Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1542902
Flashback! February 2026 5 Right out of the gate, the 2026 season has been chock- full of events and ac vity, with the annual Potomac Vintage Riders Banquet and Swap Meet always a great way to kick off the new year! Highlights were mee ng Tommy Cro , a hero of mine when I was a teenager, and being invited, along with ISDT Gold Medalist Kevin Lavoie (thanks to the reless efforts of EVT Team Manager Suzy Moody), to present 28- me ISDE Gold Medalist Fred Hoess with his 5 th Enduro Vintage Trophy gold medal. -An honor that sadly escaped Hoess as a result of a scoring error at last year's EVT event in Poland. We'd also like to give thanks to our contribu ng editor, Gavin Bacon, for his honest take on NETRA's top 15 Hare Scrambles riders. Having been a NETRA member for over five decades, I'm happy to report the organiza on is stronger than ever and s ll growing in large numbers. We're looking forward to the annual banquet and will give you the lowdown in the next issue. A genuine treat for your editor, Kurt, was an invita on to a end Trail Rider Magazine founder Bob Hicks' 96th birthday celebra on that was held January 23rd, at Classic Cycles Café & Museum located at Cycles 128 in Beverly, Massachuse s. Catching up with Bob was so much fun, and the fact that his party was held at Cycles 128 was quite a trip for your editor, Kurt. I was not only a Cycles 128 customer when I was a kid, but I also worked there during my teenage years from 1977 to 1982, and look back at those years fondly. With over 100 people in a endance, many of whom I haven't seen in decades, the banter and bench racing were off the charts. I hope you enjoy the story within these pages. I'm also honored to introduce our readers to Gary Reagan's Scars & Stripes, a veteran off-road riders and support organiza on. Scars & Stripes "Opera on Deserving Warrior" is all about thro le therapy and offers veterans an outlet to deal with the stresses of war and military service. As the son of a WWII soldier who dealt with the horrors of war his en re life, I'm so proud to have been chosen to help spread the word about what Scars & Stripes does for our veterans, and how dirt riding is a key ingre- dient in easing the pain of PTSD. We're looking forward to working with Reagan and Scars & Stripes on upcoming bike projects and the stories behind them. On the race front, our friends at J Day Offroad have some big changes in their race program for 2026, and we're pre y excited about it. J Day has expanded to include two series for 2026: An Eastern Re- gional Championship series and a New England Championship series. With events from Florida to New York, J Day's two separate series are sure to keep those who enjoy their GP format of two motos per event, featuring a combina on of moto, woods, and challenging Xtreme sec ons. Those who prefer Northeast terrain have not been forgo en, with an eight-race series to look forward to. Highlights include a co-sanc oned American Na onal Enduro event to be held in Rhode Island the weekend of August 22 nd and 23 rd , leading into another two-day event at Unadilla the following week- end. J Day's first 2026 event is "Bostwick Creek GP" to be held on Tuesday, February 24th, in Green Cove Springs, FL. Bostwick is sandwiched in between the US Sprint Enduro, GNCC, and other Daytona Week Events. -Kurt