Another Dip in International Waters
Evan Hawkless in New Caledonia
There's definitely a new crop of MX riders dipping their toes in international waters. Evan Hawkless (Tga) has recently returned from a couple of weeks riding & competing in New Caledonia.
The French connection came about through Evan becoming mates with Laurent Fath who was in NZ training with Broxy and competing in our MX Nationals. Evan jumped at the chance when Laurent offered to lend him a bike if he could get himself up to Noumea. With only a few words of French under his belt – “Bonjour, je m’appelle Evan” – the just turned 17 year old was off.
The experience was “fantastique”. He loved it but was really hit by the 30-33 degree tropical heat. It was really hard to get used to. Evan was finding it “crazy hot” and jumping into the pool even when it was too cold for Laurent.
His time there included three practice days - one of them on a really technical track designed for Laurent by his father Serge - going to the gym, a couple of runs, getting bike graphics done and getting the bike set up for his weight and then there was the first round of the New Caledonian Champs at the Paita motocross circuit.
“The tracks
are very different to home,” says Evan, “fast flowing, big jumps, hard,
slippery and dusty. They try to counter the dust but, at Paita, it was just
with a hose. The tracks also eat up
tyres. Two races and they’re chewed up – just look at the picture!”
The 10 / 5 board was not 10 / 5, it was 15 / 5. It took a little getting used to as those extra 5 seconds seemed really long. The races themselves were about 12 minutes long (8 or 9 laps) and there were 4 races for the day.
The flag system was a little different to NZ as well. It was a white flag for the ambulance. The winner received the chequered flag, as per normal but there was a black and white flag with a number 2 put out when there were two laps to go and a similar flag with a number 1 when there was one lap to go.
Evan raced in the MX2 class and came 4th overall. “I was running third in every race,” reports Evan, “but I couldn’t handle the heat and found it hard to stay on – but I really liked it!”
Evan also liked the different cultural experience (ask him about “steak tartare”) and was impressed by the friendliness of the people he met and the wonderful welcome he received from Laurent’s family.
He would like to go back but he’s just starting his first job so number 337 definitely won’t be on the start line for every round of the 2014 New Caledonian Champs.
