Mountain Motorcycle 30th Annual Graham Jackson Memorial Trial:
Mountain Motorcycle sponsored the CPTA’s Graham Jackson Memorial Trial on November 15, 2015 at Ioco. There was a good turnout of 34 riders and the sun came out for a perfect day after several days of heavy rain. That meant that the sections were slippery and could surprise you in a few places. Bill Sparks showed that he was still the best in those conditions, winning the Expert class by 6 points. Oliver Blow and Dave Nunn came over from Vancouver Island to win the Advanced and Senior 45 classes. Pat, Melissa, and Brent laid out the Jr/Int sections and had fairly close scores in Intermediate. The Sportsman class had 12 riders, but Skip Parker almost forgot to put his feet down to win the class handily. The tightest contest was in the Junior class that was decided on cleans. According to his Dad, Sawyer Collie was determined to win, and so he did with 7 more cleans than Dave Seifert. Check out his form in the picture by Dale Coull.
-Don Doerksen
Sawyer Collie in Section 5
Uhuru Trial and CMA Provincial – Bill de Garis and Brandon Schmidt:
The Uhuru Trial happened on October 18, 2015 as a combined CMA and CPTA event. It was the final event in the CMA Provincial Championship. It was a cool but dry Fall day to start but as we rode and got warm, there was a light misting of rain to keep us cool and make the sections more interesting. The Juniors had relatively easy sections that rewarded concentration and consistency. Kyle Tremblay won with only one dab. Melissa Andrist and Bob Clark were best on the Intermediate sections in their respective classes. The scores after them were very close with just a point apart or tied and needing to go to cleans. Christy Richards smoked everyone on the Advanced lines and Carl Muller was smooth and consistent to win the Senior 45 class. Of note in the Senior 45 class is that Bill de Garis placed third on the day after his 74th birthday (Christy made cupcakes). The news in the Expert class was that Thomas Cordner did not win. It all came down to the last section in the parking lot which had a large rock face that most experts splattered. Alex Walton won by 2 points.
-Don Doerksen
Alex Walton in flight
Birthday boy Billy D
Pictures by Dale Coull.
Fall Classic Trial – Dave Craig:
The Canada Pacific Trials Association put on the Fall Classic Trial on Oct. 4, 2015 in beautiful sunny weather at Ioco B.C. The Classic Trial is for air cooled twin shock bikes in the classic classes and Intermediate and Junior riders on modern bikes. There were 11 sections to be ridden 2 or 3 times depending on the class. A few clean loops were recorded in various classes and I think that the level of difficulty was just right. The scores were only 1 point apart for the first 3 places in Classic A so every point really counted. Vic Roberts only took 3 points all day to win the Classic B class. Pat Greenan and Skip Parker were only 1 point apart riding the same lines and winning their respective classes. Starla Smeeth soldiered on for 3 loops as the only Beginner to ride. Results are posted to the Results page.
-Don Doerksen
Classic A winner Bob Todosychuk
Don Doerksen on Trixy
The hard-working Starla Smeeth and Coach Dad
Photos courtesy of Dale Coull.
Cascade Motorsports Blue Mountain Trial – Don Doerksen and Ted Blow:
The 2015 Blue Mountain Trial, sponsored by Cascade Motorsports, took place in Maple Ridge on September 20th. It was a grey and rainy day to start but dried out as the day went on. I put up the ribbons for the sections on the previous Monday and it was all dry and looked like it was going to be a low scoring event. Then came a few days of rain and wind, so it was like being a 5 year old boy again. Get your boots full of water and go stomping through the puddles. When we got to section 7 we had to get out the bush saw and cut through two trees that had fallen down. I think that the rocky sections were actually easier to ride than when they were dry but green. But the sections with moss and dirt were much more slippery. Bill Sparks showed that he still knows how to put in a nice smooth ride as he won the Expert class. Guy Smeeth just squeaked a win on cleans on the Advanced lines. Bob Clark was pushed to the end by Bob Todosychuk on the old Yamaha twinshock but managed to win the Sportsman class by 3 points. Roy Anderson won Intermediate by 3 points and Greg Patrick took a very consistent 2 points a loop to win in Vintage. Nice day if you don’t mind a few puddles!
-Don Doerksen
Sunday, September 27 – Annual Junior / Intermediate Trials School and Social at Ioco
Hosted by Ron Walsh.
The trials school is free for club members and by donation to the CPTA for non-members. Practice sections will be set up in the staging area and some of the CPTA’s more advanced riders will be providing informal instruction to Novice/Junior/Intermediate riders.
Osets will be available for kids to try out courtesy of Popkum Motor Park. Kids will need to bring their own helmet and boots.
All riders will be required to sign the CPTA waiver. Sign up starts at 9 AM and the riders’ meeting is at 10 AM.
This event is for you if you would like some tips on the trials basics like turning, peg weighting, body positioning, and choosing lines. This is a social event as well – come out and spend the day at Ioco! Friends, family members, and kids welcome.
