Live, historic footage of Bigfoot!

January 16, 2014 3:07 PM

In a city far, far away there was born a monster who roamed the stadiums, crushing everything in its path. With feet of 4,000 pounds and power of 1200 horses it roars with a challenge to all ... "Ever wonder what kind of truck Godzilla might drive if he needed a family pickup? Well this is it." Thus begins The Living Legend - Bigfoot 4x4x4, a VHS tape from 1987, celebrating the father of monster trucks, Bigfoot.

The opening video continues in two more parts (part 2, part 3) or it's conveniently edited down to a 3 minute music video, set to the song "Legend of Bigfoot". But Bigfoot lives on" you say, "aren't there any more current video compilations?" The answer is yes yes yes! Here's the hour long Bigfoot 25th Anniversary Collection, narrated by none other than Bob Chandler, one of the original guys behind Bigfoot, and Jim Kramer, who has been driving Bigfoot since 1982. This "video collection" goes back to the first two cars crushed by Bigfoot #1 in 1981, when it was just a suped-up 4x4 offroad truck, Bigfoot in the Pontiac Silverdome in 1983, when people could still stand on the stadium floor, and it covers the 1999 record-setting 202-foot jump over a Boeing 272, and various other achievements and events through 2000. And the video notes that there's not just one Bigfoot. For example, Bigfoot 5 and 10-foot-tall tires, and in 2012, Bigfoot #20 was their first all-electric monster truck (YouTube clip). You can see more on Bigfoot4x4.com and the Bigfoot Original YouTube video channel.

If you're looking for a general overview of the progression of monster trucks, from their basic 4x4 days to their custom frames with fiberglass shells and 66 inch tall tires, here's a slightly dated "history of monster trucks" and a timeline for Gravedigger, another well-recognized monster truck that had its start in the 1980s. Here's a 25th anniversary video collection and 30th anniversary clips.

Since the Boing 272 jump, Joey Sylvester and his truck, Bad Habit, beat the record with a jump of 208 feet in 2010, then Dan Runte returned in Bigfoot to reclaim his long-jump record at 219 feet, but Joe came back with a 237 feet, six inches record-setting jump.

posted by filthy light thief (17 comments total)

If you want more of the technology of the trucks, here's another long-ish video: Monster Truck Tech - the history of truck starring Bigfoot and more ... with Swedish (?) subtitles.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:09 PM on January 16, 2014

Wow. I guess I will wait until SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! to drive into these links.
posted by chavenet at 3:13 PM on January 16, 2014

MOAN FOR BIGFOOT, MOAN.
posted by ennui.bz at 3:14 PM on January 16, 2014 [3 favorites]

SUNDAY

SUNDAY

s u n d a y
posted by Sara C. at 3:21 PM on January 16, 2014

YOU'LL PAY FOR THE WHOLE SEAT, BUT YOU'LL ONLY USE THE EDGE!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 3:24 PM on January 16, 2014 [11 favorites]

I used to occasionally marvel at some mental giant driving a monsteur truck in traffic. Either they've been repressed by the jackbooted thugs of government, or everyone who tried to drive one of those things on the street has realized what a truly bad choice they are for that.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:26 PM on January 16, 2014

I am proud to say that, during the wonderful 80's, I attended more than a few Monster Truck events. Bigfoot? I have SAT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THAT BAD BOY.
posted by bradth27 at 3:47 PM on January 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

MOAN FOR BIGFOOT, MOAN.

Now free on Kindle
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:12 PM on January 16, 2014

It doesn't stop in the arena.
posted by jason_steakums at 4:43 PM on January 16, 2014

I could go visit Bigfoot right now if I wanted to. I live down the street from Bigfoot. I used to wave to Bigfoot on my way to school.

Go ahead, be jealous.
posted by BlueJae at 5:02 PM on January 16, 2014 [3 favorites]

(It's really the only interesting thing left in my neighborhood, I mean, at least ever since they covered up Charles Lindbergh's practice field and closed the factory where folks used to make space capsules for NASA.)
posted by BlueJae at 5:11 PM on January 16, 2014

The Bigfoot NES game's hill climbs and tractor pulls were the bane of my childhood with these controls. The overhead races were pretty fun, though.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:12 PM on January 16, 2014

Bigfoot? I have SAT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THAT BAD BOY.

But did KITT tell you to please not touch that knob, whatever you do?
posted by carsonb at 5:12 PM on January 16, 2014

"I was gonna have to shut'er-down."
posted by stltony at 6:38 PM on January 16, 2014

Hey BlueJae I came here to say the same thing - I'm about a mile away from it! Didn't grow up here but it was one of the first things I noticed moving in. It's so nondescript too, like "Home of Bigfoot", just casually there, when in my child's mind's eye the sign would be shouting and shooting off sparks. (I still haven't stopped in, should really do that one day)
posted by hypersloth at 9:47 PM on January 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

Hypersloth is right. Bigfoot HQ looks like a little indie truck repair shop. No piles of crushed cars, or giant inflatable gorillas, or spotlights, or even any flashy banners or balloons. The sign doesn't even light up brightly at night. The only reason to notice it is that they generally have one or more of the Bigfoots parked out front. You know, like ya do.
posted by BlueJae at 10:38 PM on January 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

No love for Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines?
posted by radwolf76 at 5:29 AM on January 17, 2014 [1 favorite]