GOPHER NEWS

Update from the Dunes

Thu, 6 Jun 2013 18:38:36 -0400

May has wrapped up as a successful month with lots of leisure riding and private training sessions happening! Now moving along into June, we have some more upcoming events with a Poker Run this Sunday, June 9 (see details below), followed by a TVR Club Race on Sunday, June 16 www.tvrmx.com & then CMX will be hosting their Club Race here on Saturday, June 22 www.cmxracing.ca

Other than that, Gopher Dunes will be open daily, excluding Monday's, for leisure track & trail riding; and we continue booking for private, semi-private and small group and family training sessions with HONDA bike and quad rentals available. Email info@gopherdunes.com or call Barb at 519-842-2781 to set up your lesson. Sessions are offered during all open riding hours, and subject to availability.

Spring Poker Run on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at Gopher Dunes:

This ever-popular event is open to all ATV, UTV and dirt bike riders to come out and ride the Track & Trails at Gopher Dunes for a leisurely 'luck-of-the-draw' non-competitive event. This is a nice alternative for the laid-back riders! And YES, you read it right --- we are now welcoming side-by-side utility vehicles to enter our Poker Run!!! So many of you have asked - and now we are delivering!
Sign-in begins at 9am. Mandatory Riders' Meeting at 12 noon. Run begins after riders' meeting. No riding allowed prior to 12 noon. We encourage you to show up early to avoid long registration line-up's.
ENTRY FEE: $30. per rider (all passengers on a quad with up-seat or seat-belted in a side-by-side pay $20 to ride, but do not operate the machine)
At registration all participants will be required to sign a Waiver Release Form. For those under 18, both the additional Minor Waiver Release & the Parental Consent Forms must be completed and signed by BOTH parents. We encourage you to complete these in advance and bring them along on June 9. Go to the Riding/Rules/Waivers Link on our website and download both the Minor & the Parental forms, read, sign and remember to bring along!

At sign-in, all participants will receive a numbered tag to attach to their handlebar, a numbered sticker to affix on their number plate or headlight and a wristband. Throughout their leisure ride of the main track, pee-wee track and/or trails; the participants will stop back at the Pavilion to draw a series of 5 cards. These cards will be recorded on their tag, which must be handed in by 3pm. All tags are then tabulated and the top 20 Poker hands will receive a unique trophy and then the remaining riders will have the opportunity to win something from the huge assortment of draw prizes! We even present an award to the rider with the most mechanical problems, and the best story is judged by the loudest round of applause!
It's become one of our most popular well-attended events and so many riders walk away with a happy grin and a prize tucked under their arm!
Dirt bikes and sport quads are allowed to ride on the track and trails, whereas utility 4x4 quads & side-by-side vehicles are only allowed on the trails.

Food & Refreshments will be available at the Wiseco Pavilion!

This event is co-sponsored by Hully Gully - the Ultimate Toy Store of London. Come out and visit their booth set up here on June 9th.

Quote for the day: "Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance, you must keep moving!"

HONDA Training & Holiday Weekend Update....May 16, 2013

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:23:56 -0400

Earlier this month Gopher Dunes was very excited to have invited Honda Canada along with numerous magazine journalists & photographers out to their premier training facility and offer them a direct hands-on 'learn to ride' experience! Truly an endeavour that is bound to flow directly from the seat of their 2013 CRF bike to the ink on their blogs and has been captured by the lens of their digitals. Stay tuned for an array of photos and/or some descriptive reads about some of these personal experiences in upcoming issues of various motorcycle magazines and media.....

Gopher Dunes has built a strong relationship with Honda Canada offering their Red Rider and Next Evolution Training Seminars. As many of our off-road enthusiasts are aware, we are one of the premier training facilities for Honda Canada in this area and we offer safety rider training programs for all ages and sizes of enthusiasts who are interested in learning the proper and safe handling of a Honda CRF bike or TRX quad. Regardless if this will be your first time riding off-road, or if you are an experienced rider wishing to hone your sand racing skills, we welcome all levels.
Our training bikes range in size from CRF 50's to 250 bikes and TRX 90 to 68O ATV's. We will suit you up with our top-notch safety gear from our Troy Lee Design helmets, gloves, chest protector, jersey and pants; to Oakley goggles, Atlas neck braces and Fox boots. Bikes rent at $30 per hour and quads rent from $35 to $45 per hour, depending on size. Full riding gear is included in the bike rental rate. HST is additional. Riders can also use their own bikes and save on the rental costs.
Please make note that WE DO NOT rent our bikes or quads for personal leisure riding. Our 2013 Honda machines are for training purposes ONLY and once a student has completed the required Red Rider training session, we can offer additional guided trail riding tours and/or supervised motocross track riding. The most common duration is a 2-hour session, but times can be adjusted according to preference.
Our most popular program is designed for First Time Riders. This safety rider training program is for people who have never rode a dirt bike or ATV before, or have very minimal experience. We suit these students up with all the proper safety riding gear and then they are fitted with the bike or quad that best suits their needs. The majority of the training course takes place right on the seat of one of our Honda machines!
Our qualified instructors will teach you the basics: starting, steering, stopping, shifting and balance, avoiding obstacles, while all along getting accustomed and comfortable with the machine and learning its' controls. The instructor will take them through a step-by-step process in a flat grassy field. And as the rider progresses, they will move onto our beginner track & trail; and then in addition to teaching safety, track and trail etiquette will also be covered.
We offer private and semi-private lessons, and training can also be done as a family or in a small group session. This course is also recommended for someone wanting to get their road licence but prefers to first learn the basics in a safer environment. Instructor costs range from $20 to $40 per person per hour, varying on the group size and the number of instructors required.

