Enduro motorcycle series wins to Gisborne father and son

Father and son Norm and Angus Thomas were victorious in their respective sections of the challenging Hard Adventure Enduro held in the Tokoroa/Taupō district. Photo / Supplied

Whāngārā farmer Norm Thomas and son Angus have been competing and winning again in cross country motorcycle racing.

Thomas senior won the 50-59 years age group of the national winter enduro series while his son won the 14-16 years division.

Their latest competition together was the multi-day Husqvarna Hard Adventure Enduro event held in the Taupō/Tokoroa area.

Angus rode solo for the first time this year in the Bronze all in class.

In the Friday night Prologue held at Taupō MX park, he lapped all but one of the 15-man field to win by nearly a minute.

Angus Thomas navigates his way around the purpose-built track during the Prologue of the Hard Adventure Enduro event at Taupō. Photo / Supplied

The Prologue featured four laps of a purpose-built track made up of concrete culvert pipes, rubber tyres, tree logs, a rock garden, a firewood pit and dirt jumps.

“This was such a cool event held in front of heaps of spectators,” Angus said.

“Normally we race six to eight hours in a forest with next to no one watching or supporting us, so this was a real buzz.”

The teen said it felt “pretty cool” to win some cash from event sponsor Satco.

Angus Thomas waits to start a cross country phase of the Hard Adventure Enduro. Photo / Supplied

The next morning the event moved 20km up State Highway 1 and started on farmland before heading into the forests for the cross country racing.

Riders started three at a time per minute and their times were recorded throughout the day at each checkpoint until the final check.

“The Day 1 finish was pretty challenging,” Angus said. “An epic day with nice flowing forest tracks. Thankfully, I followed my GPS correctly all day.”

Day 2 started a further 20km closer to Tokoroa with riders navigating a further 110km to the event finish.

It was another five-hour riding day and Angus finished first, over 25 minutes ahead of the second-placed rider.

“I recognised some of these tracks from earlier cross country races, so I could ride a bit faster.

“Next year I hope to come back and ride a more challenging class – definitely Silver, maybe even Gold."

Angus Thomas won the Bronze all in class of the Hard Adventure Enduro. He is pictured with event organiser Sean Clarke.

Norm competed alongside local rider Steven Yeoman in the Silver team class. They won by 36 minutes.

“As usual there was an insanely mad finish section that we have to ride,” Norm said.

“This year it was up and down four vertical banks carved out of a small forest gully. One was so steep that riders were getting off and pushing their bikes over the edge to the bottom.

“It was actually easier to ride once you took the plunge, [but] super, super scary.”

The Thomases have been talking about taking on the annual Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye five-day event held each year in Romania and taking in the Southern Carpathian Mountains.

Norm has competed in it twice before, finishing 17th in the bronze class in 2018 and 34th in 2023.

“Angus is constantly asking me when we are going to tackle that event,” he said. “‘One day soon for sure’, I tell him.”