Hey trials riders!
The Blue Mountain trial is this Sunday, September 20 in Maple Ridge. The trial will be hosted by Don Doerksen and Ted Blow and is sponsored by Cascade Motorsports. Sign up is at 9 AM and the riders’ meeting is at 10.
Ted has set the Junior and Intermediate sections on two separate loops with one shared section. Junior sections are marked in red and Intermediate sections are marked in black. Riders will merge onto the same trail for parts of their loops.
Beginner / Junior riders:
You will be riding a short loop (about 1.5 km) of 8 sections. Riders will complete 2 or 3 laps depending on timing. The loop is the same as last year’s but run backwards. Sections will focus on the basics, so practice your turns! Beginner riders will ride the same sections as Juniors but only have to go through the In and Out gates, taking any line in between regardless of ribbons.
Intermediate / Sportsman / Vintage riders:
You will complete 2 laps of 9 sections on a longer (3-4 km) loop. Ted has built some brand new sections, and nothing should be too difficult.
Advanced / Senior 45 / Expert riders:
Don’s loop has 10 sections, to be ridden 3 times. About half of them are rocky creek-type sections. The loop is short and Don figures it should be a low-scoring trial.
Directions:
Take Dewdney Trunk Road into Maple Ridge and turn onto 256 St heading North (you’ll see a sign for the Fraser Correctional Center). We will be set up in the industrial complex at 14301 256 St. You can either park inside the complex or on the street. Link below to Google Maps:
Cascade Motorsports:
Don’s shop is located at 32851 London Ave. in Mission (across the highway from Mission raceway). Cascade is an official dealer of Kymco, Midwest, GasGas, Scorpa and Montesa and can provide parts, service, and accessories for most brands of bikes. Here’s a link to the website: http://cascade-motorsports.com/
-Melisa Andrist
IMPORTANT NOTICE: PROTECTING OUR RIDING AREA DURING PERIODS OF EXTREME WILDFIRE HAZARD
To ensure we do our part to protect the riding areas we are so fortunate to enjoy, we ask that all members and guests refrain from riding gas-powered motorcycles during those times that the BC Wildfire Hazard is rated as EXTREME (Level 5).
Conditions can change daily so all members are asked to check with BC Wildfire before you head out. You can find the current conditions at <http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/DgrCls/index.asp?Region=2> (Coquitlam region) or simply click on the attached map to view the most recent update.
So remember, if the BC Wildfire danger rating is EXTREME for the Ioco area, DO NOT GO RIDING.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
2015 Staging Area Improvement Project:
Our major staging area improvement project is now complete. The road is much improved and there is significantly more parking space available so no reason to park on the road. There is still some hand work to be done here and there so if you feel inclined, there are tools and a wheelbarrow in the club house. Many thanks to Wilson Craig for helping out in a big way. Try to keep the donuts down to a minimum.
Squamish Trial, June 14th, Spencer Fitschen and Chessy Knight
The Canada Pacific Trials Association held a trial in Squamish on June 14 at Crumpit Woods. It was also one of the 3 rounds of the CMA Provincial Championship. There was a great turnout of 56 riders on a very hot and sunny day. It was not a day to make a mistake as the scores were quite low though the sections had enough challenges to take points. There were a lot of big granite rocks to play on that had plenty of grip, thanks to the dry weather.
-Don Doerksen
Brandon Volk being spotted by the Expert winner Thomas Cordner.
Tanner Nordin teaching his Beta how to fly over granite.
Beta Trial, May 24th. Ted McDowall, Melissa Andrist, Pat Greenan
The CPTA held the Beta Trial on May 24 under cloudy skies. It was warm and muggy with very dry conditions. Thirty three riders showed up and in the Expert class, it was Bill Sparks showing the younger riders how to ride. Scores were very tight in the Senior 45 class except for the winner, Ted McDowall, who just plain forgot to put his foot down the vast majority of the time. From the look of the scores, it was a tough day for the Intermediates and Juniors but all the Vintage bikes finished so that could not have been too bad.
-Don Doerksen
Squid Trial at Ioco, April 19th. Steve Day and Chris Walton
Hats off to Chris Walton, Steve Day and the weatherman for a spectacular day at Ioco. Just one week after our Spring Classic Trial, the Club hosted our April Squid Trial. It felt like a pleasant day in June with warm temperatures and dry conditions providing great traction. Chris Walton proved you can put together a challenging Intermediate course with minimum exposure and few “do or die” components making for a very enjoyable day for Juniors, Intermediates and Sportsmen. Intermediate class was closely contested with only four points the difference between first and fourth. Pat Greenan was the eventual winner with one point less than Melissa Andrist. David Dobson was one point back in third and Brent Anctil a close fourth place. Intermediate scores reflected a well thought out event taking just over one point per section average for the winner. Bob Clark had a really solid ride to win the Sportsman class with an impressive two points per lap or six points over 39 sections. Bob Todosychuck and Skip Parker rounded out the Sportsman podium. Top Junior was Brandon Shmidt followed closely by Dave Siefert.
