Sea to Sky is the penultimate round of the Hard Enduro World Championship. Heading into this race would determine what both the premier and junior championship would look like heading to Hispanic and buy did it change up the game and make things interesting! This event consists of 3 race days consisting of the Beach race, forest race and mountain race. Many riders and fans shared that this is not only one of the most enjoyable events on the calendar but this year organization was a step up from previous years with 350 riders lining up along with family and friends.

The beach race started the weekend off with a bang. A knockout format saw the top 12 riders making it to the final round with a new leader in almost every lap. It was a day of not only technical ups enduro style riding but intensity and action too. The Forest race was a 40km GPS race over a track that had a lot of new track this year in combination with some existing tracks. Not too fast and dangerous, but not too technical either. A sweet spot between the two. This day certain came with some surprises like Mani and Mario both receiving 10 minute penalties as well as some unexpected crashes from the top guys.

The mountain race is where riders put it all on the line. Mario starting from P15, Mani playing catchup after a penalty and some of the juniors looking to take essential points for their championship fight. Another impressive performance from James finishing in P3, Mario showing what he’s made of finishing P2 overall against all odds and Mani once again taking the top spot. A very unfortunate turn for Teo with a DSQ after the final day. What was initially given as a similar 10 minute penalty to other riders of the weekend was changed to a disqualification after a rider protest. Of course rules are there to be enforced but when it takes such an unexpected turn initiated by a fellow rider, some might see that as a bit personal?

We chat on a variety of other topics throughout the episode and are excited to see what will happen at the final round in Spain in a couple weeks.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:10 HEWC Round 7: Sea to Sky

01:54 Event format: Beach race, forest race & mountain race

02:07 The beach race

09:29 Taking a break between races

10:35 The forest race

12:54 Absent riders

14:29 Forest Race penalties

17:27 Unexpected crashed

22:44 What makes a good test rider?

24:28 Testing and prototypes

28:36 Junior championship update

29:33 Mountain race day

35:00 Coming out swinging

40:17 James in the lead again

41:27 Teo's disqualification and a protest culture debate

54:08 Race results

57:28 Junior championship going into Hixpania

01:00:17 Looking ahead to Hixpania

Teo had barbed wire caught in his wheel. No assistance received from officials but some locals offering to cut it off. Should that have been a disqualification, a time penalty, or no penalty at all? It’s a genuine grey area and we’d love to know where you stand. Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

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The Roof, the mother of hard enduro and a race that we hold deeply in our hearts just as any South African would. James returned this year looking to defend his title but the rest of the South African boys had much to prove to show that they too are able to take the title at a race close to home. Heading into this race it was assumed that the European riders would struggle but that wasn’t quite how it went down. We chat to Mike to get some insight from on the ground.

This was the first year we saw a bit of a change with the format of the event. Time trial on da one and a long off-road day 2 were consistent with what you’d expect but a multi-lap format for Day 3 was something that catered more to the international riders and evened the playing field. Talking about international riders there were some noteworthy names missing this year. We also chat about how it works logistically for some of the team to race in Lesotho.

Day one saw Mitch make an impressive run but due to GPS issues it would be James taking the number 1 spot along with a boost of confidence. We of course touch on the topic of another noteworthy South African rider, Wade Young who appeared to approach this race slightly differently this year with a welcoming spirit. Day 2 would be a tough pill to swallow for some of the top riders which would open opportunities for unexpected name to float to the top and keep the win open to the final day.

Day 3 would bring out the best in most of the riders at the Roof. James made an impressive charge to set the fastest time of the day by 5 minutes, Matt green would have a lot of GPS issues but still finish with an impressive result. Thence had the top 3… Teodor taking his first ever FIM win, on the Sherco. A rider who’s been chasing a win for a long time finally gets to celebrate with his Shercota. Mani keeping consistent as usual taking 2nd and then only 1 SECOND behind we have Wade finishing the podium in P3. A solid performance and a great result for the South African

