Meet The New Rider # 1196 Jarrod Maloney

 

My name is Jarrod " Jrod" Maloney. Im 46 yrs old from Clarksville, TN. Got my first motorcycle at 15 and haven't looked back since. I'm an US Army Veteran and was medically retired from the military in 2011. I then went to MMI and became a motorcycle technician  for 12 years. I'm currently a Industrial Maintenance Technician.

 

  

My current bikes are 2021 Indian Challenger and a 2022 Harley Pan America. Ill be using the Indian for the Hoka Hey. I've ridden in every state in the lower 48 numerous times. I've been to just about every national forest, park , and every major scenic attraction there is in this country. I've been to all the oceans and every mountain range with my bikes. Riding brings me peace. 

 

 

I'm looking forward to putting my skills to the test during this upcoming  Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. This has been a 4 year wait for me to get into the challenge. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. This will be a true test to for me. All I want to do is just finish this challenge. Don't care about any other status or bragging rights, stickers, patches, or who did it the fastest. I want to do it correctly and cross that finish line. And raise some money for my charity. 

 

 

I look forward to meeting and riding  with y'all in the near future. 

Here's my charity I will be riding for. 

https://www.workingdogsforvets.org/

Meet The Returning Rider # 998 Jason Jenkins

 

In 2011, I stood at a dealership in Las Vegas and watched Hoka Hey riders with a mix of awe and a quiet, nagging thought: "I’m not that rider." I spent the next decade proving myself wrong, one mile at a time. After years of Iron Butt runs, cross-country trips, and a pandemic delay, I finally transitioned from a spectator to a participant in 2022.

 

That first challenge was my "masterclass" in the reality of the road. I learned that all the planning, lists, and time spent in my "happy place" (my garage) are just the foundation. The real work happens when there is no GPS, the rain is falling, and the only thing moving you forward is the advice I received years ago: "Ride YOUR ride, not someone else’s."

 

For the 2026 Challenge, I’m returning to the starting line in Woodstock on my 2016 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. This bike and I have shared many miles, but the Hoka Hey demands a different kind of partnership between man and machine. I’m back to refine what I’ve learned—to embrace the uncertainty, respect the technicality of the route, and find that unique clarity that only comes from 10,000 miles of back roads and sleeping under the stars.

 

My mission remains dedicated to the Nation of Patriots. As a 100% volunteer organization, they ensure every dollar raised goes directly to U.S. Veterans and their families in the local area. I’ve seen the direct impact this support has on those who served, and it is an honor to carry their cause on the back of my Ultra Limited.

 The one with Utah Highway Patrol is when my 2022 ride officially ended. 

The self-doubt of 2011 is long gone. Now, there is only the road and the resolve to see it through.

-Jason “Dr. Tiki” Jenkins

• Blog: www.DrTiki.com

• Instagram: @doctiki

• Charity: www.NationOfPatriots.com

Meet The Returning Rider # 902 Kenneth Brooks

 

The 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge will be my fifth Hoka Hey challenge. 

I look forward to each Hoka Hey for the challenge it provides. 

After retiring from the Army in 1994 and spending the next twenty years doing explosive and chemical weapons disposal jobs from Florida to Alaska and years spent in Afghanistan and Iraq, I miss the challenge of overcoming hardship and danger.

 

I have now been riding motorcycles since 1970.  I would say my confidence level is as high as it will ever be after finishing three Hoka Heys, while only experiencing a deer strike in 2022.

 

I find fund raising for the charities to be easier with an organized group rather than on an individual basis. My charity of choice is Mile Monsters Inc 

 

 

Until a Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy cure is available, helping the boys afflicted with DMD live their best lives is my small contribution. Any size donation for our cause is appreciated and can be made at : Mile Monsters Hoka Hey Team 2026 | Mile Monsters Inc,.

 

My wife, Kathy, is my biggest supporter in all that I do.  Be it the Hoka Hey challenge, the Ride to Eat scavenger hunt, the Tour of Honor and starting in Apr, the Mural Madness group.  I can always count on her for suggestions, and to have my back. I couldn’t succeed without her.    

Meet The New Rider # 1263 Dale Mentzel

    Hello all! My name is Dale Mentzel aka “Nugget” rider #1263.  

Riding began similar to a lot of folks; mini-bike to dirt-bike and then onto the street. I've no idea the why, but I've been in the world of motorcycling all of my life. From college to study motorcycle mechanics, to a career turning wrenches on them and now back to college to teach. 

 

 

    I first heard of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2010 and was intrigued. Timing and circumstances in life weren't in alignment to even consider an attempt though.  Mileage up and mileage down years would go on by. Rooster #1116 came on board at my workplace. He had completed the 2022 HH and was preparing for the 2024. His wife Beaner #1117 would be attempting it with him. Listening to him go on and on about details, strategy, gear and an Amazon obsession was energetic (and sometimes annoying lol).

 

 

    Destination Daytona the day before the start was electric. You could feel it in the air. So i followed along on the ride tracker website. Tracker Addiction is a real thing!  That was it, I was hooked. What started as a curiosity turned into  self-evaluation.  To ask “Why do it” is just as difficult as “Why not do it?”.  With either answer, you will never be the same.

      +No one remembers the names of those who stepped aside, only those who are triumphant and of the fallen along the way.+ 

 

    The charity I will be riding and collecting donations for is the Mile Monsters.  For those who don't know of this charity please visit this link: Mile Monsters Inc   The goal is To help kids to live their best life. 

