I have posted the MGK blog on my Fine Art side of my website because for some reason my hash tags aren’t working on my moto side. Please click here and you will be redirected. Thanks!!
MotoGymKhana debuts in Canada
MotoGymKhana debuts in Canada
On July 15, 2012 Honda Canada kicked off an exciting new motorcycle venue jumping on board what the Europeans and Japanese have already figured out – that MotoGymKhana is both a fun and competitive skill based event. Welcome MGK to Canada.
For the uninitiated MGK is described by Wikipedia as an event consisting of speed pattern racing where the rider follows a new course ‘layout’, reacting by driving the bike into turns, braking, and accelerating in a closed loop. The goal is simply to complete the course in the fastest time with the fewest errors.
Honda Canada recognised the skill needed to pilot a motorcycle through an MGK layout. Together with Honda’s spiffy new CBR 250R’s and 125R’s, head Instructor Yoshi Nakatani and partner Vicki Gray began teaching eager students how to successfully compete in today’s event by giving them the necessary skills and practice time before the competition.
Our instructors are passionate about motorcycling and between them have quite an impressive CV. Yoshi is recognised by JAGE (Japan Moto-Gymkhana Association) and has the distinct honour to introduce this sport to Canada and the USA while Vicki has ripped it up on the road racing scene having competed at the World Cup level. She is also the person behind one of the most complete international motorycle online magazines for the ladies ‘Motoress‘. Pretty cool, huh?
Keep your ears and eyes open as MGK is just debuting and I am certain more training and competitive events will follow. For more information regarding MGK please visit my previous blog titled MGK on a CBF1000: http://www.cecilegambin.com/wp/page/3/.
Algonquin
Looking for photos of the Algonquin 2 Day ride? Please click HERE. You will be redirected to my Moto blog and from there you will find the link to both the Saturday and Sunday albums. And, while you’re on my blog … it’s a photo essay so not a lot of words but lots of pictures. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Thanks for looking.
Cecile
Algonquin 2 Day: 26 years in the making.
To view all Saturday and Sunday photos please click HERE. Note: not all photos have been uploaded. Please email if you need help finding yourself. And don’t forget to include a description of your bike, clothing or some other easily identifiable piece.
Twenty-six years ago the Algonquin 2 Day ride began it’s debut as an enduro. Over the years it has evolved into a well established 2 day ride earning a reputation as a ride not to miss. Settled in and around the Madawaska area, just east of Algonquin Park, the ride has the ability to take the most seasoned and skilled rider and reduce them to rubble. And, if you are lucky to survive the 2 days you have earned the right to brag and say ‘I have survived’.
Notorious for mud bogs, rocky uphills, water crossings, river crossings, beaver dams, bear and moose sightings, drowned bikes, mechanical failures, deer flies, long arduous mud infested climbs, and ‘hissy fits’ for the weak – the Algonquin 2 day ride will undoubtedly make you into a better rider…or, at the very least…a better field mechanic.
Not only is the Algonquin a must do event – it’s one of those rides that make life long friendships as people team up to help each other in difficult terrain. Thanks to Paul and Kirk Holden, and the numerous volunteers for hosting this years event. Not only were the trails a blast to ride, the apres-ride activities, bbq’s, river dipping and good times with friends make for an unforgettable ride.
**To view all Saturday and Sunday photos please click HERE and please note tjat not all photos have been uploaded (there are lots). Please email if you need help finding yourself. And don’t forget to include a description of your bike, clothing or some other easily identifiable piece to help me find you easilier.
2 Day Algonquin
Heading out this Friday for the 2 Day Algonquin. I have been a participant numerous times, a pre-rider, led a children’s ride and even a women’s ride. I even had a ‘hissyfit’ (just ask my husband David) one year as my new bike was being pounded and I put yet another new dent in the pipe.
This year though I will be returning to the 2 day Algonquin not as one of the above but as a photographer. Which will be both fun and challenging at the same time. I must remember to bring my ‘bear bell’ as I am sure one is going to find his way near me as I sit silently in the bush waiting for riders. Or, perhaps a moose. That actually happened once…where a young bull moose jumped out of the woods right in front of me on the trail. Scared the beezebies out of me. Dang thing wouldn’t move out of the way either. It just kept galloping down the road for about 1 km not at scared by my Gas Gas 200 TXT trials bike. I guess I really did not look that intimidating.
