GS Trophy - Qualifying round

Daniel says that on Tuesday there were only 5 openings left.  So far, those from our club that I know of going, are myself, Daniel and Wayne Sheppard.

It is going to be a blast!

This is to advise all you up and comming "semi" good riders that this is your last chance to take advantage of this wonderful oportunity as I, the legend, the one and only Rusty, who seeks the eye of the adventure will............................... drum roll, yes??? Be out of South Africa at that time with my family in Mozambique. But one thing is for sure I will put everything aside next year................ Na chafffs guys, just teasing. For those of you that compete I will be doing everything in my power to see that you guys have a successful competition. Yours in big bike adventure riding, Rusty.

Rusty would like to wish everyone attending a fantastic event. Go Cape Go..............

Looks like your luck has run out Rusty, you might have to compete. The qualifying round has been moved to the 12-15 August. See the e-mail I got below.

Dear All,

Due to World cup commitments, suppliers are unable to accommodate the dates 1 - 4 July for the GS Trophy qualifying, to host yet another top class event.  The new date is confirmed as 12 – 15 August .  Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused.  All the relevant information and documents online will be updated today.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have more questions, we hope that this date will be suitable.  We are looking forward to welcome you at Konka.  Kindly confirm receipt of this email.

Kind regards,

Fran Blofield-Van Dijk

BMW Rider Academy Co-ordinater

BMW Motorrad South Africa

Tel:  (012) 374-5414

Fax:  (012) 374-5415

Rusty, I would rather have your company and have to beat you in competition, than enjoy a hollow victory without you around

I was using the GS Trophy as a buildup to the dirtbike fundamentals course - now I will be using the course as buildup to the qualifier.

Damn - now my TKC 80s have been fitted too soon... on the upside, with an extra 6 weeks to get fit and build skill, I will be ready.  Daniel, how about we arrange some weekend riding at your place sometime where we can ride gates and cones?  I know that the event will require:

• a 10m ride along the flat of a buried split telephone pole,
• a sequence of gates similar to the ones we had at NC 2009
• cones
• possibly a balance see-saw.

Mr. Badger is at Atlantic this weekend - new diff bearing and bits.  I really should take it more easy ramping cattle grids two-up with full pack.  Julie says "I told you so"...

Apparently the closing date has been extended to Friday 16th July.  That seems to indicate that there are still a few slots left.  As far as I know, the following from our side are entered:

• Daniel Nelson
• Clayton Laue
• Wayne Sheppard
• Charles Oertel

Who else?

Want to enter, do it here: http://www.gstrophy.co.za/

So far, my plan appears to be this:

• ride to JHB over Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th August, possibly via back-roads but not excessively
• stay with my folks in JHB for Wednesday, and wash kit etc.
• ride through to Konka on Thursday for the GS Trophy.
• ride home on Sunday and Monday.

Who else is going and how are you getting there?

Congratulations to Wayne Sheppard for coming 5th overall!!! You kicked ass!! WELL DONE!!!

Well done Booitje. Have a safe ride back home.

Got back this afternoon.  What a blast!  Imagine spending 3 days with like-minded people on an adventure-camp, of which only one afternoon was spent riding, and one afternoon watching the finalists.  We did orienteering (in the veld with wild zebra and hartebees running between us), obstacle courses, bike mechanics, high-wire ropework, team-building exercises and fitness tests.  Then a skills challenge.  It was the best holiday ever!  We all learned a lot and loved every minute.  A trip report with photos will follow when I get caught up with everything else.

In the overall standings, we had:

• 5th: Wayne Sheppard - who competed in the finals with 10 others for the team positions
• 17th: me
• 18th: Daniel Nelson
• 20th: Clayton Laue

These positions are on overall scores in all the modules/tasks.  They do not reflect riding prowess - I rode like an idiot and did really badly in the riding skills.

The team that was chosen is a young and very skilled one:

The SA GS Trophy Team: Roger Kane-Berman, Gerber Strydom and Warren Strong

• Gerber Strydom - Country Trax instructor and son of Gerhard who instructed me on the Advanced Course
• Warren Strong - a very popular rider and friend and training buddy of Gerber
• Roger Kane-Berman - friends with the other two and a top and popular competitor

The prize for these winners includes:

• A full fitness training program from Planet Fitness
• A full supply of TKC 80s from Continental for training
• Riding skills training from BMW Rider Academy
• GPS/Navigation training
• Entry to the GS Trophy 2010 International event

Awesome hey?

The plan is to make this event annual (not the international event, just the SA selection event), and I suspect it will need some form of pre-qualification, because it is so awesome that it will be oversubscribed.

To the team selected , as well as to the team from BMWCC that took part and did so well, you make us proud, regards H

In my feedback comment two comments up I added a picture of the SA GS Trophy team.

