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• Hard Enduro is one of the toughest disciplines of motorcycle racing.
• South African born Wade Young is one of the best Hard Enduro riders in the world.
• 2021 saw the Hard Enduro championship receive world championship status.
• For more motoring stories, go to Wheels24
KwaZulu-Natal native Wade Young burst onto the Hard Enduro scene when he won the Roof of Africa at the age of 16. His current Roof of Africa tally stands at five, along with a long list of international Hard Enduro accomplishments.
What is Hard Enduro, you might be wondering? It is off-road motorcycling with almost impossible obstacles. Course designers do their best to make routes as challenging as possible. Riders need to be extremely skilful and possess immense physical strength to guide, or sometimes carry, their motorcycles over these obstacles, both man-made and natural.
What began as the 2021 World Enduro Series in 2018 quickly became the most popular off-road championship in the world. Based on that success, the championship was awarded an official FIM World Championship title and will continue in 2021 as the FIM Hard Enduro Championship.
Chat with the champ
Wheels24 sat down with Wade Young following the first round of the championship, The Extreme Lagares in Portugal, where Young finished in fourth place.
Wheels24: 2020 was a very unpredictable year that saw events postponed and cancelled. What was this year like for you, was it a welcome way of resetting and recovering or were you keen to go racing and then disappointed when events were cancelled?
The first four months were great, letting the body recover and just having some time off because our season normally lasts all year. Thereafter you start losing motivation, so when they announced events, and I managed to get a visa, I was really excited to get back to the grind and compete.
W24: With no events, how did you continue to provide value to your sponsors?
That was difficult. These days, a big thing is social media and making videos and interviews as you try and remain relevant. We couldn't go to too many events, but I did some stuff with the Sherco motorcycle brand and the local importer, but it was challenging for the sponsors.
W24: Events are still being cancelled, with the Erzberg Rodeo called off recently. How does this affect the morale and motivation to get up every day and train?
What is nice is that everything, in general, is getting back to normal. Although some events are being cancelled, there are a lot of events being added. They are basically back to normal in Italy, and June will be quite busy in terms of events. It is unpredictable, but everyone has adapted to the fact that things can change at any minute, so you need to be ready to race all the time.
W24: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected how you travel to events?
Fortunately, I haven't had to do any quarantine periods, but travelling has its pros and cons. Airports have been quiet as not everyone is allowed to travel internationally. The hassle of masks and paperwork and ensuring that you get a Covid test within 48 hours can be tricky, but if you manage things properly, it is not too bad actually.
W24: Hard Enduro is unlike other motorcycle disciplines where riders can do laps of a track to find their rhythm. How do you prepare for the unpredictability of the courses and obstacles that you could encounter at an event?
As a rider, you need to get used to reading the terrain and attacking things from what you can see, which comes with experience. I mainly prepare by practising technique and skill for certain types of obstacles. There are still things you can practice. The logs stay the same size, and you can work on your technique of getting over them as efficiently as possible.
W24: Natal seems to be the breeding ground of off-road motorcycle riders. Why do you think that is?
The province and our terrain are mountainous with rivers and challenging terrain. I do most of my training near where I live on the farm in Port Shepstone. Up in Pietermaritzburg, there is also a big community of riders that cut tracks and maintain them. Alfie Cox planted the seed in this area many years ago and it has spread from there and blossomed thanks to Alfie and what he has done for the sport.
W24: What is the one event that you would still like to win in your career, and why?
I would love to win the Erzberg Rodeo. It is such a big race. 2 500 riders enter each year, and in the final, on the Sunday, there are never more than 20 finishers. The environment and how the route is designed make it an extremely tough event, and the hype around the event is massive. It is the pinnacle of extreme enduro at this point.
W24: Closer to home, the Roof of Africa does not currently form part of the Hard Enduro World Championship. What significance does this event have for you, and do you think we could see it back on the calendar in future?
I do believe it will be back on the calendar in future. The World Championship organisers want to create a series with a truly international flavour, but during the first year of this new World Championship, they are keeping events closer to home. The Roof of Africa is the event that kick-started my career in extreme enduro and where I made a name for myself. It is basically my home race, being only five hours from the farm, so it will always be a special event for me.
W24: What needs to be done to see the Roof attract the world's best riders to Lesotho once more?
Charan Moore recently took over the organisation of the Roof of Africa and did a great job. The routes are well thought out with experienced route builders. At this stage, the event is ticking all the right boxes, I just think it's a matter of choice from the FIM, and I believe we will see it on the World Championship calendar soon.
W24: How do you remain positive and focused during an event when things are not going your way, like if you have a mechanical or struggle with an obstacle?
It is normal to have issues in a race, a crash, falling over or getting stuck. It is best to just deal with it as quickly and calmly as possible. It is all about limiting problems and resolving them as quickly as you can.
W24: Do you have any ambitions to one day complete in other disciplines of the sport, such as Rally Raid and the Dakar?
The Dakar Rally is an awesome event, but I don't see myself doing it on a motorcycle. If an opportunity to compete in a car presented itself, I would definitely consider it. I really enjoy what I do, the extreme enduro format and the challenge it presents along with its physicality, so I don't see myself taking up other disciplines any time soon.
W24: You are one of the most successful motorcycle riders across all disciplines to come out of South Africa. What advice would you give youngsters wanting to follow in your footsteps and ride motorcycles for a living?
Things don't happen overnight. It's a continuous thing to work towards. Believe it, live it, dream it, and anything is possible.
