Desert Storm

[Fryin Finn]

Just heard this morning that there was a fatality at this years Desert Storm trail ride this weekend. No other news.
F5Dave and Myself spent the weekend riding at the event and speculated there would be few serious injuries as the conditions were quite greasy thus keeping speeds down.
My Sympathies to friends and family of the rider down.

[XTC]

Heralds only got this.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?...ectID=10119811

And this on Stuff.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3243450a11,00.html

Condolences to freinds and family.

[GINGER]

I arrived at the scene of the accident at about 9am as the second ambulance was turning up (I was retrieving my bike which spent the night in the bush after breaking a chain).

A bunch of "Sweepers" working for Epic Events had just finished checking the trails before opening them and were riding back toward the camping area on the main gravel forest road. The guy who died and a couple of friends had obvioully decided to get a jump on everyone else and were motoring up the same road in the opposite direction.

The crash happened on a very slight bend so both guys maybe didn't slow down for the corner, but definantly woudn't have seen each other coming (it looked like pretty much a direct head-on).

Both guys were alive when we turned up but 5 minutes latter after getting my bike on the way back the guy had died. It was an aweful situation and a damn waste of that young guys life.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

It has to be said though that at trail rides and bike parks everyone has to ride in the same direction.

[Cary]

A bunch of "Sweepers" working for Epic Events had just finished checking the trails before opening them and were riding back toward the camping area on the main gravel forest road. The guy who died and a couple of friends had obvioully decided to get a jump on everyone else and were motoring up the same road in the opposite direction.

It has to be said though that at trail rides and bike parks everyone has to ride in the same direction.[/QUOTE]

Sure you gotta feel sorry for the guy who died but what about the sweep rider who got injured checking the course for the rest of us to ensure its safe.

They (sweep riders) know when the tracks open and yet, as you say 3 guys were out on the tracks when they NEVER should have been. They will spoil these organised events for us thru insurance costs and the event organisers liability.