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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126425
ENORTHERN DATELINE
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PNTA Trial tough,
butterrHic
By Lane Campbell
GOLD BAR. WA, AUG. 4-5
Marv Heath (Bul) with a score of
42 marks and 22 cleans took first
overall, and Bill Sparks (Yam)
earned the first First Class Award
Gold Bar is a trialer's delight or dilemma, depending on your level of skill.
Don't let the serious expressions fool you; PNTA riders tend to concentrate
on having fun and the competition comes second. But. they sure look good.
32
in the Championship class of Puget
Sound Trialers' State Championship
(PNTA) points round. The event drew
34 Championship and seven Support
entries on Sunday. Kids. Women.
Beginners and Novices rode Saturday.
There were enthusiastic contingents
traveling from both Canada and
Oregon for this one.
Sunday's run for the points made
three rounds of a fairly short loop
containing 16 sections. It was one of
those rare events - unanimously rated
tough and demanding by riders, yet
not a snivel could be heard. People
coming in at day's end said all the
se<::tions were rideable. although you
might need your cojones screwed on
tight to charge The Wall at 16; and
one young rider got the thrill of .his life
when his TYI75 Yamaha decided to
point its head down Three Step (Sec.
13), instead of up. (He stepped off and
threw it down just in time to avoid
going nose-first over a vertical drop).
Gold Bar, the site of the 1976 International round and a number of
Nationals, has plenty of variety left,
even in its traditional championship
sections. The Wall and Three Step,
both under the power line, are qld
familiars: as is the lower creek bed;
although the latter changes its
character with each flood season.
This year, the floods had done a real
number on the creek bridge; wiping it
out totally. There was a sawn log for
the trials riders. but woe befell one
playriding spectator who took a
header into the drink while attempting
to cross. He struggled for a half hour
trying to get out, until some folks lent
a hand.
Sections Three and 12 were both in
the round, roily rocks of the lower
creek. "Twelve" briefly acquired an
extra mobile hazard in the person(s) of
two kids who refused to quit playing
among the rocks in the middle of the
trap. Luckily the trap was a wide.
multi-line 'layout. Hats off to the rider
who managed to split between the
scrambling kids and still clean the
section
a difficuh feat for most
riders. even without the rovirlg
hazards.
Rocks dominated most of the trial
terrain. ranging from loose and
scrambly to solid and steep. With few
exceptions, the multi-line wide section
layout prevailed. Trap 14 got a bit
hard to manage when the dirt burnt
out around the big root where the trail
made a hard climbing turn past a
dead tree. Lots of folks fived this one
late in the day. after making it earlier.
Fatigue also became a factor as closing
time approached.
Noted among the sagging toward
the end was Bud Mylerberg (Bul) who
hung in for a Second Class award. Om
who seemed to refuse to tire was
Canadian Mark Gray, who had a way
of attacking the Wall section with a
motocrosser's brash aggressiveness ...
which was exactly what the Wall
demanded. Mark also pulled down a
Second Class award.
(PNTA awards trophies on a system
similar to the Gold/Silver/Bronge ranking familiar to ISDT riders. This trial
produced five First Class, six Second
Class and seven Third Class awards.)
Jay Terry (national circuit rider)
earned the third· ranked Pirst Class
award, followed by Brad Skreen (who
rode Trask Mountain on a Rokon,
earlier this year).
Among the Support troops, Kary
Krahel flat raced around the three
loops on his Sherpa T to win the class.
John Barr borrowed another Honda
when his TL 250 turned up with a flat
tire Sunday morning. "Worked pretty
good," he said of the loaner as he
finished second Support.
Pat "Grandma" Fristad stepped out
of the Women's class (that was won by
Lorna Munro) and was the sole
Sportsman finisher on Saturday.
Grandma also checked Sunday.
The club gave quite a rousing
appreciation for thl! 22 folks who
checked sections on Sunday. That
included a drawing for a pair of
Fivers, and a really gonzo "trials
chimp" trophy, won by John
Huntsman.
John Olson (Hon) won Saturday's
Novice round. and a motion was made
to move him up to Intermediate.
George Dudley was top Beginner;
brothers Scott and Andy Scheidt went
one· two in Junior Mini; and Jamie
Olson was the only Senior Mini to
finish Saturday's run.
Results
FIRST OVERALL: 1. Marv Heath 18ul).
FIRST CtASS AWAROS: 1. 8iU Sparks (Yam); 2. Jav
Terry 18ul); 3, Brad Skt""" IMon); 4. 5<;on Stewart
IMon); 5, Kit Williams 18ull,
SECONO CLASS AWARDS: 1. Jack Batchelor. Jr.
18ull; 2, Mark Gray (Mon); 3, Dave Pyle IBull; 4, Mark
lawson 18ull; 5, Bud Mylerberg 18ull; 6, Ray Reser
18ull,
THIRD CLASS AWARDS: 1, Evan Gray; 2. Stan
Bakgard; 3. Ron Jenkins; 4. Bob Munro; 5. Tom Reed;
6. Curt Long; 7. GuV Barron.
SUPPORT CLASS: 1, Kary KrahelI8ul); 2. John Barr
(Hon),: 3. Jim Falconer (Bull.
NOV CLASS: 1 John Olson IHon): 2. Chuck Estrin
(Bull: 3. Jim Raby (Yaml: 4. Mike lewis lBuli.
BEGINNERS: 1. George Dudley 137 pt,l; 2. Clark
Hamm 141); 3. David Padgen 1551.
WOMEN: 1. lorna Munro (171: 2. Georgina
W~man
\26); 3. Renee Mostad 1471,
SPORTSMAN: 1. Pat Fristad 1901.
SR MINI: 1. Jamie Olsen,
JR MINI: 1, Scon Scherdt 119 pll; 2. Andy Sch