Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125682
Challenger Hills:
.
Bike Riders' Utopia
By John Bethea
Photos by James Waite
"How many acres!?" is the first startled
comment most motorcycle enthusiasis
ask aftering hearing of Challenger Hills
Motorcycle Ranch located a few miles
south of Salinas, California.
"Honest, man. Would I lie to you? I'm
telling you, it covers 15,000 acres •••
1-5-0-0-0 acres of hills, gullies, open
fields, jumps, roughs, everything."
What now seems as the most startling
motorcycle riding area in the West
Coast first began several months ago
when three young college students took
the step beyond the talking stages and
went into action.
They leased a ranch and equipment
and went on a 350-mile public relations
campaign to gain support from shops,
clubs and influential people. To control
the area, they put it under the auspices
of a ' private" club for cycle enthusiasts
of every range of dirt bike.
Needless to say, Mike' Maring's comment "We are without equal in Northern
California," has got to be one .of the
biggest understatements of the year •
.Along with Mike in the venture are
David Tobkin and Chad Diso. "I guess
you could call us cocky independent
college students trying to make good,"
says Mike. Each of the three will be
sophomores at the University of Santa
Clara in the fall so plans for operating
the Ranch during the school week are
still up in the air.
"Our place offers draws and creek- .
beds so full of chunky boulders that they
are worthy of the best trall riders. But,
continued Maring, "I guess you could
call our specialty the hill climbs for the
big bikes.
"Our soil is good decomposed granite
which turns tacky in the rainy season.
There is also gently rolling pastures with
great spectator visability where we might
possibly set up a motocross track."
covered. They are working closely with
the Forestry Service and the Conservation Association so that the land and
vegetation will not be destroyed. "We're
concerned about erosion," they explain,
"so we will be closing areas off so that
the vegetation will grow back."
It is a long range project the three
college students have undertaken, and
they really don't know what to expect.
"During the school year," say Tobkin,
"we'll be at school during the week. On
the weekend>, however, we'll take turns
coming down to open the place and run it.
"if it really becomes a popular area;
and I hope it does," he adds, "we may
have to hire someone to take over as
director during the week so it can remain open."
The ranch is located six miles east of
Chualar, which is 10 miles south of
Salinas. Chualar is a small town on US
101, but, if everything goes right for
Mike, Chad and Dave, it may soon be a
big spot on bike riders' maps.
The. 15,000 acres make Challenger Hills a rider's dream come true.
What the three men lack in funds and
help they 'make uP with desire, hard
work, and ideas'.
"We want to bulld this ranch into a
family bike recreation area, good for
all-day excursions. Clusters of oak offer
shade for picnic and barbeque areas,"
explains Maring. "We're working on
those now."
The ranch is open da1ly during the
summer from 8 WI 7 to club members
but this is easilY overcome, as anybody
can join for $1. For such a large area,
the admission is surprisingly low. After
paying for the membership, the entrance
fee is $1 for bikes under 125cc and $2
for 125cc or over. All other spectators,
family members, etc. are free.
, Definitely in our plans for the future
are areas for scrambles and enduros,
and a ranch perimeter course of 12
miles," says t!)e youthful Marini;.
Apparently, nothing is being left un-
WII, wasl'f f'e lIorf"
i.rife" fo co.pefe
in file
Easf-Wesf cOlfJpefion?
NOlRTIHIJElRN )()JIIRlECTOIRY
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SONNY KENYON'S CYCLES. Lot n·
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CAMPUS SUZUKI
Service and Sales ..."...
2403 SAN PASL..O AVE.
BERK'ELEY
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