Ross Maeda:
CLASS OF 1973
John Muir High SchoolClass of 1973
Pasadena, CA
Ross's Story
I would imagine that my old friends just remember me as kind of a goof off as far as school went. I barely graduated high school, and had no interest in going to college. I had started riding and racing motorcycles when I was in elementary school, and continued all through jr. high and high school. I got my professional license when I was 15, and raced until I was about 35, then only off and on. After graduation, I got my first job at a motorcycle business working with carburetors, then I went to Japan to race and have a look around. When I got back, I went to PCC for a while, but didn't really get anything accomplished, as I said, I was never much of a student. I got a job as a test rider for a big Japanese suspension company, KYB, and have worked there for 33 years (the past 10 as a consultant). I continued to learn and work in different capacities beyond test riding, then I started my own company, ENZO RACING, working on motocross suspension for the public, so I have only had 3 jobs my whole life! I've done alot of traveling for my job, all over the US, Japan, South America, Europe and some other Asian countries. I still ride motocross 2-3 times a week because I enjoy it, but I've slowed WAAAY down, for sure...I got married in 1983 and have 2 daughters, Nikki and Molly, 23 and 20. I ...Expand for more
have 2 brothers, Jon and Donny. Jon is 2 years older, and Donny is 13 years younger! Jon works for the Boy Scouts of America, and Donny is a Motocross magazine editor! We all rode motocross, and 2 of us made it our careers.
I moved away from Altadena around '77, first to Torrance, then to Anahiem and finally Fountain Valley where I am now. I think that in the era that we grew up in, it was common practice for parents to push their kids to do well in school and go to college so that they could get a good job. I know that my parents TRIED to do that with me, but I was basically a dumb sh*t and it didn't work. I kind of thought that I would just do what I WANTED while I was young, then I would get my fill and buckle down LATER. Well, LATER came and went, and I saw people graduate college and get good jobs, but I was having fun and doing ok, so I just kept doing what I was doing. My father always asked me when I was going to get a "real" job because I was getting paid to do what I wanted to do on my own time! As time went on, I think that he realized that I DID have a real job, but since I was having fun, he couldn't believe it (neither could I!). It wasn't so common to get work in the field of your"hobby" at that time, but that is basically what I did, so I never did get a "real" job....
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