Motocross riders flock to Taranaki for Koriti Technical Matrix event

Taranaki's Sam Parker (Husqvarna TE300) in sublime form on the tricky course near Egmont Village on Sunday, March 10. Photo / BikesportNZ.com

The annual Korito Technical Matrix (KTM) event in Taranaki last weekend again drew the cream of the crop from a diverse range of motorcycling codes, and they all brought something special to the popular event.

Now in its seventh year, this “cross-pollination” of dirt biking expertise once more brought a talented field of off-road bike riders to the farmland course near Egmont Village on Sunday.

They had arrived to contest this unique crossover trials/enduro/cross-country competition, a motorcycling package dreamed up by Kiwi enduro legend Dougy Herbert and hosted on his property just 15km southwest of New Plymouth.

Tough, moderate or just a little bit easier, the course options were entirely up to the individuals and, although riders were classified as gold, silver or bronze grade, it mattered only what lap time could be achieved by each competitor.

The tricky part was deciding on the risk-versus-reward factor, whether to take the easier but longer route or take the much shorter but incredibly more difficult pathway, and riders, regardless of their actual ability, could decide the best route for themselves.

The four-lap race surely sorted the boys from the men, the chequered flag going out when the first gold-grade rider had completed his four laps.

Each lap was divided into two timed sections — the cross-country loop and The Matrix, a short arena cross-style extreme enduro prologue course that could also be described as being quite similar to a typical trials section.

“Historically, the trials club guys and the dirt bike codes do their own thing, but, when I went to the international Red Bull Romaniacs [extreme enduro event in Romania], you could see that the trials guys were able to find traction where nobody else could,” said Herbert.

“So this event is a cross-pollination of the bike codes, where they can all learn from one another. Everyone will have learned something here today. For people that go overseas or even people who watch this stuff from the sofa, it’s not until you do it that you realise it’s harder than it looks. Riders who have some skill, they shine through. Clutch control is a big thing to master and the slippery creek beds is what will catch most riders out.”

He says most people want to be pushed a little bit out of their comfort zones.

“My obstacle course is based on The Matrix movie ... you can take the red pill or the blue pill, the easy option or the hard option. The hard option will save you time and the easy option has less risk, but takes longer. Obviously, the fastest rider wins.”

Among the entries on Saturday were former national trials No1 Dylan Ball, of Wellington, and top cross-country and enduro riders such as Taranaki pair Sam Parker and Daniel Herbert.

Parker eventually won the gold grade overall on Saturday, finishing ahead of Wellington’s Cameron Judd who was on a trials bike, with Daniel Herbert claiming the final podium position. Bulls rider Connor Newton, also on a trials bike, and Urenui’s Darren Benjamin rounded out the top five finishers in the elite gold grade.

Parker had finished runner-up at this event last year, beaten to the finish on that occasion by visiting international superstar Graham Jarvis, of Britain, but he could not be headed this time around.

Parker finished the arduous two-hour-plus event, a whopping 27 minutes ahead of runner-up rider Judd.

The silver grade was won by Hamilton’s Rowan Watt, ahead of Dannevirke’s Anders Easton and Te Awamutu’s Brad Greenhalgh.

The bronze grade was won by New Plymouth’s Ryan McMahon, who finished ahead of Whakamaru’s Sam Brear and New Plymouth’s Clayton Butler.

“I was unsure about whether this year’s event could go ahead after losing my brother Grant to cancer three weeks ago,” said Dougy Herbert.

“The sport and the biking community was his passion, and it was these people who came together to shoulder a large part of the work required to run this event, and I wish to thank them for that.”

The event was sponsored by Johnston’s Moto, of Inglewood, Egmont Industrial Supplies and Hunger Contracting.