The Vintage Moto Cross scene appears to be popular in Alberta, and Walter Cukavac is quite involved. He sent me this pic of a a high flying Suzuki at Calgary last weekend. ( don’t know who the rider is)
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The article below was recently featured in the local Shuswap paper, and sent to us by Celine Zanders, - Mum of Christian, - and a great helper/enthusiast at the Shuswap Trials events. - I remember chatting to the local reporter at the Outlaw Trial just before the Covid thing shut everything down. - Nice to see our sport and young Christian get some recognition.
By Sionna McTavish
Christian Zanders, a local resident and trials rider,
began dirt biking at the age of 6. When he was 11 years old,
Christian watched the annual Outlaw Trials in Scotch Creek
with his family and saw his sister’s friend compete at the
event organized since 1986 by Motorcycle Hall of Fame
inductee Dave Rhodes. Christian was so fascinated and
excited by the sport
that he exchanged
his dirt bike for a
trials bike within
a year, and began
learning to trial
ride, because he
said “ever since
then, I’ve been in
love with it.”
Motorcycle
trials, or referenced
in abbreviated form
as ‘trials biking’,
is a sport well-
known in Scotland
– where it is said to
originate – and the
United Kingdom,
while continuing to
rise in popularity
world-wide. Unlike
motocross or dirt
bike racing, the focus of trials is not on speed but rather
agility, balance, and machine control – skills that enable
the rider to navigate and overcome natural or man-made
obstacles without their feet touching the ground. No seat,
an elongated U-shaped frame, wide underinflated tires; all
are the primary distinguishing features of a modern trials
motor bike.
When Christian started trials, “I rode by myself a
lot” he explained, and had immeasurable help from Dave
Rhodes, local Riders, and Ross Rathbone of the North
Shuswap, who has trials courses set up on his property
and a “huge tent” that serves as an indoor riding arena for
winter training, said Christian.
Now at 15 years of age, Christian has experience com-
peting in the local Outlaw Trials each year that draw riders
from across British Columbia and Alberta. A “family feel”
reverberates at Outlaw Trials because everyone “helps” and
“cheers” for one another.
Christian has attended a trials event in Ioco – an area
of Port Moody, and described trials terrain on the Coast as
mostly “wet and rocky”, compared to the drier conditions
he is accustomed to in the Shuswap – a good opportunity to
expand his capabilities and technique repertoire. As well,
Christian is currently on his way to Edmonton for the Ride
the Vibe bike show, where he will perform dirt bike stunts.
Rathbone designs trial courses with sections marked by
flagging tape and coloured arrows, a route for each ability.
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A cloudy morning !!! what a relief - but likely won’t stay that way for long - the heat has been almost unbearable for us old timers in the Valley, and now of course we have the Forest Fires to worry about. - Hopefully the Apex Mountain resort will survive - brought back memories of when we put on a Trials display there, at the “Hog” Rally a number of years ago - We loaded a trailer with a big bunch of obstacles and Luke drove it down - Stan was in from the coast, plus Krash, Barry and others. - The Hog Riders really appreciated the show s they sat on the porch of the lodge supping their beer. - Good times for sure and I know I have pics somewhere .
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There will always be debates about which gets the best traction - 2 or 4 stroke.
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