Hall of Famer Spotlight: Sue Fish

October 10, 2022

By Keaton Maisano

As the induction of another AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class draws closer, several Hall of Famers are approaching a decade of glory.

Sue Fish, a member of the Class of 2012, is October’s Hall of Famer Spotlight, and her resume, which includes two Women’s National Motocross Championships, is as impressive today as it was 10 years ago.

Fish was born Nov. 9, 1958, and her father, who competed in dirt track and hare scrambles, taught her to ride when she was 11 years old. Just three years later at age 14, she was racing to victory in her first race of the season.

At age 19, Fish advanced to the AMA Pro Racing national circuit, and she never looked back. Nicknamed “The Flying Fish,” she excelled on the track and collected the 1976 and 1977 Women’s National Motocross Championships.

“I was just a young gal doing what I love to do: riding motorcycles,” Fish said. “Motocross is a sport that I love with every cell in my body, and I just feel incredibly honored to be recognized for the sport I so loved. Motorcycling was my way of life. It gave me a way of looking at things that taught me so many wonderful lessons about life.”

Fish also cemented herself as a pioneer, becoming one of the first female motocross racers to hold a professional racing license from the AMA and compete regularly against men.

“I don’t really consider myself a pioneer,” Fish said. “I was just riding motorcycles. I never had an agenda. Yes, there was a lot of press, but for me it was never about proving a point. I just loved riding. Ever since my father put me on the tank of his motorcycle when I was 3 years old, I’ve had to be on a motorcycle, and it was that love of riding that drove me.”

Beyond motocross, Fish competed in the 1978 Subaru International Motorcycle Olympiad, a two-day event that involves all types of off-road racing, as well as raced in the men’s expert ranks in 600cc road racing classes.

Fish made an impact outside of racing as well, with her work as a Hollywood stuntwoman in movies such as Terminator and Footloose. She also traveled as part of Evel Knievel’s stunt show in Australia.

Fish’s professional career ended at the 1985 Women’s National Championship. In retirement, she focused on personal fitness and mountain bike racing, where she consistently finished near the top of National Off-Road Bicycle Association competitions.