Western Valley July 2009.pdf (39.70 kb)

SICHAMPS3&4.pdf (241.09 kb)

Event Review – Rounds 3&4 SI Champs – an organisers view.

After initial disbelief when the 2009 dates were set, we resigned to taking our turn at running a mid-winter Championship Trial. Eventually the decision was made to use the Jones property near Middlemarch where we had held a round in 2005. State highway 87 occasionally gets closed by snow and ice but we took the risk as many of the properties around the Taieri plains do not have terrain to challenge Expert riders. The MacLeod property on Three Mile Hill was new to us and the offer to use it was quickly accepted as we knew we had some good Expert obstacles plus it is close to town.

Saturday dawned crisp but dry and there were no major dramas getting to the event. A few rocks were frosted and therefore treacherous.  Section one had a particularly slippery rock that even a gas torch didn’t improve! I doubt the rules about altering sections include artificial thermal modification.  Jason Baker was in great form in Experts and was able to clean all the sections with a best lap of 3. He cleanup Karl Clark by 27 points. In A Grade Brad Hibbs continued his good form to beat brother Jay who had only one clean – ironically on the tricky section1! Perhaps the four-stroke Beta was too different. Sam Reid finished 8 points ahead of Glenn Smith in Intermediate even though he only beat one rider on the sloping section 6. Sam, Paul Jackson and Darryl Parkhill where able to clean all ten sections. Largest grade, Presidents had a clear winner in Brendan Wadsworth. The greasy section 1 proved most challenging closely followed by the serpentine section 8. Ross Bristol, Derek Scott and Gavin Fox were the best of the rest. Most were happy with the day.

The long dreaded weather arrived on the Saturday night. Snow on top of ice but luckily the grit trucks had been out so getting to the venue was not a problem. Unfortunately the wind and odd snowfall made conditions far from ideal for Observed Trials! A quick poll of the riders resulted in a decision to proceed, marking each other if necessary.  A few arrows were dropped (perhaps not enough) and fortunately the observers arrived and amazingly they were happy to stay to see some more good riding. Seven observers did both days!  The sections were all in a pine plantation so there wasn’t too much snow on the ground however the road was a sheet of ice and there were several spectacular “ fives” getting into the forest. Expert grade had a tight battle with Karl back on form to pip Jason by just two points. Three sections weren’t cleaned but a one or better was possible on all so the level of difficulty must have been about right. Same couldn’t be said for the other grades with both A Graders breaking the ton for the day and Jay breaking his bike. Many of the rocks proved too slippery for most riders in Intermediate with the ground often worn down to reveal rocks that refused to provide traction. Sam arrived late due to SH87 being closed – luckily the snow didn’t come a day earlier! He tripled his score but still won Intermediate, this time ahead of Blake Fox. Was it local knowledge? Conditions as they were I doubt anybody could say we set the sections to suit them! Wadsy was again too good for the rest of the Presidents field which all had a tough day – especially on the big log on section 9. Perhaps the green dots were in the wrong place there. The rulebook was brought out as Alan Honeybone lost his first lap card. Fifty points cost him a fourth place.

So two days of Championship Trials completed by a small but committed field (some should be!). Tied weekend in Expert, Brad ahead of his brother and Sam pulling away from the rest – must be all that practise he doesn’t do! A countback on ones was required to separate Glenn from the rapidly improving Blake for the weekend. Lean mean Wadsy looks tough to beat but Roscoe on home turf could be tough. Bring on the Christchurch rounds.

In February next year the Olliver Boys will be running the first Tasman Ihatove trial.

This promises to be an exciting and fun event.

Following is a couple of articles giving us an idea of what the trial is about.

