It's Not Moto but It's Very Cool!

 Anyone who has ever skied or snowboarded Jackson Hole knows just how nerve-racking it can be to send it into the infamous Corbet's Couloir, even in the best of conditions. Doing it in icy conditions on mountain bikes is nothing short of insane, and that's exactly what we did. Corbet's Couloir is one of the most legendary and challenging ski runs in the world. This spring, Cam McCaul and Casey Brown attempted the first ever Mountain Bike descent of the double black diamond ski run. There's a litany of other adjectives you could prescribe to the lines McCaul and Brown threw down - Sketchy, heavy, and borderline suicidal all come to mind - but ultimately, the end result was jaw-dropping. // From TGR's 2017 ski film Rogue Elements, presented by REI

Dungey "Homegrown"

The Minnesota moto superstar gets back to the basics in a hidden motocross paradise.

Hard work and dedication: Two words that often come to mind when you speak of a legend in any sport. In the world of motocross, Ryan Dungey is certainly one of those legends. But Dungey's work ethic isn't just something that only comes from within, it's something he grew up around.

Whether Dungey knew it growing up, the culture in the Midwest had a huge impact on the legend that he eventually grew to be. Something like agriculture, while it wasn't something that affected him day-to-day, it's part of the fabric that is midwest living. The hard work, dedication and patience that it takes to successfully grow crops, is similar to that of which Dungey showed throughout his career.

The "normal" path to the top of the motocross ranks typically involves being scouted by professional teams from a very young age. The teams then give their full support throughout the young star's amateur career and have a bike waiting for them when it comes time to step up to the pro ranks. Dungey's wasn't that, but that didn't stop him from getting to the top and cementing his name in the history books.

The "Midwest work ethic" is something that the Dungey's exercised in a big way on the journey through the amateur ranks as Dungey didn't begin turning the heads of professional teams until late in his amateur career. One thing is for sure, the dedication it took them to continuously dump thousands of hours and frankly thousands of dollars into chasing the dream of being a champion at the highest level of motocross is remarkable.

Vet Racing Around the World

Clean Sweeps Across Veteran's & Women's Motocross Classes

Wednesday, 29 November 2017,

NOVEMBER 29, 2017: Like old soldiers, it seems, motocross stars of yesteryear also do not grow old and weary.

Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen", perhaps known to many who hear it each year on Anzac Day as the Ode of Remembrance, immortalised the words " Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn" and those words could well be used to describe the many "old soldiers of motocross" who battled at the 2017 New Zealand Veterans' and Women's Motocross Championships near Eltham at the weekend.

While there was a slight hint of weariness about the riders at the end of the annual two-day event, that really came as no surprise, considering that these men, many of them aged over 50, had raced with such speed, aggression and stamina, not to mention skill.

Five races per class over the two days would be enough to shatter many riders half their age.

There were many stand-out individuals, with Yamaha stalwart Tony Cooksley (Yamaha YZ250) impressing with his unbeaten run of five wins over the weekend, easily winning the most senior of grades, the over-60 years' all-capacities class.

That Cooksley dominated with such ease showcased the world class form of the man who had, just three weeks earlier, finished third overall in his over-60s class at the Veterans' World Championships in Southern California.

The 61-year-old concrete cutting business owner had that weekend finished close behind Canadian Pete DeGraff and former US factory Honda rider Chuck Sun in the big annual event at Glen Helen, San Bernadino.

Others to finish the weekend in Taranaki unbeaten included Aucklander Gaudenz Gisler, who easily won the 55-59 years' class; New Plymouth's Mitch Rowe, who won the 50-54 years' class; Whakatane's Darren Capill, who scored five wins from five starts in the 45-49 years' class; Hawera's Daryl Hurley, who was unbeaten in the 40-44 years' class; Inglewood's Larry Blair, who dominated with a string of five wins in the 35-39 years' class and Hawera's Steven Craig, who took the title with a clean sweep in the 30-34 years' class.

The 49-year-old Capill (Yamaha YZ450F), who works as a supervisor at Fonterra, didn't race the vets' nationals last year and so was naturally thrilled to win the 45-49 years' title this year, his last chance to win it before he moves to the next age category in 2018.

