VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P83
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY
STEPH VETTERLY
R
ieju USA's Quinn Wentzel
entered the 2026 River
Monster Hard Enduro having
won two of the event's three previ
-
ous editions. Adding another vic-
tory to that record would require
far more than outright speed.
Round three of the AMA East
Hard Enduro Series returned
to Kairos Wilderness Resort in
Glen Lyn, Virginia, where pro
-
moter Jared Spencer introduced
a substantially revised course
for 2026. Building on feedback
from previous editions, Spencer
added more technical terrain,
challenging splits for the Pro and
A divisions, and a new loose-rock
climb through Virgin Valley.
Then the weather finished
the job.
The result was the toughest
River Monster yet—a soaked,
wheel-spinning survival test that
stopped most of the field before
it had traveled a quarter mile.
Wentzel secured his third River
Monster victory as the top Pro,
with Maverik Thaxton and Creed
Kisling rounding out the podium.
The contrast with 2025 could
hardly have been sharper. A year
earlier, pre-race rain drained
away, leaving nearly ideal con
-
ditions for a fast event won by
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's
Ryder LeBlond. The leaders
completed two laps and spent
much of the afternoon racing
one another rather than fighting
bottlenecks. Several riders ad
-
mitted afterward that rain would
multiply the difficulty.
SURVIVAL
