Because I'm an ornery bastard, I have decided to give John White (the 2011 Hoka Hey Challenge maestro and owner of Crazy Horse Motorcycles and American Piledriving Equipment) a little competition for the Harley-Davidson and Victory crowd.

Doug Graves, Camas, WA and I are going to put on a Super Challenge in June 2012. It will have very simple rules and they will be enforced uniformly.

The Super Challenge will start from Key West, Florida and end in Fairbanks, Alaska.

There will be optional waypoints worth points and mandatory checkpoints along the way. The maximum points route will be at least 8,000 miles.

SPOT 2 satellite tracking devices may be required (we haven't decided yet). The Super Challenge will be limited to 500 riders. The entrance fee will probably be $1,500. The first place finisher shall receive a cash prize equal to 30% rider entrance fees. Second place 20% and third place 10%.

One key benefit of our proposed escrow account is that entrants would be guaranteed a 98% refund if we don't sign up enough riders to make the event financially feasible. An escrow account set up at a major national bank would likely charge a 2% administrative fee, which is why 98% instead of 100%.

Questions:

1. Do we use SPOT to prove the rider's ride?

2. Do we use SPOT to disqualify speeders? If so, how many mph over "posted" disqualifies someone?

3. Remember that the target audience are probably not 2009 Iron Butt Rally ("IBR") winner, Jim Owens, level route planners. Do we furnish "turn-by-turn" Poker Run type route directions?

4. Do we prohibit GPS? A rider with a GPS who really knows how to use it will have the advantage over an equal rider w/o GPS.

5. What about outside help? As the IBR knows ... this one is impossible to enforce because of Kinko's fax machines and cell phones. This kind of cheating probably still goes on, but not by many.

6. By having the riders send their entry fees directly to a legally established escrow account at a major national bank such as US Bank or Wells Fargo, all negative speculation about our legitimacy should be put to rest.

7. The actual escrow withdrawal rules would be published before any rider applications are solicited.

 

That would be a challenge I would love to except but with 2 kids and a job it would be impossible to get away that long at this point in my life!

 

Quite the challenge...Hoka Hey not good enough? You're gonna step on the toes of an established challenge to create your own? Seems to be in poor judgment from this side of the pond.

**Edit, where the eff is Hyder, Alaska? I've been to Alaska many times, never heard of "Hyder", can't find it on the map either.

 

1. have you been following the unorganized mess that the Hoka Hey turned out to be?

2. Google Hyder, Alaska and then Google Hyder Seek.

 

1) Why limit interstate miles? there are none that go directly from point a to point b, there would be tons of out of route miles if one traveled solely on interstate (truck drivers don't even travel solely interstate due to the mileage)
2) why not offer more prizes, say first, most miles traveled, and shortest distance traveled (with completion)
3) why not get some sponsors and lower the entry fee
4) Why even have checkpoints if the riders route is going to be GPS traceable

 

Considering you'll be taking in 300k maybe, you should offer quite a bit more in the prize department, along with substantial participant benefits.

 

Answers:

1. I grant you that unrestricted running of Interstates would not make the Super Challenge a boring ALL Interstate ride, but significantly limiting the use of Interstate highways makes the ride much more scenic and FUN in my opinion.

2. and 3. We will offer more prizes, but we have to line up at least one major Sponsor and that is hard to do until we can prove the level of interest from the Harley-Davidson and Victory community.

4. They are not checkpoints, they are waypoints. There will be two check points: Awaga Rock and Squamish Chief.

 

So....having the final destination almost as far south as you can get to and still claim a Key West to Alaska is good for you? Here's a more original idea: bottom of the Baja Peninsula to Maine. Should be more roads that are not interstates available.

I'm still not understanding why anyone would set up a challenge very similar to an established run.

 

This doesn't sound "established".
http://homertribune.com/2010/07/hoka...y-controversy/

 

SPOT 2 tracking devices will cost $20,000 wholesale including insured UPS Ground delivery to the riders.

Start and Finish Banquets will cost $15,000 including meeting rooms rental.

Event Liability Insurance will cost at least $10,000.

Graphic design, artwork, printing, advertising, high quality leather Super Challenge motorcycle jackets (or whatever similar first class apparel we decide to provide), posters, banners, tents, staff vehicle rentals, staff airfares, staff motel bills, staff meals on the road, etc. to plan, organize and promote the Super Challenge will cost an estimated $100,000 and that does not include any salary or wages for the two organizers or compensation for any non-volunteer staff that we need to make this event come off without the array of problems that plague the Hoka Hey.

Allow us two retired organizers, $40,000 salary each for much more work than you might imagine plus statutory payroll taxes and insurance and there goes another $100,000 in legitimate expenses.

Now, throw in the cost of the motorcycle and accessories being awarded at our cost at approx. $25,000, unless we get very lucky, and we have approx. $260,000 in IRS auditable expenses that would pass muster by any CPA.

That leaves us needing 174 paid riders to break even. If we get 200 riders, we theoretically will make a $40,000 before tax profit. What do you think the odds of that are considering all of the unknown unknowns that are certain to pop up?