I am sure they will have a way to make cash donations in the near future. One other way is to buy some of the T-shirts they are having designed right now. You can pre-order shirts by contacting Josh or Mike on Facebook.
While sitting in the backseat of a rental car in Mexico in November 2010, a conversation ensued between my son Josh (then 15) and friend Cory Pincock and his wife. Cory was participating in his first ever ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) in Mexico that year. Josh and I were there as a support crew to him and assisting two other Utah riders, Shawn Strong and Jake Vainio. This was the closest we thought we would ever come to participating in the ISDE, so we were there soaking up the entire experience.
The conversation turned to where the ISDE was going to be held the next few years. 2011 was Finland and it was known that 2012 would be in Germany. The challenge was casually thrown out to Josh that he should try and qualify and we could all go to Germany together in 2012. He would just barely be of age to go. It was said partially in jest, but Josh internalized that thought more than any of us ever knew.
Fast forward a year and a half and we find ourselves preparing for the Germany ISDE 2012, after Josh had a very successful qualification at the Idaho City Qualifier two weeks ago, winning the E1 class for the weekend.
During our time in Mexico at the 2010 ISDE, I began an online blog that I posted on multiple riding forums on the Internet. The response was overwhelming. I received feedback from readers all over the world about how much they enjoyed the “first-timer” perspective and insight on this international event. For many ISDE veterans our perspective may have been considered naïve, but that’s exactly what it was, an account of our experiences as a support crew in our first ever ISDE without any bias, or pre-conceived notions of what we would, or would not experience.
If you are interested in reading that thread and learning more of our experience in Mexico, you can check out of any these links:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=632778
http://ktmtalk.com/index.php?showtopic=404...04594&hl=Mexico
http://www.motoutah.com/forums/37-utah-desert-racing/106247-isde-update-morelia-mexico-utah-riders
This time around, we are coming at it from another new perspective, that of racer, participant, mechanic, financier, dad, mom, sibling, and fellow friends and family trying to support a 16 year old in fulfilling his dream of competing on the International stage. Our intent this time is to provide a similar documentary and if you are interested in following “the kid next door” kind of story, then I hope you find this interesting.
To put everything into context, it is first important to understand how Josh became so interested in the ISDE. It all started with my friend Jeff Good. We were co-workers and one day while sitting his office, he showed me a picture of him competing at the Idaho City qualifier. I didn’t know where Idaho City was, and I had no idea what the ISDE was all about.
A few months later, I found myself on the starting line of the 2002 Idaho City Qualifier. I was riding in the C class without a clue what I was doing. I took my Dad with me, and Josh who was 6 at the time.
My first sound test ever (notice Josh to my left in the picture getting his first indoctrination on the 96db sound limit).
I had never seen such a thing as a bike impound (That is Josh standing by the impound).
Me on the line for the first time ever and Josh standing there cheering me on.
I finished the race (notice how excited Josh is, holding my helmet) and was hooked. From that year forward, I participated in Idaho City every single year but one. Josh came with me, and eventually my other boys, every single year. It ranked up there with Christmas on my annual schedule.
The next year in 2003, I was a lot more prepared. Me and my friend Jeff Good that started all of this for me.
I finished that year as well, and it got in my blood even more. There is nothing like Idaho City.
Once again, Josh was with me, this time 7 years old, doing what 7 year old boys do (play in the dirt).
Not only did I love this unique event every year, but I started to become more enamored with the ISDE, it’s rich history, unique race format, and the challenge of competing. Inevitably, that same interest trickled down to my oldest son. I never pursued trying to qualify. At the time and phase of life I was in with a young family, it seemed like a pipe dream. But that didn’t change how much I enjoyed this event. It was an annual event.
One of my favorite pictures of all time was this one from 2007. I had all 3 of my boys with me, and a good friend Jason and his son. My friend Jason and I raced, while our young boys roamed the boundaries of Idaho City all day on their bikes (where were their mothers?. They had a $20 bill in their pocket which was enough to buy a day’s supply of ice cream cones, along with a backpack full of water bottles and snacks, and their bicycles. What else does a pack of young boys need.
At the end of the day they were there to greet me with enough dirt on their faces to make a dad proud.
Every year I would kind of gauge the course and try to assess when I would someday be able to race with Josh. His first attempt would come in 2009 at the age of 13. (I can’t wait to ride it with my other two boys someday).
Me and Josh (on KTM’s) and friend Jarrod on the start line in 2009.
This year turned out to be hot and dusty and we chalked it up to a learning year. He made it 40 miles on his KTM 105XC before the heat and dust got the best of him.
In 2010, we made another assault on the course. This time he was 14 and on a KTM 200. Conditions were exactly opposite of the year before. It poured rain the day before and the course was one eternal mud rut, but we were excited to give it a try.
Josh entering the grass track in 2010.
