What is the GS Trophy?
I
t’s an adventure competition, specifically for
amateur riders from around the world, taking
place in a ‘wilderness’ setting. Teams are either
nationally or regionally identified. So you get
Team USA, say, and Team Middle East – you get
the idea. Each team comprises three competitors
and an embedded journalist. The riders gain their
places on the team through qualifiers organised
by their local BMW importer/distributor.
There are no gender restrictions, but as female
competitors have struggled to qualify through
the usual channels there are two all-female teams
that are made up from an international female-
only qualifier. This is not to say the women are of a
lower standard, for instance Stephanie Bouisson,
who rode in the 2016 event, was a powerhouse
rider who was probably in the top 10% of rider
ability overall at that edition.
The International GS Trophy has taken place
every two years since 2008 and the locations to
date have been: Tunisia, South Africa, Argentina/
Chile, Canada, Thailand, Mongolia and now New
Zealand.
The riders follow a pre-scouted route that
combines road and trail. Along the way they are
challenged in special tests – typically two or three
day – which can be riding tests or practical tests,
typically team based. The teams ride the days
paired – so that’s eight riders together – and are
led my a marshal who’s following a GPS plot and
is there to stop wayward riding; he/she knows the
route and the time it’ll take each day, so will pace
the riders accordingly. Speed is not a factor, ‘it’s
not a race’ as BMW says.
By the way, the event is an all expenses paid
experience for the competitors. They will have
paid to enter their qualifiers, but having won their
places in the final all costs are covered, they are
supplied most of their riding kit (helmets and
boots excepting) and are even supplied with
casual wear for when not riding. The brand new
bikes – a fleet of identical F850GSs for NZ – are
owned by BMW, slightly kitted-up for the job.
This year saw 22 teams – it would have been 23
but Team China had to stay away for obvious
reasons – and the route across the two islands
took them 2400km.
It is a competition; the winners (plus second and
third teams) get trophies. But that’s it, no free bikes,
alas. But the competition is increasingly a secondary
aspect, as so many participants have said over the
years, for all ‘it’s a ride of a lifetime’.
KIWI RIDER 25