Everybody probably recognizes names (and possibly numbers) of the “Hired Guns” on the 2012 USA ISDE Trophy and Junior Trophy Teams but who knows the USA “Club” Team Riders and Women’s Riders? Jethrodog and I got to watch pretty much the entire ISDE in Sachsen, Germany last week and shot lot’s of pics (Sorry, not at the Nachtflug level) and video (Nope, not Cecil B DeMille) hitting almost every Special Test. We made it a point to watch the Tests in their entirety to cheer on all of the USA riders, we also yelled for the Aussies, Canadians, British and South African Riders, basically any English speaking countries because we figured they’d understand out native tongue. “Club” is a relative term, because from what we saw it’s a pretty exclusive “Club” there’s a heck of a lot of talent out there!!! Skill, determination, physical fitness, pride, and a bunch of other things set these folks above the rest!!! First ones up, Tony Agonis team consisting of Nick Hamill, #479, Josh Knight #579 (you may have heard of him… and Mike Jolly, #679. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> Next are the Go Fasters with Nick Canny, #446, Zach Klamfoth, 546, and John Maier, 646. And for grins here's some video from the first run of the Special on Day 1 at Erlbach (I think they ran this one a total of nine times) sorry for the enthusiasm, I'm just getting my voice back.... <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bbVnyY61IMA" frameBorder=0 width=420 allowfullscreen></IFRAME> I’ve wanted to attend the ISDE since 1972 when I saw On Any Sundayat the Benjamin Franklin Village Theater here in Germany, as soon as I found out this year’s event was in Germany I knew I’d be attending and I’m really glad I did! As the images are sorted we’ll get at least one shot of every USA club rider posted. Whoops already hosing it up! Here's Zack:
Hey Goofy! You should have driven over and watched, we're in Wiesbaden about 25 minutes west of Frankfurt and it only took us about 4 1/2 hours to get to the Sachsenring!!! Here are the Ladies of the Women's Trophy Team, #405 is Rachel Gutish, 505 Mandi Mastin, and 695 Sarah Whitmore they're tough cookies with great riding skills!!! The Boise Ridge Riders included #417 Devan Bolin, 517 Reid Brown, and 617 Derek Steahly. The US Flag in the background is courtesy of some of the parents, fans, and mechanics that ran support at the Special Tests. Our plan for watching the action was bullet proof; we’d camp close by, eat well, drink Bier, get a full night’s sleep and then ride our mountain bikes to the Special Tests as well as through some of the Transitions each day. That worked great the first day, it went downhill from there when we took the “If you can’t beat them, join them!” attitude about the neighbors with the Self-Chilling Bier Kegs, bonfire, and Five Million Watt Stereo system that blasted ACDC into the early morning. 35+ Kilometers between Specials and snapping off my derailleur on day two were contributing factors. The two RV’s belonging to some retired folks from Sweden didn’t see it that way, they rolled out on day two and never came back…. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> Our other neighbors came up with the Brilliant Idea of making fake Course Marshall Vests and riding their motorcycles through the whole thing, they got waved through every Checkpoint and had the Polizei stop traffic for them at road crossings!!!
Canada had a Women's and Club Team entered, Eh, we made it a point to cheer them whenever they went by. At one point I was asked Vhy Ve Vere cheering on the Canadians, I started the rumour that as soon as Great Britain pulls out the USA was buying Canada for a National Park and that we would cut Single Track from the Atlantic to the Pacific to host the 2021 ISDE. In the meantime, here are the Canadian Club Riders starting with ADVrider Markvfr a.k.a. #423 Marek Dzikowski, 523 Brad Winchell, and 623 Pat Tremblay (sorry about the Nat'l Park Rumour fellahs!!!!) Good job Canadia!!!!
Thalheim Special Test run twice on days 1 and 2. <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bje1DSTr-8g" frameBorder=0 width=420 allowfullscreen></IFRAME> I need to increase my vocabulary beyond GO! GO! GO!!!!
Very cool,thanks for the pics.Its hard to get info from this event.I have met and my club has "sponsored" Mandi Masten in the past,its cool to see her picture.
All the women riders were cheered madly by the spectators but she was a non-german rider that seemed to be a crowd favorite.
The JAFMAR Senior Team included #461 Ron Schmelzle, 561 Billy Burns, and 661 Jeff Ferdette. I wish I could have ridden that well when I was that young. The Missouri Mudders consisted of 470, Brian C. Storrie, 570, Scott Bright and 670, Brian T. Storrie who's Brian C. Storrie's dad. Team Wellard, the highest placing US Club team and who's jerseys threw me off for the first couple of days consisted #483, Fred Hoess, 583, Johnny Barber and 683 Jordan Brandt. That pretty much sums them up, hats off to all of them for qualifying and making the journey to Germany to represent the U.S.A.
Cool.I know her brother from work and I arranged to have a donation to her cause from my M.C. club.She came to one of our races and we hung out for a while,she's very cool.Her dad used to race at our club when we had 2-3 hr scrambles,great family.Thanks again for the pics!
Here are a couple of videos from two of the Special Tests on Day 3. <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/29zoEVLNef4" frameBorder=0 width=420 allowfullscreen></IFRAME> This Special was a crowd favorite, every hill climb was packed, I elected to stay here because I wanted to see and hear a chainsaw w/o the bar being used as a noisemaker.... <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1lpmzEIuEso" frameBorder=0 width=420 allowfullscreen></IFRAME>
Rob, great stuff and thanks for posting and cheering for us Canadians!! Love the videos. I think they're one of the best on youtube and really show the tests well, especially Bornichen. I want more! M
Thanks Mark!! And congratulations on FINISHING!!! I'm still screwing around with the remaining video I have and trying out how to edit something that doesn't bore the piss out of people that weren't there....
Bornichen 24 hours later on Day 4, fourth and final time through here. <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8DXoV27vwVA" frameBorder=0 width=560 allowfullscreen></IFRAME>
Day Five First Special Test at Niedermulsen, USA "Club" Team Riders this was listed in the program as an "Enduro" Test but it looked pretty "Cross" to me. <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nbFfEF6bVAE" frameBorder=0 width=420 allowfullscreen></IFRAME>
Robert, I don't know what rock I've been under and how I missed this follow-up thread. These are awesome pics. Thank you!! The Club Riders are the un-sung heroes of the event. Most of these guys can and do kick booty at the local level of racing. Keep in mind that each qualified by finishing first or second in their respective class at one of only two qualifiers in the nation. After qualifying, then they have to scrounge up the thousands and thousands of dollars out of their own pocket, that it takes to live out their dream of riding the ISDE. Thanks for recognizing them. I met each and every one of these riders and was impressed with every single one of them (that is not to detract from the Trophy riders either.....it's a very unique and challenging sacrifice for them to ride for the Team as well). For those that don't know, I met Robert (Southest US Thumper) and his friend at the hotel in Germany where he supplied my son Josh with more than a week's worth of Gatorade. We ended up sharing the supplies with other U.S. Team riders.
I was kind of blown away by the USA Support crew in Germany made up of parents, siblings, friends, fans, and mechanics. While hanging around the Special Tests waiting for the first riders to show up I ran in to various parents of Trophy and Club team riders, all of them exceptionally friendly and nice to talk to and they would tell you exactly how the rider was doing, "He's got a cold", "Fell hard today", "Got lost on the Transition", etc. And all of them cheering madly when the Skunk Helmets went by! And then there was that wild Aussie kid that would show up in the middle of no where and go CRAZY as they rode by, what an awesome event!!!