With Dad right behind.
2010 was a tough year with a huge DNF rate. We made progress though from the year before. His shock seal blew at about mile 40 and he rode on a spring only for the next 70 miles. We hour’ed out in the last transfer section before town, but he had ridden the entire 120 miles.
2011 rolled around. Josh was getting bigger, stronger, and faster. 2 weeks before Idaho City, he washed out in a corner while training at our local MX track and broke his wrist. So, I rode his KX250F and loaned my KTM300 to my brother and we enjoyed an incredible year of great conditions.
Another year passed. Josh had now been to the 2010 ISDE in Mexico as a support crew. He had the support and encouragement of fellow Utah competitors who had been to the ISDE before including Greg Gillian, Jake (Jarkko) Vainio, Cory Pincock, Shawn Strong, and Bert Bradford. He was demonstrating the potential and skill to someday fulfill his dream so he decided to sign up in the LOI (Letter of Intent) class to see what he needed to do to compete at that level. Idaho City was one of only 2 qualifiers in the nation, the other being Ohio the following weekend.
At signup he discovered he was on minute 1 and the first rider on the course. This actually proved to be a real benefit in the end.
Josh’s wonderful support crew (Mom, Brothers, and Sister).
Brother and Sister cheering Josh at the grass track.
At the end of Day 1, we discovered much to our surprise that Josh was leading the E1 class. He had a mechanical issue the last 30 miles that really hurt his special test scores so he came in thinking he had really tanked the day. With some help of some great friends, we were able to diagnose the problem and borrow a part from his practice bike (his Throttle Position Sensor had gone bad). This was actually all good experience as he rehearsed what he needed to do to get his bike fixed during his 10 minute impound period the next morning.
Day 2, he remained consistent and smooth, with no major mistakes in the special tests and retained the top spot in the E1 class.
Here he is heading out on the last 30 miles, with visions of Germany starting to become a little more into focus for him.
He finished the day strong, taking the E1 win for the weekend and was on his way to receiving an invitation to participate as a member of the U.S. team in Germany.
Josh is excited beyond belief. As a family, we are 100% behind him and there have been so many people who have let us know of their excitement and support as well.
My intent is to share our experience from now through the duration of the ISDE which will be held in Saxony Germany the last week of September, 2012.
Our life has been a complete whirlwind for the past 2 weeks since we left Idaho City. Everything is moving quickly, but I am committed to sharing the experience with others who may enjoy experiencing the ISDE vicariously. Stay tuned for more……
The Wednesday after the Idaho City qualifier, Josh received the official call from the AMA. They congratulated him on his results and extended the invitation to participate on the U.S. Team in Germany.
It was kind of surreal to think that he had actually made it, but now we knew our work was just beginning.
One of the first and foremost questions we had to address, was “What bike does he ride?”, and “Do we ship a bike or rent a bike”?
He really loves his KX250F. He rode a 2011 last year and then I sold my KTM300 to help fund the purchase of a new 2012 250F this year. We knew it would take some work to get that bike ready, but we hit a showstopper when we determined that we could not get an aftermarket ignition to power the lights and taillight that are required at the ISDE. I spoke to many people and hit a dead-end each time. I even reached out to Destry Abbott and to his credit, he gave me some leads on some factory folks who may be able to help, but it was too little too late.
We had to make a decision knowing that the clock was ticking. If we were to ship a bike, our deadline is basically the end of July, to have it to the AMA in Ohio in time to then be on a ship across the Atlantic en-route to Germany.
We spoke to our local KTM dealer, ADS Motorsports. We have had a good relationship with them for a few years now and after much discussion, we concluded that purchasing a 2012 KTM 250 XCF-W would be our best route.
This is essentially the same bike that KTM will be renting at the ISDE (a homologated 2013 Six Days edition of the 250 EXCF). We liked the peace of mind that there would be KTM support onsite, but we wanted to buy and prep a bike here that Josh can be intimately familiar with.
A week ago Friday, Josh test rode the 2012 KTM. Brayden and Steph at ADS have been a huge help.
He was immediately comfortable and felt like it would be a great bike to ride. Of course he noticed that the power delivery was much smoother and more linear. He loved the e-start (and backup kickstart) and the ergonomics of the bike. It doesn’t “feel” quite as fast, but still puts power to the ground and considering the anticipated conditions of Germany (mud, slippery roots, and rocks) we felt this to be the ideal bike and the most ISDE ready off the showroom floor. It has the 6 speed tranny to help with the road transfer sections, headlight/taillight, fuel injection, new frame, odometer, 18” wheel, kickstand, clear tank, hydraulic clutch, and other off-road essentials.
At the ISDE, it’s all about preserving bike and body for 6 days. The best analogy I ever heard is that doing the Six Days is like going out and competing in a National Hare n’ Hound, but stopping once every hour for a 10 minute moto sprint in the middle, then getting up and doing it all over again the next day for 6 straight days.
