Red Bull Last Man Barely Standing - Dirt Rider Magazine

The key to watching the made-for-media Red Bull Last Man Standing extreme off-road race is finding your way to a series of "elements." These are short but intense obstacles nearly impossible (or at least visually intimidating) to ride but easily reached by spectators and media. For the 2006 race, by the time the leaders got to a nasty, boulder-filled gorge dubbed Texas Stadium, there was snow and ice in abundance, and the section truly looked unridable. As I approached Guy Cooper while he physically regrouped before the worst portion near the top, he rasped, "Karel, I am an old man."Even reigning champ David Knight had to push a bit to get through. Nathan Woods arrived second but with hands so badly cramped that he asked course workers to pull his fingers straight so he could continue. Meanwhile, English enduro champ Wayne Braybrook used the opportunity to snake a better line and move into the two spot. I was barred from helping Cooper physically, but I pointed out the line Knight had used-where Woods had exhausted himself-and the cleaner but longer line employed by Braybrook. Like Knight and Braybrook, Cooper has considerable trials experience, and he traced Braybrook's line and headed toward the finish of the 40-mile daytime loop.Those 40 miles allowed two remote fuel stops, yet still saw many contenders fail to finish due to a shortage of physical energy, fossil fuel or precious time. Recent ISDE gold medalist and DR photo model Rory Sullivan was one of those who ran out of time at seven miles. "It was the most frustrating thing I have ever done. I three-kicked the start, and after that it was just eternal bottlenecks. They needed those qualifiers that were canceled because of weather, and the course funneled in after the start too quickly. I knew I was going to hour out before I got clear. I've never treated a bike like that before, and it almost made me cry. It was a tough event, and Knight is a badass."This year the trail sections were lengthened to make it easier for all to see many, or at least more, of the key elements. The problem is that Isle of Man's Knight had such a huge lead after the first element that media and viewers alike faced their own tough choice: either keep going and watch the master manhandle the course or stick around and watch the course mangle everyone else.Nearly all the energy spent by promoters of normal off-road events is concerned with the riders. The promoter or club scrutinizes potential bottleneck areas and carefully avoids bike- and spirit-destroying hurdles. Enter Last Man Standing. It was obvious that a lot of thought had gone into this course layout, but little interest was put into avoiding bottlenecks and destructive obstacles. Riders who had seen the parts of the course were frank in assessing some elements as impossible. Red Bull operates this event to generate coverage, and it was clear that one or none standing at the end was not only fine but expected. And somehow Mother Nature cooperated with snow, ice and temperatures close on misery.Was it too tough? Even the winner seemed to think so. Will any of the riders be back for '07? It's too soon to know. They said they wouldn't be back for '06, but 129 riders started and another 40 missed the event after being trapped en route by snow- and ice storms. One thing is certain: The media and spectators will be back.Cooper's Tale
After he made it to the finish line, Guy Cooper, the top American rider, discussed the event. "It takes a lot to pull me out of retirement, but when I heard about this event that nobody was supposed to finish or make a lap without help, it intrigued me. In '05, I took a brand-new 525, verified that it would start and drove to Bulcher, Texas. I made the first two laps-80 miles of daytime riding-with no outside assistance, but I was toast. I had nothing for the night. This year, Haydn Franklin and Todd Slavik out of Dallas told me the event was going to be so much harder that nobody would finish. I fell victim to the 'you can't do it' syndrome and had to go do it. I took an '07 KTM 250 SX two-stroke. I actually rode it some and put on an 18-inch wheel and a K2 ignition. The local dealership, Ajax, softened the suspension. I was real close to not showing, because at 44 years old, I'm a fair-weather rider. The challenge is fun but cold weather sucks-but I'd told too many people that I was going to ride and couldn't back out. With the ice and snow, there should have been trophies awarded for showing up."I felt calmer this year; I knew the importance of the start and to watch the cannon for the puff of smoke. Last year I was waiting for the cannon to boom when other bikes were already starting. In some sections I didn't feel as blind as I did a year ago. I really liked the man-made obstacles. Seeing the obstacles we were able to walk gave me confidence for the start. About a mile in we hit a pretty hard section and I thought to myself, 'Yep, it's harder than last year, but it hasn't gotten me yet.' About two miles in was a nice little dirt hill that would have been no problem before the snowstorm. I was the second rider up the hill, but I could see it was going to get bad. Three or four miles in I was following one set of tracks in the snow."At the rider's meeting the organizers said they had ridden the course to put up arrows and to change impossible sections. If Knight was leading and I'm following his tracks, there'd been no prerun and no diversion of any obstacle. This one set of tracks was pretty fun to follow. Where there's