Graeme Simpson: Moonride on track after earlier woes

The Moonride is a Rotorua icon.

The foundations of what would become the Moonride were laid in the winter of 1994 as part of the Mad, Mad Mid-Winter festival.

The race was the brainchild of Whakarewarewa trail building pioneer Fred Christensen. The original concept was a team relay race at the bleakest, coldest, wettest time of year and from Friday night to Saturday morning.

"I maximised the experience as it was always going to be cold and wet, so we did it in the dark, as well," said Christensen in a profile in Spoke magazine in 2003.

The event was run at Agrodome in its first two years. The first one fulfilled the brief: it was cold and drizzly with about 85 riders entered.

The race was at Waipa in 1996 and 1997 before a move to a giant marquee at the Rotorua racecourse at Arawa Park from 1998-2000.

The 1998 event was infamous or legendary, depending on your point of view - 150mm of unrelenting rain forced course closure at 5am.

The event took a break in 2001. In 2002, Tourism Rotorua and Murray Fleming at Event Promotions revived it.

The Moonride survived all the changes of event organisers and venues. Last year's move to Tui Ridge, north of the city was widely panned. Moving the event to mid-February this year and still at the new venue proved a huge failure. With just a few weeks to go and under 40 entries, organiser Murray Fleming wisely pulled the pin and it was postponed.

But the Moonride weathered the latest storm and is back at Waipa and in the Whakarewarewa Forest in 10 days.

Since the early days of the event, it has expanded in entry numbers and in categories with six and 24-hour options added to the original 12-hour race.

Aspects of the Moonride have changed, but some things remain the same. It is still based on having a good time in a team with your mates.

Thousands of New Zealand mountain bikers have cut their competitive (or not so competitive) teeth at a Moonride or two over the past 19 years. For some, it was a first experience of riding at night.

And the Moonride remains New Zealand's (and maybe the world's) longest running mountain bike team's event in the dark, attracting about 2000 competitors every year.

The 24-hour event starts at 10pm on Friday, May 17, and the 12-hour event at 10am on Saturday. Both these events are open to solo riders and teams of four to five people. The six-hour event also starts at 10am, Saturday. It is open to solo riders and teams of two to five people.

Teams ride a straightforward circuit designed to cater for all levels of rider ability and complete as many laps as they can within the time frame of their event.

Tents, campervans and caravans pop up in the campsites and riders wind their way through the village each lap creating an electric and entertaining atmosphere.

Thanks to local mountain biker Jack Shallard for the historical details. Jack has raced most of the Moonrides in a team with his sons and, in 2012 and this year, his grand daughter.

You can enter at www.eventpromotions.co.nz.