Live Wire

It is known to occur in young adults of my body type, and completely by itself as happened while driving towards Wellington for my flight to Blenheim on Saturday afternoon. Apart from the fact that I was having to hunch from the pain and breathe fast and shallow, my plans to continue on to the Honda Kids camp in St Arnaud only started looking shaky when I researched my symptoms online during the short flight over NZ’s Cook Straight and realised that I really should get it checked out.

Too Late

What they eventually found is basically what Wikipedia conveniently calls a PSP, a hole in my lung that kept me in Blenheim for the night, and a good thing too as by the next morning the air pocket had grown and I had a half collapsed lung. I was literally full of hot air (more than usual you might say) and the small operation that followed was both successful and a relief, the only down sides being the worry it caused for those close to me and the fact that when I did finally arrive at St Arnaud around noon on Monday, everybody had left.

Skye’s the Limit

Still the show must go on and that was a one on one with Kirk Hay at Biggsy’s place near Brightwater. I really enjoy working hard with Kirk and we helped him get back on track with both his rut skills and corner speed before tidying up his ability to handle jumps and bumps. Next time it will be whip work, which is exactly what I ended up focusing on with the Edwards girls the next day.

They were already standing so well that we moved to whip practice, using their dads spray paint to mark where their wheels should follow to help them lean the other way. It turned out to be a very successful morning as it taught them how to handle the bike kicking sideways in the air, so I am just hoping we get to work with them again before too long so we can really help their confidence.

With the help of Daniel Woolley who’s van I borrowed, then my sister and Josh Bartoshs mother once again I continued north to finally arrive home to give Sarah a big hug. And she didn’t squeeze too hard.

Ready and Waiting

This years Junior Nationals was not for the faint hearted. Held at Taranaki’s Barrett Road, rain leading up to the event left things looking fairly iffy, and when it did dry up there was still plenty to keep riders on their toes.

Those that thrived tended to be the bigger kids, able to move around on the bike. This was the case all the way from an on form Grayson Veitch in the 8-10’s to Hadleigh Knight in the older 250 class, with one of  the riders in particular really styling his way around the demanding circuit – standing out big time. If you were watching then I am sure you will agree, there was no missing how comfortable Joel Meikle looked.

Joel Meikle – Champion. Pic Andy McGechan

Perhaps I should have expected it, knowing what he is capable of, but after the nightmare run Joel has had over the last few years he would have been excused for not wanting to race at all, let alone go out there and come from behind to win convincingly. It was one of those special things to watch and we definitely hope he can continue on with this kind of form.

Of course you would expect me to have enjoyed the relative ease of which Maximus Pervus won his races, the glory falling in just the right place with him being such a great kid and knowing the hard work he puts into it along with his Dad.

Unfortunately there were also some pretty deep disappointments. Bike failures and injuries were the end for many riders, although the worst had to be for Kurt Langford who got major injuries because of a bike failure. It can’t get much more disappointing than that, especially seeing as he was in the lead before his bike got stuck in the gear that would eventually send him over the bars.

As to the riders who were a part of our after schools and boot camp, I was blessed with thanks from most of the ones taking part in these nationals, and stoked to see results such as Brodie’s second overall as an 8 year old, to rides like Steen Duckworth’s 9th place finish. There are too many others to name but you know who you are and we are privileged to have been able to help.

The Taranaki MCC deserves many thanks for what was a massive effort and we wish them all the best. It seems that next year will be at the Gold Nuggets of Westland before Otorohanga gets their turn in 2015. We will be there as always and hope to help many more riders achieve their dreams as they work through juniors and on to the future.

Fletch

You might have caught Broxy in a lowered Hiace last month as he tripped around the lower South Island with our friend Daniel Woolley, a journey that would see them zig, separate and join up again, even picking up a straggler along the way.
Oamaru was first, and third. Needing to be gone on the Friday, Blair Selfe of Oamaru Honda met us at their club track along with his son Taz and friends Jesse and Blain where we techniqued, then timed the group until they were consistently powering harder and braking later. Carrying more corner speed will be next on the agenda but we were happy with the outcome.
Before coaching down that way again, Daniel and I headed back up towards Timaru to meet a keen family from much further inland at the half way mark of Pleasant Point. It turned out that Dan was the only one to ride the Backflips track that day, instead we kept it simple on the much more gentle slopes of the pit paddock. This session was a big patience tester I can tell you, so it was awesome to hear afterwards how much Zayden had gotten from it.

