Things are set to get heated at the 2018 South Coast Bike Fest™, sponsored by UGU South Coast Tourism and Tourism KZN, taking place from 27 to 30 April, as some of the country’s best bikers head to Margate for some high-octane motorcycle action in the Full Throttle Staging Arena.
Running from 10am to 4pm on Monday, 30 April at the Extreme Experiential Zone, the SOUTHERN AFRICA ENDUROX SERIES proudly hosted by Powasol Events promises audiences non-stop EXTREME biking thrills as experienced bikers master the obstacle-laden course in the hopes of taking the R10 000 Gold Prize.
“Last year’s South Coast EnduroX was the first beach-setting contest of its kind in South Africa and the unbelievable track really put riders to the test, giving spectators a real show to watch,” said Managing Director of Powasol SA, Commentator and Event Director, Klint Mills. “This year’s SOUTH COAST ENDUROX at the South Coast Bike Fest™ – under the auspices of Motorsport South Africa – promises to be an even more electric experience. The riders will race laps in a prescribed timed format – similar to that of Europe – all of which is new to the Southern Africa EnduroX Series format. It’s going to be a really incredible event for the visitors and our riders.”
This year will see bikers competing in six classes – Pro, Expert, Hobby, 85 Pro Mini, 65 Junior Mini and the Micro Mini’s for ages four to six. Some big-name riders competing for the Gold First prize will be Wade Young (Sherco Factory Rider), Kyle Flanagan (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha and current World Indoor Junior Champion contender), Travis Teasdale (Beta Factory Racing), Matt Barnes (KTM Durban), Altus de Wet (Roost KTM), Blake Gutzeit (2017 World Indoor EnduroX Champion) and Piwe Zulu (Herbalife Nutrition bLU cRU Yamaha Racing Team).
The youngest rider taking to the track in the Micro Mini’s class is recently-turned-five-year-old, Cody Greger, of Drummond, KwaZulu-Natal. Riding since the tender age of only 18 months, little Cody races regional and club motocross competitions as well as the SOUTHERN AFRICA ENDUROX SERIES events such as this. He is currently in the first position in both club and regional motocross championships and will soon move up to 50cc Pro.
Cody’s mother, Christine, explained that the young rider shares his passion with his father and nine-year-old brother, Levi Bekker.
“He was pretty much born into racing and has been competing in events since he was three,” said Christine. She said that, when asked, Cody described his interest in the sport as: “I love to ride my bike, hit the jumps and go fast around burns.”
Older brother, Levi, has also been competing since young – four years old – and currently races in the 65 Pro Class at club, regional and national motocross levels as well as KZN X-Country and SOUTHERN AFRICA ENDUROX SERIES. He is currently first in the club 65cc Pro Championship and second in the Regional Motocross and EnduroX 65cc Championship.
This year’s SOUTHERN AFRICA ENDUROX SERIES format will include two non-timed practice sessions and one timed practice session with the top seven fastest times overall moving to the Superpole – the top three get bonus points and an automatic gate pick for the Final 1. The total points from Final 1, Final 2 and Final 3 – as well as the Superpole points – will determine the winner.
The extreme action continues with The King Donut Show on Saturday, 28 and Sunday, 29 April from 11.40am to 12pm as Alfred Matamela, AKA King Donut, shows off his legendary moves on his Yamaha R1 and MT10, sponsored by Yamaha SA with tyres sponsored by Shinko SA.
And for those wanting to do more than just watch, this year’s South Coast Bike Fest™ is offering an adrenaline rush for all ages with the introduction of the BOUNCE Vibe Tribe Stunt Show at 10am, 2pm and 5pm daily. This gravity-defying trampoline allows participants to take on the ‘Great Wall’ or slam dunk like a basketball pro while mixing it up with the BOUNCE parkour and extreme cheer crew. There will also be demonstrations by the Bounce Vibe Tribe who will literally bounce off the walls in this incredible free-jumping revolution.
From 2.30pm, biking legends Matthew Wegner and Devon ‘DMAck’ Mackenzie will put on a death-defying performance as the Trials Bike Stunt Show kicks off. DMack, who has been riding trials bikes for a decade, is a two-time Pro B National champion and currently sits in third place countrywide in the country in the Pro Elite class. Wegner, who pulled off a third-place finish in the South African National Trials championship against his idols, the Le Riche brothers, has also been riding trials for several years. For the South Coast Bike Fest™, both riders will be navigating their way over a series of obstacles, showing off their precision balance and riding skills. Some lucky spectators could also get a chance to balance on one of the bikes and try outbalance their heroes. There will be an autograph session after the show and an opportunity to chat to the riders.
In addition to the extreme sports’ element, visitors to the South Coast Bike Fest™ will also get the chance to visit eight festival-themed bars, corporate dealership deck as well as 22 restaurants with 8 Festival Themed bars including Budweiser Beach Stage and Jack Daniels Rock Stage catering to all interests and tastes. There is also full line-up of more than 30 South African artists and a jam-packed entertainment programme, including:
• Top musical acts such as Francois Van Coke, Karen Zoid, Matthew Mole, Springbok Nude Girls, Babes Wodumo, GoodLuck, The Kiffness, Timo ODV, Chunda Munki and many more.
• Bounce Vibe Tribe
• Powasol EnduroX Extreme
• South Coast Bike Fest™ Mayoral Mass Charity Parade
All bikers and pillions are urged to pre-register online for #freefunseeker tickets which gives free access to the entire event precinct including the main stage featuring all the headline artist performances. All non-biking pedestrians will be charged a nominal fee of R60 per day which provides access to the event precinct. For another R150, #fuelyourfun ticket holders can access the Budweiser Main Beach Stage Golden Circle. Children U12 accompanied by an adult enter free. Pre-registration for the biking community and limited pedestrian ticket sales are available at www.southcoastbikefest.co.za. Tickets will also be sold at the gate.
Keep up-to-date on all the event happenings using #SCBF18 on:
Instagram: @scbikefest
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Twitter: @SCBikeFest
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Website: www.tourismsouthcoast.co.za
Full Throttle Staging Arena Programme
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th
Bounce Vibe Tribe Stunt Show
10h00
Extreme Experiential Zone
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th
Trials Bike Stunt Show
10h30
Extreme Experiential Zone
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th
Bounce Vibe Tribe Stunt Show
14h00
Extreme Experiential Zone
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th
Trials Bike Stunt Show
14h30
Extreme Experiential Zone
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th
Bounce Vibe Tribe Stunt Show
17h00 – 17h30
Extreme Experiential Zone
Saturday 28th – 29th April
King Donut Show
11h40 – 12h00
Extreme Experiential Zone
Monday 30th April
Powasol EnduroX Extreme
10h00 – 16h00
Extreme Experiential Zone
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