The first is an insite into the Japanese event and the second is some information on next years Nelson event.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

The Idemitsu Ihatove Trial – Fun, Friendship and Challenge (Ihatove is interpreted as “DREAMLAND”)  

•    It all began at the SSDT… Back in 1973 and 1974, Japanese riders Yasuo Manzawa and Shozo Narita rode Honda TL125s in the Scottish Six Day Trial. Having faced all the challenges of that event and experienced Scotland’s spectacular scenery, they decided to hold a trial in Japan to give local riders a taste of Scottish-style riding.   Since the densely-populated Tokyo area offered no suitable venues for such an event, they headed to Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan, where they came across terrain that reminded them of Scotland and Wales. In mid-1977 the first 2-day Ihatove trial was held in Iwate, with just 27 entrants. The riders received a warm welcome from local residents and made a good impression on them. The second trial in 1978 attracted 60 riders, and 120 riders participated in 1979.  

•    Fun for everyoneNowadays the event attracts around 500 entrants each year, ranging from first-time novices to All-Japan trials champions. The Ihatove Trial is not a championship event and no license is required to participate.  Many people who attempt the sport of trials are quickly put off if they ride difficult sections that do not match their skill level, since they run the risk of accident and injury. The founders of the Ihatove trial aimed to create an event that anyone could ride safely and enjoy. The trial has several classes to accommodate all levels of rider, ranging from the 120km Neli course for novices to the 350km Classic course.   

•    Non-stop rule for non-stop enjoymentThe Ihatove trial has a unique scoring system, which differs from the system used in regular championship trials. Riders are not allowed to stop in a section, even if they don’t put their feet down. Stopping incurs a five-point penalty, which keeps riders flowing smoothly and quickly through the sections and averts the need for big obstacles – just tree roots on a camber or tight turns on a moderate climb are enough to judge a rider’s skill level. Even if riders fail in a section, they will not seriously injure themselves or damage their machines. The idea behind this is to make trials a life-long sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Another feature of the scoring system is the four-point penalty for putting a foot on the ground four times or more (so the possible scores for a section are 0,1,2,3,4, or 5, rather than the conventional 0,1,2,3,5). This system reduces the likelihood of tied scores, especially for beginners. Not all sections are observed, and riders score each other on unobserved sections.  

•    Corporate and Community Support The Ihatove Trial is run by a group of energetic and enthusiastic volunteers. The local television station, TV Iwate, provides administrative services such as gathering entry fees, producing posters and pamphlets, and hosting the event website (http://www.sukaheru.net/~ihatove/). TV Iwate also produces and broadcasts a one-hour programme on the trial and a DVD each year.  Idemitsu, a major Japanese oil company (the equivalent of Shell or BP in New Zealand), has sponsored the event for 20 years, and Yamaha also provides support in the form of staff and motorcycles. The Ihatove trial has excellent relationships with landowners and local government, and residents turn out on the route to wave to the riders and hand them drinks and fruit. These strong local bonds are highly valued by Idemitsu, which is proud to foster links with the local communities in which it operates.  The organizers of the trial, place a great deal of importance on running an environmentally responsible, low-impact event, and this attitude has played a big role in building positive community relations. Each year the event attracts hundreds of participants and their families to Iwate Prefecture and provides an opportunity to showcase the region’s scenery and attractions to visitors from around Japan and overseas.   

•    Ihatove goes internationalAt the request of the Idemitsu Ihatove Trial management team the inaugural Tasman Ihatove Trial, will be held on 20-21 February 2010, a new page in the history of the Ihatove Trial. Through their close ties with NonStop Adventure NZ and the Oliver family many of the event’s organizers have visited the Tasman district, and they are convinced that it provides an ideal setting for the first-ever Ihatove event to be held outside Japan. Key riders from Japan including Ihatove Trial Chairman Yasuo Manzawa and top Japanese rider and coach Takumi Narita have already confirmed their attendance at the event. The Tasman Ihatove Trial will embody the Ihatove Spirit of fun, friendship and challenge and build even stronger links between trials communities in New Zealand and Japan.  

•    Tasman Ihatove TrialSpecial permission was given in 2008 by the nephew of the Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa, who created the word Ihatove (denoting ‘dreamland’), for naming rights to allow NonStop Adventure to use Ihatove in the title of their event. As the event is supported by the Tasman District Council and held in the Tasman region, the mayor has invited riders from Japan to attend and presented gifts to organizers at their 2008 event, which was attended by NonStop Adventure riders. The council has also given permission to use their logo in the design of the Tasman Ihatove Trial logo. NonStop Adventure is working closely with the Tasman District Council to introduce this new sports tourism venture to the region with Mayor Richard Kempthorne personally meeting with Takumi Narita during his visit in 2009. 

