Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1528780
November 2024 17 The opening ceremony was probably one of the nicest and coolest I have a ended. It was held in the evening at a local tourist a rac on/castle dec- orated with torches and wonderful mul colored ligh ng. All the country riders were staged behind our country's signage being escorted by some of the local youth. Just like the Olympics, there was a grand entrance by each team into the open-air center of the castle, with much flair and grandeur. Watching our riders march in, waving the stars and stripes, brought tears to my eyes. The Italians had all the dignitaries on hand, from the mayor of Camerino to the FIM President. To finish out the ceremonies, each country's teams were called on stage as their na onal anthem was played in full. Upon departure, we heard some crazy drums as we were met by costumed renaissance actors with big drums, clapping hands, and a happy welcome to their town of Camerino. Logis cs: All of the US riders transported their bikes and gear to Italy in different ways. Fred Hoess' bike has been living in Germany at the MZ Museum. Lendon Smith's bike went home last year with an Italian. Chilly White used his Bultaco connec ons to ship his bike to Spain where he and Neena went and picked it up in a van. Billy Burns and Marc Grossman shipped their bikes individually with regular freight. The rest of the team throughout the country first shipped their bikes to a 20 foot Conex container in Alabama, where Ronnie Smith coordinat- ed loading and moving it to an interna onal shipping port in Savanah, GA. to be shipped by sea to Rome, then onto Camerino via truck. Effort: I guess this is the biggest hurdle with the Enduro Vintage Trophy and it's hard to describe the effort these riders go through to race this event. Each rider first decides what vintage bike they will ride, ranging from 1974 Penton's to 1983 Husky's. Some chose the bike for sen mental reasons, and others chose the steed to be best in class, or that suited them best for the event. In any case, they are star ng with an over 40-year-old bike. It will be completely gone over with a fine-tooth comb. New bearings, fresh top and bo om ends. Brakes are as good as you can get them. Find all the cracks in the frame, swing- arm, hubs, and spokes. Just finding parts is a struggle and a true labor of love. For example, last year, Fred built a new motor and flew over to Germany in the middle of the year to swap it out. This year he flew over to refresh all the other parts on the bike and Fred Hoess Fred Hoess