For the first time in history the World Enduro Championship (WEC) will make a visit to North America. The 2006 calendar shows stops in Parry Sound (Ontario) and Hancock (NY). The FIM and WEC series promoter ABC Communication are globalizing the series which in the past has only seen one venue outside Europe (1997 Brazil). The European riders and North Americans will face off for two 2-days events of rugged Enduro competition in special tests.
The World Enduro Championship is decided by a series of off-road motorcycle enduros staged around Europe each year. Three class Championships are won by totaling rider's scores at each event. An Enduro varies in length; usually they are made up of 3 or 4 laps of 50 km of difficult trails and 3 to 4 timed special tests per lap. Each rider starts individually and is timed on the relatively short special tests. The rider's times from all of the special tests are added together, the rider who has completed the trail sections with no penalties and has the quickest aggregate score in all of the special tests wins. The two-day events draw riders from all over the world and thousands of spectators. The WEC is televised world wide.
In 2006 the WEC will expanded outside Europe with the American event scheduled to be held in Hancock (NY), 2 hours North of New York City, situated in the historical Delaware Cap area. The Bear Creek Sportsmen, with Drew Smith as their main force, will make sure that his event will be a success. Smith: "The local community and our club are very excited to welcome the Europeans to Hancock."
The Canadian round will be held 2 hours North of Toronto in a very beautiful town of Parry Sound. Up to 120 riders from all corners of the World will descend on Georgian Bay Country to display their riding talents to the thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts who visit Parry Sound each year. The race will run in conjunction with the annual Sport Bike Rally. The town of Parry Sound is giving their full cooperation which is a must for an event of this nature. The start and finish will be in center of town, very similar to most ISDEs.
Sean Wiesner and Lawrence Hacking, the organizers of the Canadian WEC state the following:
"We're excited about the news of having the WEC come to Parry Sound. We view this as an opportunity to showcase the town and Canada to the World. The world's very best riders will come and experience riding on Canadian terrain, they'll see our country and sample our culture. The Canadian WEC is a not-for-profit exercise, we're doing this with co-operation of a number of volunteers who will earn great satisfaction in doing a job well and they will share the limelight. It is our intention to stage a world class event and demonstrate that as Canadians we have a pool of talented people capable of realizing something truly significant."
US round: Drew Smith: 908-637-6385
CND round: Town of Parry Sound: Lynn Middaugh 705-746-2101