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:35 The 2026 edition

02:05 Track overview

03:00 What makes Lesotho so special

07:04 Who wasn't there and why

08:13 Bike logistics

09:30 Day 1 time trial

16:39 Time trial results

17:55 Day 2

19:04 James Moore's mousse disaster

31:09 How navigation racing works

35:12 Day 2 results

39:25 Day 3: The first ever multi-lap format

43:55 Overall results

44:38 A tenth of a second

46:06 Wade Young back on the podium

49:22 Standout rides

51:28 Championship implications

10 hours of racing came down to 0.1 of a second between Mani and Wade. What did you think of the result? Have you ever been to Roof of Africa … to race, spectate or just experience it? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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We had the chance to have Thomas Scales on the podcast. A young South African rider making waves in the Hard Enduro World Championship. It was surprising to learn that Tom is relatively new to hard enduro but has strong roots and a foundation racing in SA. For the past few years he has been focused on the Junior World Championship had in 2025 finished the season I 3rd overall. This year it is clear that he’s stepping up his game and focusing his sights on the pro championship class and looking to be amongst the top riders in the world.

This season Tom has been on an upward trajectory with his riding and results and if the trend continues we may see some spectacular results in the upcoming Roof of Africa. We chat to Tom about his expectations for the race which for many young riders from SA is a dream race to place top at. Many refer to Tom as a daring and somewhat crazy rider out on the trails but he is also a confident athlete looking to make his mark in the industry.

We cover a variety of topics in the episode such as life in Europe and what it’s been like as part of the Beta team. Tom shares his training schedule and some of the key things he’s been doing to improve his race performance. We also chat about some more interesting topics like downhill MTB riding and what it would taker to get Greg Minaar to the ROA.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:16 Where it all began

03:27 Teammate, roommate & rival

05:12 Toughest race of the season

06:07 First year on the Beta factory team

07:31 Bike setup

10:05 Life in Andorra

11:07 The downhill MTB question

12:17 Getting Greg Minaar to the Roof of Africa

13:28 Roof of Africa

14:35 What makes South Africans so good at Roof of Africa?

15:18 The fearless riding style

16:00 Format changes at the Roof

18:35 What it takes to beat Mani

19:13 The mindset shift

20:02 The stacked junior class

20:34 South Africans in the HEWC

21:28 Racing as the fastest route to improvement

26:16 Trials bikes in South Africa

27:01 Training schedule

27:27 Best advice for SA kids

33:54 The height debate

38:36 Going back to riding basics

38:49 Nutrition

Tom said it straight, he wants to WIN Roof of Africa, not just finish. With the race just days away ad with a changeup in the format, do you think a South African can once again take the top step this year, and is Tom your pick? Drop your prediction in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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A big thank you to our community for the continued support. This one was a special opportunity and episode and we couldn't do it without you. If you enjoy what we do and want to keep us caffeinated while we edit, you're welcome to buy us a coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

We had the opportunity to visit Stark HQ on our way to Romaniacs this year and sat down with Eddie Karlsson and Seb Tortelli to talk about Stark in Hard Enduro. From Eddie winning the Silver class at Romaniacs to Seb taking the top spot at the Erzberg Rocket Ride and of course Stark crossing the Erzberg finish line in a world first… Stark has slowly but surely been inserting itself in the world of hard enduro and we’re stoked!

Stark is essentially a tech company that sells bikes… and what the team has created is an ever evolving bike. They paved the foundations from the beginning with their forward thinking manufacturing which now allows for constant tech updates that put the standard year on year model changes to shame. Instead of buying the latest release, customers are getting a new bike with an update. Who would have thought?

We chat to Eddie about his experience moving to the Stark, transitioning from trials which is a clutch intensive sport to a bike with just a front and back brake. We also touch on what it’s like to have Toby part of the team and how they have very different preferences when it comes to bike setup.

While Stark won't be racing the remainder of the HEWC season, this year is clearly just the beginning. The momentum is building and we have a feeling this is a team that's going to be very hard to ignore in the years to come.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:20 Inside Stark Future HQ with Eddie Karlsson & Seb Tortelli

02:15 How rider feedback shapes the bike

03:22 Racing bike vs consumer bike

05:25 Enduro vs MX bike

06:25 Riding without a clutch

09:17 Super Enduro

09:50 Romaniacs silver class

14:08 Erzberg debrief

16:11 First electric bike to finish Erzberg

16:30 Seb Tortelli at Erzberg

18:27 Competing electric manufacturers

21:07 Traction control in hard enduro

25:01 Electric bikes in racing regulations

27:37 Hard enduro championship goals

34:09 The electric bike online debate

35:36 Eddie VS Toby

37:10 Seb's take on hard enduro

38:42 How the HEWC format helps electric

Are you a fan of electric in hard enduro? Or do you think the 2T and 4T still have too much of an edge? Also, have you ever ridden a Stark? Let us know in the comments, we'd love to hear what you thought of it ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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We have officially passed the half way mark of the season and are well into the second half with round 5 taking place at Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy. A race that has been part of the FIM championship on and off for 4 years since 2021. Minestrone is a section of the race that has been well known since the beginning but this year appears to be the defining section and the true test and separator between the top guys.

