Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! Lifes Wild Rides! By Kurt Flachbart December 2016 5 What a whirlwind of a year 2016 has been. Exactly one year ago this month, I received my much-an cipated December issue of Trail Rider Magazine. As with every issue I had read over the decades, I devoured it from cover to cover, but soon I was overtaken with sadness. My predecessor Kevin Novello had wri en in his "Wheelspin" editorial that life's priori es had taken over and Trail Rider Magazine was up for sale. Kevin had commi ed to four more issues and then the curtain would close for good at year-end if a buyer wasn't found. This news saddened me greatly. As a young teenager, I grew up riding minibikes and dirt bikes in a suburban town north of Boston. Riding and wrenching is all this kid knew. There was zero interest in s cks, balls and bats. In my house real sports involved burning fuel and I preferred to burn the dead dinosaurs while on two wheels. Growing up riding in the 70's was pre y cool. There was a vast array of riding, and even though we lived not far from the ci es, urban sprawl was yet to set in and we could really cover some ground, linking trails by abandoned railroad tracks and farmland. It was during this me I started subscribing to Trail Rider — 1975 to be exact. The late 70's were consumed with my job, wrenching at our local Honda/Yamaha/Triumph dealer and entering as many NETRA events as my funds allowed. This kid was obsessed with motorcycles — specifi cally dirt bikes of all sorts — but woods riding, in par cular, was my passion. As life progresses, and while reaching for that ever-elusive "brass ring," real careers take priority and our passions are o en placed on the back burner. When I was a kid, I thought how cool would it be to actually make a living riding dirt bikes and tes ng products for the manufacturers. Reality — or outside infl uences — tells you that's plain silly. A real job is required to sustain a realis c existence. As for this guy, a trade school graduate, I've been fortunate my en re working life to have made a handsome living off my passions. All I know is my hobbies, and I do know them well. Whoever says you can't make a living off your hobbies is fl at wrong because if what you're doing to earn a living is truly your passion, then it's no longer work. I can a est to this. Looking back one year ago, shortly a er reading Kevin Novello's rather sad editorial, it was then I gave thought of taking over the controls at Trail Rider. I thought back to my youth when my dreams were to earn a living playing with dirt bikes. Could it be possible 40-plus years later? No doubt the magazine needed fresh blood and enthusiasm, but would there be ques ons and concerns? Would the readers come back? It had been quite some me since renewals had been sent. Would adver sers be willing to support the printed publica on? Would we be able to expand the subscriber list enough to actually make a living wri ng about woods riding? Well, I'm incredibly proud to say yes, we've done it! And we couldn't have made it happen without the incredible support of Trail Rider's faithful readers and adver sers. We're extremely happy to report Trail Rider Magazine is thriving and back to a monthly print. During the last eight months, Trail Rider has grown a whopping 35 percent, with readership across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. To say the year 2016 has been a whirlwind is an understatement. It's been a busy year a ending racing events — modern and vintage — along with tes ng products and wri ng reviews. As for this guy, now a middle-aged man, to be making a living from such a strong passion is a feeling that's impossible to describe. All is owed to our supporters, subscribers, adver sers and manufacturers who supplied product during this past year. Thanks for believing in us and helping fulfi ll a life-long dream! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends! Kurt

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