For non-moto types, a good analogy is that it is like running a marathon for 6 straight days, but stopping 6-9 times in the middle of the marathon each day to do a 400 yard sprint.
Energy conservation and riding smooth are critical and this bike lends itself well to all of that.
We don’t have the bike in hand yet, but anticipate getting it in the next day or two.
With that decision made, we’ve now gone to work on lining up all the extra goodies that we need to put on the bike. Once everything arrives and Josh tears into the bike, we’ll document that, but at a high-level, here are the things we are planning:
Rekluse Core EXP clutch and billet clutch basket
Sun Line V1 breakaway levers.
Full wraparound handguards
Suspension revalve
Radiator Guards (interested in opinions on what works well for this bike)
Fuel Filter fix
Dirt Tricks hardened sprockets and Regina Z chain.
Dirt Tricks solid rear rotor and hardened front rotor
Axle Blocks – the type that don’t fall out
Axle Quick pulls
Shark Fin
Ricochet Skid Plate
I know there is more that I’m forgetting, but it’s on the list. Some of the best advice we received was “Think of every single mechanical failure you’ve ever had and do what you can to eliminate that possibility”. Of course, you can only do so much, because bad stuff happens to good people, but we are trying to do our best to prepare.
Training and physical preparation is another huge variable. Josh has maintained his riding and racing schedule and doing other cross-training activities. The week following Idaho City he participated in a local Endurocross race and had a good showing in the Pro Class. He even brought home a little bit of cash in his pocket that will help make a small dent in the overall expense of getting to Germany.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIoXNuz9_Ac&feature=plcp
Last weekend he did another local race as part of our desert racing series. It was more of a Grand Prix/Hare Scrambles type race. He had another respectable finish, but had a scare when he had a pretty good get-off on the first loop. He banged up his hip a bit and it was enough to take him for an X-ray last night out of paranoia that something was wrong. It revealed nothing so we’re hopeful it’s just a deep bruise.
Our friend Cory that participated in Mexico in the 2010 ISDE broke his hand while training about three weeks before the event. That is our nightmare, but we know you have to keep training and riding. It’s kind of like saying, “Here, go play with fire for the next 3 months but be careful not to burn yourself.”
It’s part of the calculated risk inherent in this sport and we hope to have some luck on our side.
Many people have asked how they may be of help or support. We appreciate all the offers but I want people to know first that we are interested in just sharing the story and experience. I also didn’t know if it is against protocol to post such things so if it is, I will gladly remove. Here is a summary of some things in the works, but more information will be coming:
T-shirt sales – Local Hero MX has stepped up to be a huge supporter of Josh and we are finalizing a design with him as we speak and will post the T-shirt design soon. We are selling Adult Size T-shirts for $20 and Youth Sizes for $15. You can PM me if interested.
Tugger Lift Straps – My good friend Burt Lamborn has also made a very generous offer and has agreed to donate proceeds of the sale of Tugger Lift Straps that are made specific for Josh, to his ISDE fund. Burt is working on a link on his website (http://www.thetugger.com/) and when it is ready I will let everyone know. I’m sure if you purchased one now and just made a comment upon purchase, that Burt would get it taken care of.
Fund Raiser ride day at Ogden Cycle Association (www.ocamx.com) motocross facility (Ogden, Utah) – We’re in the final planning stages with OCA for a fund raiser on July 21-22. This will be an Open Practice to the public. $20 will get you in the gate and you can ride the famous OCA dirt all you want. In addition to open practice we’re planning a variety of other fun activities including the following:
Enduro style Special Tests
Timed laps on the main MX track
Time laps on the Vet track
ISDE style Grass track
ISDE style turn track
Small Endurocross course
Here’s a sneak peak of the MX track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzq9_C0o4j8&feature=plcp
All these will be treated as special tests with timed results and prizes given out to the winners in different classes. In the latter half of the day, the plan is to string all the tests together into one big GP-style course.
We will have food, prizes, and sno-cones all day long to help offset the heat in the middle of July.
T-shirt sales onsite.
An official flyer should be published with the details by the end of this week.
Pay Pal account – We have a Pay Pal account established. It is JoshKnightISDE@gmail.com This can be used to facilitate payment for T-shirts as well as other donations.
Asking for help has really taken us out of our comfort zone, but I can’t say Thank You enough to all those who have offered their help and support thus far in this experience.
As a little fyi, I may enjoy writing and sharing our story, but Josh enjoys video-editing and documenting his races. Here is a sample of some of his work. You can check out more on his YouTube channel, “TheKnightEdits”.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKNIGHTeDITS
Here are some of his favorites from this year’s racing season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPTqGgFRBdc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohYKALGKf_c&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKLRmQ1HPtE&feature=fvwrel
