This month I'm going to talk about a recent
event that was awesome but was not NETRA-sanctioned. But, if it weren't for NETRA, I never
would have been able to participate. Last week I was
super-fortunate to have yet another once-in-a-lifetime
dirtbike experience. The Pathfinders MC put together a week-
long tour around the fantastic trails of Michigan. We had 11 riders and the kicker was that we even had a chase truck. We rode from town to town, staying in different hotels each night with 60-130 miles of riding in between each stop. We navigated by GPS and rode trails that could only be called "Dirtbike Heaven." It was that kind of riding when you hold your throttle open for as long as you dare, as deep into the corner as you think possible and then roost out the other side. We did that for multiple days. Some guys rode for four days with a rest day on Lake Houghton and some hardcore guys did two additional days. Depending on how many days you chose to ride, you covered between 400 and 550 miles.
So other than trying to make you jealous of my early-summer vacation, what's the point? The point is that I would have had NO WAY of accessing this great experience without a club. I rode with a buddy or two for the first 24 years of my riding career but didn't even know that clubs or NETRA existed. It wasn't until 2002 that I found the Pathfinders and NETRA. Joining a club opens up riding and life experiences that are impossible without it. The families and fellow riders that make up NETRA clubs are tight-knit and unlike any others that you'll meet in other sports. The challenges of riding and racing in our sport bring forth a sense of family and camaraderie that I have not experienced anywhere else.
Add to this, the fact that NETRA is made up of the clubs. Many folks email me thinking that NETRA organizes and puts on all of our events. It's the clubs that are the workhorses and NETRA serves as the "hub of the wheel" as I call it.
So, if you enjoy NETRA events but are not yet a member of a club. Join one ASAP. You'll be thankful for it. If you are a club member but perhaps not a very active one, consider going to a meeting or two and raise your hand when something needs to be organized. Seeing the smiles on the riders' faces and knowing that WE DID THIS will be a huge reward to you.....and to your club.
President's Message