Race from FL to AK

***Berserker*** · #1 07-05-2010

This ended couple nights ago. Race from FL to AK. Have to camp, no stimulants or speeding tickets. Dan is out.

They set the route I heard. I also heard, you had to have your pic taken with Indian chief on the way, and most riders didn't. Heard couple guys died, fell asleep. All hear say.

From Key West to Alaska, Hoka Hey race the ride of lifetime - Florida - MiamiHerald.com

***Stoney*** · #2 07-05-2010

There's a lot of talk that the whole thing's a scam........ look here....First Hoka Hey riders reach Homer; first to arrive not necessarily winner

and to think that one rider died, and many others injured for this.

***Berserker*** · #3 07-05-2010

I had heard they had to follow the rules, which some may not have, but from what I read in your link, the routes may not be real.

As far as injuries, they got in the race, but if there is no pot of gold at the end, thats not right either.

***PlanB*** · #4 07-06-2010

2 Hoka Hey riders hit Homer finish line simultaneously

(06/28/10 12:21:57)
Frank Kelly of Prosperity, S.C., and Will Barclay of Highland, Fla., reached the Homer Spit at 4:20 this morning to claim victory in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge after riding about 8,500 miles from Florida in a little over eight days. The pair had agreed after the last checkpoint in Fairbanks that for safety reasons they'd ride together, finish simultaneously and split the $500,000 pot. Whether they can officially do that remains to be determined by the race organizers, reports the Homer News.

Barclay told the News that fatigue made the 590-mile ride from Fairbanks grueling.

"We'd get 5 miles and stop," he said. "It was the longest trip ever."

Barclay said he had a brief fright just outside of Anchorage when an Alaska State Trooper pulled him over. One traffic ticket could mean disqualification.

"We drove slow, well, just because," Kelly said. "Better safe than sorry."

Troopers pulled him and Kelly over to check that they weren't fatigued and unsafe to ride. Assured the men were safe, the trooper let them continue. Both men seemed alert - if not excited - at the finish line.

Two Alaskans were injured in separate crashes on the first day of the race, and a Florida rider died in a crash in Wyoming on Saturday when, police say, he fell asleep on Interstate 25. About 500 riders started the race.

I FOUND THE COMMENTS INTERESTING AFTER THIS ARTICLE (SEE LINK BELOW):

2 Hoka Hey riders hit Homer finish line simultaneously: Alaska Newsreader | adn.com

***PlanB*** · #5 07-06-2010

Man on cross-continent race crashes in Alaska
MARATHON: Biker might have nodded off during 8,000-mile trip.

The Associated Press

(07/03/10 23:41:27)
FAIRBANKS -- Alaska State Troopers are investigating whether a Seattle man who collided with two Nenana bicyclists fell asleep during a grueling cross-country Harley-Davidson race.

Troopers said Vik Livingston, 53, collided with Andy Hutten, 50, and Karen Schaad, 22, on Wednesday on the Parks Highway about 50 miles outside of Fairbanks.

Hutten escaped the crash with a cut on his leg. Schaad suffered a chipped vertebra and a cracked pelvis. Both also had a lot of road rash

"I feel really, really lucky," Schaad said. "It could be much worse. I'm glad I can walk."

Livingston was on the last leg of an 8,000-mile motorcycle race billed as the Iditarod of Harley-Davidsons, starting in Key West, Fla., and ending in Homer.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the crash occurred on a spot on the highway that is a long straightaway.

Livingston wound up in Fairbanks Memorial Hospital with cracked ribs, a broken clavicle and a punctured lung. He said he swerved out of the way of a car that suddenly braked in front of him.

"All I can remember is I came around the car, and there were two bicyclists there," Livingston said by phone from his hospital bed. "I was thinking, 'What in the world are they doing out here?' "

But Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said there weren't any signs Livingston swerved or braked until after he hit the first cyclist, which is consistent with accidents in which drivers fall asleep.

"That's a possibility," Peters said. "We still need to conduct interviews. It's too soon to know what caused it and why."

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge has been marred with a rider's death, several accidents and accusations from participants that it is badly organized, the newspaper reported.

Nearly 800 participants started in Florida on June 20, and they must follow a specific course, down to exact streets, to be eligible for the grand prize, $500,000 in gold.

One man died participating in Wyoming after he evidently fell asleep while riding. At least six other crashes have been reported.

Some riders have said the race is impossible to finish with the required course. Participants paid $1,000 to enter.

The first two racers, Frank Kelly, of Prosperity, S.C., and Will Barclay, of Highland, Fla., arrived in a tie in Homer on Monday, finishing the 8,482-mile course in 190 hours.

About 200 riders have finished the race, said Doug Chambers, sales manager at the Farthest North Outpost, which served as the final checkpoint.