Hey Man!

That afternoon we were back at Oamaru, this time at the private track of the Hayman family. It turned out to be a riding gold mine with plenty of scope to help Luke and Jordy, including a saw dust pit. They were gracious hosts and to pay them back I went over to the milking sheds to see if I could help- just as they were finishing up. A well timed flushing of the milk filter saw my shoes completely covered, something I do believe was unintentional but well deserved none the less.
Down to Balclutha and I made a big mistake which saw us on a freshly sown track, requiring a re-convening at the aptly named ‘Reserve’ track instead. The Gold family were gracious hosts, and after carving through a big session with Dylan and Tayla, they offered to take Daniel with them for the next 24 hours so he could race the Karl Millar memorial. So while I followed that up by a session with Fletcher Benington, they headed back home to get ready for the big day.

Having the van to myself now didn’t change my plans, which was a night with Andrew of Ewan Allan Honda before a ladies only day at their place on the Sunday morning which turned out to be a great time with no end of southern hospitality.
I knew most of them from the local Honda Kids camp that happens in Waikaia every year, who we refined with throttle, clutch and technique work but it was the new face that really blew us away. I had to catch myself from being too proud when, not only did she learn to ride a two wheeler for the first time without hardly a scary moment or stall, but who then went on to launch off the small jump we had created, just like all the others. I couldn’t stick around to enjoy

First Timer?

it too much though as the racing called.
This whole trip had been organised around the Karl Millar Memorial so I could race it for the second year in a row, but the Sunday had been my only chance to do that ladies session, hence not being there until the final round of racing. As it turned out, thanks to some very generous local riders and organisers I was allowed to ride the very cool Southern series track in the final race of the day, the Senior Feature.
Aboard a 2013 CRF450R courtesy of Anthony from Balclutha Honda, I lined up and inherited the lead from Brent Scammell when he stalled in a turn before the finish line jump. Little was I to know that after a full on race against Campbell King which it looked like I had won, would I stall in that very same corner on the final lap only to let Campbell through for the victory. While it certainly hadn’t been intentional (I had been so focused on the attempted whip I was going to do over the finish line jump to remember to change down into second gear), neither was I too gutted as he had won everything else that day and deserved to take the glory.
So, reunited with Daniel we bumped our way back up the country with a stop at Noel Mays house for the night, eventually flying home having had yet another awesome time down south.

Ready to Rip

Having dropped my Academy boys off at Hamilton Airport I then got the Rockstar treatment. Instead of the 12 hours down and back that it would have taken to drive to the Masterton Honda Kids Camp, I flew to Wellington, got picked up from the airport and taken to the Bartosh Backflips Moto Van. It got me to the camp site and became my home away from home over night and that next day.

The coaching was definitely my most challenging set of one hour sessions this year. While the first pair of sessions were a great success with a really fun track and plenty of learning happening, the next two were not so smooth as I struggled to help the riders understand how to open up a flat turn by entering wide. The constant drizzle and therefore slippery conditions didn’t help but I have since realized my mistake, so look out for a different- and much more enjoyable approach should I need to try that one again.

From there I drove back to Wellington, was dropped at the airport and flew home in time to catch the last five minutes of the movie we had some friends over to watch, which was a little later than planned but I felt fresh as ever and ready for the next few days with my family which I would have otherwise been on the road for – precious time. So when Tuesday night came to continue my coaching journeys I was ready.

Getting Close

Wanganui was next on the list and the next day saw Jaxon and Hunter having their Broxy session at the freshly groomed Manuka Park. So far as private tracks go here in New Zealand, this one is as close as you will get to an American style venue with its flowing berms, inside lines and probably the best set of rollers in the country. Unfortunately it was also a little wet under foot which neither bike liked, keeping me busy cleaning out carburettors until both the KLX110 and CR85 were finally running right. The delay didn’t slow the boys down much though, as shown by our timing session at the end.

