Um torfærukeppni á vélhjólum

Vélhjólaíþróttaklúbburinn, eða VÍK eins og hann er kallaður í daglegu tali er elsti starfandi mótorhjólaklúbbur landsins, stofhaður í október 1978. Markmið klúbbsins í upphafi var að
koma óskráðum keppnishjólum úr almemiri umferð inn á afmarkað keppnissvæði, þar sem félagsmenn gætu stundað íþrótt sína.

Stöðug fjölgun félagsmanna

 Í dag er fjöldi félagsmanna um 150 manns sem hafa löngun og áhuga á að stunda mótorhjólaíþróttir, þ.e.motocross og enduro. Meðal markmiða félagsins er að skapa aðstöðu fyrir félagsmenn til að stunda íþróttir sínar á löglegum svæðum, skapa aðstöðu fyrir æskulýðsstarf og fræða félagsmenn um öryggisbúnað og að umgangast náttúruna með virðingu. Klúbbnum hefur þó ekki tekist að fá framtíðarsvæði undir starfsemi sína og er því aðstaða félagsmanna VÍK til að stunda sína íþrótt lítil sem engin. Sú aukning sem orðið hefur í ástundun mótorhjólaíþróttarinnar á sl árum og þá sérstaklega í vor hefur aukið þörf fyrir að VÍK fái aðstöðu þannig að hægt sé að beina keppnistækjum félagsmanna á eitt afmarkað svæði. 

Loftfimleikar á vélhjólum

Motocross er íþrótt þar sem allt að 40 keppendur eru ræstir í einu og keyra þeir í stuttri braut með kröppum beygjum, bröttum brekkum og stórum stökkbrettum. Motocross er talin ein erfíðasta íþrótt i heimi enda mikið álaga á allan líkamann í um 20 mínútur. Eftir 15 mínútna akstur er fyrsta manni gefið til kynna að 2 hringir séu eftir, þá hefst lokaspretturinn. Eftir þessa 2 hringi eru keppendur flaggaðir út úr brautinni. Sá sem kemur fyrstur í mark fær 20 stig, næsti 17 o.s.frv. Ein keppni eru 3 svona riðlar og moto eins og það heitir á motocross-máli. Sigurvegari dagsins er sá sem fær flest stig út úr þessum þremur riðlum.
Íslandsmeistari er sá sem fær flest stig úr öllum fjórum keppnum ársins.

Enduro er keppni

 Í þoli í enduro reynir meira á þol og útsjónarsemi keppenaa en í motocross. Keppnin getur hlaupið á 2 til 7 klukkutímum. Oftast er ekinn stór hringur, u.þ.b. 10, km, 7 til 10 sinnum og er þá ekið eftir slóðum, árfarvegum, auðnum og í alls kyns landslagi. Keppendur þurfa að
velja sér rétta leið, þ.e. rata, einnig að spara kraftana og hjólið fyrir langan akstur. Þeir hafa með sér smáverkfæri og þurfa að taka eldsneyti einu sinni til þrisvar í hverri keppni og skiptir þá máli að hafa hraðar hendur. Sá sigrar sem kemst fyrstur tiltekna vegalengd.

-HÁ
DV. 2000

Dust, sweat, mud,and Ice

 Dust, sweat, mud,and Ice

Viðir with the tropys from the fist two of the
Icerace challenge in Myvatn

As a biker Víðir Már Hermannsson describes, Motocross is no easy ride

It's fast, rough and tough and certanly not a pasttime for the faint-hearted or anyone who prefers theyr fun clean.    In april, Marel became one of theyr newest sponsors.

The activity in question is motocross, and with 30-40 riders drawn to metings staged all over Iceland during the season, it is the contry most popular participant competitive motor sport.

KTM 380EXC in Marel Colors

Representing Marel in this toughest of two-wheled endurance sports is Víðir Már Hermannsson, a machinist, who has worked at the company for just over a year. Now 27, he is a self confessed bike freak, who fell in love with the machines at age of 14, and has since owned a succession of road bikes, trail bikes and everything in between.

But despite his passion, Hermannsson only began competing seriously last year. But what drove him to chose a sport witch pushes man and machine up to and often beyond the limits of physical and mechanical endurance?  " Its fun" he states simply. " I like the challenge."

However, his first foray into the sport came within inches of being the last. " In 1996, I was riding in the qualifying round of my first-ever competition, he recalls. "I came off the macine and broke my back,"  he states without blinking.

Enduro Race on Thorlákshöfn Sands

Some might have taken the hint and opted for to something less extreme, but Hermannsson just picked him self up and kept going.   "I was back on the bike in cople of days, but it took me about four months to recover completely,"  he admits.

Undeterred, he decided to return to competition last year, this time rejecting the "softer option of motocross for Enduro, a gruelling, five hour slog throug some of the worst terrain inmaginable guaranteed to test the abilities of man and the machine to the limit.

  On this occation however, he remaind in the saddle, to cross the line in 14th in the field of 35  "it actually wasn't a bad result," he muses.  "There was only about 15 of us actually that finished the course."

A world away from the dust and mud of an Icelandic summer, the country spends much of the winter gripped in snow and ice. But for the Motocross off road riders, the short days and long nights of the close season mean something rather more than a time for tuning machines and waiting inpatiently for better days.   Quite the opposite, it is time to change the stock absorbers, put on a pair of thick, studded tyres and take to the countryside for Icecross.

Myvatns Icerace challenge

To say that Hermannsson gott off to a flying start in this year's Icecross competition would be an injustice. Having won his first two races, his record in the sport at the time of writing is second to none, and with only one meting left, condisions and ice permitting, he looks well on course for his first national championship.

Studded Iceracing tyres

"Icecross is a totally diffrent ball game" he explanes. "There, you're just tearing round a fixed circuit. Its fast, but not as physically punishing as motocross." 

But the thrills in Icecross and Motocross do not come cheap. Both are strictly amateur sports, and competitors rely on the generosity of sponsors like Marel, along with theyr own mechnical ability or that of those around them.

Taking the lead in race one

At present ,Hermannsson owns a stable of three bikes 1988 Honda VFR 750F road bike, a 1998 1000cc Honda VTR and a Austrian-built 1999 KTM 380EXC, the machine on withc he competes. 

Now finished in distinctive Marel livery, is is set to become a familar sight on courses around Iceland thoughout this year.

For the Icelandic Icecross 2000 champion elect is clear. "Win the title first and then see how things go with the motorcross and enduro in the summer," he concludes.

Marel leaflet year 2000