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.
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.
