First of all, huge thank you to Junie Rose, Beth Durham, and the Medicine Show LLC for letting me participate in the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge !! Hello, I’m Chris Nelson, #1269. Friends call me Fish Bum. A "Reel Deal Rider", equally comfortable on the bank of a river or on the saddle of my bike, and likely to spend as much on tackle and gear as I do on parts and fuel. Army Veteran, 3 great kids all grown up and on their own, 2 dogs, and married to the love of my life. It just can’t get any better. I thank God every day for all my blessings. One last thing, my kids will tell you, I have been known to let loose with a “Dad Joke” or two. Please feel free to stop me when you see me and throw your worst at me.
My wife actually started all of this. She was the big Hoka Hey fan and has followed the Challenge and the Riders for many years. Only after she told me about it back in 2020 did it get on my radar. My first reaction was “whoa, I wanna do that”. But then, after looking more into it, and understanding the depth of the HH Mission, I realized that “whoa, I gotta do this”. This event checks all the boxes – building on honor, integrity, respect, brotherhood, and, of course, THE CHALLENGE. Being among people with similar core values, well, that’s a great way to spend time. Taking on a gruelling 10,000+ mile motorcycle ride, well, we should all be so lucky. I have two objectives in mind for this run: staying (reasonably) safe and (actually) finishing (I will even leave my fishing gear at home for this one). And second – I’m really looking forward to meeting the organizers and learning how to properly pronounce all of those words (like “KTENTOWSHKETON MNOPMATSOWEN”, I’m gonna need some help with that one).
And… it just gets better. We also get to ride for a charity. I’m a long time donor, but a total newbe for organizing my own. I searched for quite a while to find an organization that was a great fit. I found the right stuff with Warriors & Quiet Waters (WQW). They are dedicated to the support and restoration of Post-911 Combat Veterans. Any veteran and their families & friends can tell you – combat can cause far more damage to a soldier than just the physical. WQW’s mission is to “empower post-9/11 combat veterans and their loved ones to thrive and live purpose-driven lives through peak experiences in nature and evidence-based programs that foster growth, discovery, connection, and community”. They work hard to give our soldiers a renewed sense of purpose, balance, and self-worth. So, helping Veterans thrive after service, and achieving much through the use of a fly rod, these good people check nearly every box. I will need to discuss a solid motorcycling program to add to their curriculum in the near future so their program is complete. In the mean time, please check them out.
Even better, throw in a contribution or two:Warriors and Quiet Waters
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