This is where we started the group of three 250cc machines. We ran them into the ground to begin with, racing the clock full speed in what has to be the closest thing to racing conditions without ever lining up at a gate.

Letting It Go

It is just too bad that none of them were going to be racing the Junior Nationals that following weekend…

The second hour was much more fun, spent mainly on whip practice. Being able to handle a cross rut or side wind while jumping is a fairly important skill to have, even if it is Enduro you were to race that weekend like Seth. That went down very well and I was able to have a blast of my own before heading off to the house of Greg Hurley for the night.

The plan was to coach his son Cullen in the morning but just as we were getting started, the rain came down. Not that it stopped the hard charger, he kept going until literally ready to drop as we worked on consistently quick times without brake slides. So, he then got to watch as I did the work of attempting a hill climb which I had just seen YouTube footage of, aboard Greg’s bike. I made it up nearly half of the time, certainly struggling the other times though!

From there I followed them out to Barrett Road, which is another story…

Steens Head Start

It actually began at the Western Heights Schools MX in Rotorua with the reason behind this new push, Callum Hay. Making the most of being down from Auckland we hooked his trailer onto the Broxy van to stay the weekend in Tauranga, which worked out better than we expected come Monday.

Seeing as both of the other riders would be coming from the Waikato side we changed plans and met Steen Duckworth and Aaron King at Matamata where that days After Schools training was to be held. We began with forming ruts, moved on to the challenging rollers and finished with a timing session that ran them all into the ground. We had some rain but not enough to slow us down and by the time our Afterschools began, the boys were riding well.

With heavy rain on its way we made the call to keep everyone at our home in Tauranga for the next couple of nights, calling parents and organizing for them to stay with us an extra day at the end of the week to make up for lost riding time. However the wet Tuesday did not mean they had a holiday, instead it was quite the opposite with a serious run up Mount Maunganui in the storm, followed by a CrossFit style work out in our home garage that became 20 minutes of pain, the push ups on the TransforMX handlebars unanimously being voted the most difficult. Their treat was two games of Tenpin, which became more of a mental test than anything as they took turns beating me, Aaron definitely winning out in the mind games stakes. Not bad for a rainy day!

Strike!

We chose my track for Wednesday which turned out to be excellent. The best thing about our location in Tauranga, for motocross anyway, is the spread of tracks to choose from to suit the days weather conditions, with seven National class tracks less than an hour from home. The morning sun saw the turns section form up great and we basically had a hard day on the stop watch making the most of its Taranaki style clay before cleaning up and doing their own push bike mission into town before dinner.

That night we moseyed on over to Pirinis after another great feed and crashed for the night in the cabins. On waking, the boys were blown away with its array of tracks only a stones throw from the porch we had arrived at, which they had no idea was there. And they loved it, with one and a half days of hard training on its pumice before the Otumoetai College group had their turn on the MX track around 10am Friday morning, at which time the boys did a couple of laps on the freshly groomed trails before pack up.

It worked out that we all met at the Hamilton Airport seeing as I was flying out of there that afternoon, everything working out like magic. As I write this they are about to race the Junior Nationals so we wish them all the best and recommend that you keep your eye on these names that you might not have heard before.

Colourful Crowd

There will be plenty of stories to come from this years MX Nationals, the highs and lows that are needed for the best of tales.

Over shadowing them all has to be the MX1 class heart break that saw last years Champion taken out of the game not once but twice before dropping the bombshell of his decision to retire from professional racing.

Tight Racing

Against that goes the incredible satisfaction of the new Champ, Cody Cooper, who seemingly overcame all the demons of his past to take nearly every holeshot and race win on offer, triumphing gloriously over an array of world class riders to keep the title in Kiwi hands.

Entertainment

We became personally involved in the 125cc class this year when Logan Blackburn came to help us out on the coaching circuit while heavily involved in an intense battle for the Championship. The final round at Taupo was where it all came to a head with Cameron Vaughn edging Logan out by just one point to take the title in what must have been very sweet victory for Cam, and a huge “if only” for Logan.

