We rock? Yes, it definitely does.
World Extreme Rock Crawling brought its precision driving show to Broken Boulder Farm. 45 teams came to demonstrate their rock crawling skills on the narrow routes. This was the final round of the Western Series to determine who will make it to the finals near Farmington, New Mexico in September.
Teams gathered on the wooded slopes against the backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge. The courses were littered with boulders ranging in size from microwave ovens to a short school bus. And everything in between.
Right – Josh Patt / Tim Hall took a Pro Modified win. Left – Ryan Maxfield / Dave Hurst took 3rd place in the Unlimited.
Rhet McClish / Scott Peterson flew the Suzuki banner in Sportsman B.
Two days of traction, articulation and teamwork on the boulder farms.
For those unfamiliar with the sport of rock crawling, the teams are amazing to look at. A team consists of a driver and a spotter. Spotters guide the driver precisely through gates (orange cones). Spotters do not ride in the vehicle. However, a spotter can move stones, logs, and branches within the course to aid traction.
The spotter and driver precede the course to develop their plan of attack.
The scoring is done by judges who watch every run. Everything is judged and evaluated, from every backward movement to the nudge of a course cone. Points can be added or subtracted from each action. The lowest score wins.
The spotter is crucial to seeing the hoops come through the gates without touching a cone.
After a driver meeting, the teams reported to the Boulder Farm boulder fields. The courses A, B and C were created there. Different classes compete against each other on courses with different degrees of difficulty. Sportsman classes have simpler courses than Autos Unlimited and Pro Modified. None of the courses are easy.
Broken Boulder Farm: Between a rock and a hard place.
And sometimes your spotter can help you get you back on your wheels. But it costs you points.
The teams took time to walk (climb) the tracks and develop strategies. And from that education, they would learn how best to navigate the courses. Each team has a time limit of ten minutes.
Doug Frantum was driving and Maverick Frantum was spotted. Together they rocked the UTV class and won by a big margin. Then they switched roles and also took second place. Brylee Mulrony / Jason Mulrony took third place.
Athlete. And athletes.
There are three levels of Sportsman classes. You break down like this by the WE Rock rules.
Krissy Trinka / Tory Trinka finished second in Athlete B.
- Athlete A: is intended for unlimited buggies with any tire size, rear axle or trailing axle, one or two-seater, with any engine configuration.
- Athlete B: is intended for limited trail buggies; no tire larger than 42 “on a two-seater vehicle, no tire larger than 40” on a single-seat vehicle, NO rear steering allowed; any motor configuration.
- Athlete C: is intended for vehicles with frames or unibodies in OEM style, the suspension design must match the OEM design (longer springs or handlebars acceptable, +/- 4 “from stock. OEM wheelbase, 37” maximum tire size, vehicles with at least two only Sitting, NO rear wheel steering.
The sport of rock crawling guarantees a long journey through life. Young talents line the starting lists. Left – Jewell Jenkins. Middle – Kendra Winters. Right – Seth Wolfe.
Youth is wonderful. It’s a shame to waste it on the youth. – Mark Twain
Athlete C was a most interesting competition. Chris McKenzie / Josh Griffin competed for the championship with 14-year-old Katelynn Boren and her spotter Kevin Boren. Throughout the year they swapped positions at the top of the points. At the Goldendale event, McKenzie started well with a 37 point lead in the first run.
Katelynn Boren took the lead on points in Goldendale. She achieved an excellent second place.
Over the next three runs, Boren came closer and closer. Halfway through, she was within fourteen points of McKenzie. It seemed to be a battle for second place as Karl Van Petten / Tom Baker seemed prepared for victory. What they did without any problems in the last four races.
Chris McKenzie and Josh Griffin fought valiantly. Their efforts took third place.
Katelynn lost 40 points to McKenzie on the next run. But in the sixth run he caught up again with a super clean drive. McKenzie and Griffin fought hard, but the Borens were voted into the Goldendale boulder field and grabbed second place, and the points lead.
Kevin Boren has room for Katelynn as she takes second place.
The first impression is everything.
This was this author’s first encounter with the world of rock crawling. After just watching a few participants work their way through the courses, you will receive recognition for the skill required.
There is a lot to experience at a rock crawling event. From the action on the bouldering to getting to know new people.
Age is not an obstacle. Seth Wolfe is eight years old; his father Donny scores for him. Seth skillfully maneuvers a complicated machine through each course. Several young people also compete against each other. The wide range of experience in the courses was impressive.
Eight year old Seth Wolfe may not look old enough to handle such a complex machine, but he definitely can.
The concentration during the competition can be felt.
This won’t be my last WE rock event and I hope if you feel like doing one near you. Here are the results of the event.
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