Meet The New Rider # 1226 David Bierman

My name is David Bierman and I have been riding motorcycles since I was 4 years old. I was one of those Husky kids and my Dad got me a Montgomery Ward or Sears pull start minibike. As I outgrew that and my riding skills improved he got me a Honda SL 70 and eventually a Yamaha 175. It is in the blood and most of my family rides including my wife. I can’t remember a time I haven’t ridden. My namesake was my Uncle David Leon who went by Leon. He was killed on one of my fathers Triumph 650’s about a month before I was born hence my name David. Most people have known me as “The Beerman” growing up and it is my road name.

  

I am excited and honored to get the chance to participate in the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge! I have watched several friends ride and have been aware of the HH for several years since 2019. I am looking forward to challenging myself to see if I still can put in the miles and become a finisher. Looking at it as a spiritual journey for me personally.

 

Me at my Uncle’s headstone he is my namesake

I am riding for the kids at St Jude. This charity is near and dear to my heart. We have ridden in the Talimena ride for St. Jude several years and 100% of the money goes directly to the kids and their family. They never receive a bill from St. Jude and it is all about the kids.

What is St. Jude known for?

St. Jude specializes in care for some of the toughest pediatric cases, all while investing in resources and technologies for cutting-edge scientific research. And families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors.

 

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 1155 Andy Woller

 

Hi I’m Andy I’m 56  yrs old and live in Lamar Colorado.  Returning Elite Rider  #1155, this will be my 2^nd  Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. I’ve ridden motorcycles since I was 5. I participated in car dirt track racing since I was 16 my last race was in 2017. I got my  1st Harley 105 anniversary in 2008 and have been riding ever since, no more racing cars. I am married to my beautiful wife Diana since 7-4-12. It took a little bit of convincing to get her on the back of my motorcycle but now she has her own and goes all over the place  and now she is joining me on the Hoka Hey!  I think I'm more excited for her than she is.  I enjoy hanging out w our 3 wolves Titan Hera & Spartacus. I own Andy Woller Towing which has been in operation since 1996. 

 

The Hoka Hey is a challenge like no other.  It will test your mind, body and spirit, it will make you dig deep inside and see what you truly are made of! That is why I want to do this again. The long nights and brutal weather conditions make it sound so exciting! The fact that I’m riding with some of the best long distance riders is truly an honor. This type of challenge nobody can beat me but me. 

 

 

I chose to ride for the Outlaw Faith Foundation because it is a cause my wife is very passionate about. This organization uses 100% of the proceeds from purchase of its namesake clothing brand Outlaw Faith Wear to buy wigs, mastectomy bras, assist with travel expenses and provide motivational and emotional support to women battling breast cancer.

Outlawfaith.org 

 

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 1172 Nancy Webb

 

I grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where big skies and long highways probably programmed me early for a life in motion. In 1992 I joined the U.S. Air Force and accidentally turned the world into my neighborhood. Germany, England, and Japan weren’t just duty stations, they were launchpads. I chased every leave block like it was a boarding call and somehow stacked up visits to around 60 countries.

 

 

England is also where my two-wheeled alter ego was born. I earned my motorcycle license in 2001, and by 2013 I had my first Harley and a front-row seat to the Alps and the Pyrenees while stationed in Germany for the second time. Nothing resets your perspective like leaning into a mountain curve with another country waiting on the other side.

 

 

My official 25-year Air Force anniversary? Celebrated in Afghanistan… under a desk… while rockets were incoming. Subtle as a brick and just as effective. I took the hint, retired in 2018, bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok, and spent the next 15 months backpacking across 21 countries and four continents with no fixed address and a very overworked passport.

 

 

I’d only been back in the States a few months when COVID shut the world down, so I did the only thing that made sense, pointed the bike at the map and rode the lower 48.

 

 

In 2021 I met an incredible human named “Lumpy,” who told me about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. After a little research and a lot of “sure, why not,” I put myself on the wait list without fully grasping the beautiful chaos I was volunteering for. Lumpy passed before the 2022 run, but he rode every mile with me. I finished in under 14 days, even after picking up a flat tire 200 miles from the finish, because quitting was never going to be part of that story.

