At the opening round of the 2024 AMA US Hard Enduro series in Johnson Valley, California, on January 20-21, KLIM athletes and ambassadors tackled the challenging two-day event in wet, rainy desert conditions, which made for one of the closest races in hard enduro history. 

Factory Beta’s Daniel Lewis finished 10th out of 25 in the Pro class and said the sickness he’s been battling the past few weeks made it hard to compete. “It was a struggle for me,” Lewis said Monday. “I think that I have it in me to go toe-to-toe with the top guys. Looking forward to getting healthy and working toward the results I want.”

“The gear was awesome this weekend,” Lewis added. “It’s great seeing more people running the XC Lite in the Pro class this year.”

Arizona’s James Flynn finished seventh in the Pro class and said he was happy with his riding even though a top five finish was his goal. 

“Both of my GPSs broke off in a crash early on in the race, so I put them in my pant pocket and mostly navigated by other riders’ tracks and pulling them out of my pocket when needed,” Flynn said. “I was super far back in the pack and had to put on a hard push to get up to seventh. Super happy with the gear. Definitely my favorite gear I’ve ever had.”

Kentucky’s Gauge Key finished 13th and said all the rain on Saturday night made for an epic course on Sunday. 

“Basically no dust made for an epic day in the desert,” Key said Monday. “I rode super well all day in eighth place until the last mile of the final lap where I made a navigational error right before the finish. I was given a 30-minute penalty, which moved me back from eighth to 13th in the overall result. Still a solid weekend, and I’m excited for the rest of the season.” 

Dylan Santoro finished 18th in Sunday’s main event and said there was definitely some adversity that he had to push through in the main race. 

“My left foot peg broke off completely right after the first lap, then my chain broke about halfway through the second lap,” said the California rider about his home race. “It definitely cost me a bunch of time but I pushed through it and was at least able to start my third lap, salvaging a top 20 finish. I’m really glad it rained because it kept the dust down and provided better traction in the dirt and sand.” 

In the A class, Idaho’s Eli Hammons finished fourth out of 21 and 24th overall, saying the track suited him with all the big rocks to jab over. 

“The track was terrain that I usually don’t ride that often but I really do like,” Hammons said Monday. “The sand and rocks make it slippery, hard and fun. Doing lots of trials has helped.” 

“The gear did fantastic this weekend,” Hammons said, adding that his pants took a beating on the knee caps. “And they held up great. The F3 Carbon Pro Helmet helped me a lot with not having neck fatigue.” 

In the Pro Women class, 16-year-old Addy Albrecht finished second and already accomplished her goal of getting on the podium this season. 

“I had fun most of the time,” Albrecht said after the race. “I got stuck in one canyon for a couple hours and ended up running out of water, calling Dad crying because I was so worn down. I made it out of that canyon though and to checkpoint three in time and that's what I love about this sport – accomplishing what I didn't think I could.” 

Running KLIM Women XC Lite gear, Albrecht said she kept cool the entire race. 

“I absolutely loved my XC Lite gear the entire time, rain or sun,” she added. “After all my hard crashes, my head never hurt, thanks to my F3 Carbon Pro helmet.” 

Utah’s Mesa Lange, promoter of the upcoming Moab Hard Enduro at Area BFE on April 14, finished third and said she was really happy with the event. 

“Sunday’s race was great as the rain made certain areas so perfect,” Lange added. “I started near all my favorite people and just kept going. I made it out to check three and timed out. It was great to race next to Louise (Forsley) and Addy (Albrecht) and all the other awesome riders. I had help in certain areas from some great people and all together it was a blast. KLIM kept me safe and looking good out there. I am looking forward to racing more this year.”

In the Women class, KLIM ambassadors Reagan Stone and Dillon Neaman finished second and fourth Dillon Neaman -- pictured above is Lange, Albrecht, Neaman and Stone. 

Stone climbed from third on Saturday after a “wicked hard start” to second in Sunday’s main event, saying she felt pretty lagged throughout Saturday’s race and couldn’t seem to get into the zone. 

“I deflected off a rock almost immediately and had to pick my way up the hill on a more difficult line than I had planned.” 

