Twenty minutes east of Castlegar, B.C., at the Kootenay Motocross Track on September 29, 2013, eager riders gathered for the Tree Hugger Hare Scramble. This gruelling single track event annually attracts riders from all over B.C. and Alberta. The three-hour race is known for its adventure, with many rocks, stumps, climbs and steep declines challenging most every rider. It is a timed event, full of excitement, spills and personal challenges.
Local motorsports enthusiast, Main Jet Motorsports parts man, and one of the volunteers for the event, Hussam Abbas, shares his thoughts.
“Even though the day was scheduled to be a washout, the rain held off for most of the day,” said Abbas. “This was greatly appreciated, as it kept the dust down to a minimum and the riders from overheating.”
The winners
Men and women competed in a variety of classes, with many spectators and support crews cheering them on.
Bobby Prochnau took the masters category, leading from the beginning.
Local rider Mike Kikals secured first in the expert group, with an honourable mention going out to Chantelle Bykerk for her second place finish in the expert category.
Dayton Cox secured the veteran amature category, with Tyler Hanghofer in first for the intermediate expert. Sid Francis won senior expert and Andrew Christianson won super senior. For the senior amateur category, Rod Katchen was in for the win. The junior over class was dominated by Ian Qualtieri and junior under win went to Brock McCartney.
In the women’s class, Angela Lungrin nailed first place, with Laura Katchen coming in a close second. Jane Clements was in for third and Alex Ibbotson rounded out the category with fourth. It is wonderful to see so many ladies participating.
Laura Katchen describes her experience at this year’s event.
“It was very wet and rooty, with some huge mud holes that would swallow your bike if you took the wrong line, which I did a few times,” Katchen said.
Katchen enjoys riding her KTM 200 XC-W with her family. Mother, father and sons are all participating motocross racers.
Well done, Tree Hugger organizers. This event puts the Kootenays on the map and gives many riders the opportunity to push their own personal boundaries and sense of adventure.