Monday, July 22, 2013

Hoka Hey 2014 - Unfinished Business

At one time or another, we have all either left a task uncompleted; avoided a responsibility; forgotten a promise or left a relationship in need of mending. In each instance, we lose a tiny bit of ourselves – until eventually we are left searching. Searching for the pieces we've left behind.

Billed as UNFINISHED BUSINESS – the 2014 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge will follow a new route to cover some old ground between Key West, FL and Homer, AK. Unfinished Business is a journey that will convince participants that the things we have avoided are the things that have the power to transform, enrich, and even complete us. Long stretches of open highway and dark, cold, rainy nights will encourage participants not only to be mindful of what is most important in life, but to act on it. By taking honest and courageous stock of our own unfinished business, we all can live lives that honor our best selves.

In keeping with the Lakota ideal of ‘Wolakota’; Unfinished Business will open new paths for both personal and spiritual growth because it will not only opens the eyes of riders to the deplorable conditions on remote Indian reservations around America, but it will also bring out the riders’ own true character! At some point during their ride, the Challenge transforms itself from a long distance motorcycle ride into a life changing event and not one participant has been able to hide the true nature within them if they struggle and persevere. The goodness, the strength, and the warrior spirit will always surface for any one that runs the Challenge with integrity, tenacity and heart.

Unfinished Business may prove to be the perfect antidote to those tortured nights when we toss and turn over the shoulda-coulda-wouldas. Still... There should be no doubt:

  • The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is not your local poker run! 
  • It will try your tolerance for ambiguity. 
  • It will test your determination, your resolve and your stamina. 
  • It is not for the faint of heart. 
  • It is not for any one afraid of getting lost. 
  • It is not for those that can’t handle uncertainty. 
  • It is not for the weak. 
  • Riders must be able to adjust to change and to amend their thinking from day to day; minute to minute; mile to mile.
  • This is the toughest motorcycle ride on Earth!!

What if tomorrow never comes? Will you be left with Unfinished Business? 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Spirit of Hoka Hey


Everything that happens to us in life leaves some trace behind; everything contributes imperceptibly to make us who or what we are.  The greatest gift in life, is the gift of life.  Jim & I have been blessed with the most amazing family and friends anyone can possibly have... Thank you all for being there!  Cheers to you and to anyone that truly understands what we are trying to accomplish with the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge; to the quiet ones that don't contribute to the rhetoric and to the ones with the calming voice of reason (Thank you Pauline).

True; the HHMC has attracted some of the best competitors in the world - BUT - let us not forget that, from its inception, the event was meant to test the will and determination of the individual.  It was never intended to be a competition or a race and, in fact, the Terms & Conditions clearly state that it is a challenge of endurance, navigation, long distance riding skills and that participants MUST NOT COMPETE IN ANY MANNER.

By and large, our participants really do get that.  It is the spectators and supporters that don’t seem to understand however and that fact truly saddens me.  I feel they have missed the point of the event entirely.

So… for them, I repeat once more that the theme of this year's ride is ‘Wolakota’.  Wolakota is a word in the Lakota language that means reconciliation, or understanding each other in a good and peaceful way.  It represents a way of living in peace and community with everything, abstaining from greed; treating one another with respect, and friendship.  To live Wolakota is to live a life of honor and integrity.  Living in accordance with this belief encourages people to step forward and take accountability; to work together to right the wrongs of this world and acknowledge the strengths and wisdom that all cultures hold in common. 

My respect and appreciation go to riders like Matt Wolf (#785), Tim Menzie (#670), Rich Griffith (#725) and any one else that took the time to stay back with other riders who were in need of assistance.  These Challengers knew they could place well in the field but chose to let go of their ego and take care of their brothers and sisters on the road.  You are what this event is truly all about.

Still, before they left New York, participants were told that the first 4 finishers would each receive an arrow as a trophy and that they could either keep the trophy or sell it back to us for a split of the entry fees collected.  After verifying that they followed the route according to the driving directions, we spoke with these top 4 contenders and it was understood that, a polygraph exam would have been required to prove or disprove that any one conducted themselves in any way contrary to the restrictions outlined in the Terms & Conditions.  Therefore, as promised in the Rider’s Briefing, the first 4 finishers (after Jeff Kohn DQ’d himself) were offered the trophy.  To a man, they chose to keep the arrow in lieu of prize money and we commend them.  In recognition of their effort we are offering these riders along with the rest of our top ten finishers $1,000 or their entry into the 2014 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge!!!  

