Hoka Hey….It is a good day to Die. When I first heard about the ride that would eventually change the way I view life and those that share it with me I had no idea what laid in store. My first impression was it sounded like a way to prove to myself that I still had the balls to do something like that and I could possibly win some serious coin in the process.

It was not more than a couple of days after leaving the starting line in Key West Florida on June 20th 2010 that I began to have an Awakening of sorts. I cannot explain what happened to me as I rode through a Reservation in East Central Arizona on my way to Homer Alaska, but it has changed forever the way I look at and treat, all of my fellow man (and woman), along with all the living creatures that inhabit our planet.

I completed the Challenge in 2010 and that is something that I am indeed proud of but…it takes a back seat to the impact the experience has had on me. All I can say to those that have not yet experienced all that the Hoka Hey can do to bring out a part of you that you never knew existed is…..If you haven’t done it, you wouldn’t understand. I am sure that all my Hoka Hey Brothers and Sister know exactly what I am talking about.

If you have the resources to pull it off, all I can say is: See it, Dream it, Do it and put all you have within you into completing it. I guarantee, you will never be the same again and the change will be for the better. Not only for you, but for all those that you know, love, or come in contact with. If you don't have the resources to do it now, start now to get the resources you need to do it in the future. You won't be sorry!

Thumper.

Proud Hoka Challenger #59. 2010 and 2011.

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is just that at every possible level – a challenge. It stretches the human ability and spirit to a point of personal growth.

This includes not only the challengers, but those behind the scene. We at US Fleet Tracking are privileged to work alongside some of the greatest people whose sole goal is to provide an experience unmatched by any other.

Being part of the overall logistics provided its challenges, and the employees of US Fleet Tracking met head on, through the creation of a version of our software that works best for the unique opportunities of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.

It’s with humble honor that US Fleet Tracking is again the live GPS tracking company for the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.   We take great delight in providing an unprecedented level of safety to the riders and an in-the-saddle aspect to the nationwide spectators.

Sam Sims,

Director of Public Relations & Marketing, US Fleet Tracking

The Challenge coverage will be live on the

Hoka Hey web page starting August 1st!! 

 

I love riding. The open road provides me with nothing but possibility and adventure. I have had the opportunity to see our great country from the seat of an American Made Legend and I have felt the power and serenity that comes from that experience. I participated in the 2011 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge which allowed me to see parts of our homeland that most Americans will never see in their entire lifetime. It was one of the most amazing things I have done in my life. 48 states and parts of northeastern Canada, what a ride is was. Not without difficulty, but still an adventure of epic proportion.

Once you realize that you're not doing it for yourself, that you participating in something that is bigger and greater than you could ever imagine, you start to realize its importance. I started preparing for the Hoka Hey in 2011 with nothing in mind but winning the top prize. Somewhere between Miami and Nova Scotia, maybe across the Indian reservations of South Dakota I realized that I have already obtained the American Dream, and I am ready, willing, and able to share it with those that are less fortunate than me in our country.

Get off your ass quit talking about it and do it, join me and some of the best riders in the world on the 2012 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in an effort to bring some hope, possibility and maybe some understanding to a group of Americans that live right here with us. You might also find yourself out on the road in the mist a of truly American event.

Shaun VanBeber

Hoka Hey Rider 600

2nd Place Finisher in 2011

Attention all 2010 & 2011 Challengers...

I will be ordering the 2012 Challenge coins on Monday (7/16/12) so, even though the deadline to register has been extended until the 4th of August, I have to know of your intention to ride by the 15th if you hope to have a coin with your original rider number!  Please contact me now if you aren't already registered.

Register now for the event that continues

to change lives & shape ideas!

Beth Durham

Director of Operations

Phone# 605-890-0386

Email: beth.durham@hokaheychallenge.com

Bucket List

The Hoka Hey for me started out as a bucket list thing. I always wanted to ride to Alaska so reading about the adventure that had been proposed the first year my interest was peeked. Sitting in a cancer center in Illinois in March of 2010 I asked my oncologist if I would be strong enough to do this his response was "Go live your life." That being said I started telling a few friends about the ride and the next thing I knew they were planning a benefit with a band and a bar and as any biker knows that is a good formula to raise money. Thinking this was about me I headed to Key West and on June 19th, 2010 I found out the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge was so much more. I was going to be a voice for a group of people who were shouting to the Black Hills and like the noise my Vance and Hines make the voice was simply just a noise in the wind.

My journey took me from Key West Fl. to Oroville, Wa. and on to the Mexican boarder. You see I did not make it to Homer, Ak. like the 211 warrior brothers and sisters of mine so riding coast to coast through 48 states and 2 provinces I was determined to complete my goal this time. I came in 50th of 51 finishers in 2011 but it takes a long time to tell all those different people about the Lakota Indians.

I know there are a few more people who know who Junie Rose is but there are a whole lot more people who know about the poverty and problems of the Lakota people. And if my voice among the many Hoka Hey warriors telling the same story can make any difference I will continue to ride Lucie any where the road takes me.