Man on cross-continent race crashes in Alaska: Motorsports | adn.com

Comment:

troutfishinggirl wrote on 07/04/2010 01:27:48 AM:
"All I can remember is I came around the car, and there were two bicyclists there," Livingston said by phone from his hospital bed. "I was thinking, 'What in the world are they doing out here?' "

Hmmmmm....biking maybe?

Recommend (1)

Allisaw2 wrote on 07/03/2010 11:25:26 PM:
Bicyclists Cause Crash on Parks Hwy.

Two bicyclists out in the middle of nowhere (50 miles south of Fairbanks) without proper lights or reflectors swerved into traffic traveling at 65mph or better causing an automobile to stop suddenly to avoid hitting them. A motorcycle behind that vehicle was forced off the road and was unable to stop before "clipping" both bicyclists.

I can outspin ADN reporting any day of the week. I don't need facts either, just like them. Just make crap up like they do.

Recommend (3)

Allisaw2 wrote on 07/03/2010 11:06:23 PM:
And as far as signs of breaking and swerving-give me a break Meagen Peters from the troopers-it is not a car, it is quite nimble and can make a hard turn without leaving a mark. Brakes on a motorbike are for slowing down a bit or emergency stops only-you don't touch them enough to leave a mark on the road in a maneuver like the rider is suggesting-that's something that a skilled rider maybe did once and never will do again. I'm not saying that's evidence he did not fall asleep and plow into a couple people on bicycles, on a 65mph highway, in the middle of nowhere, (by the way-what time of day was it?) but your lack of skid or swerve marks is to be expected in light of his side of the story.

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Allisaw2 wrote on 07/03/2010 10:50:21 PM:
If ADN numbers are accurate, 8400 miles in 190 hrs (8 days) would give you time for 8hrs sleep per day at an average speed of 62 mph for 16 hrs. That is a hard day on the most comfortable of motorbikes. Account for an hour or two for eating, setting up/breaking down camp getting gas going to the bathroom etc. and on some of the trip they were way speeding and or not getting as much rest as this account implies. I ride a motorbike and I can say for sure this endeavor is far more arduous and dangerous than I am making it sound. I think I would love to participate in a race like this, but we ain't in the wild west anymore, these horses will run over someone-they are not as smart or as forgiving as the kind with hooves. Definitely a little bit more organization is in order (for safeties sake) than whoever gets to the end first. Doubt it was in any way sanctioned or promoted by HD-but maybe it should be.

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homerdave wrote on 07/03/2010 10:27:45 PM:
it is illegal to promote a "race" on public highways, thus the definition "challenge".
credit is due to the participants, but as to whether or not it is a scam only time will tell....
of course Homer is named after a legendary alaska scam artist, so perhaps the ghost of Homer Pennock is steering a long line of mega-bucks carpetbaggers our way.... deep water dock, fast ferry, cruise lines, east end "time shares", hoaxie-hey... the list seems never-ending.
as far as i can tell the chamber of commerce and the city council stare at the heavens, shake their hands and scream "I WANT TO BELIEVE!!!!" every time some one promises that the pea REALLY IS under the shell.
kind of embarrassing, really.

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sdhelgason wrote on 07/03/2010 10:08:13 PM:
Racing accross N. America sounds like an adventure indeed, but does it make sense for public safety? With the promotion of drowsiness and hazardous driving on public roads I would think not. Only a matter of time before some innocent people get killed.

Recommend (2)

it_aint_easy_being_green wrote on 07/03/2010 08:13:26 PM:
It sounds like the organizers of this 'race' were begging for a lawsuit. Hope the guy from Seattle has his insurance paid up, since he's got a whopping medical bill for the INNOCENT cyclist he nearly killed.

These races are just plain dumb.

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keister wrote on 07/03/2010 07:49:44 PM:
So really, who thinks a race from Key West to Homer is a good idea?
No speeding. Getting enough of rest. Nobody pushing anything - time, speed....

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***Berserker*** · #6 07-06-2010

Those fucking biycles should stay the fuck out of the fucking road, fucking assholes.

***PlanB*** · #7 07-06-2010

Hoka Hey motorcycle race participant dies in Alaska crash

By ROSEMARY SHINOHARA
rshinohara@adn.com

(07/05/10 22:50:50)

A 63-year-old man has been killed while participating in the Hoka Hey Challenge, an 8,300-mile Harley-Davidson motorcycle race from Key West, Fla., to Homer.

Alaska State Troopers say Kenneth J. Greene of Ocala, Fla., died Sunday at the scene of the accident, Mile 107 of the Glenn Highway near Caribou Creek, between Palmer and Glennallen.

He was travelling south on his 1998 Harley when he drove onto the shoulder, lost control and crashed, troopers said. He fell from the motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet.

