarty,marrage and of course children.
I will fast forward to 1994 when my interest was rekindeled with Cushman scooters.
I located my first Cushman Eagle, it was a 1954 model 762 in a barn in Shingletown,CA.
I carried it thru 2 feet of snow to the trailer.
Shortly after that I discovered CCOA and was put in touch with Al Jacobsos who was then the president of the California Cushman club at that time.
After making contact with Al and many conversations later I attended my very first Cushman ride in Fairfield CA, in 1996.
At which time having lunch Al suggested that I sponsor a ride in Red Bluff,CA .
All that was needed to put on a ride was to put out doughnuts and coffee and the scooter riders would show up.
In June of 1997 I held the first Don Kuss vintage scooter meet.
At that time it was a one day ride.
Eight riders bought their scooters and showed up.
It had turned out to be a fun filled day riding the back roads of Northern California.
Over the next seven years the ride had became more popular as more people attended.
My ride went from being a one day to being a four days long.
The ride in Red Bluff was held in an old 50's RV park.
There was on old motel next door for people that did not have RV's.
The rides here had been moved to September due to the hot weather in the early summer .
In 2003 I had approximately thirty riders showing up for a four day ride.
As the years went by the club had an annual meeting in San Jose each year that I attended.
At this time the annual meeting was held at a restaurant in San Jose. In 2003 Doug Baldanzi was the president of the club. At which time there was much discussion of the club wanting a five day ride. There was a vote taken that everyone was in favor, and that was to have me research a venue that was big enough to hold a scooter meet as big as this one. There was a volunteer committee formed to help with the ride. At the end of that summer it was then decided that the one day ride held at Vasona Park in Los Gatos, CA would be combined with the ride held in Anderson, CA. Four months later there was a meeting held at Dick and Phyllis Burritt’s house in Concord, CA. All volunteer committee members showed up, I had then given them 5 different suggestions of where we could hold the ride. After much discussion it was decided that all committee members would meet in Anderson, CA. It was then decided that we would have a meeting with the Anderson District Fairgrounds in Anderson, CA and that would be the location of the ride. The first meet that was held in Anderson happened in 2004. In 2008 the first official Don Kuss and the California Cushman Club State Meet was held. The meet was very successful. There is a white table cloth sit down banquet dinner, scooter games, a building for show scooters, lock up scooters and vendors. There are many full hookups for RV’s, shade trees and plenty of green grass. There is a lot to do in Northern California, this includes antique shops, fishing, shade trees and as most of us do talk scooters and ride. The ride has enlarged over the years. We have had people come from as far away as Tennessee, Illinois, Montana, Texas and many other states. The ride was originally designed to be five days long but many people show up earlier it has now been set for 7 days. With many people showing up before that there are scooters running all around Anderson for as long as 10 days. There are one-two rides a day, they are well organized. Wayne Stephens is the lead scooter rider and safety officer for the club. All rides are approximately 35 mph to 40 mph. There are many scenic drives in the area that offer winding curves and hills through acres of shady oaks and the heartland of farming and ranching, that’s a high point and makes this ride so popular. We have plenty of corner guards so that nobody gets lost. At the banquet all the scooter game and show awards are presented. On Saturday night there is also a large oval racetrack that a lot of the scooter members like to attend. On Sunday morning, the last day of the meet, there is a ride to Hometown Buffet in Redding, CA and then a short ride back to the fairgrounds in Anderson. By Sunday night the campgrounds are all cleaned up and empty and we have already started preparing for the following years ride. It is hard to believe that this ride originated 18 years ago. I could probably talk for hours about this ride, but I would like to thank everyone that has attended over the years. I mainly want to thank all of the volunteers and every one that has participated in making this the successful meet that it is today. To the people that would like to attend in the future this is a meet you will always remember and never forget.
Thank you,