I am hoping to capture the beauty of this ride and why it is both popular and difficult. When people decide to skip races to attend this event it tells you something. My goal is to create images that are compelling and able to bring a story to the table because that’s exactly what I am out for this weekend…material for my photographic book.
So, if you need to get a hold of me…I will be back late Sunday night. I will not have internet access, or email for that matter as I am on the ‘down-low’ plan.
Cecile
Summer Art Shows
Been busy with kids, and taking pictures of moto events on most weekends. However, this does not mean that I have been ignoring my fine art side. I have just finished showing six of my pieces at a Toronto Library Location for the month of May. This is the same show that I will be exhibiting at the Ojibway this August. I will be continuing with landscape from the Georgian Bay area in and around our cottage on Pointe-au-Baril, and presenting the photos as a digital painting. Thus, building on my success from last years show.
I am hoping to be able to go to the cottage more often once school is finished. That will also give me more time to take some more pictures to allow me to work on pieces for next years show. Yes…I start looking at least one year in advance for suitable landscape and opportunities.
Thanks for reading and hope to see you at the Ojibway.
RJ’s – Offroad Ontario XC #3 2012
Offroad Ontario’s cross-country #3 is officially in the bag and it will be remembered either as a nightmare or a dream. For myself and for a select few others it was a dream. But for many, the mud proved relentless and challenging and even created a ‘horror’ show for a few.
The morning began with the mini-class winding their way through trails, MX track and wide open roads with spectacular traction. After the start of the race, I immediately hit the first set of pine trees which eventually lead the riders into RJ’s intricate network of trails. I knew the riders went through this area as I remember that from having raced several times here a few years ago. Where ever I looked I found beauty created by the early morning rain as leaves, needles and forest floor glowed with saturated greens and browns.
No sooner had the mini race finished the morning class took the reigns as two-strokes buzzed and four-strokes thumped their way through the loop. Instead of walking back to the start I decided to continue my trek along the race course and settled upon a beautiful open grassy area. The riders would be tackling a steep, short uphill, bursting onto a field of green, and descend just as quickly and back into the darkness of the trail as they had come up.
Partway through the race the skies opened and rained. First a drizzle and finally a steady downpour leaving heavy droplets. As Ted Dirstein, Masters class, aptly put it ‘I wasn’t sure if someone had thrown some WD-40 on the course it was so slick’. Lucky for me, I was somewhat sheltered underneath a canopy of trees but decided to leave my flash in my camera bag. I knew my D3S would handle some rain but still I covered it under my rain jacket…just in case. My husband would really not be impressed with me ruining yet another camera (Nikon D80, D90 – poor souls they had no chance).
By the end of the morning the rain had stopped and replaced with thick gooey mud. And then, just like that the sun came out just in time for the afternoon race. The mud became tacky and did not shed from the tires easily. A deep groove had already been created in a marshy area of the course by the morning class. This is where I decided to set up for the afternoon race. I certainly did not want to miss any entertainment and action that would be provided in the first two laps of the race.
Some tackled the area with ease…ok…only Josh Long did while the others hit the tree before the mud and paddled their way through the deep rut. Some fell, some got stuck and others swerved left and right in a controlled fashion.
As always it was a pleasure being back at the races and meeting people I had not seen in a while. Thank you to the numerous volunteers, OCMC, RJ’s and Ontario Offroad for a great race. Too see more pictures of all classes please click here.
SCORRA Ladies Training Day 2012
Judging from the amount of comments received and smiles seen I would say that the 2012 Ladies Training Day was a success. This marks my third year, along with Allision Grummet, Jaime Kowitz, and Tammie Wilson as instructors teaching an all-women offroad clinic. Also joining us was Megan Grummet – Allisons younger sister. The clinic was held on private property north west of Barrie and although the skies threatened to open up and rear its ugly head it never did.
