More than 250 entries, the largest turnout of the season, showed up to the inaugural AMA US Hard Enduro at Area BFE in Moab, Utah, for Round 4 of the AMA West Hard Enduro Series, presented by KLIM.

KLIM Motorcycle athletes and ambassadors landed on the podium in Pro, Pro Women, A Senior 40+, A Master 50+, Youth 12-15 and Women – some for the first time.  

Canada’s Branden Petrie finished second overall out of 20 in the Pro class with three laps in 2:49:01 for his first-ever Pro podium.

“It was a great race, I had a lot of fun,” Petrie said. “I definitely wasn’t expecting us quite as fast. The pace was very fast and felt like a sprint for most of the race.”

After a fourth-place start, Petrie worked his way into third after the first lap and passed his way into second by the end of the third. 

“I wore the XC Lite both days and loved it,” he added. “Stayed cool and it stayed strong to all of the tough branches and rocks. My favorite piece would be the XC Lite gloves because my hands didn’t hurt the entire race even with how choppy it was.”

Rounding out the top 5 overall, James Flynn finished three laps in 3:03:10, giving kudos to race promoters, Joe Nemeth and Mesa Lange, KLIM-sponsored athletes and Hard Enduro racers.

“I really enjoyed the course,” Flynn said. “I knew Joe was going to set up a legit track for us. I'd say the biggest challenge for me was navigating through lappers.”

“I wore the XC Lite both days for the warmer weather,” the Arizona rider added. “I love all my KLIM gear but my favorite piece has to be the F5 Helmet. It’s lightweight, comfortable and I know it’ll do a good job at keeping my head protected.”

In the Pro Women class, Montana’s Bailey Lerwill finished third and said Area BFE’s naturally rugged terrain was a great venue to host a hard enduro. 

“I was so excited to see the event offered this year in such a picturesque landscape and hope it happens again next year,” she said. “I expected it would be hot and rough throughout the race only because I had ridden there before and knew there would be rocks and lots of ledges.”

As a returning KLIM Women athlete, wearing the new XC Pro Pant in hi-vis and XC Lite Jersey in corrosion vivid blue, Lerwill said, “I’m stoked to be back wearing the gear of my choice.” 

“The pants were great, super flexible and durable,” she said. “I hit trees, rocks and even had an instance where I got pulled into another rider's tire and they didn’t rip or snag at all. They didn’t get saggy or make me feel like they were falling off. The XC Lite Jersey was perfect for the weather and helped keep me cool in the heat. My helmet was nice and light and easily cooled.”

“They did a great job representing all the women at the event and I was stoked to see so many signed up,” Lerwill added. “Thank you guys for making such great gear and supporting a rad community of off-road enthusiasts!

In the A class, Jack Williford finished fourth out of 43 with three laps in 4:32:45 for 15th overall and said he really enjoyed the event, and the terrain was what he expected. 

“I definitely could have done better but that’s how it always goes,” he said. “The most challenging part was most definitely Black Flag and my favorite part of the course was also Black Flag."

Wearing the XC Lite both days, Williford said his favorite piece of KLIM gear right now is “100% the pants.” 

“I really enjoy how lightweight and durable they are,” he added. “I am also a huge fan of the phone pocket. I don’t even realize my phone is in it when I use it.” 

Idaho’s Eli Hammons finished sixth and 21st overall, saying his weekend "was good but could have been better.” 

“In the first race on Saturday, I was in the top 15 and everything was going good and then my chain popped off on the last hill, which set me back to 39th,” Hammons said. “For Sunday, I was on the 4th row so I had to do a lot of catching up to get top 5.”  

Wearing the new XC Pro kit both days – “I really like the neon yellow pants and jersey combo!” -- The Idaho rider said the race was what he expected: “long and brutal.” 

“The most challenging part for me was battling my arm pump on the first race on Saturday. I had it very bad. It was hurting to hold onto my bars. I enjoyed the Black Flag Pro/A-only loop at the very end of the race. It felt very rewarding to finish when everyone was watching you!”

Two spots behind Hammons, California’s Nick Poohachoff finished eighth in A class and 29th overall with three laps in 6:11:38. 

“That was the best Hard Enduro I’ve ever done,” he said. “Joe and Mesa crushed it, gave the people what they wanted and raised the bar for these events. Love how we had less people on the starting line. All the course markings were easy to follow. That terrain is some of my favorite type of riding.” 

©️ Jenny Keller Photography / @jennygkeller and @nickcgclark

After a 20th-place start, Poohachoff worked his way inside the top 10 after the first lap and said he was stoked to end up in 8th place after such a long day. 