On Sunday, wearing the F3 Helmet that she “absolutely can’t get enough of,” KLIM Women XC Lite Pant and Glove along with the Solstice -1.0 Sleeveless base layer, Stone came off the line a little more patient through difficult, never-ending canyons with zero rest points. 

“There were some serious bottlenecks that you just had to wait your turn to get through,” Stone added. “I think that by running a slower, more consistent pace, I was able to in the end make it further in the race without gassing myself. It was a long, hard, miserable race that I would suggest to anyone that enjoys Type 2 Fun. I will be back next year with a smile on my face and a working bike to break.” 

For Neaman, the rain helping pack down the sand, “which was amazing, but also made every little baby rock in the sand a slipping stone for Lap 1 on Sunday.”

“We loved the overhead clouds for most of the race and rode in our XC Lite kits for breathability for six hours on the bike. I love even with the rain, the XC Lite gloves don’t lose their grip on the throttle and fit my tiny hands.” 

With KLIM Women in both the Pro and Amateur Women’s classes, Neaman said she loved seeing all the other riders on course wearing KLIM: “It feels like you’re all on a team together.”

Photos ©️ Jenny Keller Photography & Trailbound Co

 

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At Round 1 of the AMA National Hare and Hound series on January 21 in Lucerne Valley, California, Factory Beta’s Zane Roberts finished second out of 20 in the Pro class with two laps in 2:08:19, 11 seconds behind the leader. 

“I got a terrible start but worked my way up to second within the first 10 or so miles and decided to chill out there as I knew the second loop was going to be really technical and demanding,” Roberts said Monday. “This seemed to pay off as I found myself passing into the lead about halfway through the second loop where I held onto it for a while before tipping over in some rocks and losing the lead. I then had another tip over, gave it everything I had through the fast valleys headed to the finish but wasn’t quite able to get back to the front."

With nearly two months until the next race, the Nevada rider said he’s looking forward to getting in better health after battling health issues and not being able to ride or train in the weeks leading up to the first round. 

“Overall a good ride for me considering,” Roberts added. “I didn’t have much energy in the tank for this one. Hopefully I can get into better health and show up ready for the rest of the year.” 

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The 46th edition of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia from January 5-19 put KLIM Motorcycle gear to the ultimate test for over 8,000 kilometers (~5,000 miles) in 14 days.

Out of 132 bikes on the starting line,France’s Neels Theric was running 24th -- the highest-ranked Kove rider -- before a mechanical forced him back to 99th place. 

“I am very satisfied with the quality of KLIM equipment, and it is an honor for me to represent this brand,” Theric said after the race.

In the Original by Motul category, racers competing without any outside assistance, Spanish rider Albert Martin finished third in the class and 35th overall with 64 hours.

Kyle McCoy, one of four Americans racing Dakar, finished 10th in class and 63rd overall with 78 hours.

Rookie French rider, Vincent Biau, pictured above, finished 15th in class and 74th overall in his first Dakar Rally with a broken ankle and broken rib since a crash on the second day.

“I had a big doubt about my potential to finish this adventure," said Biau, the only rider running a Dakar jacket he modified to fit the rally needs. "But I couldn’t give up so quickly after all these years of personal and professional sacrifices.”

Chile’s Tomás de Gavardo, the 2019 FIM Junior Bajas World Cup champion, finished second in the Junior class, 25th in the Rally 2 class and 39th overall with 66 hours.

"It was a very demanding rally, but I am very happy to have been able to complete my second participation and to have improved compared to last year, which was the main objective," Gavardo said, adding that he is already preparing for the 2025 Dakar.

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Up next: 

Snow: 

AMSOIL Championship Snocross - Deadwood, South Dakota, January 26-27

Moto:

AMA National Grand Prix Championship - Round 2, Taft, California, February 2-4 

AMA US Hard Enduro - Round 2, Oahu, Hawaii, March 2

AMA National Hare & Hound Championship - Round 2, Murphy, Idaho, March 23-24

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

Ride hard, ride often, ride KLIM. #KLIMLife