He had also previously won the 45-49 years' title when he last contested the nationals, at Opunake in 2015.

Meanwhile, on the female side of the programme, Opunake's Taylar Rampton came out on top, winning the senior women's class by just three points from Rotorua's Letitia Alabaster.

Tauranga's Shelby Catley won the junior women's 12-16 years' grade title by a similarly tight margin, out-scoring Te Awamutu's defending champion Rachael Archer by just one point.

Hawera's Nicholl Marshall was untouchable in clean-sweeping the veteran women's class.

KTM’s 790 Adventure R Prototype?

KTM 790 ADVENTURE R ...could this be your next dirt bike?

Motonomad III: Riders of the Andes

From the Atacama desert of Chile, the epic salt lakes of Bolivia to the rugged snow peaks of Argentina, Motonomad III is a high altitude, action packed journey between three mates from Australia! Featuring Adam Riemann, Mark Portbury and Chris Hollis.

Colton Haaker Defending His Title

SuperEnduro – Defence

Featuring reigning SuperEnduro World Champion Colton Haaker, last year’s runner-up Alfredo Gomez and promising rookie Billy Bolt, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing enter the five-round 2018 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship firmly focused on defending Husqvarna’s status as a key player in the prestigious indoor enduro series.

For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker, the American returns to the series set on claiming the third SuperEnduro World Championship title of his career. Recovering from a recent elbow injury, which stopped him from defending his AMA EnduroCross Championship, Colton is highly motivated and looking forward to a positive return to SuperEnduro competition.

Further strengthening the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team is 2017 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship runner-up Alfredo Gomez. Winning half of the rounds contested during last winter’s series, the TE 300i powered rider will be a favourite for race wins in the upcoming championship.

Completing the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing SuperEnduro team is 20-year-old Billy Bolt. Following a strong season of Hard Enduro competition, the young Brit is all-set to make his SuperEnduro debut aboard Husqvarna’s FE 350 machine.

Contested over five rounds in four different countries, the 2018 FIM Superenduro World Championship starts on December 9 in Krakow, Poland.

Colton Haaker: “I love the SuperEnduro series and I’m really looking forward to the start of the coming series. Defending the SuperEnduro championship is going to be tough but I am really motivated to give my best. It might not be ideal going into the championship following injury, but as long as everything goes to plan I should be in with a good chance of the title. With the series being spread out over a few months I’m hoping to build momentum as time goes on, ready to challenge for the title during the closing rounds.”

Alfredo Gomez: “I am excited about getting my SuperEnduro campaign started. Winning half of the rounds last year, I proved I can consistently fight for the title. I learned a lot during the championship last year and I can’t wait to make use of that experience. I am also really happy to have Colton and Billy as my teammates. We have a strong team and this gives some extra motivation to do well. Going into the championship my goal is clear – I want to start the season on a high in Poland and keep fighting for the World Championship all the way until the last round in Sweden.”

Billy Bolt: “This is going to be my first season of SuperEnduro and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been following the series for many years and always wanted to do it. I’ve been training hard and improving in every little detail. It’s good that there will be lots of good riders this year. I think we’re going to have some good battles and I can’t wait to be part of them. My goal going into Poland is to see where exactly I’m at, so that I can then gradually improve. I am confident that after Poland I’ll know what to work on so that I can keep pushing and all being well challenge for podium results.”

Moto It Keeps You Young!

Meet Gary Willison, 76-Year-Old Motorcross Enthusiast

By Timothy Doe, Castaic Community Contributor

Suppose you opened up the sports page of your newspaper one morning and saw that the Dodgers had signed a 76-year-old shortstop. That would get your attention, wouldn’t it?

Well, this story isn’t about a 76-year-old shortstop, but it is about a 76-year-old motocross rider. Maybe at first glance you don’t think the two sports have a lot in common, but the truth of the matter is they do, and one of the similarities is the respective ages at which the athletes develop. In both sports you get started at a very early age, serve your apprenticeship as a teenager, reach your peak level of competition in your early and mid-twenties, then start at least thinking about hanging it up by the age of, say, 35. Not Gary Willison though, who instead of retiring from motocross in his mid-thirties actually started riding at the age of 36 and now, 40 years later, is still out there weekly, doing it, as the saying goes, in the dirt.