We chat to Mike to get some on the ground stories and a behind the scenes look at what went down. From prologue with 2 juniors on the box we look a look at some of the stats and it was surprising to see Both Mani and Mitch being so wrong in this format throughout the season so far. The spring race proved to be quite a challenge for the riders, although only 1 hour the heat added an extra layer of intensity to the race. A unique race added to this event was the straight rhythm which set the starting positions for the orders for the main race day. This was an unfortunate setup for a number of riders who did exceptionally well in the print race but got pushed back due to poor results in this spectator focused event.

The main race was a 2 hour run for the riders that resulted in being around 6 laps for the top guys. Some good riders, some not so great results too. There is no doubt that riders who have been traveling between Europe and the US and then back to Europe have been struggling with jet lag and it’s no surprise that we’re seeing some changeup in the results.

We also touch on topics such as managing frustration when on track, where riders are standing in the championship so far as well as what riders can expect heading to The Roof Of Africa for the next round.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

13:42 Listener appreciation

14:02 Event format explained

15:06 The straight rhythm

17:44 Prologue

22:05 Sprint race results

25:14 Main race conditions

29:30 Aggression vs efficiency

31:09 Frustration in hard enduro

34:22 Billy's return

35:04 The last lap battle

37:05 Mr 3rd Place

38:00 Mario Roman:

40:24 Lorenzo Gondola

44:15 Main race results

49:24 The brutal reality of a consecutive race schedule

52:48 Championship standings

56:04 Roof of Africa preview

58:42 Junior championship battle

01:02:07 Predictions going into Roof of Africa

Mani falls off, picks the bike up, doesn't say a word and rides away. Meanwhile most of us are screaming at our bikes in a rock garden. How do YOU handle frustration on the trail? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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We got to meet Tobin at Red Bull Romaniacs this year and what it pleasure it was to also have him on the podcast. Fresh US blood on the international stage of hard enduro is something we hope to see more of in the future. In this episode we chat to Tobin about his Romaniacs experience from doing Silver class as a “warm up” and getting a good understanding of how things work at an intense race like Romaniacs before entering Gold class this year in 2026. He shares some great insights into how Silver and Gold differ and which riders could be considering entering the class depending on their local US hard enduro results.

Tobin shares some of his ambitions for the future and his desire to do more races on the international stage if the opportunity were to present itself. He also shares some interesting insight into riding in the US. From training, traveling to different races as well as the do’s and don’ts on riding in different areas in the US. We see Tobin as a rider to keep an eye on in the future and someone who has a bright career ahead of him.

We hope you enjoy this episode

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:28 Meet Tobin Miller, Champion Brick Racing

01:53 First Romaniacs experience: Silver class

05:06 Why doing silver first was the right call

06:22 Gold class in 2026

08:46 Gold class mindset

09:52 Prologue

10:05 Day 1

16:06 The silver vs gold gap

17:22 How US hard enduro stacks up

19:11 US representation at Romaniacs

21:10 A 4-day rally style hard enduro event in America

22:03 Day 4

22:55 International ambitions

25:57 HEWC vs USHE

27:08 Champion Brick Racing

28:44 USHE season update

35:00 Training in the US

36:16 Land access in America

39:06 Enduro Burrows

42:28 Next up, TKO

Tobin thinks America needs a 4-day rally style hard enduro race, do you agree? And if so, where in the US would you have it? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube

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Round four of the Hard Enduro World Championship was most definitely a unique race on the 2026 calendar. Forza Orza made its debut appearance and was a very unusual location and track for the riders. Based in an abandoned zoo, Mike had to put in a lot of work setting a track in such challenging conditions. Short, punchy and in your face… this race definitely suited riders with more trials and super enduro experience over those looking for long days in the mountains and it showed in the results.