•    NonStop Adventure NZNonStop Adventure NZ has a proven history participating in the organisation and running of professional events in NZ including the NZ National Trials Championship in 2006 and the highly successful Oceania Competition in 2009 with Japanese guest rider (Japan’s National Trials coach and podium World Outdoor rider) Takumi Narita attending as we work toward this event becoming a tri-nation competition. Nelson is also the home of the NonStop Adventure Trials Park and training academy and has successfully promoted the region in top bike magazines Kiwirider, Dirt Rider Downunder and many overseas magazines and websites. Its own website www.nonstopadventure.co.nz has a large number of hits, and visitors from Scotland, Wales, England, Australia, Thailand & Japan have all been drawn to the spectacular scenery and friendly team. 

NonStop Adventure have worked with Nelson-based firm Goldpine for many years and support the Goldpine team at Mystery Creek with their professional trials display riding, helping to give Goldpine an edge in attracting crowds to their stand. This partnership helped to secure first place for the Best Large Outdoor site award this year at Mystery Creek Field Days and we are pleased to announce that Goldpine have confirmed their major sponsorship of this event for 2010 with the intention of continuing the long association with NonStop Adventure which began in 2004.

 Tasman Ihatove Trial20-21 February, 2010
 

Day One: Punawai Farm, 88 Valley Road, Wakefield, Nelson

ClassesThe Tasman Ihatove Trial will consist of three classes, providing challenge and fun for riders of all levels.

RecreationThis grade is aimed at social / clubman / twin-shock and classic riders.

SportAimed at more experienced riders, the sections in this class will have an easy, flowing portion followed by a series of more challenging obstacles. This grade is suitable for president/ clubman A/ intermediate riders. 
 
EliteThis grade will be for experienced intermediate and A-grade riders.

ScoringScoring will be in accordance with the Ihatove scoring system using the NonStop rule (i.e. 5-point penalty for stopping in a section) and possible scores of 0,1, 2,3,4,5 (i.e. 4-point penalty for four or more dabs). Since the NonStop rule will apply, the key challenge will be not so much the size of the obstacles as the need to ride them all in a smooth, flowing style without halting. The 1/2/3/4/5 scoring system reduces the number of tied scores at the end of the day.

The club held the first of its monthly practice days on one of the most miserable winter days of the year at Denis  De Pas property in Kaituna. This was a very informal day designed to get everyone together to learn a few new techniques. It was great to have the chance to ride each other’s bikes and see if any were better than what you were currently riding. I think we all decided it would be nice to have Mel or Al Duthie as your mechanic.

We had several people out to have a play at trials for the first time. This proved very worthwhile as everyone was happy to lend a bike. So any one keen on trying out trials riding please come to the next day and grab a bike.

Over winter we will keep these days more as a day to come out and practice with your mates, but as the weather warms up we will have some more formal training sessions.

Coming up will be

Alan Duthie trials school

Jason Baker trials school

Nelson Marlborough trials centre school and try some new models days. Hopefully Brendon will bring samples of boots, helmets and other goodies he has for sale.

We hope to be able to get Non Stop Adventure to run a weekend training school in Christchurch, this will have a cost subsidised by the club. This will be best run in summer time.

Hope to see you at the next day (At the "Waimak" Weedons Ross Rd August 9th)

Alan Honeybone

On the 12th of July we are going to hold the first of our organised practice days, which we hope to make a monthly event on our calendar. The format will be very informal. The idea is to get together and practice as a group and hopefully learn a bit from each other. There will be handful of sections pegged for you to play on or you can peg some of your own. This will be a great opportunity to practice those skills that you have difficulty with at trials and get some pointers from those who have mastered them already. It will also be a great chance to introduce new people to trials without the pressure of competition. We will be passing the hat around so we can show our appreciation to the farmer for his hospitality, so make sure you've got a "Fiver" in your pocket.

See you all there.