Friday, July 27, 2012

Then Came Bronson

I have been riding for 42 years and obtained my MC license on my 16th birthday. That year, 1970, I bought a Honda 305 Super Hawk and road the Oregon and California coast Highway 101. I was extremely motivated by the show Then Came Bronson "Where you headed? Where ever my bike takes me..." I was also motivated to live my life before 18 and a likely Vietnam draft. Slept next to my bike with only a cheap sleeping bag and no tent or tarp, the clothes I was wearing and $2.35 in my pocket.  So I encouraged tourists to take photos of me and my bike for a donation. It worked; I received money, food, clothing, lots of advice and many life stories of personal adventures. A few of the people said "I wish I did this when I was your age". I had 3 flats on the back tire and I was offered help within minutes each time.  In those days, no one passed you by if you broke down.

A friend called me in early 2010, telling me about the Hoka Hey Challenge. After reading about it, I knew this was for me.

2010 start date of 6/20 was my daughter's birthday. I could not make 2010 or 2011 but I am doing the 2012 as rider #729.

I want to challenge myself to complete this and prove I still have the Warrior Spirit in me. Last week, on a practice run to Reno Nevada, I threw down a tarp and bag in the desert and had the best night’s sleep in years.

Thank you Hoka Hey Challenge for this opportunity.

Hoka Hey!!

Monday, July 23, 2012

The Movement


As we are in the middle of post production on the film featuring last years Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge and Beth and the riders are gearing up for this years challenge, I wanted to say a few words...

Last year’s event was a huge technical feat to film and our crews pushed themselves to the limit as they tried to keep up with the riders and all the stories on the road. Now as we are in post production, we have hundreds of hours of beautiful footage of the amazing roads the challengers took on their journey, we have many of their stories and countless moments testifying to the resilience of the human spirit. We feel honored to have been invited along on their journeys, we feel blessed to have seen the beauty of our country and we feel responsibility to be the example of the change we would like to see in the world.

As we watch the footage of last year’s ride each day, we are overwhelmed by the stories of strength, brotherhood, perseverance and personal challenge. There are so many that we wish we could include them all but unfortunately that would make our film hours long! 

As I read many comments coming into this years Challenge, it seems that many of the riders echo the sentiments we feel as we try to make this film something we are all proud of; this ride is not about the money, it’s about the journey those involved go on as people. The Challenge is set up to push you physically and mentally to a place where you have a choice, it brings you to a point where you directly come face to face with some things about yourself and the world that may need changing. If you are open to it, it has the potential to make you a better person and in turn make the world a better place. I have seen my own judgments about people dispelled in the light of the change that the event brought about in them. I have had my faith in the human spirit crushed and rekindled through my own experience with the film. Sometimes the changes might not be dramatic but I believe every subtle movement within the human condition for the better is priceless. 

The heart and soul of our film is the riders. The riders who ride for the love. The riders who stop to help. The riders who open their eyes and hearts to see the suffering of themselves and others and have the courage to do what they can.

Along with all this, we have been eternally grateful to the Red Cloud family and the people of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for their honesty, love, generosity and wisdom as we have filmed on the reservation and tried to learn about the conditions and challenges that they face. At first, I was overwhelmed at the injustice and suffering but their unwavering strength and hope for a better world has taught me a lot about what human beings can transcend. We hope that this film unites, as Jim Red Cloud says; "This is not a race issue, this is a human issue". We hope that this film brings awareness to the reservation to help them achieve their goals. 

As a mother, I cannot close my eyes. Just one of the statistics would not be tolerated by society if it where found anywhere but the reservation and my heart is heavy knowing that the beautiful native people of our country quietly endure them all. So, with this film, we hope to spread awareness about the reservation, to amplify their voices. 

We have many times felt that we too were going on our own endurance ride to the finish. Many times we have wanted to give up, turn back and pretend we didn't see what we saw.

Motorcycles, money and ego drove us straight into the heart of the human experience. It's a beautiful and powerful place and I believe, the things that one learns there, can possibly help to change the world out here. 


Ride safe,
Satya Cacioppe

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Numbers Are In

It will come as no surprise to many that the number of participants is down this year from last.  But what surprises me is by how much.  I have to admit that the wind was completely removed from my sails after the disappointing results of last year’s event and I didn’t regain my momentum until late in the spring this year.  I didn’t promote this year’s event the way it deserved to be promoted and the results are telling. 

But I don’t think that is the whole of it.  I want to blame the economy because I know that it has had an effect on everyone.  I suppose I could blame it on the change in format that we are implementing this year; not everyone is in favor of splitting the purse equally.  Or, more likely, people are watching to see how this year goes before they take the leap themselves.  If that is the case then… So be it.

One of our “Fans” on Facebook commented that “It's never a ‘good day to die’ on a motorcycle ride to prove you're a ‘warrior’. It is a sad day indeed when something like this validates your worth.”  To him I say that the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge doesn’t validate the rider but rather the rider validates the event.  Every man and woman that has ever ridden in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is a warrior (war·ri·or [wawr-ee-er, wawr-yer, wor-ee-er, wor-yernoun 1. a person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier. 2. a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics. 3. a person engaged in some struggle or conflict <poverty warriors>) and my personal belief is that as long as your struggle is for a worthy cause then there is nothing to regret. 

