HISTORY:
The Olympics of Motorcycling
The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is the most prestigious off-road motorcycle
event in the world. First held in Carlisle, England, in 1913, the ISDE is one of
the longest-running events on the calendar of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme
(FIM).
Originally known as the International Six Day Trial, the event was held primarily
on roads in the beginning – although the “roads” of the era were often as difficult
as today’s trails – and were designed to test both machine reliability and rider
skill. Today, the ISDE, a name it adopted in 1980, is primarily an off-road event
that traverses some of the world’s most extreme terrain.
Europe was the exclusive domain of the event until 1973, when it first made a trip
to the United States. The event has since been held outside the Old Country several
times, including Chile, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States and Australia.
The rules of the ISDE has evolved over the years, but it has always run under an
enduro-type format, where riders have to follow a set route at a set pace over six
days. In addition, there are strict controls on when a rider may work on his or
her machine and the availability of tools and spare parts. The mileage of the event
can vary, but is well over 1,000 total miles.
Today, teams from all over the world compete at the ISDE. The World Trophy Team
features six riders, the Junior Trophy Team features four riders, and the Women’s
Trophy Team features three riders. In addition, each country can send a number of
three-rider club teams. Teams compete for team honors, while each individual rider
races for a gold, silver or bronze medal, which are based on a rider’s finishing
time relative to the leader.
Although the AMA Team USA has never won the World Trophy, the U.S. team has brought
home the Junior Trophy three times: in 1973, 1991 and 2006.
In 1973, the U.S. team won what was then called the Silver Vase, a secondary team
competition without any age restriction. Since then, the Silver Vase has become
the Junior trophy, designed to reward performances by younger riders. The first
U.S. victory came in the only ISDE ever held in the United States, while the 1991
Junior Trophy triumph, with the team of Steve Hatch, Jimmy Lewis, Davis Rhodes and
Chris Smith, came in Czechoslovakia. In 2006, the Junior Trophy Team included Kurt
Caselli, Ricky Dietrich, David Pearson and Russell Bobbitt. The event was held in
New Zealand’s Kinleith Forest and featured hundreds of miles of cold, windy and
rainy single- and two-track trails.
The 1982 U.S. Trophy Team
One of AMA Team USA’s best years in World Trophy competition was 1982, when the
Trophy Team finished second. However, a quick look at the results sheet might belie
the feat. Of the 25 American’s entered, only 13 finished, and just one of those
scored a gold medal. However, even that was enough for a second-place finish to
the host Czechoslovakians in one of the toughest ISDEs ever. The American Trophy
Team that year included Ed Lojak, Terry Cunningham, Scot Harden, Mark Hyde, Mike
Melton and Wally Wilson.
The 2008 Trophy Team also had a strong finish, coming in third. The team that year
started the final day of competition in fourth place behind Finland, but five solid
final moto special test finishes propelled the team to one of its best finishes
ever.