Meet The Rider Mike Barnak # 31

Michael Barnak I lived in Honolulu for 40 years and  just moved back to AZ. I done the 2010 Hoka Hey Iam 72 and. still full of piss & vinegar can't wait to to do the 2020 ride Aloha

In 1979 he flew to Hawaii after the lumber industry he was working in became a National Forest and the he no longer had a job. On his way to Vietnam in 1966 he spent an hour in Hawaii and decided then he would come back and when he did he stayed. Sailing catamarans and working on tug boats are just a couple things he likes to do. He wants ride his motorcycle in all the lower 48 because he has Alaska and HI. covered.

He stumbled on to the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge on the internet and was sold immediately after reading about it. It reminded him of his experience with marathons.  Preparation was a little more involving because Mike has to ship his bike to the states. With a broken wrist he road three hard days from Gillette, WY to San Diego,CA. so he wouldn't miss the shipper send the bike back in 2014. With 90 miles of road you really can't train long distance riding but he feels pretty confident he has what he knows it will take to ride this challenge. He will ride from CA. to Medicine Park and get his saddle time in.

"Questioning your sanity at about day three where you are arguing with yourself and wanting to quit,  is when you need to take a break, get some rest and look at it after you have slept." Riding the ALCAN was very unnerving for Mike because fuel was very scars.  "All You have to keep you company is your CD player and the gas gauge."  Mike finds riding therapeutic, and filling that bucket list of riding every state is his physical therapy.