Photo courtesy of Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
From a young age, northern California native Kevin Crowther knew he loved anything with two wheels and a motor. In fact, at just 7 years old, Crowther received a motorcycle for Christmas.
“And that kind of started me on the road,” says Crowther. “Since I got that motorcycle for Christmas, I have not been without a motorcycle – whether it be a street bike or a dirt bike. That’s where it all started with me. It’s all my dad’s fault.”
Growing up in the 1970s and ’80s, Crowther’s father took him camping and dirt bike racing. Even Crowther’s older brother rode motorcycles.
“Obviously, motorcycles are my life. I’m hooked on them,” Crowther says.
It was natural for Crowther pursue a career having to do with motorcycles. He began racing on the West Coast, then went into the U.S. Navy in 1987, and not even the Navy could come between Crowther and motorcycles. While he was stationed on the Naval Air Station North Island in California, he became a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, teaching safety courses to other sailors at the station.
Photo courtesy of American Motorcycle Association Museum
After leaving the Navy in the mid-’90s, Crowther got back into racing – motocross, off-road and road racing, to be exact – and began working for Kosman, a motorcycle equipment company in California. Crowther found himself talking to an employee of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) at a race and, two weeks later, flying to Atlanta to be a tech inspector for the Chevy Truck U.S. Superbike Series. He worked for the AMA on weekends until 2006, when he was hired full-time as director for tech development for pro racing. And it all started with a conversation back in California.
“It’s one of those right place, right time kind of things,” Crowther says.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
With the new job came a move to Pickerington, where the AMA is located on Yarmouth Drive, from California with his wife, Kris, and two daughters. With one daughter starting her second year of high school, and another in middle school, Crowther says it was “catastrophic” to move.
“When people found out we moved here from northern California, they’d be like, ‘You’re crazy,’” says Crowther. “In retrospect, it turned out to be a great decision. My oldest daughter told me after we’d been here about a year (that) if we told her we’d move back to California, it’d be harder.”
The move turned out to be a great decision not just for Crowther’s family, but for his career as well. In December, he was appointed director of racing for the AMA. In this position, Crowther oversees all amateur and professional competitions. Crowther’s position in life and in his job have been a perfect combination.
“To be honest with you, Pickerington and just the people out here reminded me of California in 1970; the family’s out, the kids are running around,” Crowther says. “I actually really like where we live out here in Pickerington. I love the community. … This is going to be the forever job.”
Looking back on his professional career, Crowther realizes he’s come a long way since his conversation with the first AMA employee.
“I started as one of our part-time employees. I would sleep on the floor of a hotel room to race,” says Crowther. “My job now encompasses not only supercross, but also all of our amateur racing, the AMA sanctions, thousands of races across the United States, motocross, hill climb, ice racing, flat track.”
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
How’s Crowther doing with the new responsibilities?
“I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
However, the work that Crowther does and the team he does it with, he says, make it worthwhile. In fact, his love of his work has even been passed down to his children, as his youngest daughter got married on the AMA grounds in Pickerington.
Now empty-nesters, Crowther and his wife have had to find their way again. Downsizing is in Crowther’s future, but leaving Pickerington is not.
“We definitely want to stay in the area,” he says. “But future-wise, we’ll … see where this ride takes us.”
Even in his down time, Crowther can’t get away from motorcycles. Nor does he want to.
“I don’t know what I would do if there weren’t motorcycles. That would be a hard one,” he says. “I love motorcycles, I love my job and I love my wife. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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