Gary started riding in 1977 at the legendary Indian Dunes track, which back in the day was out on Highway 126 in the Piru area. His first bike was a 125cc Suzuki RM, a far cry from the brand- new  Honda CRF-450  he’s about to take delivery on. That’s how it works in motocross – you gradually progress to bigger, faster, more powerful bikes, and with his new 450 Gary has reached a plateau of sorts, and is out on the track at least once a week. A few years back he raced in a series of organized 70 years and older races held at tracks in several different states during a seven month season. It might have been a bit of a tough grind, but Gary still managed to come in first at every race that season.

But motocross isn’t all thrills – it has its share of spills, too, and Gary can tell you all about that. He’s had nine broken bones in the course of his career, and once broke both bones of his right leg at the same time. But you can’t let a little thing like that stop you, and Gary certainly doesn’t. Might be a good lesson there. Wasn’t it Frank Sinatra who sang “I just pick myself up and get back in the race”? He did, however, take a little break from motocross awhile ago and put in six years bass fishing, a sport which has a tendency to produce fewer broken bones, but the lure of the track proved too strong, and he put away his fishing tackle and got back on a bike.

Gary and his wife of 57 years, Connie, live in Palmdale, so he rides regularly at the Quail Valley track up by Gorman, or at the larger LACR in Palmdale.

Of course, motocross, like any motor sport, isn’t the world’s cheapest pastime. After all, you can spend six hundred dollars on a pair of boots if you want to. And although Gary obviously qualifies for Social Security, he’s also obviously not the type to just sit around and collect it. He usually puts in a four day week creating custom shower pans in advance of the tile setters doing high-end remodeling, and having begun that trade in 1962 he’s had plenty of time to niche in with a select group of quality contractors who are happy to keep him as busy as he likes. So not only does he actively participate in a demanding physical sport at an age when many people spend their time playing bingo, he also pursues an occupation that is most likely dominated by people 50 years his junior. Do you think maybe there’s a lesson in that?

So what’s next for Gary? Well, there is an 80-plus category in motocross, so it’s a safe bet he’ll be there, and if he is, the smart money says we’ll be seeing him winning races there, too.

Time — An enduro short film

We spend our life chasing time, riding dirt bikes helps slow it down.

West Hare Scramble Championship

Max Gerston crowned AMA West Hare Scramble champion

 

Beta’s Max Gerston was crowned the 2017 AMA West Hare Scramble Series champion at the championship finale in Wilseyville, California. 

Gerston entered the final round with a 18 point lead. Finishing in fourth he increased his lead to win the series with a 35 point overall lead.

Gerston won the championship on his Beta 390 RR Race edition while finishing on the podium seven times including one race win. 

“I am so happy to get this title for my family and my team,” told Gerston. “It is the result of a lot of hard work and tough times. 

“I am also excited to get my body healed, so I can be back to 100 per cent for next year.”

He rode injured for three races late in the season with a sixth place with round two being his worst finish.

Gerston will return to the series in 2017 and looks to retain his #1 plate, as well as competing in the EnduroCross and other extreme events.

2018 Dakar 40th Edition

KTM Prepare for Dakar

The Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing team are entering the final stages of their preparations ahead of the 2018 Dakar Rally – the 40th edition of the event, staged this year in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Competing on the all-new KTM 450 RALLY, the official four-rider line-up of Sam Sunderland, Toby Price, Mathias Walkner and Antoine Meo are currently all busy training hard ahead of the gruelling annual event.

Following an intense year of racing, training and preparation, the Red Bull KTM team of Sam Sunderland, Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Antoine Meo are now all but ready to begin their individual quests to claim KTM’s 17th consecutive Dakar bike class victory, and take on the challenge of the longest and toughest event on the cross-country rallies calendar.