Steve Day took advantage of the dry conditions and made things challenging for the Advanced and Expert riders. Brandon Wince was the premier rider in Expert with a convincing win over Alex Walton. Kirk McDowall was first in Advanced and Bill Sparks was the winner in Senior Advanced.
All results can be found on the results page.
-Don Doerksen
CPTA Spring Classic Trial a success.
April 12th the CPTA held their Spring Classic Trial. This event has classes for Vintage A and Vintage B riders as well as Juniors, Intermediates and Beginners on modern bikes. The weather was mixed as it started off dry and sunny but deteriorated through the day with an unusual appearance of hail. Guy Smeeth, host of the event, put together 11 sections over a relatively short, well marked course set up to accommodate beginner and junior riders.
All riders rode the same sections with well defined A and B lines. The junior course was almost a perfect mix of terrain and degree of difficulty. Top Junior Brandon Schmidt showed good control and poise only giving up 2 points throughout the day. He will be ready to move up soon. Winner of the Vintage A class (there were no Vintage B riders) was Bob Todosychuk with a remarkably low 7 points clearly winning over Bob Clark with 23.
Nice to see our Beginner class winner Starla Smeeth completing all three laps for a win.
Thanks to Guy for hosting.
-Don Doerksen
CPTA DEMO DAY, MARCH 22:
From our club Secretary Melissa Andrist:
The March 22 demo day starts at 10 AM and will run until about 3 or 4. Demo rides are by donation and there will be a number of different models and displacements available, including electric Oset bikes for kids. The event is usually very well attended so I recommend getting there early if you can.
Once you’ve signed up (you’ll need to sign our waiver), we’ll set you up with a bike. You will need a helmet (bicycle helmets are ok) and boots that cover your ankles. We also recommend gloves and elbow/knee pads if you have them.
We will have 2 loops set up – one for very novice and Oset riders, and another Beginner- to Junior-level one (still easy but with a few more obstacles). Volunteers will be available along the loops if anyone needs help.
Our riding area is located near the Burrard Thermal Plant in Port Moody. You can find a map to Ioco on our website, or by searching for “Canada Pacific Trials Association” on Google Maps.
CPTA Donation to Canadian Cancer Society:
We received a nice thank you from the Canadian Cancer Society for our donation for 2014. Thanks to all our members, guests and competitors for your contributions to this worthy cause.
CPTA March Trial:
The CPTA March Trial on March 15 started out cloudy but dry and ended up with steady light rain by the end of the day. In spite of that the sections (which were mostly under the trees) actually seemed to get easier as the day went on. Or maybe we just figured out how to ride them? The beginner course attracted 7 entrants and, from the scores, seemed just the right difficulty. The Juniors and Intermediates appear to have had a bit more of a trial in both senses of the word with some high scores and weary bodies at the end of the day. Bill Sparks held off the young guns again for the Expert win and Carl Muller had the best ride of the day on the Advanced classes.
-Don Doerksen
CPTA February Trial:
Riders enjoyed remarkable spring like conditions at our February Trial. Warm, dry weather helped riders in the Junior and Intermediate classes navigate a very technical course with many longer sections. Juniors and Intermediate courses were shortened to two loops as most riders were challenged to keep on schedule. Sportsman riders completed three loops of the 12 sections. Thanks to Alex Walton, Brent Anctil and Brian Pegg for hosting this event. Results are posted on the results page.
New Year 2015:
2015 has arrived and there is lots of activity at the club as we enjoy warm temperatures for January. Is it just me or is trials becoming more popular? It seems like new riders and bikes showing up on a regular basis and demand for used bikes is very high and short supply. New Betas should be arriving soon and that might result in some good used bikes coming up for sale.
I am surprised to see so many new brands appearing. Jotagas, Vertigo and TRS are three I have heard about and teaser pictures look exciting. It will be great to see some of these new offerings in real life. Scorpa has a totally revamped lineup for 2015 which looks very promising and the perennial favourites, GAS GAS, Beta, Sherco, Ossa and Honda all have solid products making the choice for riders difficult as no one brand seems to have a big edge on the others. It is interesting to see Honda appearing to move Montesa out of the picture leaving one to wonder the fate of Montesa. Will the brand just disappear? All said and done, trials enthusiasts have more great choices than ever and it seems that you can’t go wrong with any of the fine bikes currently offered.
The gate key will be changed the day of our first event, February 15th. Make sure you update your membership and pick up your new key so you are not left to park out on the street. Speaking of parking lots, please remember to close and lock the gate when coming and going (except on event dates). Nobody should be parking in the lot if they don’t have a key unless it is an event day or they are the guest of one of our members. With all the unattended vehicles parked there we also want to discourage random visitors and it can become a problem if a non-member gets locked in.