Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2010
Suzanne Howie
W ell, another one is in the
books; the 2010 edition of World
Enduro Canada/Royal Distributing’s
Canadian Enduro Championship,
presented by Parts Canada is over. Boy
was it an amazing ride!
Bigger and better than last year,
once again, I was lucky enough to be
along for the ride again.
It started at Machine Racing, in
Sharon, Ontario, where the Captain,
aka Yamaha/Machine Racing’s Brian
“Wojo” Wojnarowski, and I set out on
our 50 hour journey from Ontario to
Blairmore, Alberta.
Between Blairmore and Pentic-
ton, BC, I accompanied another group
of Ontarians, Lockhart’s Suzuki rider
Chris Van Hove and Machine Honda
rider Bryan “Swampy” Marshall.
Parry Sound is the “local” round,
a mere two and a half hours from
home, it was an easy solo ride up
Thursday evening.
For Labelle, Quebec, I was re-
united with travel buddy Swampy. We
must be cursed. Last year, while travel-
ling to Labelle, we got lost and almost
ended up on the Oka Ferry (except
it was midnight, and the ferry was
closed). This time, on the way home,
we were stuck in an extra three hours
worth of traffic!
These photos were gained from
the eight rounds of the series, and
there are pictures that span the Pro
and Amateur classes.
I hope you enjoy these photos
as much as I do.
Blairmore
Lovely Ladies:
Left to Right: Victoria Hett, Jillian Bolso, Karla Brandt, Almeda Rive
and Suzanne Pelletier, with seven month old baby Jacob.
Where:
Blairmore/Coleman, Alberta
Elevation:
4,400 feet above sea level
Terrain:
Rocky Mountains; rough, jagged rocks. Lots of pine trees. It
snowed Sunday.
Adam Millson
Brian
Wojnarowski
Jack Sawatzky
Legends in the Making...
Ryan Durkee (left) and Ryan Graffunder (right) both came into the
series with the intention of putting their names on the podium, as well
as earning the title of Top Pro Junior, and the $500 prize put up by Inside
Motorcycle magazine.
Jack Sawatzky - Little Bike; Big Fight
Alberta is known for being home to big bikes. The E3 riders are the big boys on campus, with the
E1 class populated mostly by eastern riders who made the trek. Jack Sawatzky is one of few E1 riders to
ride out of the Prairie Rose province.
Geoff Nelson - King of E3
Geoff Nelson, former ISDE competitor, is no stranger to the big bikes. In 2009 the
British Columbia native raced E3 and came second to then teammate Jason Schrage. In
2010, Schrage signed with Honda and moved to the E2 class. Nelson swept the west-
ern E3 podiums, but was unable to push Schrage off the top spot at home.
Mark Cahill - Vet Pro Champ
Mark Cahill was the only defending Pro Class champion racing in the western
rounds. Jason Schrage, who won E3 in 2009, had moved to E2, Patrick Beaule, the E1
champion, could not make the trip out, and Bobby Prochnau, reigning #1 plate holder
and E2 champion was out with an injury. Cahill, a former trials champion, rode to his
first truly national championship last year. He was also known for saying “We’re Pros
too!” when the often over looked Vet Pro class was just that, over looked.
Ben Rego Jason Shane
Schrage Watts
When:
July 10 and 11
Rounds 3 &4
Elevation:
1,263 feet above sea level in town; 7,187 feet above sea level on
mountain
Terrain:
Again, very mountainous, but this time no snow. The moto test
had lots of natural elevation changes, but the enduro test was a
bit extreme for some.
Elevation:
Rounds 5 & 6
Terrain:
Much of the course was carved out of quarry, so there was lots
of sand and rocks, and lots of mud due to a pretty wet year.
The mud was a mix of sand in some areas and thick clay in oth-
ers, and could be sticky or slippery depending on where you
were.
Trevor Lawrence
Wideman: Sean Wiesner: Stephen Able: Hacking:
the Voice the Face the Brains The Name
Fighting Fire with Fire
Jason Schrage is a man of two personalities. By day he’s the hero of
many, a fire fighter for the city of Lethbridge, in Alberta. On the weekends
he’s Honda’s top ranked off road rider, looking to trade that #8 in for a #1.