For my own part, I am saddened to know that there are those who are satisfied to live their lives without meaning or purpose.  Or that never become willing to take the risks necessary to make an improvement in their own lives or the lives of others.  For, you see; I feel that in order to make a change we have to be willing to move beyond simple complaint.  We have to be willing to act.

Our Hoka Hey warriors not only believe in our cause and our mission but are doing everything they can to make a difference in the world at large.  They aren’t satisfied to just sit back and wait for life to happen to them.  They are willing to grow as people and to adjust to the changes that inevitably come their way. 

Life brings many changes; some of which can be marvelous, but others may be terrifying or even dangerous.  However, it isn’t change per se that threatens our happiness, but what we do with it.  We must learn to work together to make changes for the better because, contrary to popular belief, life is not intended to be a competition but is meant to be a cooperative effort involving teamwork.   

I charge you, the reader, to reflect on your personal belief system.  Are you the kind to sit back and wait for life to happen?   Or are you the kind that gets out there and makes it happen?  The 107 people who have submitted their applications to be in this year’s Challenge are the latter and I respect and admire them for their willingness to make a stand!

The 2012 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge may be shorter and it may be smaller in number but it promises to be the same kind of life altering event as past Hoka Hey Challenges.  The route and the parties in Vegas & NY will make it worth the trip but; that isn’t the point.  The participants know that they are in for the ride of their life.  They have decided to take that leap with full understanding that it may bring out a part of them that they never knew existed and they face that realization with courage and determination.  For, Hoka Hey Challenge participants understand better than most that…

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” (~Socrates)



# of EntriesRider #First NameLast NameNickname
Competitor
15KARLNETHERLANDBUBBA
28DanielBuis
39RogerBuisOTTO-PILOT
450RobertCrawford
567MichaelConner
685ChuckMarble
791davidlutes
8116JimHerold
9139AlexHood
10164GaryTrumper
11175FrankKelly
12186gregshafer
13190RichardDrakeChris
14207MiltonVincentBubba
15290WalterLedig
16247DamonBreitRUBBER
17319MarionEzellMickey
18323dalemartin
19341Robertcarlo
20342WilliamReynolds
21348MARKHODGE
22373TerrySmith
23383EulaRoseJunie
24600ShaunVanBeber
25601MichaelFoxMike
26605Mark EJamesWheres Jesse
27610DaveDuBord
28618KennethAstonKC
29636StanleyHoover
30646ThomasSchmidt
31648GeorgeLiebel
32649kcwithers
33650JANEBIXBY
34652SchatziBrown
35654JamesHowatson
36664ElvinAngelAl
37665DanielDowellKelsey
38680FrankTrevino
39685WendyBattlesTA-TE
40691NewtonPereiraTON
41705paul   (rocky)mazzaRocky
42706ThomasHuntertom
43707thomaspafftom
44708DarrinKnodeBootz
45709BradleyMathews
46710timlaskowskiangry
47711RobertMorse
48712DavidNeef
49713RobertNicholsRobby
50714JohnParrish
51715DennisElings
52716MichaelDewildtMoe
53717JeffreyAusnowCaptain America
54718RONALDMCARTHURMAC
55719AbagailVan Vlerah
56720JamesVan Vlerah
57721JoshuaBrace
58722BretWalters
59723MARTYKOSTAWICH
60724ArthurPond
61725RichardGriffith
62726JamesPeterson
63727DonaldTrimble
64730KellyQuinnThrottlegirl
65731DominickZappola JR
66732DanielCerta
67733WilliamBuskell
68734PhilipMeintel
69735JohnLevins
70736BillyFultz
71737JohnAnderson
72738William (Bob)TerrellCapt Bob
73739FrankZygela
74740TommyCollinsTomCat
75741JohnLyles
76742DavidSandersHammer
77743ChristopherCowden
78744James (Jim)CarlsonBison
79745MichaelPulkkinen
80746CarlHubbard
81747RobertKumpe
82748AnthonyAldridgeTony
83749WayneFields
84750GeorgeJackman
85751DavidElizondo
86752MathewKlebe
87753DANEAXENAxman
Incomplete
8892DavidMauser
89199JosephKlan
90201RobbieVinson
91264TerryMeyers
92332HeinzSpeilvogel
93422ArthurHrytzayLloyd
94628LarryMurray
95631PaulBourosPaulie
96653RONWARRENRON
97670TimMenzie
98674JamesGeray
99JonathanBurkeBon Jurke
100ScottPhillipsScooter
101EdwardRiekenFast Eddie
102BarryGuidrybarue
103daniel nleeBikerDude
104MichaelSkovgaardSkovy
105KerryTalbot
106DanielThibodeaux
107MichaelOBannonMOB
Non-Compete
6WilliamParry
467JamesRed Cloud
655Robert Scott
728JohnKing
729DennisElsasser