Hoka Hey
Junie Rose #383

Facing Adversity

A few hours ago we completed the live Q&A on the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge business page on Facebook and I wanted to be sure to let everyone know that if you weren't able to join us in real time the threads from yesterday and today remain for your review. However, if you are not a member of Facebook I want to repeat some things that (I feel) are important to note.

First let me start by reiterating that we are attempting to build a brand with the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge and this has been a test of our own fortitude as much as any of our riders and we are grateful to everyone that supports us in this endeavor. As I've said before, I am an Environmental Scientist and Jim is a Tribal Attorney. Until we started promoting the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2008 we neither one had any experience in promotions or in long distance motorcycle events. Admittedly, we have been on a bit learning curve but we are getting most of the bugs worked out in an effort to make the Challenge a world class event.

But it is not just about us, or the event.  Sometimes in the hype of dealing with the good, the bad and the ugly; people forget about our ultimate mission which is to bring awareness to the plight of the Indian people on the remote reservations. Most specifically, Pine Ridge Reservation since it is the poorest region in the country and it is right in our own back yard! So, while we may not agree on everything that has happened in the past as it regards the event, let us all agree that something needs to be done about the poverty within the boundaries of the United States and that the grim statistics surrounding the reservations present a compelling argument for our unbending desire to use the HHMC to make some small difference.

There were a couple of doubters online with us during the Q&A, and I tried to address their concerns but I know that we are probably never going to convince the nay-sayers and the haters. Some people will believe everything they read on the internet without any proof one way or the other. They choose what they want to believe. We acknowledge that the HHMC does go against the grain and not everyone likes that about us. But that is OK... To each his own.

On the other hand, I have to say "Thanks" to everyone who does believe in the HHMC. I want you to know that we are doing our best to earn your trust and belief. But, I say again... This is not about us; it is about the people on the Indian Reservations who need something to hope for. Maybe the actual controversy over the HHMC doesn't help the young people on Pine Ridge but perhaps, without trying, the HHMC has allowed us to become an example of how difficult it can be to stand for what you feel is right. At a great deal of personal cost to us and our families; the HHMC hasn't come cheap.  And it certainly hasn't been easy to carry on in the face of so much adversity. But, I suppose that is one of life's hardest lessons after all. 

When I signed off today; I tried to put my finger on the most critical aspect of the HHMC and I don't know that I was able to convey the sentiment adequately. What I tried to say is that the HHMC IS about facing adversity. It is about carrying on no matter how difficult things become. The teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average for this age group and these young people NEED something to hope for. If we can serve as an example of what it means to adapt and overcome then so be it. We admit to our mistakes and try to correct them if we can. But the HHMC will not reward cheating nor condone bending the rules to get ahead. People ask what's wrong with the youth today? Well, I have a clue.  I feel that it is because too few adults set the correct example. Right or wrong, the example we intend to set is one of perseverance and dedication. Hard work and commitment. Honor and integrity. If that is too difficult to understand then this event is not for you.

Hoka Hey!

If it is for you then we still have space available with just 30 days to gear up!

  

Contact us now to register for the event that continues

to change lives & shape ideas.

 *Please read all forms carefully before submitting your application package.

BETH DURHAM

Director of Operations

Phone # 605-890-0386 

Email: Beth.Durham@hokaheychallenge.com

In February of 2011 I heard about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. It consumed my every thought!! Ride the Pacific to the Atlantic, 10,000 plus miles, 48 states to the Finish line in Canada!  My problem was, I had no motorcycle endorsement, no motorcycle, and no experience other than a dirt bike I had as a child!

 

Hoka Hey Spirits still CONSUMED MY EVERY THOUGHT! May 25th of 2011 I bought a Harley! Still never ridden and no license, and I purchased the motorcycle in Calumet, IN!!  How was I to get her home to FL where I live?  RIDE IT OF COURSE!!! I took the Rider’s Edge Course, passed June 21st, got my endorsement June 22nd and flew to IN June 23rd to Ride HER HOME, 1,200 miles 1st trip, 1st ride!

When I got home, I went straight to the computer and registered for the 2011 Hoka Hey Challenge. I had 5 weeks to prepare before I leave! Nervous, scared, terrified, but SO EXCITED! I packed, repacked, and repacked (yes I even brought a curling iron) I was too newbie to all of this. I had no clue what to expect! I

 just knew I was going to go on an amazing adventure of a lifetime for ME! I was not able to complete the entire route, due to time and inexperience, but  I crossed the finish line and I logged 12,843 miles from leaving FL July 29th to my return home Aug 30th. It was the MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR ME! I met the MOST EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE! Hoka Hey has changed my life in every way! My bike and my riding are now a year old, and I have a little over 25,000 miles logged! I so still hear the calling of Hoka Hey, and with more experience under me, I hope to be able to compete and complete the 2012 Challenge.

Wendy Battles #685