Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1528780
Anyone who's been to a European race of any sort will tell you the atmosphere is intoxica ng, and I was like a kid in a candy store being part of it. I got to meet the great Franco Acerbis, used sign lan- guage to "talk" with Polish team managers, 9- me Polish gold medalist Ryczard Ganczewski and 7- me gold medalist Miroslaw Malec, both of whom rode in Dalton in 1973, and was there in Finland when Fred Hoess, Guy Cooper, and John Nielsen won the ISDE club division for the first me. It was a won- derful me in my life. I kept in touch with Marcelo from Argen na through the years and invited him to come to Tulsa for the 30th-anniversary celebra on. He was able to come, and when I picked him up at the airport in Tulsa, it was truly a joyous and tearful reunion. We are both a li le older and grayer, but the mem- ories of 1994 came flooding back. We were like two kindergarteners on a field trip once we got to the Zink Ranch, bouncing here and there, mee ng people, looking at bikes, taking selfies with fast Six Days riders, and just having a ball. As I introduced him to folks, several of them remembered him from 1994, especially the heart and soul ride of Sebas- an Prieto. My friend Rick Owens was one of the sweep riders, and Marcelo was amazed when Rick remembered Sebas an's name a er all these years. I rented an RV trailer for the week from a local guy, and we set up a li le compound with ISDT vet Bil- ly Hoffman and his wife June, and ISDE vet Kevin Hutchinson and his wife Shawn. We stayed busy during the day specta ng the reunion celebra on, went out for Mexican a couple of mes, worked the Test 4 check out at Sunday's NEPG, and pre y much had an exhaus ng but exhilara ng four days at the ranch. We absolutely had a ball, and the best part was being among friends and motorcycles. As the great Dave Mungenast, Sr., said (and I'm paraphras- ing), "Motorcycles are the great equalizer. It doesn't ma er if you are Joe, the bank president, or Joe, the garbage man. When we're on motorcycles, we're all the same." Suzy Moody's gonna tell you about the racing and cool banquet. I just wanted to tell you about the fun I had. We've all got that person in our life who's got- ten away from us due to me, distance, or whatever. Make the reconnec on, especially if it involves this crazy sport we love. You won't regret it, I guarantee! Greg Pres age Greg Pres age