SO, I had a great time in Morocco.  You know, a day of rally riding then the next day I learned motorcycle acrobatics.   After 2 helicopter rides, 2 ambulance rides and 4 flights over 48 hours I made it home to my family!

Silly me, I was having a great second day until about 2 hours in and I was checking and rechecking my roadbook on a off track section.  When I looked up there was a mound of Camel Grass.  I was too close to turn so I laid on the gas, apparently the wrong move.  My back wheel shot me up in the air over the bars and I landed head first and then on to my heels.  Thanks to my neck brace I do not have any neck or spine injuries.  The bad news is that I broke my left fibula.

Today I had an appointment with my Ortopedic Surgeon Dr. Kelly LeFaivre who I knew from high school.  She had some really great news.  The thigmy whatsut is not cracked and my ligimundios are fine also(Pardon my non medical lingo).  Only my Fibula was broken and my ego.  She will reassess in 3 weeks and it looks like I can have my cast off at that point to give me 4 weeks to recover before the Dakar.  What a relief!

This is the last few days before I head out to the UK to catch a flight to Morocco.  I will be travelling with my brother in law Peter from Brighton to Marrakech by aircraft and then we will try to figure out the local bus system with a bag full of gear.  Should be a blast.

The Morocco rally starts scrutenneering on Saturday October 24th so I just need to be there by then.  The race will start on Sunday bright and early and I am hoping I can figure out the labrinth of tasks before I get going.  There are Iritack GPS units that only give you a heading to follow, Sentinel sirens to keep you safe, The road book to guide you, odometer that must be calibrated and then there is  the bike to make sure that it is functioning properly.

I will be riding with Team Desert Rose and they are renting me a KTM 525 XC-W that is almost identical to my Dakar bike.  They are also providing team mechanical assistance and a mighty fine tent to sleep in.  I understand the hotel is only 25 Euros a night so I may go soft and get a bed…

I will attempt to have someone link a page to the website to track my progress so keep looking back.  If all else fails watch the official sight at marocco rally website or www.npo.fr/maroc2009/

The day the dream started on the Road To The Rally.

In a Guinness induced conversation I outlined my plans to my friends Mark and Susan Stephenson.  At the time it was the start of a dream but now two and a half years later I am only a few short months away from the start of the rally.

I had no idea of what I was really attempting to do, how I would pay for it and most of all how to train for such an event.  Most of my riding had been on the street so the daunting task of learning enduro type riding was distant on the horizon.

2008 Ironman Canada

I tend to jump feet first into everything that I do and this was no exception.  In 2002 I quit smoking and proceeded to train for the Ironman Canada Triathlon.  I was a three McDonald’s meals and a pack of cigarettes a day type of person until I met my wife Bonnie.  She is extremely athletic and guided me to the healthier life.  In 2003 I completed my first Ironman in 12hours, 23minutes.  Subsequently I have raced Ironman two more times in 2005 and 2008.  The only Triathlon I had completed before Ironman was a small sprint event at UBC called My First Triathlon.

When I decided to race the Dakar I did the same thing, I jumped right in.  Why race a smaller event if I can go ahead and race the biggest in the world, the Mount Everest of off road motorcycle racing.

Rick Hatswell is one of very few Canadians to have ever attempted the Dakar Rally, a 10,000KM journey across Argentina and Chile.  He is primarily sponsored by Craftsman Collision and many other important sponsors.  Please view the links to their websites and use their services and products.  These companies believe strongly in the Human spirit that Rick will bring to this years race.

The Dakar spirit is found at the crossroads of several passions. Beyond being an impossible to avoid and unique event in the motor racing world, it is also a unique human experience. The rally’s history, the performance of some and the struggles of others, remind each of us that the Dakar is above all else a sentimental and emotional affair. The competitors are most attached to this dimension. This is what explains, for example, the survival of the idea of mutual aid within the caravan.

More than a simple motor race, the Dakar requires off-road navigation capabilities and rock-solid consistency. In rally-raid, endurance is primordial; the least mistake can be costly. This mix of physical rigour and technical performance has been an attraction for champions from diverse horizons for nearly 30 years, all of whom desire to measure themselves and learn about this original event. Former WRC world champion, Ari Vatanen found the winning formula; Stéphane Peterhansel, who tried his hand at all sorts of exceptional challenges early in his career and world enduro champion, became the uncontested expert of the event; Cyril Despres has stepped onto the top step of the podium; world ski champion, Luc Alphand was a fast learner of the desert; American NASCAR stand out, Robby Gordon, the king of ice racing in another life, Yvan Muller, Carlos Sainz or Guerlain Chicherit have also turned towards the ultimate goal: win the Dakar.

Like the mountains or the oceans, wide-open spaces inspire “adventurers”. Entering the Dakar is in some ways like climbing your own Everest, complete your sailing or rowing around the world trip. The finish podium represents an extraordinary challenge; sometimes it’s a life’s challenge.

Beyond the standings, all the competitors are motivated by this tenacious desire, this nearly insane dream. Whether they are motorcycle riders or drivers in cars or trucks, they share this ambition, a feeling that nears. The tradition of mutual-aid, the buzz word that is a pillar of the “Dakar spirit”, born from this shared passion. No matter their origins, they all speak the same language.