Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1513811
Flashback! January 2024 5 It seems the year 2023 hasn't been the kindest for many. Losses were great and within days of our press deadline, we learned the sad news that one of the most influen al people in the world of dirt riding has le us for greener pastures. Most of you are familiar with Rick "Super Hunky" Sieman, the powerhouse and creator of Dirt Bike Magazine. Having grown up during the 70s, like so many other dirt freaks, I waited with bated breath each and every month for the latest issue of Dirt Bike to arrive. Countless school days were wasted in class poring over Super Hunky's tales, nonsense, and test reports. I felt a con- nec on to this man through his words. Super Hunky had a way of drawing you in and I'm well aware his ramblings inspired my lifelong love of reading and wri ng. No ques on, the man was brilliant although his style was brash. The sign of a great writer is one whose words are deeply embedded in the reader's mind. I've always found it interes ng how much the human brain can retain if one is interested in the sub- ject and Super Hunky's tales going back to my early teen years are right up there with the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Case in point, two of my favorite Super Hunky stories are Enduro Heaven and Enduro Hell. Beau ful works in my eyes as they painted quite a picture in my once young brain. His an cs played out in the early years of Dirt Bike were also full of entertainment. Yes, Super Hunky's stories were always amusing for the readers but on many occasions, not so much for the companies that provided products for review. Fans of his fine magazine might recall the test of the Kawasaki 350 Bighorn. The Kawi Bighorn was a 2 stroke "enduro" dual sport similar to a Yamaha DT-1 of the day. Rick didn't care for the bike (he was a staunch Maico man) and lambasted the Bighorn in typical Super Hunky fashion. I remember laughing out loud in class as the Bighorn was staged in a pen with real pigs. The "Pighorn" as he called it got slayed in Dirt Bike that month and I can't imagine the fallout that ensued from Kawasaki brass once that issue hit the stands. I also remember some were not as thrilled with Su- per Hunky's twisted humor as I was. During the later part of the 70s, through a sort of a Big Brother group, I was taken under the wing of a gent who was quite the dirt enthusiast, but he was also a bit past his prime to ride or compete. Myself and a friend who I've men oned in this month's vintage Can-Am feature, spent sever- al years with this good man traveling around New England riding NETRA events. Bob Fogg was his name and he made it clear that he did not like us boys reading Dirt Bike and repea ng the silly comments and stories (Bob also owned a Bighorn). "Those guys at Dirt Bike are all on drugs" he'd say and were noth- ing but a bad influence on our young impressionable minds. Much later in life, as fate would have it, I took over the reins here at Trail Rider. Although I'm told I can be somewhat brash in person, my wri en words are rarely pointed. What I did learn from Super Hunky was to always write honestly and for that, I highly respected the man. A man whom I never met un l a strange chance encounter that I'll never forget. One winter morning back in 2018, while a ending the annual York Pennsylvania vintage swap meet, I strolled down to the hotel restaurant for a plate of eggs. Imagine my surprise to glance over at a table to find not only Super Hunky but John and Jack Penton and their friend and former Penton teammate, Paul Danik. Not being one to miss an opportunity, I was able to slip into the conversa on and within minutes hit it off famously with these industry legends. Unknown to me at the me, Rick was the guest speaker at the AHRMA banquet that evening, and having the chance to hang out and chat with this man over that weekend was a treat I'll never forget. What was cool is he was more than approachable and had a genuine demeanor about him. Not the brash, outspoken man I'd imagined Rick to be. Over the years since, we'd keep in touch here and there and we even reprinted Enduro Heaven and Enduro Hell in this magazine during that summer. An honest man who earned an honest living, I can picture Rick up above in Enduro Heaven racing all those shiny Pentons dressed in polished Hi-Point boots, ripping dirt of chocolate cake consistency while forever staying on his minute. Rest in Peace Su- per Hunky, your contribu on to the sport of off-road riding and racing will never be forgo en!