“The six hours of riding was brutal,” he said. “My battery died on the second lap and no kickstarter, so had to bump start my bike in some not so great spots, but I had a goal that I wanted to get three laps in and get to ride the bonus section to the finish. I think I was the last person to make that cut off and that loop was the best part of the whole race for me.”

In A Senior 40+, Enduro Method’s Joshua Rempel (pictured above) finished third out of 23 and 28th overall with three laps in 6:07:37 while Matt Entz, a longtime Team Polaris professional snowmobile athlete and KLIM Backcountry Team Official Member, finished 11th and 75th overall. 

“The event was freaking awesome,” Entz said. “Very tough for me, but pretty much what I was hoping for. There were two different really steep hill climbs with very loose dirt and obstacles that were definitely the most challenging for me. Maybe so challenging because they were full of people stuck. With the levels of fatigue, not sure I could have gotten up them without help.”

Entz added that he helped a lot of people throughout the day in hopes that when he needed help, someone would be willing. 

“It worked out for the most part,” he said. “There isn’t really one part of the event that I enjoyed the most. The overall experience between the racing, difficulty of the course, location, people that I raced with and the people that I camped with made for a phenomenal weekend!”

Wearing the corrosion warm gray XC Lite Pant and Jersey on Saturday, and his trusty red/white/blue kit on Sunday, Entz said the XC Lite gear setup is definitely his favorite for hard enduro. 

“Lightweight, super vented and very flexible for my accidental acrobatic moves.”

In A Master 50+, Trent Sandoval finished second out of 10 and 43rd overall – his first full length hard enduro race since last July and third hard enduro race ever. After winning Saturday’s qualifier race, which determined Sunday’s starting order, Sandoval started on Row 6 for Sunday’s main race (10 per row).

“It was a good test to see where my hydration and nutrition plans were for a 6-hour race, which was good data and preparation for Red Bull Romaniacs later this year in July, where I will be competing in the Silver Class,” he added. “It definitely was a gnarly and tough race.”

The most challenging part, Sandoval said, were the huge bottlenecks -- it would be quite the accomplishment to get through 16 of the 18 checkpoints in the 6-hour timeframe. 

“The most enjoyable part for me was not quitting, and riding the entire six hours and almost finishing the full three laps,” he said, adding that he wore the Mojave kit and was glad he did after seeing other riders overheating. “I know there were a lot of people that pulled off and DNF’d. I guess it’s just not in my nature to quit, as I’ve never done so in my 26 years of racing. Not bad for a 50 year old wannabe hard enduro racer I guess.”

Nolan Albrecht led from the start in Youth 12-15 with three laps in 4:41:08.

KLIM Women’s Reagan Stone finished second out of 11 in the Women class, followed by fellow ambassador, Dillon Neaman, in fourth. 

“Moab was awesome,” Neaman said. “The terrain and the location were exceptional. The new race area from Joe and Mesa was just top notch and better than expected.” 

With 13 entries in the Women class, eight signed up for their first-ever hard enduro and Neaman said it was exciting to welcome new faces to the series. 

“I had a great time teaming up with other racers out there as the commentary makes the struggle so much more fun when we made it with big smiles together,” she said, adding that the KLIM Tactical Short came in handy as she pushed it to the last minute enjoying all the canyons, rocks and dirt. 

“My favorite piece recently and actually used all weekend are the Outlander GTX Boot. From hiking the rocks for course walk to hanging around camp when it started to snow, they were amazing all-day wears,” she said. “The easy in and out BOA system is a real game changer getting in the van and keeping clean. Loving the new KLIM women’s lifestyle wear with such cute sweaters to keep me warm as well.”

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The mountainous singletrack at Round 2 of the AMA West Hare Scrambles in Jacksonville, Oregon, on April 14, quickly turned into a "full mudder" as a thick layer of chocolate cake mud covered the course.

KLIM Women athlete Megan “Braap” Griffiths entered her first-ever AMA West Hare Scrambles and finished second out of six in the Pro Women class with three laps in 1:51:56. 

“This race was closer to the racing I used to do back in Canada back in the day so I felt pretty at home,” the Canada rider said. “The mud was great because it really allowed me to shine. I do well when it gets a little gnarly!” 

Wearing grey-colored XC Lite Pant and white Petrol Jersey, Griffiths said her gear held up well in the full mudder: “It’ll probably never be white again, but I looked good out there,” she said. “I seemed to be one of the only people who ran the same set of goggles (Edge Goggle in Stealth Black and photochromic lens) for the whole race. They didn’t fog up out there and with my scratch proof lens cover and a layer of Rain-X, I was able to wipe them when needed and keep good visibility the whole time.”

