Trail Rider Magazine

Mostly known as a Bultaco and Ossa dealer, Bob competed at the highest levels in trials, hill climbs, and enduro racing. I always enjoy cha ng with Bob, and as a man now 90+ years old, his memory is remarkable, with an uncanny ability to recall details of specific events. While Jack Penton was making his way through the crowd, I took the op- portunity to introduce Bob to Jack. To be honest, I was surprised the two had never met. Instantly, the conversa on began flowing, with Bob relay- ing tales of his days racing with Jack's father, John Penton, and how cunning John was with his race cra . In par cular, Bob told a story of how the two were flying down a trail and about to burn a check. John faked crashing, laying the bike down, and killed me, appearing to gather himself and restart the bike. In the end, arriving at the check right on me to the second! One of the more colorful stories that surfaced during this gathering of champs was from Dave Aho, a lifelong motorcyclist and frequent NETRA Enduro compe tor back in the 70s. Most of our older readers might remember the infamous Breakneck Enduro held in Woodstock, Connec - cut, from 1974-1976. I say infamous as the Break- neck was the enduro that ran through a nudist colony, and pictures of this event with the naked women marking the rider's mecards have been shared for decades. Dave Aho was the trail boss, and with li le help from the club involved, he en- listed a friend to help in laying out the course. This friend happened to be a nudist, and the colony that he belonged to was surrounded by lush forest with beau ful trails. The property and loca on were perfect for an enduro to run through, and Dave's buddy easily gained permission to run a sec on of trail through it. Unbeknownst to the rid- ers, a check was placed at a mud hole deep in the nudist colony. As expected, this was a big surprise to the riders, and more than several happened to experience mechanical issues just as the girls were marking their mecards. Stories of the Breakneck have been circula ng for years, but few knew Aho's nudist friend was actually Big Bird from Sesame Street! The highlight of the a ernoon was recrea ng the 1975 photo of the US Silver Vase Team. Three of the four Ossa Desert Phantoms had been located, and the en re team, including Team Manager Marcia MacDonald, was dressed in their Ossa Team jackets. 10 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Don Cutler's impressive collec on of ISDT Medals Don Cutler's impressive collec on of ISDT Medals Bob Hogan and Dave Aho Bob Hogan and Dave Aho Infamous 1974 Breakneck Enduro checkpoint Infamous 1974 Breakneck Enduro checkpoint

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