My first OVBSAOClub event in 1990 I almost won the slow race on a Jawa Californian but for the alarming smell of the winner’s burning clutch. Shame on him! Next time on another even shabbier Californian, Bobby Augustine almost hurt himself laughing at my attempt at the classic trials. Then there was a ride on a Honda 125 of multiple parentage that won me a high point trophy in the classic trials event that year and I’m very proud of that. Once, I checked a section and then forgot everything about scoring them that would have made scoring section 4 last weekend a little easier probably because in my career as a local dirt competitor all I ever did was go like hell and try and pass everybody in front of me whether in scrambles or hill climbs or hare scrambles or motocross or even enduros. That sentence was like a scrambles.

So Mary Ann and I checked section 4 at the May/June gathering and the riders coached us on scoring. I got "into it" and found myself remembering a game I played at my grandfather's house. It was about WW2 and a room-sized map of a battlefield and a viewer-bombsight from which you dropped bombs onto the big map at your feet. The more I studied section 4 the more it became precious terrain over which the riders strategized their moves like battlefield commanders. Their objective was to gain the most strategic ground with least effort and loss -- in this case points. Looking at the way section 4 started -- A few inches left or right on a rock as your front tire entered the section determining line one or two and how the four lines used every square foot of that wet/rocky arena -- I'd say someone knew what they were doing. I can't believe how interesting it was to check a section.

mel schallot

Great hearing from you, Mel. Would love to see some pictures from the 1990 Rally you mentioned. Thanks also for helping out by checking at this year's event. I've been told that the OVBSAOC rally location includes some of the best natural trials terrain anywhere.

Check this pic of a stalwart competitor in a section on Sunday, feeling the pressure of performing in front of legions of fans.