At the sound of the car horn the riders meeting began (more or less) at 9:30 am. Greeting the instructors were about 30 women ready to learn and ride which frankly amazed us because of the torrential downpour the day before and the bleak cool overcast day ahead of us. I told them the rain was a blessing in disguise because the ability to control the bike in slippery conditionis would become of paramount importance. Plus, the soft ground would be quite ideal should an occasional, or accidental, dismount occur. This, essentially, would be a perfect day for learning. Todd had been working hard all week shaping the long grass into figure 8’s, and several long open straight-aways for us to practice on. He even created a large area and combed the grass for hidden rocks. Clearly, this is a man wanting more women on bikes. Super cool! So, we were not going to disappoint him by not wanting to ride and get dirty.
Taking into consideration the wet trails I readjusted the days lesson plans to include lots of braking and throttle work. Back to the basics – fundamentals skills – without them we do not advance, nor look very graceful. Allison and Megan took the beginner group while Jamie, Tammie and myself tackled the intermediate and advance class. We divided the ladies into three groups of 4-5 people, taught the skills and practiced each drill for about 20 or so minutes. After which, the groups rotated in a clockwise direction thus allowing each group to have a different instructor teaching a different skill. Morning skills for all groups consisted of braking, clutch, body position, throttle control, and gearing with each skill becoming progressively harder as the experience of the rider necessitated.
Lunch was cooked by SCORRA members Don Moore and his assistant chef, and consisted of hamburgers, sausages, fresh condiments, watermelon, fruit and cookies (I know Vanessa liked the cookies because her and I were scarfing them down at the end of the day). We also had a few draw prizes after lunch. As previously posted a few ‘blogs’ back I had created an ‘Ontario Women’ series of posters that would allow me to donate profits to help increase the number of women offroad riders. The sales from the Jamie and Melanie posters permitted me to buy a gift certificate from Mission Cycle and congratulations are extended to Kim Carrigan – the recipient of the gift certificate.
After lunch, we gave the ladies a choice of either heading out to a guided trail ride, stopping along the way for instruction as needed. Or, to stay behind and learn more advanced skills and continue to practice. To my amazement again more women stayed behind and were keen on learning advanced skills such as wheelies, stoppies, and jumping.
The day ended around 4pm. Lots were tired but still had the energy for plenty of smiles. Which made us, the instructors, and Jen very happy. By the way best line of the day…I asked Todd if he had ever had this many women riding his MX track and he said ‘no’ with a smile. I am pretty sure I can safely say that the guys love seeing women ride!!
Thanks to Jen Cole for organising this wonderful event, the crew at SCORRA (Brad Obee, Don Moore, Chris Zanelli and many others), Todd and Angela, Mission Cycle and the instructors. It was a beautiful day, spent on an amazing piece of property with a ‘badass’ vista of Barrie’s escarpment, and the sweet sound of buzzing bikes and laughing people.
To see the entire album of photos please visit my gallery at: http://order.cecilegambin.com/riders. It was great meeting everyone and hopefully we will see you on the trails or at next years clinic.
Ladies Off-Road Clinic this Saturday
The fourth annual Ladies Off-Road Clinic put on by our friendly folks at SCORRA is being held this Saturday, June 2 north/west of Barrie. Jen Cole starting prepping for this years clinic late 2011 securing dates for the one day show. This will be my third year as head instructor and as always I am looking forward to teach and show the ladies how fun, and challenging (well I think they know that) it is to ride off-road.
Our clinic features hardcore instructors who know how to ride. Back again are:
Allison Grummet – no stranger to motorised bikes and probably had a bike before a tricycle. I recently saw Allison competiting at a MotoGymKhana event with the guys and she kicked butt.
Jamie Kowitz – Do not let her long blonde locks fool you. Jamie is an experienced Ontario woods, as well as Nevada and Baja rider extraordinaire – need I say more?
Tammie Wilson – Tammie is just one of those naturally gifted athletic people. Her and I go back a few years racing Hare Scrambles. It was generally a fight to the end!
Melanie Dennie – Unfortunately, Melanie will not be with us this year as she will have had ACL reconstruction surgery the day before. That is the price you pay for having some fun on the ice with studded tires. Probably did not help that is was night time when it happened. Melanie is one hardcore rider who is actively involved with all levels of our sport. Quick recovery Melanie and see you on the trails in no time.