 

 

These days the mission continues in the form of a 100,000-mile charity ride for Mile Monsters Inc. Same heart, new patch, bigger purpose. Still chasing horizons, still collecting stories, and still believing the best route is usually the one that wasn’t on the original plan.

 

 

Nancy Webb

HHMC1072

Meet The New Rider # 1351 Victor Steel

 

 

My name is Victor Steel. I'm 66 years old, and have been riding motorcycles since I was 14. I was born & raised in Alaska, and I could get my motorcycle permit at 14 but couldn't get a driver's license until 16—so I rode year-round in Anchorage on my Suzuki 185! I now ride a Harley bagger (and a Fat Boy when I feel like just a nice cruise), and have done many long rides, including a 10,000 mile ride to Alaska from Arizona and back, but nothing like the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. 

 

The Challenge represents an opportunity for me to see how deep I can reach, how much courage I can muster, and how much strength I can find to keep going when all I can think of is quitting. I realize this will be my biggest challenge yet, and I hope to not just find my limits, but push through and expand them, to know that I can do more. If successful, I will have exceeded my subconscious self-imposed limitations, and by meeting this challenge, I will know that I can take on challenges in other aspects of life that seemed unsurpassable. 

 

I am not a veteran. Every day I give silent thanks to those veterans who served in order to provide us with the freedom that we enjoy. These veterans gave so much, and we who benefitted from their service need to give back. Unfortunately, many veterans cannot come back from battle and reintegrate into our society, and some (22 veterans per day, according to a 2012 study) take their own lives as a result. There are many reasons for this, but one major reason is related to Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. I am supporting "The 22 Project" to help reduce the number of veteran suicides. The 22 Project helps those veterans suffering from TBI with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT), which has been shown to improve blood flow in certain parts of the brain, allowing the veteran a number of benefits, including restful sleep, improved focus, and improved mood. Over 300 veterans have been served with this treatment, and they report better sleep, better moods, less thoughts of helplessness—all things that lead to thoughts of suicide. Go to their website at Support22Project.org to learn more about how they are using today's technology to help heal our nation's veterans. This is a quote from their profile on Candid.org: "The 22 Project, Inc. is a registered Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to reducing veteran suicides by using Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) imaging technology and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat veterans diagnosed with conditions known to contribute to suicide; specifically, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and their sequelae." 

 

I have long felt that losing 22 soldiers each day to suicide is a travesty. I've supported the Veteran's Suicide awareness efforts in several ways in the past; supporting the “Ride for 22” in Idaho which is a fundraiser and is typically very well attended, also supporting awareness by donating to our local college for a memorial. This challenge gives me the opportunity to make an even bigger difference with physical treatment for those veterans losing the battle with TBI and PTSD. 

 

The donations will be provided directly to The 22 Project, where 94% of all monies go directly to veteran support. The support includes cost for HBOT at the providers used by The 22 Project as well as travel for those veterans to the sites where treatment can be provided. The 22 Project also collaborates with external programs to provide counseling and support services. 

 

If you would like to contribute to my effort to support this charity and help stop Veteran Suicide, please click on this link:  The 22 Project Donations

Meet The New Rider # 1275 Jim Matthews

 

 

Early on in life Jim “Hooch” Matthews (HH #1275) had a knack for being mechanically inclined, which led to an initial career as a Class-A Toolmaker. However, his true calling in service to our nation and others drew him to enlist as an Infantry Soldier, US Army Reserve in 1985 and becoming a volunteer, and eventually a career firefighter, in 1986. After having the privilege and honor of serving both callings simultaneously, he retired from the military in 2019 and from IAFF L-1241 in 2020.

 

 

 A native, and lifelong resident of Winsted, CT with his wife Leslie, three children and five grandchildren, Jim and Leslie enjoy sharing the pleasure of wind therapy whenever the New England weather permits. 

 

 

Riding the HHMC has become the next calling inspired by lifelong friends and veteran HH riders Matt Klebe (HH #752) and Greg Lopardo (HH #993), combined with the desire to follow-thru on a promise to see the lower 48 from our saddles with fellow L-1241 retired brother firefighter Dave Walker (HH #1276). HHMC-2026 has become the challenge in the next chapter of testing fortitude, endurance and resilience; overcoming nature’s encountered adversities; all while creating lifelong memories and lies we can share around future firepit gatherings of friends and family. 

