The controversial Hoka Hey Challenge is returning again this August, but it won’t visit Canada this time around, according to an update on Cyril Huze’s blog.
The rally ran in 2010 and 2011; both times, participants criss-crossed the U.S. on a tight time schedule aboard Harley-Davidsons, ending their journey in Nova Scotia in 2011 (they traveled through Western Canada in 2010). The frontline finishers were promised a very substantial cash prize.
Critics called the rally an illegal road race, and howled even louder when all the top 12 finishers were disqualified last year – there were some pretty serious accusations being thrown around. You can read all about it here.
There was a lot of doubt as to whether there would be a 2012 edition, but organizers have put together a rally again this summer; it’s much shorter this time around, covering 6,000 miles from Las Vegas to Irving, New York. Harley-Davidson has dropped their sponsorship, so now entrants can ride any American brand they choose (Victory and Indian are now welcome, and theoretically, Buells).
Supposedly, they’ve also dropped the GPS and lie detector tests, and the winner’s purse will be based on the number of entry fees. That, of course, depends on whether or not anyone enters, after the shady rumours surrounding the race the last couple years (as well as fatalities), and Huze says nobody received any prize money last year anyway – if that’s the case again this year, organizers could promise whatever they want.
doesn’t “hoka hey” mean “a good time to die”? if so, it would be nice if the hoka hey challenge went hoka hey on itself.
The 2010 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge covered over 8,500 miles (13,700 km). It began in Key West, Florida on June 20 and ended in Homer, Alaska on July 4, 2010.. That’s only about 5000 miles from Nova Scotia.
Right, they went through B.C. I knew they went to Canada both years, forgot about the B.C leg. Will fix.
2010 AND 2010? amazing. Did they use time travel?