Following two years of development and a rally win on its first competitive outing, the all-new KTM 450 RALLY is also ready to face the challenge of the 2018 Dakar. Officially launched at the recent EICMA show in Milan, resplendent in its Red Bull livery, the bike boasts many performance improvements over last year’s model. A new engine and management system gives the riders more accurate throttle response, a new chassis and swingarm provides sharper handling and newly designed fuel tanks and bodywork ensure the bike feels slimmer and is more manoeuvrable.

Proudly displaying the number one plate on the new KTM 450 RALLY, Sam Sunderland will return to the Dakar as defending champion. The British rider’s fight for the 2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship went right down to the final round where unfortunately he was forced to retire after picking up a small injury on the second day. Now fully fit and confident of a good result in South America, Sam will be fighting to repeat his success of 2017.

Sunderland: “I am feeling really positive. I’m feeling really fast and strong on the new 450 – my fitness is good at the moment and I have no injuries. We have had the final shake down test on the new bike and it went very well. There’s always a lot of work and preparation in the last couple of months on the run up to Dakar. Trying to balance all the factors of testing, training and travelling always makes for a busy time before Dakar.

“Now I would like to be able to reward the team for all their hard work with a good result, which is what I’m working towards. We were able to do that at the bike’s first outing in Morocco when Matthias took the win. Everyone in the team is focused on Dakar.”

Toby Price, winner of the 2016 Dakar Rally, has endured a difficult year. Following his crash at the 2017 Dakar in which he injured his femur, Price has been on a long road to full fitness ever since. The Australian was set to race the OiLibya Rally of Morocco in October, but complications with his injury forced him to miss the event. Aware of the challenge in front of him, Toby remains upbeat and determined to put in a strong performance.

Price: “After a recent clean-up of my injury, I am feeling a lot stronger already. It’s a big step forward and things are already looking really good for January. I have been able to get some time on the new bike, and it’s a huge step forward – the team have done an incredible job. I’ve been off a bike for close to eight or nine months. It’s clearly not the preparation any rider would want leading up to the biggest race of the year, but then you don’t forget how to ride a motorcycle.”

Riding the new KTM 450 RALLY, Matthias Walkner won the final round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship in Morocco. The win ensured Matthias finished third overall in the 2017 championship standings. This success, and the feeling of increased confidence on the new bike, has given Walkner even more motivation as the Austrian goes into the Dakar Rally looking to better his 2017 runner-up position.

Walkner: “It’s been a long year and a season of ups and downs for me. To finish the championship on a high and on a bike that suits me so well is a massive confidence boost. My feeling on the new bike allows me to push that little bit harder and it has taken my riding to the next level.

“Nobody can predict what will happen at the Dakar, but the team have done an amazing job preparing the bike for the event and I am feeling really good. Hopefully all that hard work will pay off and we can come away with another win for KTM. Before that there’s much more training and riding to do, to be in the best shape I can before the start of the race.”

Claiming a strong fourth place finish on his return to racing at the final round of the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, Antoine Meo surprised even himself with his pace. The last two seasons have been difficult for the Frenchman following the injuries to his wrists sustained during the 2016 Dakar. The four-time Enduro World Champion is looking forward to Dakar 2018 but knows he still has some work to do before he is ready to take to the start line in Peru on January 6th.

Meo: “This year has been tough. After missing the 2017 Dakar due to having corrective surgery at the beginning of the season I came back for the races in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, which was possibly too soon. After a break during the summer, I came back again to race the OiLibya Rally in Morocco. I surprised myself as I immediately felt at home on the new bike and was able to fight for the podium.

“It’s really difficult to judge my pace right now. I am feeling good but know I still have a lot of work to do before January. I’m not setting any specific goals for myself going into the Dakar, my plan is to take each day as it comes and just go from there.”

The four Red Bull Factory riders will be joined at the 2018 Dakar Rally by KTM Rally Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz and Luciano Benavides. Sanz will be looking to secure her place as the most successful female Dakar competitor ever with another good result. Benavides will be competing in his first Dakar for KTM and will be aiming to gain as much knowledge and experience as he can over the course of the two-week event.

Running from January 6 to 20, 2018, the 40th edition of the Dakar Rally will see over 500 competitors cover 10,000km during 15 days of racing. The 2018 event will be the 10th edition to be held in South America and will cross the three countries of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.