 

 

 

My Donate link   for Mile Monsters Inc any donation is greatly appreciated! Personally, I think the time in life is right for this challenge. It’s the allure of the unknown and a calling for all the right reasons. May the remainder of my days be for all the right reasons.

Meet The New Rider # 1353 Julius Harris

 

Hello, my name is Julius Harris.  I am 56 years young, married to my first real love Angela who met when I was 20.  I am the father of three young women ages 25 who is married, 22 and 14.  No grandchildren yet, but looking forward to it.  I have worked in the aviation industry for over thirty years and run a family-owned Tree Stump Grinding company for twenty-two years along with my wife and boy in-law.  I have been riding motorcycles since I was 11 or 12 years old. I have ridden all the lower 48 states many times over, Alaska and yes Hawaii too.  I have traveled all through Mexico, Belize, and six out of the eight provident of Canada a couple of times.  I ride a 2016 Harley Davidson Road Glide but looking really hard at the Indian Pursuit Dark Horse.

 

 

I want to ride in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge because that word "challenge".  Not only do I enjoy riding motorcycles but LOVE it.  This is something that I have never done.  Yes, I have had to use paper map at times, yes, I have camped out and slept on and under my bike at a rest stop or gas station.  But not all at the same time.  This will be epic.  And also, to be around like-minded people who love motorcycling.

 

 

The non-profit that I will be raising money for is The Sancof Achievement Center based in Nashville Tn.  I was drawn to them initially because the founder rides a motorcycle.  But the work they put in for the young boys in that community is so inspirational and deeply need.  They provide a safe place to learn and be truly mentored to grown into young productive caring men.  And now they are in the process of opening a K1-k12 school for boys and girls.  I want to be able to contribute even more by participating in the Hoka Hey Challenge.

 

 

 

Meet The New Rider # 1340 Alex Alpert

 

My name is Alex Alpert, Rider #1340 from Groton, MA. Motorcycles have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started out tearing through trails on dirt bikes as a kid, but it was a close family friend, Sonny Chouinard, who truly set my path in motion. Sonny "brainwashed" me early on into becoming a loyal Harley-Davidson enthusiast, and by the time I turned twenty, I had my first Harley road bike. For twenty-five years, I was a casual rider, hitting the open road whenever I could but everything changed when I found a group of like-minded riders at my local Framingham 1264 Elks Lodge. That community reignited my passion and pushed me to start putting on serious miles. In 2020, I discovered endurance riding and realized it was more than just a test of stamina, it was a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, long-distance riding has introduced me to some of the greatest people on the planet, riders whose determination, humility, and heart inspire me to ride more and live life to the fullest. As a father to my two adult children, Jake and Zoe, I strive to show them what it means to live fully, to chase dreams, embrace challenges, and find freedom in the journey.

Over the past few years, I've developed a deep passion for long-distance and scavenger-style rallies, events that demand strategy, focus, and grit as much as endurance. Each rally is a mental and physical puzzle, pushing me to ride smarter, think faster, and adapt to whatever the road throws my way. That drive led me to the ultimate challenge, the 2025 Iron Butt Rally, a grueling test of skill, precision, and perseverance. Completing that event only fueled my desire to go further and dig deeper. The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge feels like the next evolution of that journey. It's a ride that tests not only endurance but heart, integrity, and resilience. I want Jake and Zoe to see that growth doesn't stop when you reach a goal, it's a lifelong pursuit that begins again at every new starting line.

This year, my ride carries a deeper meaning. I'm riding to support the Boston Bear Cubs, a local hockey program for athletes with special needs, and a family friend, Matty Marcone, whose strength, determination, and heart inspire everyone around him. Hockey has always held a special place in my life. I grew up playing it and later watched my son Jake fall in love with the game just as I did. Supporting Matty and the Bear Cubs allows me to combine that lifelong connection with a cause centered on teamwork, inclusion, and perseverance. Riding for them reminds me that every challenge can serve a greater purpose. Each mile of the Hoka Hey will be dedicated to Matty, the Bear Cubs, and to showing Jake and Zoe that the best rides in life are the ones that help lift others up along the way.

 

 

 

 

Meet The New Rider # 1303 Mike Kozicki

 

I grew up on Long Island, New York, and served seven years in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, including overseas assignments and participation in NASA’s Transatlantic Abort Landing Team. While in the Navy, I studied Information Technology and specialized in custom Navy medical programs. After my service, I settled in Frederick, MD and was employed by Department of Defense. Currently I work at the Bureau of Labor and Statistics in Washington DC. My wife Jennifer and I have been together since 2007 and married since 2010; we have three dogs, Izzi (Norwich Terrier) , Olivia and Lillibet (Norfolk Terriers). 

 

Inspired by my father's love for motorcycles, I began riding early, with long-distance trips starting in 2016. A simple invitation to Sturgis from Bill Karitis sparked my passion for exploring small towns and open roads. 

 

I became aware of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2016; however, I waited to apply until I had accumulated several years of long distance riding experience. With the support of my lovely bride, family, and friends, I am looking forward to riding my own ride in August.

 

My charity choice for this Hoka Hey is Brunswick Beacon. The BEACON is a non-profit, ecumenical body, established primarily to provide food and emergency financial assistance to those in need, to include providing for the social, physical, and emotional needs of the most vulnerable citizens of the Greater Brunswick Community. https://www.brunswickbeacon.org DONATE TO THE BEACON