 

 

At this time HH-1275 has not locked in a non-profit he will be riding for. 

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 1143 Brad Luepnitz

 

I am returning rider #1143, Brad Luepnitz, from Punta Gorda, FL. Some call me
“LOGIC”.

 

This will be my second Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge . I finished my first in 2024.
That ride, beginning in a hurricane in Florida and ending in Homer, AK, was unlike
any motorcycle trip I have ever taken. I was very thankful that I had prepared
diligently. It was a privilege to meet and ride among so many great riders. I look
forward to the 2026 Challenge and to seeing the new and returning riders in
Woodstock.

 

Everyone will tell you to “Ride Your Own Ride.” Add me to that list. This is the
single best piece of advice I received, and it served me well. Another idea I kept
continuously in mind was, “Make no BIG mistakes.” You will make little mistakes,
and that is OK, but don’t make a 200-mile mistake; don’t get a traffic citation; and
don’t ride beyond what conditions allow and risk not finishing. Don’t compare
yourself to others or worry about where you are in the group. The only ones to
compare yourself to are the person you were yesterday and the person you aspire
to be tomorrow. One last thing: Enjoy the journey.

 

I have chosen to support my local church, Deep Creek Community Church (DC3),
where I attend and serve. The DC3 mission is to turn unchurched and unplugged
people into totally devoted followers of Christ. I can think of no more important
mission. I believe, “If it doesn’t matter in eternity, it doesn’t matter.” This helps
me put the trials of this life into perspective. It also reminds me of the awesome
responsibility we have, as Christ followers, to spread the gospel to the world.

 

 

Meet The Returning Rider # 1217 Dan Mitchell

 

Words From my wife as my mouth tends to get me into trouble:

Dan 1217

When I first met my husband, I didn’t just learn
his name; I learned that he was a rider. I didn't realize
then just how deeply it was in his blood. For twenty
years, I’ve watched him live by a singular philosophy:
“What a man can do, and what a man can’t do.” What
started as a love for curvy local roads evolved into a
passion for the long haul. After he built his first bobber
and eventually moved to a bagger, I jokingly
threatened him: he had better actually use that bike for its intended purpose. That
“subtle encouragement” was the start of his long-distance journey.

 

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge first entered our lives when Dan returned from Daytona in 2020.
At the time, it was a goal he shared with our youngest son—a dream they planned to
conquer together. After we lost our son in
2022, the ride was no longer just a challenge;
it became a sacred promise, making 2026
Dan’s year of redemption. It is the year he
carries that promise across the finish line,
embodying the epitome of what a man can
achieve and the freedom found in the pursuit.
To Dan, a motorcycle isn't just a frame, an
engine, and tires—and “Jolean” is more than
just a machine. She is the vessel for that redemption, carrying him through
the challenges and toward the peace he needs to keep his word to our
son.

 

Being the partner of a long-distance rider comes with its own set of
hurdles—the long days, the lonely nights, and the stretches of silence. But
supporting those goals is what a partner does.

 

For the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, 

Dan Mitchell will be riding in support of Project Harmony, a child protection center dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect. Serving thousands of children and families across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa each year, Project Harmony provides a single, child-friendly location
where medical professionals, law enforcement, and social services collaborate so that a
child only has to tell their story once. From immediate crisis support and forensic
interviews to long-term mental health care and prevention training, they ensure that the
most vulnerable among us can move from crisis to courage. Dan isn't just riding for the
miles; he’s riding to honor a memory and ensure every child has a safe and promising
future.

Support the Mission and the Ride
There are two ways you can be a part of this journey of redemption:

● Support the Cause (Project Harmony): Make a tax-deductible donation directly to
Project Harmony’s Online Giving Page. Your contribution directly funds crisis
support and mental health care for vulnerable children.

● Support the Rider (Dan’s Ride Fund): The Hoka Hey is a grueling 10,000-mile
self-supported endurance test. To help Dan with "on-the-road" essentials like
fuel, emergency tires, and maintenance for Jolean, you can contribute to his
personal ride campaign on FreeFunder. Dans Ride Fund