Hard At It

Even the MX3 ‘Support’ class proved drama worthy with the crowning and subsequent retirement from Nationals racing of the man who came so close to death such a short time ago, Tony Cooksley.

Anyone’s Guess

And who would have thought the MX2 class could have been so up and down. With so many different race winners and no one person truly dominating, it was everyones chance to get excited and the final round was certainly no exception.

My dramas were headed by some front brake problems that brought me in to the pits a few times in qualifying, causing a series of unscheduled training sprints from my long suffering and most excellent mechanic, James Ashton. Fortunately I was able to get in a pair of fast laps that were enough to qualify me in seventh instead of being outside the top 20.

Leading the Way

Bike Time

Unfortunately a lack of focused training over the past few week showed in the first race with some very silly mistakes that took me from what should have been a podium finish to being outside of the top ten. Then there was controversy in the second race as I made my way up to a fifth place finish which set the scene for a fairly intense final moto.

I was determined to prove myself off the start in race three and got off to a flyer, holding the inside line to take the holeshot. I was passed by an on fire John Phillips before Brock Winston, the Aussie who was to become the new #2 passed me, followed by Rhys Carter.

But Brock didn’t pull away, and in an attempt to pass him we collided in mid air where my bike must have half ripped his exhaust off. And what I didn’t realize was that Scotty Columb, who still needed to score some points to win the championship had had to recover from a crash in the first turn, while Daryl King ended up hurt from a collision that involved my team mate Kieran Scheele.

All Over

The Conclusion

As it finished, Australian Ryan Marmont amassed enough points to take over eighth position from Kieran, who had been in a shoot out for seventh coming into the final race and despite an impressive fifth place in that last race still ended the series in ninth overall.

Thanks to Daryl’s mishap I ended fifth overall, with Ethan Martens in fourth, Rhys in third and Brock second, with Scotty finally getting that elusive Championship. A great way to top off the mountains of hard work that both riders and organizers alike have worked for.

Backflips Clothing, MNZ, the motorcycle clubs and other sponsors involved will have plenty to be pleased with, as I know the many spectators that were at the events or have seen the video footage were treated to a great show. I know as a rider there was plenty to enjoy so I just want to say a special thanks to Honda NZ, my mechanic Jimmy along with my wonderful wife for their massive support this year. With Gods grace we will be back for another go next year!

First Timer

A picturesque surrounding with a peaceful lake and gentle rolling hills, kitted out with some loud bikes and dirt loving riders. This was our setting for Honda’s 5th Kids Campout for 2013 at Lake Rotoiti.

Nestled not far from Rotorua, this terrain was ideal for any off-road loving rider- but not a car enthusiast as the ground resembled Hobbiton with mound after mound.

Fun For The Family

With full family in tow, we made the most of it and bought Chloe her first helmet. Considering that the plan had been to keep the girls off bikes until they were teenagers, that all went out the window with Chloe having her first ever attempt on a 2-wheel motorbike – with success and loving it thanks to some coaching from Dad.

Carnage

There was a great turn out for the coaching with only one group having to brave the brief rain that came over. It was just too bad that group happened to be the littlies!

Big Battles

Being able to stay at the camp for two nights meant the girls could pack in a lot of the fun activities, which also spelt weary kids and a solid nights sleep. Broxy also got to play, competing in a hill climb with Chris Power, Mitchell Rees and Mark Whyte who all found the going tough as they battled their way straight up a soft loamy hill. Who was first to the top? Broxy – but only after half a dozen attempts! Top it all off with a quiz-night win and an Easter egg, it was a great family atmosphere.

A huge thank you to Tony Rees Motorcycles for their shop set up allowing us to make our first purchase for the girls! Also to Judith Graham and her husband for allowing Chloe to steal their grandson’s 70cc bike for half the day. It is going to be a long wait before she can ride again- yeah right!

Lend me your ears

Take one super keen kid wanting coaching, and add her entire school team to the mix. What do you get? A great afternoons training in Whakatane with Trident High.