KLIM Motorcycle athlete and Factory Beta’s Zane Roberts finished five laps for fifth out of six in the Pro class and said, “Just had a bit of a scare with a knee injury, I think it’ll be alright to continue racing but didn’t want to push it yesterday with not much to gain.”

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At the Zbroz Beaver Mountain Bash for Round 5 of the Rocky Mountain States Hillclimb Association in Garden City, Utah, on April 12-13, it was another successful weekend for Keith Curtis with wins in Pro 900 Stock, Pro 900 Improved, Pro Open Stock and Pro Open Modified, along with a third in Pro 900 Modified. 

“The weather was amazing, course was fast with lots of big holes, and the racing was fire,” wrote Curtis, who also won Stock King and Improved King. 

Wyoming’s Andy Thomas finished second in Pro 900 Stock, third in Pro 1000 Stock, fourth in Pro Open Stock and fifth in Pro 900 Modified. 

“60-degree temps racing snowmobiles is always fun,” Thomas said. “The course was really fast and you had to really hang it out there. All in all it was a good race!”

Fellow Montana Sam Peterson – second in Pro 900 Modified, third in Pro 900 Stock, Pro Open Modified and Pro Open Stock and fifth in Pro 1000 Stock – said he was very happy to be on the podium with the rest of the Polaris factory racing team. 

“The course was very fast, which made me ride outside my comfort zone, which I love,” Peterson said. “I was able to win the 2-up Dash for Cash with Keyser Edwards as well, which was so much fun! Seeing that kid's face when he realized we won was totally priceless and one of the best moments of my year.” 

Idaho’s Tanner Meyers, who took the win in Pro 700 Improved, along with sixth in Pro 700 Stock, Pro 700 Modified, Pro 1000 Stock and 10th in Pro 1000 Improved, said the most difficult part was getting used to the course.

“It was a little different than what we usually run, the more open course made for some really high speed corners and made for super close times throughout the whole class,” Meyers said. “I always enjoy the bottom section with the jumps in front of the lodge.” 

Montana’s Toby Shepherd came away with two podiums – second in Pro 700 Modified and third in Pro 900 Improved – along with sixth in Pro 600 Modified and Pro 1000 Improved and eighth in Pro Open Modified – and said the warm weather made for a fun environment and slushy snow made for some high speed madness.

“The Beaver course was very fast and made for very small margins for error,” Shepherd said. “If you made the slightest mistake, it would take you out of the money so that was the most challenging part. It’s hard to make up any time and times were so close that even good runs could be pushed down the leaderboard, which is always fun. The Race Spec gear performed outstanding as it was light and breathable yet kept us dry in the slush.” 

For Brock Sharp, who won Pro 1000 Improved, finished second in Pro Open Stock, fourth in Pro 900 Stock and Pro 1000 Stock along with seventh in Pro 900 Modified, Beaver was “waaay better than expected.”

“Racing with a torn/fractured shoulder but roughed through the pain because yolo. I enjoyed the high speed,” Brock said. 

Brad Sharp won Pro Senior Improved, finished second in Pro Senior Stock and third in Pro Senior Mod. 

“It was a great race, great weather, keeping your speed up fast course,” Brad said. “Everything Klim is always great.”

Idaho’s Jayden Pancheri finished fourth in Juniors (14-18) and Amateur Modified, along with 12th in Amateur Improved, while his father, Dustin Pancheri, finished 10th in Pro Master Modified – his first-ever pro race.

“These were probably the two fastest runs Jayden has put down this year,” Dustin said. “Jayden was determined to improve his finishes and probably pushed a bit too hard with his Improved run almost ending in an entertaining dismount.” 

Of his race, Dustin said he was unsure if he could even qualify for the pro classes. 

©️ RLT Photos

“Since I have been traveling to most of the races with Jayden, I figured it was time to give it a shot and see if I could be competitive,” Dustin said. “I started off very nervous but after attempting to qualify in Stock and Improved, I finally qualified in Pro Masters Mod barely squeaking in the 12th spot. I would eventually improve my final run and bring home a 10th place finish for my first-ever Pro race.”

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Up next: 

Snow: 

Rocky Mountain States Hillclimb Association - HCO Sledfest at Bear Valley Ski Resort, California, April 26-28

Moto:

AMA US Hard Enduro - East Round 1, Taylorsville, North Carolina, April 27-28

AMA West Hare Scrambles - Round 3, Prineville, Oregon, May 11-12

AMA National Hare & Hound Championship - Round 4, Jericho, Utah, April 20

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Have a race report we missed? Email us at racers@klim.com! 

Ride hard, ride often, ride KLIM. #KLIMLife