Believe it or not, they’re at it again. The Hoka Hey Challenge has reappeared for a third running of their controversial long-distance, sleep-on-the-ground motorcycle ordeal. (It’s actually the fourth if you count the 2009 event that was aborted for dubious reasons.)
This development comes as a head-shaking shocker to most after last years’ debacle that ended up disqualifying all finishers from the cash prizes and the new CVO motorcycle that sponsor Harley-Davidson had offered up for the highest finishing H.O.G. member. Perhaps it we shouldn’t. The Hoka Hey organizers have proven themselves nothing if not brazen, resilient, and seemingly immune to the chorus of criticism and troubling questions about rampant operational snafus and an opaque money trail.
This year, we’re told, the route will be but 6,000 miles — a chipshot compared to previous event distance standards — and run from Las Vegas to Irving NY (?). A single specified checkpoint will be along the route, in Virginia, and a second surprise stop will be cited somewhere along the route. Whatever prize money ends up beig awarded will be based on the number of entry fees collected, assumng there are any.
And for what it’s worth, Harley-Davidson has abandoned their sponsorship role this year, and so other American marques will be permitted to enter
