Endurocross an exciting spectacle

Sometimes when a new sporting discipline is dreamt up there is novelty value but the inherent challenge of the competition gets diluted.

The concept of motorcycle racers who are used to riding for hours over natural terrain farmland and forest trails and instead making them sprint race around an arena not much bigger than a football field might at first seem like a lightweight challenge.

But the unique Endurocross organised for the past three years by the Te Puke Motorcycle Club as part of the annual Te Puke A&P; Show day activities is both a demanding event and an exciting spectacle.

On most weekends enduro and cross-country riders compete in isolated terrain with only a few friends and family in support to catch an occasional glimpse of the action.

Endurocross puts those riders into an arena crammed with man-made hazards and with a ready-made show day crowd to put the sport in the spotlight.

The result is a blend of offroad endurance riding, arena trials and supercross. Bike handling skills, stamina and an ability to ride with a consistent rhythm over a demanding sequence of obstacles is the recipe for success.

The fitness of even top riders who can race multi-day events is tested by the intensity of just a few minutes on the Endurocross course.

The event has now run for three years and this year added a couple of new innovations but was missing one key ingredient.

There were new obstacles including a water splash while a separate trials bike class boosted the turnout of riders and put on a new range of riders and skills on show. But with top bike commentator Neil Ritchie away on duty at Timaru for the Motocross nationals this year's event definitely lacked some of the atmosphere and drama.

But the racing was good and the battle between biking disciplines continued.

Last year it had been the enduro skills of Rory Mead taking a narrow win over motocross star Michael Phillips and the 2012 winner with an impressive display of controlled riding was enduro champ Mitchell Nield from the Far North who rode his 300cc Gas Gas machine to a win ahead of experienced mototrials rider Jim Lowe-Pattie (Tauranga) on a KTM 300 enduro bike.