For crossing the finish line first we recognize:
     1.  Robert Crawford #50
     2.  Bubba Netherland #5
     3.  Rob Carlo, #341
     4.  Dan Buis, #8

The rest of our riders crossed the finish line as listed in the table below and we congratulate them for having the determination, stamina and skill required to complete this grueling ride of over 7,500 miles!!       

Rider #
First Name
Last Name
Nickname
Check-in
Time
Check-in
Date
5
Karl "Bubba"
NETHERLAND

12:46 PM
6/30/2013
50
Robert
Crawford

12:46 PM
6/30/2013
341
Robert
Carlo

12:04 AM
7/1/2013
8
Daniel
Buis

12:11 AM
7/1/2013
348
MARK
HODGE

5:34 AM
7/1/2013
628
Larry
Murray
DeadMan
8:42 AM
7/1/2013
750
George
Jackman

11:59 PM
7/1/2013
736
Billy
Fultz

1:15 PM
7/2/2013
332
Heinz
Spielvogel

7:18 PM
7/2/2013
190
Richard
Drake
Chris
11:29 PM
7/2/2013
650
jane
bixby

3:58 AM
7/3/2013
652
Schatzi
Brown

3:58 AM
7/3/2013
788
Edward
Frank

5:04 AM
7/3/2013
739
Frank
Zygela

9:04 AM
7/3/2013
207
Milton
Vincent
Bubba
10:44 AM
7/3/2013
116
Jim
Herold

12:46 PM
7/3/2013
67
Michael
Conner

12:49 PM
7/3/2013
618
Kenneth
Aston
KC   (Jumper)
5:31 PM
7/3/2013
670
Tim
Menzie

5:47 PM
7/3/2013
359
RIP
Alexander

8:38 PM
7/3/2013
725
Richard
Griffith

8:38 PM
7/3/2013
792
Scott
Chrispen
Critter
8:38 PM
7/3/2013
797
Chris
Parker

8:38 PM
7/3/2013
780
Randy
Black

8:52 PM
7/3/2013
793
JAMIE
WILSON

8:52 PM
7/3/2013
83
Lee
Smith
Problem Child
12:51 PM
7/4/2013
91
David
Lutes

12:52 PM
7/4/2013
342
William
Reynolds

5:58 PM
7/4/2013
685
Wendy
Battles
TA-TE
5:58 PM
7/4/2013
751
David
Elizondo

12:08 AM
7/5/2013
323
DALE
MARTIN
Daytona Dale
2:51 AM
7/5/2013
724
Arthur N.
Pond

2:51 AM
7/5/2013
646
Thomas
Schmidt

7:15 AM
7/5/2013
789
Kurt
Kvennejorde

8:15 AM
7/5/2013
794
Bob
Stegeman

8:15 AM
7/5/2013
782
Charles R.
Butler III
Eazy
7:52 PM
7/5/2013
752 & 755
Matthew Klebe
Kelly Babbin

8:31 PM
7/5/2013
664
Elvin
Angel
Al
11:20 PM
7/5/2013
709
Bradley
Mathews

11:20 PM
7/5/2013
383
Eula
Rose
Junie
11:20 PM
7/5/2013
85
Chuck
Marble

9:34 AM
7/7/2013
168
Jeff
Kohn
Rude Jeff
8:50 PM
6/30/2013
658
Bob
Vincent
PITA
3:33 PM
7/2/2013
290
Walter
Ledig

6:50 AM
7/3/2014
705
Paul
Mazza
rocky
4:00 PM
7/3/2013
186
Greg
Shafer
Morigderunner
12:00 PM
7/4/2013
779
Steve
Briscoe

4:04 PM
7/5/2013







  Finally… we all want what is best for HHMC going forward and that means that we cannot promote or condone the Challenge as a race.  As such, how the riders place is not where the focus of the event should lie and it has been decided that this year would set the precedence of awarding arrows to those who completed the Challenge in the spirit of Hoka Hey.  

For the attributes that most closely reflect the true spirit of the Wolakota, we recognize:
    1.   Mark Hodge, #348 – Black Arrow for RESPECT
    2.   Rob Carlo, #341 – Red Arrow for HONOR
    3.   Jeff Kohn, #168 – Yellow Arrow for INTEGRITY
    4.   Junie Rose, #383 – White Arrow for COMPASSION

Going in to the future, this is the format that we intend to use to recognize the true winners of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.