VOL. 55 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 30, 2018 P111
and evaluate it for the future."
Although Yamaha doesn't
currently have a factory-backed
rider in WESS, Kowalski main-
tains they are not closed to the
possibility in the future. "The idea
is interesting with this kind of off-
road championship spirit. But our
market is not big enough in two
sportingly close championships.
Priority is given to the cham-
pionship awarding world titles
on which we can communicate
thereafter."
Therein lies the challenging
question for manufacturers:
which world stage is more valu-
able to compete on?
ASSESSING
THE VALUES
While it faces plenty of doubt and
criticism, one of the clear ben-
efits of the WESS Championship
is its massive visibility, thanks
largely to Red Bull Media House.
All the events in the series also
boast large amateur participation
numbers, another factor that is
clearly lacking in the EnduroGP
Championship.
"With the sheer amount of
people attending the events that
WESS is associated with and the
interest in hard enduro particu-
larly, it makes absolute sense
for KTM to be involved in this
series," said Doringer. "Not only
does it connect us more with rid-
ers with the vast entries at these
existing events, it has a broader
audience, and finally we also
search for the most competitive
rider in enduro. With Red Bull
Media House providing exten-
sive coverage of the series, and
iconic events involved, having a
factory presence at these races
is incredibly beneficial for us."
Doringer even pointed out an
example of the stark contrast in
media coverage. An EnduroGP
press release sent out June 19
boasted over 3,000,000 views
on social media of its collective
content after four rounds. Doring-
er compared it to a single clip of
Jonny Walker's POV footage from
XL Lagares that had 3,700,000
views. While the numbers are
compelling, so are the improve-
ments made to the EnduroGP
championship in 2018, with
growing visibility. But are those
current improvements enough?
"I think the Enduro World
Championship is listening to
change and developing things,
but the problem is deeper today,"
said Yamaha's Kowalski. "It is
imperative that the amateur riders
come back to this World Champi-
onship. Today, the main problem
lies in the too small number of
rider entries. The second prob-
lem is financial. Indeed it is im-
"WE, YAMAHA, WISH TO PRESERVE THE
SPIRIT OF THE ENDURO KNOWING THAT IT
MUST EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE."
-Andrew Kowalski, Yamaha
Currently, factory Yamaha
only has a presence in
EnduroGP, but remains
open to the possibility of
competing in the WESS.
PHOTO
BY
RED
BULL
CONTENT
POOL
PHOTO
BY
FIM-PICTURES.COM
PHOTO
BY
RED
BULL
CONTENT
POOL