Must have been just awsome to take part in the event itself.

Congrats all of you , well done , must have been wonderful to be there and take part

Well done to the CT boys and thanks to you guys for the extra support in the final 10 made it a bit easier knowing I had you at my back. Glad to see you home safe and sound Charles how was the ride back?

The ride back was smooth apart from one disaster.  Did some dirt from Konka to Ventersdorp, then pomped tyres and hit the N12 down to Three Sisters where I overnighted (about 900km).  Then straight down the N1 on Monday in about 5 hours.

The disaster was arriving in Strydenburg with an empty tank, and discovering that my wallet had fallen out my pocket somewhere in the last 260km.  And the owner of the garage would not let Julie give her a credit card number or internet transfer in payment for some petrol. I had lost all means of payment and a wad of cash, not to mention the other stuff that lives in your wallet.

During the to-and-fro'ing a truck driver phoned Julie to say he had seen the wallet fall out my pocket and picked it up, and Julie told him where I was stranded.  So I got the wallet back and rewarded the driver handsomely for saving me untold hassle and expense.  He was visibly pleased, as was I.

Wayne, I reckon you were very very close to making the team.  If the cookie had crumbled a bit differently you would have made it.

The SA GS Trophy Team: Roger Kane-Berman, Gerber Strydom and Warren Strong

• Gerber Strydom - Country Trax instructor and son of Gerhard who instructed me on the Advanced Course
• Warren Strong - a very popular rider and friend and training buddy of Gerber
• Roger Kane-Berman - friends with the other two and a top and popular competitor

Reading between the lines it looks like a pre selected team going to go and represent ZA, pity, politicks don’t ever leave us alone. Use to be WP as a brother in Jail now its BMW. You know about him but, Shhh don’t talk about him. ;-(

WP. good you kicked but, proud of you!!!

PS: Wayne, Charles, Daniel and Clayton wish I was there, I like competition, like it to be fair though!!! Want to do this as a Cape event

Well done to all the guys, magic!!!

Well Charles if your mishap does not give you faith in your fellow man nothing will, there are so many GOOD people out there. Pleased all worked out for you.

Rony, if we start calling foul every time anything does not go our way we will never enter anything.  I think it may look rigged, but most likely this is what happened:

• Gerber and Warren (and possibly Roger with them) realised they were in with a pretty good chance, and both wanted to be in the team together.
• So they trained really hard, and roped in Gerhard and others to help them.
• Having a training buddy helped them spur each other on and work really hard.
• As a result, they were able to win fair and square.

I don't think most of us trained even half as hard as those guys, and even if we did, we probably are just not as good as they are all round.

I know Roger from GAGSC 2007 - He won the skill challenge. I have seen hime ride and believe me, he knows how to handle a GSA!

Charles, we recently had a simular experience with JAcques Germishuys loosing his camera somewhere between Eselbank en river in Biedouw valley. Two days later a guy phones him who went through all the trouble to go through the photo's, phone the Traffic Dept with his reg. number ID's from a photo, and delivered it to him S/West! Unbelieveable! The camera was not insured and JAcques is still smiling! (R+30000) - And this from a part of the population that we are made to believe to least expect this! (Please accept my apologies if I am political "not-correct")

The lady at the garage asked me if the driver who returned my wallet was black or white (he was both!), and commented that it just goes to show that there are still some good people in the world.  I bit my tongue but wanted to say that actually almost everybody is good, and you are likely to get what you expect.

I didn't really get to see Roger ride, apart from the final where he rode really well until right at the end when things fell apart a bit.  But the way the course was partitioned, it is better to make all your mistakes really badly in one sector, than to make small mistakes throughout the course.

I've posted my photo album up on Facebook.  Click this link to see it.  I am still planning a trip report, but it will take a while.

Looks great Charles. Geez but that marshall moves fast! (Where the dude with the yellow bike decided to exit the swingarmjobbie.) I notice that most guys wore body armour suits (or whatever it's called). Could you give a bit of advice on where to buy something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

The course was divided into sections.  After each section you could stop and rest, and a marshall would explain the next few obstacles to you, and answer any questions.  They were very concerned about safety, and were quick to respond to a problem or accident.  When I was about to start the section with the seesaw, the marshall asked me if I had ever ridden one before, and when I said 'no', he explained how one must approach it, and cautioned me to go past it if I was no properly aligned.

The body armour is cooler, lighter, more flexible and offers better protection than the padding in your normal touring jacket.  I took the padding out my jacket and wore it over my body armour for the travelling, and had an enduro shirt to wear during the event.

Got mine at TwoWheels Trading (Trevor at Northgate Island).

The full trip report is up in the trip reports section.  Click here.

Well done guys you did us proud.