BEHIND THE SCENES
couple of weeks before the CFMOTO
A Adventure Ride, I got a call to see if I would help the KR team prep’ the GPX route files and support riders getting set up with the Life360 tracking app. It was cool to be a part of the behind-the-scenes effort that helped the event run smoothly- a weekend that brought together great riding, good people, and a real sense of community. One of the standout parts of the weekend was the social vibe. The shared meal on Friday night set the tone, and Saturday morning’ s breakfast buzzed with energy as riders fuelled up and got themselves sorted for the day. The post-ride debriefs of shared stories and that Saturday night dinner were more than just meals— they really built a strong sense of connection across the group. I’ ve only been part of the adventure riding community for a year or so, this being my second Kiwi Rider-organised event, and I found the community building aspects of the event to be of really high value. The riding itself was top-notch. I teamed up with Scott and Matt for most of the day and really enjoyed the mix of terrain. We had a bit of a false start when Matt found his 990 battery to be dead. My powerbank starter didn’ t
immediately solve the problem with the 990’ s battery buried deep behind the bashplate, and it took Matt a bit to solve the problem and catch us up. I especially loved finally riding the tunnel sections I’ d been hearing about- and the new trails were a real treat. One of my favourite sections was chasing Matt through the early part of Pukemara Dirt World. Track conditions were perfect, and it was a fast, flowing blast, even though I couldn’ t keep up for long! Between the riding, the organisation, and the people, this event ticked every box. It reminded me that these kinds of weekends aren’ t just about bikes, they’ re about community, shared experience, and having a bloody good time. I’ ll be back. IAN GANDERTON
32 KIWI RIDER