Prologue was a fast run for the boys with the top times coming in around the 4 minute mark. A very surprising changeup with the results having Mitch, James and Ashton on the box… no Billy or Mani in sight. An awesome showcase of the skills the younger riders have in their back pocket.

The sprint race was a 1 hour multilap loop with a home rider taking the show. Eddie had some great results finishing in 4th on the day and giving the home crowd a solid reason to cheer. It’s awesome to hear that even without hearing the bike… you knew he was close with the sound of the crowd. Maybe it was this energy that gave him that extra fight he needed to race at the level he is truly capable of.

The main race on the final day was a 2 hour + 1 lap, multi lap race. This day was definitely a challenge not only for the bikes but for riders too with arm pump, multiple mistakes and crashes as well as some bike issues throughout the race. We see Billy making some big mistakes ghosting his bike off a hill, Mani almost losing his race lead to bike issues and Teo going for a swim with cow bones in the polar bear enclosure.

We also go a little off topic talking a little more about bikes from frames, old gen to new gen and more.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:16 Forza Orza: Sweden's first ever HEWC round

01:03 Track manager Mike

04:12 Making hard enduro accessible for a local crowd

05:49 An abandoned zoo with skeletons in the lake

09:25 Event format: Prologue, sprint race & main race

10:37 Prologue: A race the juniors lit up

14:51 Sprint race

15:54 Why 1-hour intensity works for hard enduro

23:57 Sprint race Results

24:16 The Brightmore progression

26:51 X-Grip factory bikes & KTM's development

31:32 The main race

34:06 Billy's ghost ride

38:31 Mani’s battery issues

46:00 Main race results

46:18 Eddie on home terrain

49:43 Thomas Scales & Justin Elizondo

54:35 Teo's swim in the lake

54:55 HEWC championship standings

55:25 Halfway mark: The 2026 season

56:49 The Hard Enduro World Ranking system

58:33 Next up: TKO

Mani’s bike and battery let him down again… two races in a row now. Do you think it's only a matter of time before it costs him a race result? What are your thoughts on the situation? Drop your take in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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Another Romaniacs under the belt and another year with many stories to tell from the gold class track. Four intense days of racing for the top guys with countless kilometers raced and grueling Leatt LiveManiacs challenges. Each day came with its own set of unexpected issues and of course constantly changing results. From crashes to dead batteries, seized forks, questionable tyre choices and shirtless finishes… this year was certainly full of entertainment.

Once again we have Mike on to chat about some of the behind the scenes of what went down and to give us the inside scoop and a bit more context to some of the unbelievable stories to come out of this year’s race. Some standout moments of course would be Mani dominating the gold class field once again even with a race that certainly wasn’t without its issues. James Moore racing so consistently once again proving he is not only aiming of the top… but has without a doubt arrived! Thomas Scales is a rider who we’d consider a dark horse but one to keep an eye on going forward.

This year the Romaniacs organizers focused more heavily on the ADV classes, especially the Ultimate riders and there’s no denying that what these guys can do on the big bikes is impressive! From hard enduro favorites like Mario Roman and Dieter Rudolf to ADV legends like Pol Tarres, it’s interesting to see how they are stacking up in a pretty competitive field.

In this episode we chat about Prologue as well as go though all four race days.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:18 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs recap with Mike

03:00 Prologue: Teo wins, Manny vs Mitch in a battle

04:24 Adventure bikes

08:24 Day 1: Chaos, toilet stops & hydration packs

11:35 Manny's dead battery

16:00 Lorenzo Gondola

21:05 Matthew Green's wrong tyre choice

23:51 Teodor Kabakchiev

26:04 Day 2: Straja 180km loop

29:41 Dieter Rudolf's heat sensor

32:20 David Cyprian

35:20 Day 3: Rolling rocks and sketchy downhills

40:29 Manny’s sketchy descent

44:08 Day 4: The day that had it all

46:23 Pandora's Box

48:24 James Moore

50:16 Walkner on track for a career-best

53:22 Thomas Scales: A career-best result nobody saw coming

58:07 Matt Green’s shirtless finish

59:58 James Moore's collapsed front fork

01:02:19 The reality of pro racing

Every year Romaniacs throws up stories that are just wild… dead batteries, wrong tyres, collapsed forks and a shirtless finish. What was your standout moment from this year's race? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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