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There were plenty of other attractions too over the long weekend . Bike retailers , ironmongers , gear floggers , airbrushers , and even a professor ( Chris Hurren ) from Deakin , one of Melbourne ’ s prestigious universities , who was offering advice and scientific analysis of the latest bike safety gear . There was literally something for everybody .
“ Brett did a fantastic job of organising everything and it was just so good , such fun for everybody . I loved it ,” says Kingsley . In fact , she was so impressed with the Tasmanian biking scene she decided to stay a while longer , touring around and running dirt bike coaching classes for the next month or so .
Another tourist from over the water was Bill from Western Australia . Over a beer , inside the cunningly Indian-style tepee main tent , he told us about his weekend .
“ I rode over here from Perth ,” he said nonchalantly . “ I ’ d always wanted to go to a beach race for bikes , and there aren ’ t any in WA now . So , I came to Tassie , did the West Coast Explorer on my Indian , and ended up here today . I didn ’ t race because I have got to go back to Perth tomorrow to work but am so stoked I came to this event . It ’ s a riot .”
Withington told us around ten percent of the people this year came from the mainland ; Victoria , New South Wales , South Australia , and like Bill , from Western Australia too .
“ No matter where you come from or what you ride , we reckon if you can pull on a helmet , you have a story to tell ,” Withington asserts .
Withington says he got the original inspiration for the event from the United Kingdom ’ s Malle Mile beach event ( which describes itself as an Inappropriate Motorcycle Race and Festival ) held at Grimsthorpe in the East Midlands as well as the beach racing featured in the award-winning 2005 movie , The World ’ s Fastest Indian . He says that like Malle , SPOKE is as much about “… catching up , talking about stuff and meeting new people , making friends and creating a community ” as it is about bikes .
Jim Pearson , who bravely rode his Royal Enfield Himalayan in the beach race , agrees .
“ Myself , my wife Sally , and our dog Charlie have been on the road for three months now , driving round Australia in our Coaster with my Himalayan on the back ,” he explained .
Pearson saw the publicity for SPOKE and decided it was worth a detour . He was so impressed with the “ come-all ” entry requirements that he entered the beach race against dozens of hot-poop YZ250s , KTM 300s and Honda CRF450s . He fried his clutch in the excitement of the racing , but a group of complete strangers helped him
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