WET CONCRETE FOR 2009




Now that's a FIVE !
 
 Now let's try this again! yesterday as I was finishing off this article and adding the last pictures to the
 text.... booooof! I lost everything so you can imagine how pleased I was having religiously saved it as
I went along. As the article says it is basically the provisional program for 2009 which is in the
"WET CONCRETE" stage.

 Only 9 weeks to go assuming AHRMA hasn't self destructed in the next 2 months and we will be at it
again starting off with the Awards Banquet and then the opening 2 Day at Buckeye. Well done to Ed &
Evelyn getting the off road festivities co-located with an event that many can now attend, so book early
and and come along and pick up your trophies and $20,000 jacket,... of perhaps ONE OF MINE!



 

$20,000 at 2006 prices




 So let's have a look at what Santa has in store in the AHRMA stocking.


 

Xmas stockings although AHRMA prefers the Sack







Ed plans the Season



Buckeye or AZ Cycle Park has plenty of land and we should be able to find 12 different sections a day
without repeating ourselves, although you can expect to see a "Graded Climb" again and maybe some
variations on a theme from last year.





The Graded Climb

 I see several events have got the chop from last year either from lack of entries or interest and one or
two are really no surprize. Diamond Don's has fallen off along with Perris and Marion, but if you don't
turn up or if Trials doesn't really feature in your overall weekend then its really no wonder that people
won't come back. Personally I will miss the train ride round the Bayou and the Po Boys but if you can't
keep the cross country course out of the trials loop then there is something wrong. Perris I can
understand, which was a good enough trial but very limited in real estate and has little scope for future
events. I have not ridden Marion but I have heard all the discontent from previous years with late starts
and more chaos with cross country.



 

No more bayou train rides




 

On top of the MX course at Perris

 Another event missing, and I hope it creeps back in, is the 2 Day at Tooele which I thought was a
cracking event with a lot of potential being well organized by Jim Lipscomb and the Utah team.




 

Toogood Tooele

 Well that's whats missing so let's move along and see what we have.

 Feb 6/7/8 Az Cycle Park for the Banquet and 2 Day Trial to make it worth coming to. 3 weeks later and
the circus moves back to Florida at Gainsville to open up the East side of the operation.

 With the loss of Diamond Don's and Perris we have a bit of a blank through the rest of March and April.
Time for some regionals and club events?

 After the snow melts we find ourselves in Colorado for May with the Milliken event, which this year
I will miss, if the "Trials Viagra" of the Pre 65 Scottish and the Robregordo in Spain comes to fruition
and then a NEW VENUE at Turkey Rock, Howard, which my map tells me is just down the road from
Cotopaxi so the terrain must be very similar.



 

Missing Milliken

Nothing on the National front until my favorite at Donner in mid July. What can you say about Donner?
It must rate as the "Near Perfect Trial". The end of the month is Mid Ohio for those on the other side of
the country.




 

Dreaming of Donner

 The Chehalis event stays as a 1 Day at the beginning of August and although I won't be there this
event just gets bigger every year and we really do need to offer more in that region for the North
Western riders as they always have the biggest turnout of the year.





Yes, you can stick it ! ..... Chehalis


 At the end of the month the pace picks up with oxygen masks on as we climb back up the
mountains to Cotopaxi Co for the 2 Day at Tucker Ranch. Wow, what a place with unlimited terrain,
fantastic scenery and a welcoming attitude. Just time to clean the bike and then we are into
September.




 

The Ascent to Cotopaxi







Are the "Ends Cards" up there ?






Cotopaxi on the lower slopes


Yippee! the Wy team are keeping the 3 Day Spectacular and I have to say I just love the place with
it's  variety of dry turns on one hillside or the lego complex and the rocks, mud and rivers. The social
scene gets better every year and last years "free" bring a dish was better than a $40/a head
meal out!



 

Lego Land at Casper


Only 5 days later and if you like sand then its Sandia for you and this is an event that improves every
year as more and more land opens up. Later in the month the Southern riders have the chance to
sample the ITSA style sections at Bob Ginder's ranch. If you haven't tried this then you should as the
event is well run and gives you a chance to meet up with a bunch of like minded individuals enjoying
the fun of trials riding.


 October and a double header with Hollister in the West and Barber for the Southern and Eastern
fraternity.

 The season wraps up at Aonia in November and I can only hope this gets more support and
perhaps with the reduced fuel costs this year we will see more entries at many of our events.


 Now living in Colorado I might get to see some of the Rocky Mountain regionals that have been just
too far away and although Bull Hollow and Moab (both on my trials doorstep) are not in this year there
is one about 100 miles away at Grand Junction and then a couple in June with Jenny Ranch at
Steamboat Springs and Lyons Quarry just to the north of Denver. Of course if my Number one desire
of the year of  the Pre 65 Scottish and Robregordo falls through I might just slip over the border and go
and see Dave Rhodes and team for the Outlaw 2 Day trial up in Canada.




 

Santa in a spot of bother on the 2 Way section of the loop  



 Let's hope we have a trouble free and safe season..... hope to see you all again on the circuit with my
new, "REGRADED"  AHRMA card.


TONY DOWN