Take
Julian Cerny comes
off the log jump a little
low in the nose. As al-
ways, though, Cerny scores
points for style. Elbows
out, head up, looking
where he wants to go.
Two
Ben Rego lands heavy on
his front wheel too, but
Rego is able to power his
way out of a crash.
Swelling in the Ranks
Team Yamaha/Machine Racing might have lost Vet Pro rider Craig
Kennedy for the eastern rounds, but it gained an E1 rider (for Parry
Sound), an A rider and a B rider.
Left to Right: Brain Wojnarowski (E2), Adam Millson (E2), Ryan Gauld (E1),
Mark Koens (B) and Patrick Gesualdi (A).
Mechanical Wings
The Honda motorcycle’s logo might be a wing, but Jason Schrage
stood by the fact that his red rocket did not like to fly. “People say these
Hondas, they like to fly,” the points leader said after the Western rounds.
“But not mine!”
In Parry Sound, it looks like his little red tractor found its wings and
finally took flight, easily clearing the log double in the Extreme Test, to the
shock and awe of the audience, including Schrage’s wife, Rochelle. “I can’t
believe he did it!”
We all knew you could, Jason!
Hail to the King!
Clint Riviere was dubbed “King of the Rednecks” in BC, when he led
the “Redneck Minute.” In Alberta the term “redneck” is used as a compli-
ment. A redneck is a hard working man/woman, who works hard for
their money, plays harder and would give you their very last dollar if you
needed it. Clint certainly embodies these traits. The King finished first on
Saturday and second on Sunday in Parry Sound.
Fueling Dreams: Feeding Performance
Marc Coffin and his FP Husqvarna team, comprised of Ryan and Nick
Graffunder, Guy Giroux and Marty Halmazna upped the ante at the nation-
als this year. FP/Husqvarna, along with the Yamaha/Machine operation, had
a professional set up and a large presence at all four venues. Coffin hopes to
set an example for the rest of the manufacturers.
Kevin Cockayne
Last year there were three #7 bikes racing at Parry Sound, and they were all KTMs. Bobby
Prochnau, Scott Bowes and Kevin Cockayne all wore the white #7 on their red plates. This year, Coc-
kayne was the only one who of the three who made it back to Parry Sound, and he was no longer
wearing the #7. Instead he wore his provincial number: #11.
Lee Fryberger
Lee Fryberger is a member of the Corner Grass Race Team, multiple ISDE competitor, and for the
last few years has been team manager for the Canadian Trophy team. To say he’s an experienced rider
is a bit of an understatement. Fry normally finds himself on the opposite side of racing, organizing the
famous Corner Grass race in Compeer, Alberta, as well as the 2010 Blairmore CEC round and the very
first Canadian extreme hard enduro, Xtinction, near Patricia, Alberta.
History in the Making?
Jason Schrage (left) and John Nelson (right) shake hands. Nelson
helped set up support for the Honda rider when he came east, including
bringing a spare bike for the racer should he need parts. Nelson is known
for offering tremendous support for the off road riding community. His gen-
erosity didn’t stop at Schrage, he also brought an extra YZ450f for BC brute
Ben Rego.
Will Schrage be running Machine Racing and LGS stickers for 2011?
Only time will tell.
Moto Media Madness!
For Parry Sound the editors of Canada’s two
motocross publications, Jeff Morgan of Inside Mo-
toX and Off Road magazine, and Ryan Gauld of MXP
magazine, put their money where their mouths are
and saddled up.
Morgan (left) competed in the B class, finishing
8th on day one and 6th on day two. Gauld (bottom
right) competed in the E1 class, part of the expand-
ed Yamaha/Machine team, but was unable to finish due to mechanical
problems (top right). Gauld smashed the chain guide clean off the swing
arm and sent it into the case during lap one, day one, and was out for the
count.
The Best Laid Plans
Jason Schrage hoped to repeat Bobby Prochnau’s perfect season, but Guy Giroux put an end to
that pursuit in Parry Sound. After a less than stellar performance out west, Giroux came home, trained
hard and upped his game, jumping on the Husqvarna 300 for the final four rounds. It appeared to be
the ticket, as G-Rox rocked the Pro class day one in Parry Sound, taking home the top spot in E3 and
finishing first over all, effectively ending Schrage’s run at a perfect season.