a line option on hills, Knight showed an uncanny ability to study the hill, pick the best line and put time on me. After following the one track, and assuming that he's going to be taking the right line, there were a lot of sections where the wheelmarks jumped off the main trail and onto a trail less ridden. I would stop when I saw a U-turn in front of me. With each one of these, I told myself he's using energy searching for the snow-covered trail. I'm impressed. Six or seven miles in, as I'm coming down a rocky staircase and it's looking like a bad section, I can hear the sound of another bike. When I turn up this rocky gorge, I see Knight close to the top trying to get his bike over a vertical edge. I dropped my bike, asked if he wanted help and would help me. He said sure. I got to the top of the hill-the rest is history."There's one thing funny about this-as I launch my bike to get the front wheel over the top of the lip, Knight and I lift the back end to where the axle nut was holding the bike at the top of the ledge. I'm scrambling to get to the top of the hill when Knight says, 'Thanks Coop-you got it from here.' I didn't want to break down and cry, but there was still another lift to get the motorcycle onto the ledge. We're only a short way into this and I'm hoping this is the worst of it. This was the only daytime hill I had to have help on. I really wished I could have had some spectators help on that first lap-especially at the top of Triple Threat."At the wall I made a lame first attempt-the bike landed upside down and twisted the throttle housing. Finally, on the third attempt, the guys at the top said they would keep the bike from falling back down on me. I guess that was the boost of confidence I needed to make the wall on my own. But my crash on the wall created an element of surprise. When I would turn the handlebar all the way to the left, the throttle cable would hook over the handlebar clamp, and when straightened out, it would pull the throttle cable and stick the throttle wide open. I didn't know how this was happening. If Wayne Braybrook is reading this, he will understand that I wasn't being obnoxious to him. I finally noticed what was happening and asked a track course marshal if he had duct tape or a zip-tie, and he suggested using some track ribbon. That worked great! This dropped me back, but I was just having fun."One lap in the daytime was much easier for me because once I made the hill or obstacle, I would just say, 'Last time in that direction.' Last year there was a rocky section I made, but I was scared of it the rest of the day. Funny thing is-I don't remember it the second time. I keep using the word fun, but now it's funny that I'm still trying to go on. I'm making the hills, but it's not pretty. I've dropped my bike 30 or 40 times. I wish Triple Threat was dry. It was muddy, ugly and a lot of people watch you fight and struggle. I struggled near the top for what felt like 15 minutes. Right at the top my footpeg caught under a rock. Spectators told me I could do it and not to give up, and I think they willed it over that rock. Somehow I managed to get to the top."Later on, exhausted, there was a really long hill that doesn't look that tough, but right before the top is a nice 3-foot rock ledge. The first time up it caught me by surprise. I didn't have enough speed and made a lame attempt to wheelie over the rock. Without enough speed the bike changed direction and chased me down the hill. I know it didn't look very pretty from the sideline, and it didn't feel very pretty from my vantage point. Jack Penton was on the sideline telling me I was in third place and had only 10 minutes to go, don't give up now. I think he could see it in my eyes. My next attempt up didn't go as planned. The bike came to a stop halfway on the rock ledge, but I didn't have the energy to lift the bike a few more feet up. Officials were instructed not to help riders forward, but they could assist in pulling the bike downhill. I asked one of the officials to pull the bike off the rock. It landed on the rocks below, holed the ignition cover and broke the shifter. Well, hell-I could have done that! Penton was good inspiration here; he yells, 'It ain't gonna hurt a thing, it'll start up. You only have 10 minutes left!' I was just curious if it was going to start. It did bump-start down the hill. My third attempt did get the bike over the rock-of course, without me. I still had to pick the bike up, but at least I was on top of the rock this time."I don't know who the hell told Penton there were 10 minutes left. It was at least 30 to 40 minutes! We proceeded into the section called Bill's Woods. By the time I got out of there, I was hoping Bill was a little old guy 'cause I was ready to find him and kick his ass. And has anybody seen Penton? That section just wore me out. It was good to see the finish line of the first lap because the reality was one lap was all I had."And by the way, after an interview with Larry Maiers, the bike wouldn't start. We had to put on another ignition for the night lap. Lucky me. That's the good part of my story. That was actually fun to think about. The night was pure hell. I don't want to talk about it-I'd just as soon forget. Cold weather, night riding and an old body that doesn't see well at night, is supposed to be retired and wants to be at home with my daughter Kaitlin and wife Wanda to give me a cup of hot cocoa and say, 'Aren't you glad you aren't out in this cold weather?'"Did I tell you I had fun at Last Man Standing? At least the daytime I remember!"