Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/763593
30 nJanuary 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS rode her own modern motorcycle as she followed the pack and tended to the various medical issues that arose along the route, particularly heat exhaustion and dehydration. A hand- ful were hospitalized during the run, including South African rider Hans Coertse, who stayed in a Durango hospital for several days as the group continued on. Rules is rules Early on there was chaos as seat- of-the-pants decisions by management were made to extend check-in times due to weather or road conditions and some rules were changed to make allowances for situations such as allowing support crews to come on course to retrieve disabled motorcy- cles. And therein lay a problem that plagued the run for the duration of the trip to California. Once changed, the rules were no longer respected and there was widespread bending of the rules thereafter. Most of the riders take on the Cannonball for the thrill of the adventure and the excitement of per- sonal achievement. The reality is that very few of those entered are about competition at all. The spirit of the MC is to pit man against machine and the miles, not man against man. There is a family spirit that envel- ops the riders and, for the most part, everyone cheers each other on, but still there are covenants that govern the event. Those are issued to each rider before the run begins and each entrant signs off that they have read and understand the terms. The gov- erning body responsible for enforcing the rules is an independent contractor who is paid to enforce the rules and assign penalties when the rules are broken. Things like checking in late are common and come with a dock- ing of points. Accepting help from a teammate while on course is strictly forbidden, while accepting assistance from strangers is allowed. But having your brother bring you parts or accept- ing "pegging" support (being pushed by another motorcycle for an extended distance as the rider braces his foot against your bike) is not allowed since your motorcycle must be under its own power at all times, though a quick manpowered push start is allowed. All these things are important to those who embroil themselves in the heat of seri- ous competition and cause resentment when penalties are assessed. For those who are concerned about their machines and just want to enjoy the brotherhood of the run and make it to the fi nish line, these issues matter less but the numbers at the end of the day are what most riders keep their eye on, including their brethren's numbers. Consequently, there was much controversy over perceived cheating on a variety of lev- els and a restructuring of the covenants is under consider- ation for the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball, including a look into expanding the engine classes since many bikes are being modifi ed internally in ways that do not adhere to the current regulations. Mostly, the Cannonball is about integrity and there were entrants like Fred Wacker, #118 from Illinois, who proved out his morals without hes- itation. A mistake was made when scoring Fred during Stage 3 and as Cannonball Continued from page 28 See "Cannonball," page 37, column1 Rowdy Schenck, #74 from New Mexico, shredded the miles with his Texas buddy, Mike Bell, #41. Both men were returning Cannonball riders. Shinya Kimura, #80, is greeted by Jason Sims at the fi nish line. Shinya has ridden all four Motorcycle Cannonballs, each one on the same 1915 Indian. Motorcycle Cannonball staff volunteers like Kurt Klokkenga from Illinois rode their own bikes along the route to help broken machines Scott and Sharon Jacobs fl ew out to meet the Motorcycle Cannonballers in Carlsbad, California. Scott was recuper- ating from shoulder replacement after crashing his 1915 Harley-Davidson in Maryland German riders Thomas Trapp, son Eric Trapp, and their friend Paul Jung reach the Great Divide in Colorado Cris Sommer Simmons was one of three women riders who signed up to ride the Race of the Century. This was her third Motorcycle Cannonball, and her bike Effi e's second run across the country.