Chatham motorcycle enthusiasts Craig Watters and Dave Pollard have reason to celebrate: 10,000 miles biked in 10 days, raising more than $20,000 along the way.
The duo took part in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge recently. Through it all, they managed to evade Hurricane Debby and tackle some rugged real estate.
Starting in Daytona, Florida, traveling down to Key West and then making their way up to Homer, Alaska while traveling only on secondary roads through some of the most difficult terrain in Canada and the United States, Watters and Pollard, along with Louis Bergeron of Saint-Bruno de Montarville, Que. were the first Canadians to cross the finish line and rounded out the top 10 of more than 220 riders in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
It’s an endurance challenge that is based on the Lakota Sioux principal of Wolakota meaning “peace,” and celebrates all that is pure and powerful in the warrior spirit.
The Hoka Hey Challenge requires riders to travel 10,000 miles in 10 days, sleep outside with their bike, traveling only secondary roads, using no electronics to guide their way.
The journey takes riders through some of the most difficult terrain in North America, and this year included 62 mountain ranges, 32 First Nation reserves, 23 national forests, 18 deserts, six U.S. national parks, four swamps and two countries.
“That is the true challenge of this ride and one of the things I really love about it – you know where the start line is and where the finish line is but nothing in between and your ride can change depending on the weather conditions and what time of day you make it there. This year we rode some of the most technically difficult roads at night and in the rain,” Watters said in a media release.
This is the second time taking part in the Hoka Hay challenge for Watters who finished fourth in 2022.
It was Pollard’s first time taking part.
“Having done an Iron Man in the past, I was confident in my ability to take on the endurance part of the challenge. What I hadn’t realized would be so difficult was the old-school navigation. You are in the middle of nowhere, you are exhausted, one wrong turn and you really have no idea where you are,” he said. “That was tough at times, but fortunately we stuck together most of the ride and were able to work through it together.”
Watters and Pollard raised more than $20,000 for Special Olympics Chatham-Kent.
