We ask some of the Hard Enduro scene’s top racers exactly what their sport is all about…
Hard Enduro is enduro that’s hard, right? Technically that’s exactly what it is – enduro events that test man and machine to their limits. But with no two events the same, it’s a game that only a very select few manage to master. To feature among the world’s very best Hard Enduro racers requires skills – lots of skills, determination, and a whole lot of desire.
You need perfect balance to ride over truck-sized rocks, as well as having masterful throttle control to deal with slippery terrain. You also need to be fast and fearless when it comes to tackling hi-speed trails. Yet remain mindful of possible hidden obstacles that may lie in your path.
At one event you could be faced with mile after mile of slippery muddy ruts to navigate in near freezing temperatures. And at another a scorching sun will try to burn a hole in your back as you fight your way up a series of never ending boulder-strewn climbs – pulling, pushing and dragging your way to the finish line. Heck, some events even combine all those elements into one.
Take the Red Bull Sea to Sky in Turkey for example. It’s the only Hard Enduro event of it’s kind and sees competitors race from the shore line of the popular Kemer tourist resort up to the summit of the 2365m high Olympus Mountain.
Every year the Red Bull Hare Scramble at the Erzbergrodeo in Austria sees 500 competitors battle their way through gigantic ravines filled with boulders, climb near vertical accents and slither their way down terrifyingly steep quarry banks in the hope of reaching the finish line. That’s providing they were fast enough to qualify into the main event itself following two days blasting their way up the high-speed quarry roads of the prologue qualification runs.
And then there’s the Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania. Four days of fun filled riding through the wild wilderness with only a basic little GPS system to help you navigate your way from start to finish.
When it comes to hard enduro nothing is certain but the torturous terrain you will experience should you wish to compete.
RedBull.com and Throttle Entertainment ask Hard Enduro’s top racers to explain their actions…