Nearly 800 people began the race in Florida on June 20, the Associated Press reported.

It's been marked by several crashes and at least one other death. A man died in Wyoming when he apparently fell asleep while riding, the AP said.

Another racer, Vik Livingston, 53, of Seattle, collided with two bicyclists near Nenana on Wednesday about 50 miles from Fairbanks.

Livingston was hospitalized in Fairbanks with cracked ribs, a broken clavicle and a punctured lung.

One of the bicyclists had a cut on his leg, and the other suffered a chipped vertebra and a cracked pelvis.

Hoka Hey motorcycle race participant dies in Alaska crash: Motorsports | adn.com

Comments: 22 Showing:

samiqblue wrote on 07/06/2010 00:52:11 AM:
Hmmm. Super long, cross country ride, knowing you are going to be exhausted and face other riders who may be falling asleep at the handlebars, etc., PUT ON YOUR EFFING HELMET, and maybe when you crash you won't die. My condolences to the families of those who died, and I do think it is sad. But seriously...put on a helmet.

@cnpcook...These were grown adults, who knew the risks of a long cross country undertaking. They also made their own choices not to wear helmets, obviously a possible factor in injury vs. death in a motorcycle accident. What good would it do to sue the race organizers?! They will get nothing, and only end up wasting a lot of their time and hard earned money in the long run.

Recommend (1)

cnpcook wrote on 07/05/2010 09:23:26 PM:
Hopefully some of the families of the riders that have died file suit against RedCloud or whatever they go by. I am far from the type that goes along with frivolous lawsuits but this couple needs to be made an example of. They have created this hoax of an event that has now cost the lives of two people and are not even paying the winnings out, and I would bet that the charities will receive pennies if that just to cover themselves legally. He is a white man hiding behind and using the native americans for personal gain. Hopefully someone sets him straight..

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rsshannon wrote on 07/05/2010 09:04:37 PM:
Wish the challenge had required brain buckets for all riders.

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moonmist115 wrote on 07/05/2010 08:44:47 PM:
Enough already !
I'm a biker too and we have enough people and traffic hazards up here in summer without recklessness.

A bad idea gone badder. Brings the worst out in motorcyclists...or should I say MANIACS ! This race and it's $500,000 incenitive should be prohibited on public roads.

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rneese wrote on 07/05/2010 08:41:16 PM:
Basically, it's the Iditarod on a motorcycle but instead of falling asleep and off the sled into the snow, you run off the road or onto bicyclists. Stupid.

Recommend (3)

jojo2 wrote on 07/05/2010 08:30:13 PM:
This is very unfortunate for him and his family. I drove down from Alaska this week to Montana. I met a lot of the riders on the road from Alaska all the way down the Alcan. Every one of them were having a time of their lives! It's sad to see the injuries and deaths, they a tough bunch of riders...

Recommend (4)

aktrir wrote on 07/05/2010 08:09:34 PM:
furyhecla wrote on 07/05/2010 04:47:25 PM:
Isn't racing illegal on public roads?
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This event had all the necessary permits for being on the public roads. It was not exactly a race. There are/were strict rules regarding following the rules of the road (i.e. one ticket and you are automatically DQ'd). The biggest "challenge" to this challenge (it is the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, not HHM Race) is to maintain the legal speed as much as you can and ride more hours than the others to cover the total distance the fastest. It's more a challenge of pushing your personal physical limits than it is one of pushing the limits of the equipment or course.

Recommend (4)

aktrir wrote on 07/05/2010 08:06:41 PM:
TOP wrote on 07/05/2010 04:26:17 PM:
If Vik Livingston, 53, of Seattle and Kenneth J. Greene of Ocala, Fla, were both participant of the Hoka Hey Challenge, which includes check points and a very specific route, why was one on the Parks and the other on the Glenn in route to Homer? Questions ADN should have asked prior to this report?
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It is fairly well known for those following this ride that a good number of riders have taken routes other than the "official" route at one point or another for a variety of reasons. This would not surprise me in this case as the big party to signify the end of the challenge took place on the 4th in Homer. This person may have chosen to bail out on the last part of the official course to Fairbanks in order to try to make it to Homer in time for the party/banquet/etc... That is just speculation though and we may never know what the real truth is.

Recommend (0)

aktrir wrote on 07/05/2010 08:02:56 PM:
atthecoffeeshop wrote on 07/05/2010 05:56:33 PM:
The Parks doesn't go to Homer.

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When the course route takes you through Fairbanks as it apparently did, then the Parks does fall on the path to Homer. It would be like saying the Seward Highway doesn't go to Homer, but you sure need to use it for part of the drive to get there from Anchorage.

Read more: Hoka Hey motorcycle race participant dies in Alaska crash: Motorsports | adn.com