Tahiti Adventure
Pacific Cup
The heat was 45 degrees and humid, the people real awesome, the island real small and the whole experience a bit of an adventure for Scott Canham (Rotorua) who, at very short notice after a call from Peter Broxholme, flew up to Tahiti in October to compete in the 2014 Pacific Cup. You don’t tend to say no to an all expenses paid trip to a tropical island to do what you love doing best.
The French Polynesian Motorcycle Association was to provide bikes for Scott and fellow Kiwis Joel Meikle (Oamaru) and Maximus Purvis (Taupo) for the two day event but the riders didn’t know what to expect exactly.
The welcome was fantastic. They arrived on a Thursday, had a press conference on the Friday and then went riding on the sole practice track on the island where everyone else was riding so they had a good idea of the opposition. They also caught up with Laurent Fath, the New Caledonian rider who recently competed at the NZ MX nationals and who was there representing his country.
Scott and Joel both ended up with the same cc loan bikes so Scott was entered in the MX1 but on a 250.
Race day 1 was extremely hot. “ I’ve never felt anything like it”, says Scott, “After the practice, I spewed but I didn’t do too badly in the races. I was 3rd overall in the first race. In the second, I had a bad start and a fall but came back for 2nd. In the third, I fell off in the deep stuff. It was ridiculously dusty and I though I was still on the soft berm but the berm had finished. It was the last corner so I ended up 4th”. I ended up 2nd overall in MX1. from finishing 4th, 3rd, 2nd. Only spewed twice...... Ha it Was awesome.
Day 2 was looking promising - it only got to 39 degrees of pure heat - but Joel had had issues with his bike so on Sunday, Scott and Joel were to share Scott’s one. Unfortunately, in Joel’s first race, when he was running second, the bike was pushed past its breaking point and seized, on the third to last lap. This meant that their riding, for both of them, came to a halt after 3 races out of 6.
Maximus won every race in the 85cc class except for the last one when every spoke in his front wheel came loose in the first lap.
Bike issues aside, the week was fantastic. “The people are amazing and so welcoming” says Scott. “The rider who came 2nd in the MX2 class gave his trophy to Joel saying that Joel would have come second if his bike hadn’t died. There was also a trophy to say ‘thanks for coming’ which I ended up with and Maximus won his so we all came back with a trophy. It was a cool gesture”.
In between the racing, the prizegiving and the return flight home, they managed to visit the island (160km of road but with 80,000 cars! ) and have some beach time and tourist time - and get burnt. Their hosts were amazingly hospitable and looked after the Kiwis “brilliantly” . "Wooow! What amazing people there. Super friendly!! And the nicest people ever!! They would do anything for their friends and loved ones, and they were very kind to take care of us all".
And would he return ? Absolutely is Scott’s answer. The riders have all been invited back, however, the next Pacific Cup in Tahiti is not until 2016. The event alternates between Tahiti and New Caledonia so Noumea will be on the agenda for 2015. "Hopefully next time we'll have more time to spend with our new good friends from Tahiti", Scott adds.
And the bikes ? “I would like to take my own bike but it gets a bit complicated. The machine must be emptied of all liquids before it can be transported. But you definitely miss your own old faithful – I even gave mine a hug when I got back, I was so happy to see it!” he laughs.
Scott would like to thank Peter Broxholme for giving him the opportunity to go to Tahiti.
PS: Laurent Fath won the MX2 class.
