Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/757317
The Razorback club laid out about 50 miles for the Saturday loop that started out with a lap of their motocross track which dumped right into a mile and a half grass track before ducking into the woods. At the end of the day, another lap of the moto and grass tracks cons tuted the last Day One special test. The route is laid out on a 12 mph speed average to accommo- date the old bikes and old riders. Another benefi t is that most riders arrive early at the spe- cial test check-ins, which allows me for refreshments, any needed repairs, and visi ng with riding buddies. It's an odd combina on of compe on and relaxa on which makes for a truly enjoyable day. The med terrain tests were a combina on of freshly cut single track, estab- lished ORV trails and jeep trails, with the transfer sec ons being more open with some dirt road jaunts thrown in. The White Rock riding area is fairly hilly and a couple of the trails and roads along the ridges off ered beau ful scenic views across the valley. The foliage was in full fall color and worth a stop to take in nature's beauty. The ascents and descents from valley to ridgeline were a ton of fun. The trails are well maintained with frequent water bars that make for some great rid- ing. The uphills, in par cular, off er plenty of opportuni es to get some air under your wheels. The Saturday night awards banquet was held at the club grounds with an outstanding barbe- que dinner. A number of annual awards are presented (see sidebar) and the ISDT/ISDE vets in a endance are recognized and off ered the opportunity to share some of their Six Days ex- periences. John Penton never shies away from the microphone and his passion for motorcy- cling, and, more importantly, the motorcycling family rings strong every year when he speaks. He truly loves our sport and every one of the people involved. Jeff Frede e shared the accomplishments of this year's historic ISDE victory and was quick to point out that it was John Penton's dream in the 1960s that eventually led America to being the best in the world. Turk Perepalkin had everyone laughing when he told the crowd that the Canadian Prime Minister had called him for an assessment of the Americans he knew, and upon repor ng back that we were generally not such a bad bunch, he said the Prime Minister said that no ma er what happened in our upcoming elec on, Americans would s ll be welcome in Canada. Erik Nijkamp refl ected on being able to ride for the Dutch team when the ISDE was in Hol- land in 1993...the one that Jeff Frede e says was probably his hardest event to medal... even though he was living in the U.S. at the me, and what an honor it is to be able to represent your country at the Six Days. Billy Hoff man spoke about the Bad Rock qualifi er in 75 or so when he, Jack Penton, Carl Cranke and Kevin Lavoie had to make a human daisy chain to manhandle their bikes up an icy mountainside. Of the over 300 entries, not even two dozen fi nished the fi rst day within their hour! Billy was one of the few medalists that year and s ll gets chills remembering how he nearly froze to death that day on the trails. December 2016 13