Julian Cerny
The Original Hurtin’ Albertan, Julian Cerny is a one of the few who can make the transition from
off road to moto and back. Cerny competed in the Wild Rose MX round of the CMRC nationals and fin-
ished 12th overall in MX1; he finished 5th in E2, and 8th overall, in the CECs.
Top Finishers Rnd #5
1 - Guy Giroux, HSQ
2 - Brian Wojnarowski, YAM
3 - Jason Schrage, HON
4 - Geoff Nelson, KTM
5 - Chris Van Hove, SUZ
When:
September 18 and 19
Rounds 7 & 8
Elevation:
878 feet above sea level
Terrain:
Again, more mud. Parts of the course and transfer trails were
rerouted for Sunday after riders had difficulty navigating
through some of the trail due to mud. The moto test was most-
ly grass track, but did cut through the forest in some parts; the
extreme test was built in a sand pit.
3rd: Kroeker
E2:
1st: Schrage
2nd:
Wojnarowski
3rd:
Cuthbertson
E1:
1st: Thomas
2nd: Van Hove
3rd: Chaine
Love is in the Air!
There are a lot of people who I need to thank for making this book possible.
First off I’d like to thank the crew at Machine, starting with my boyfriend, Mark, and shop
front man John Nelson. Without Mark and his contacts, I would have never got into this sport,
and without his support I would have never been able to go as far as I have. Speaking of sup-
port, no one in Canada supports off road more than Nelson, in my opinion at least. John goes
out of his way to support both his moto and off road riders to the very best of his abilities.
Brian Wojnarowski drove the 50+ hours (about 42 of actual driving) that was required to
take us from Newmarket to Blairmore in the rig, John’s big diesel truck and gooseneck trailer.
We made good time and good conversation on the way. I learned there was a more human
side to Captain Stress and he learned to never order a salad in a burger place.
Bryan “Swampy” Marshall, Chris Van Hove and their buddy, Jitters (Jim Mueller) all put
up with me between rounds out west, and let me camp with them in Drumheller, Alberta and
Golden, B.C. It was a lot of fun to have company. Last year I bunked with my western counter
part, Suzanne Pelletier, for a night, but it was still lonely travelling by myself. The guys were a
welcome taste of Ontario in the prairies.
For the eastern rounds I was in my element. Parry Sound was a short 2 hour drive from
home, with plenty of friends from the Ontario series racing and coming to watch.
Quebec was a flash back, riding out with Swampy for the just over 7 hour drive. Again,
the Machine crew was well represented, even though the wives stayed home. Sunday night
we shut it down in style, led by the one and only Guy Giroux, who is probably one of the most
approachable riders, once you get behind that big grin and bigger laugh.
Naturally, the organizers, both at the WEC and the local level, deserve tremendous credit
for making these events happen. Without all of their tireless effort, the armies of volunteers
and locals willing to put up with us dirt bikers, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come
out two years in a row now and see the beauty of western Canada, and meet some of the nic-
est French people on the planet in La Belle.
I’d also like to thank my friends and colleagues at Inside Motorcycles and Inside MotoX
and Off Road magazines; David Weber, John Hopkins, Jeff Morgan, Derek Rockel and Mark
Hoffberg. Without your support, your work on my behalf and encouragement I wouldn’t have
dreamt I could have come so far. They also helped me put out a big fire when Jeff and Derek
came up with 4 cases of magazines to hand out at the first four rounds.
Fellow media spokes person, and OffRoadMotorcycles.ca founder, Dan Paris also de-
serves credit. Not only is he a stellar guy who truly cares about the sport from a fun and family
perspective, he also provided the photos of Stephen Able and Lawrence Hacking for this book.
My parents deserve a thank you as well, as much like with Mark, without their support
and encouragement I would have never got as far as I have, and wouldn’t still be aiming high-
er.
Thank you,
- Suzanne Howie
5th Gear Media
Suzanne Howie
2010