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
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 