Work it Out

After coming up with a plan to offer more affordable school team coaching, we spent an afternoon working on some much needed skills. Whether they are basics or not, if you dont get the foundations to your riding correct, you may be risking a downhill spiral of crashes and unsafe manouvers.

Starting with their standing positions, already some riders showed a weakness in reverting to their old ways. But once we hit the tracks they put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Fine Tuning

Breaking It Down

Working on a rotation basis, we split the group and focussed on different skills that would be needed for their upcoming Western Heights invitational race day. The feedback has been positive so we have schedule to coach the school team every term.

If you think your school team, or part of, would be keen to make the most of our school prices and also have regular coaching, drop us a line at info@broxy.co.nz

In Line

The world is your oyster

Carter Hanes was the explorer of the mini track that weaves its way up and back down a steady incline. It seems that nothing is really flat around here, but neither is anything too steep. Or so I thought until Carter’s bike flipped its way off the last bump at the top of one particularly steep hill on the motocross track. Steep for a 65 anyway.

We did drills, sections and sprints until his bike, like his body, ran out of gas.

The Valley

This visit had actually come about thanks to Michelle, partner of Russell Vining who happens to be the father of the very talented cross country aces who also share the last name. It also happened to be the first time I got to have a proper catch up with Matt Asplet since he was mechanic to DK.

We had a great time with three shorter sessions (to give plenty of recovery time) followed by a ride to explore the parks trails. The trails flowed and challenged, as I also became unstuck on one slippery downhill when I couldn’t stop to avoid a downed bike. Great fun,and we will be back.

Flight Path

The Ken Fells track was next where I met with Izaiah Watts, a 14 year old aboard a KTM450. Having come from further north it hadn’t been easy for them to make the session, but we made it worth while before shooting south again for my last stop of the trip at the Adams family farm near Mercer.

‘Flying’ At Fells

Riding Perfection

I was shown a most excellent option for the sessions, rolling paddocks laced with both hills and trees, enough to keep everyone from a fairly experienced adult rider like Hayden who was my first session, to the wee tackers aboard their little Yamaha and Kawasaki machines. Admittedly some of them did struggle with the bigger hill at first but it won’t be long and even they will be powering their way to the top with shoulders back, chest close to the bars and singing in just the right gear.

And there is always a chance that the mums will be following close behind in the near future if they decide to get together for a session with us. Apparently the kids have hardly stopped riding since and some new ground rules may have to be put in place before they will be needing headlights.

Not forgetting the great value locals who met us there which included the families of Keegan Taylor and Fletcher Mildon who we were coaching, this little pocket of paradise had seen the rare privilege of a some decent rain to keep the groomed track in great condition. We had a ball trying to out do each others best lap times, having helped the younger proteges with their jumping and braking skills.

New Beginnings

The driving that night was followed by more of the same the next day, but not before three coaching sessions that included the first Hawkes Bay Broxy After Schools run by Kieran. Valley Road was the scene, hard packed ground ripping up tyres while the lumpy sawdust had its turn to get ripped up by us.

After dropping Kieran off at his home, Logan and I hit the Hairy Hills Bike Park of the Wairarapa where he had his turn running a coaching session with Janine and Shaun. I talked them through the key standing skills they then worked on for the first hour before doing the same through the main sitting technique for turning and powering. They had nothing but good things to say about Logan and their session apart from the fact that they were pretty shattered by the end!

Leaning Right

Meanwhile I was working with Stephen, Mark and Patrick on the back half of the Hairy Hills circuit, helping them handle kickers, hard braking and tight inside ruts, and before all of this was a session with Corey and Troy, a first time outside of the Honda kids club sessions for one, and the use of his birthday voucher for the other. We were fed like kings and I want to thank Hairy and Mr Holmes for looking after us so well.

This time it was my turn to get dropped off in order to catch up with my Aria After Schools crew at the Otorohanga club day while Logan carried on home. He proved to be just as big a help as Kieran had been so we wish him all the very best for his next few months as he does his first and last under 19 title in Australia this year and hope we can work together once he gets back.