As in the past, the clinic will run from morning right into the afternoon with a break for lunch. The best part…the guys make lunch for us. Oh and don’t forget guys…a steamy hot face cloth to clean our pretty faces before digging into our lunches would be a very nice, and most welcome, touch 🙂
So far, over 30 women of all ages have registered. There are programs for every skill level. Beginners no need to worry and advanced riders you are going to have loads of fun on the newly designed course. SCORRA was able to secure the help of a very generous land owner who is currently building a ‘track’ to our specifications. There will be a large flat area – perfect for beginners with lots of room so if you choose to lose control over your bike no worries…you won’t hit anybody or anything. Berms, ruts, a do-able table top and double jumps, logs, trails, and more all at our disposal.
What is more…at the end of the day there will be a random draw for a Mission Cycle gift certificate. I have been busy selling my ‘Ontario Women’ series posters featuring Jamie and Melanie as my too hot models. All profits from poster sales are going towards the purchase of a gift certificate. Simply, the more posters I sell the more gift certificates I can buy and the more names can be drawn out of a hat. And this is where you can help.
I decided to introduce the ‘Ontario Women’ series at this years clinic in an effort to help introduce more women into our sport. Wouldn’t it be cool to have more women riders out there? No more borrowing your BFF or your husbands gear. Time to get your own, look good and have proper fitting equipment. And, if your name gets drawn it’ll be free for you.
Spread the word. Buy a poster and support a woman(s) rider. Posters are 12 x 18 ” and printed on thick (12 pt) card stock, glossy and full colour. I purposely designed these posters to enhance the inside of your trailer, garage or house. Price = $20.00. Email me to reserve one. There are only 30 in print of each model.
Thanks for your help!
Cecile
Rippin’ & Stylin’ in Grand Bend
You can hear them, smell them and see them. Old bikes are back and becoming increasingly popular on the MX track and on the trail for a variety of reasons. They will not replace the newer bikes and cannot compete at the same level. But, it would be a mistake to dismiss their competiveness and killer good looks.
On the other end of the spectrum are the modern bikes with spiffy suspension, and spot-on braking. Not only are these bikes super fast they can pack a punch so hard you wouldn’t even have time to duck. It is always a treat to see these bad boys flying gracefully through the air and throwing a ten foot roost.
This past weekend I travelled to Grand Bend not far from the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Huron. It was a welcomed day shooting motorcross and definetely something I can easily get used to. No fancy flash setups, no tripods, no loosely detailed trail maps and no poison ivy. From a photography point of view it was a dream. It was easier than shooting enduros. So I thought. Turns out the Grand Bend track did have its quirks and finding good angles with clean backgrounds and good lighting was not as easy I had thought. I had to work the track and by late morning I started to figure things out. At the end of the day I was happy with my photos and got all giddy as I managed to get a few sweet keepers.
Although the bigger bikes rocked the track the 85cc class was the clear winner IMO. Mind boggling how these tweens can pin it with no regard for their safety. Love the courage, determination, competitiveness, big ‘cojones’ and ‘heuvos’ all rolled into one. They make tail whips look easy. Dang it. I wish I could do that.
The picture below has got to be one of my favourites. This is Edward Sexsmith – not only does he have a cool last name he just looks plain good on his bike and he rocks it with the yellow T on his Suzuki RM125. I think perhaps why I am drawn to this photo the most is because it reminds me of the ‘fore fathers’ of mountain biking: Gary Fisher, Jo Breeze and Tom Ritchey to name a few. Sexsmith’s stance, work boots, and laid back style are reminiscent of the 80’s era where nylon and spandex were non-existent and mountain biking in Marin County, California was almost an underground culture. You rode what you had and you wore what was on your back that day. No fancy bikes…just good fun with friends on countless backcountry trails.
By the end of the day the dust was relentless but I thanked the dry conditions and wind because I saw art. I happily took pictures despite my gritty teeth. To see my photo album please click on Gallery. There are two albums to choose from: CMX regular classes and Vintage/Heritage Class. Thanks to CMX, Sasquatch Vintage Racing and all the riders ripping it out on the track. It was a great day.