For more details or to book a session, please email: info@gopherdunes.com or call Barb at 519-842-2781

We have received such positive and exhilarating feedback from our past students as well as many of our regulars; so if you are curious and ready for some of your own personal stimulation, don't let the chance pass by.....

As for the upcoming Holiday Weekend - the Gopher Dunes motocross tracks and Trail #1 & Trail #2 are open for leisure riding. For Thursday and Friday we are open from 11am to 8:30pm and on Saturday, Sunday & Monday we will be open from 11am to 6pm; then next Tuesday through Friday, it'll be back to mid-week hours where we stay open till ½ hour before dusk.
Overnight camping is allowed at $15 per vehicle. We do not have electricity or water hook-ups, only portable johnny-on-the-spots. Campfires are allowed but must be in a raised fire-pit, which you must provide along with your own firewood. You are also responsible to clean up your campsite.
The weekend weather forecast is calling for ideal riding temperatures, so why not load up and head on down to the Dunes!

May 9, 2013 Gopher Dunes Update.....

Thu, 9 May 2013 21:32:06 -0400

May 9, 2013 Gopher Dunes Update.....
With one of our busiest months of the year now behind us, we're moving into some real nice riding weather. Gopher Dunes is open 6 days a week for practice riding (with some exceptions, so always check web calendar) and as of May 4th. we have opened up Trail #1 & Trail #2 for dirt bike and quad riding. Trail #3 remains closed until further notice. Weekend hours are from 11am to 6pm, including Victoria Day Monday; and mid-week from 11am to half hour before dusk (excluding Monday's).

Now for some exciting news -- Production UTV's (utility vehicles such as Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, CanAm & JohnDeere side-by-side's) are now allowed to ride in our trail system! These machines must be used according to manufacturer's recommendations with age restrictions for operators and requiring all protective riding gear with helmets and seat belts being mandatory. Passengers are allowed under similar guidelines and they pay a fee of $15. We are happy to welcome all side-by-side enthusiasts!

Membership Winners: from our list of 2013 Gopher Dunes Members we would like to announce the following winners:
1st. prize -- $500 Gopher Dunes shopping spree - Kye Cooper, Delhi
2nd. prize - Matrix bike stand - Hayden Halstead, Waterford
3rd. prize - Oakley goggles - Warren Heckford, Tillsonburg
Congrats to all our Winners and remember, Memberships offer unlimited track riding plus Pro Shop discounts are still available at $450. for the season.
Just to let you know that our RC Track is open, same hours as track & trail riding - fee is $10. per person and we welcome both battery and nitro-powered cars. For any bike or quad riders that pay the daily fee, they get free use of the rc track for that same day.

HONDA Red Rider Training is offered during all hours of operation for first-time riders or experienced riders wanting to improve their sand riding skills. We have all sizes of Honda trail bikes and quads available to rent for training, or you are welcome to bring out your own machine. We DO NOT rent out our Honda units for personal leisure riding - they are available for instructional purposes only.
The training sessions are offered on a one-on-one basis, semi-private, small group or family sessions, and we also offer team building opportunities. To set up a lesson, please contact Barb at 519-842-2781 or email: info@gopherdunes.com The most preferred training session is for 2 hours, but the choice is yours! Included with the rentals in the full protective riding gear from head-to-toe.
Don't delay, set up your session today....
.

UTV's
(utility vehicles such as Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, CanAm & JohnDeere side-by-side's) are now allowed to ride in our trail system! These machines must be used according to manufacturer's recommendations with age restrictions for operators and requiring all protective riding gear with helmets and seat belts being mandatory. Passengers are allowed under similar guidelines and they pay a fee of $15. We are happy to welcome all side-by-side enthusiasts!

For more information about Gopher Dunes:

Website: www.gopherdunes.com

Email: info@gopherdunes.com

Phone: 519-842-2781

Pro Shop: 519-688-4075

Frank: 519-688-7578

Barb: 519-688-8461

Derek: 519-842-1041

Fax: 519-688-2413

Gopher Update April 4

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 12:50:25 -0400

Well, track opening on Easter weekend kept more than just the bunny hopping! Over
300 uber-excited riders came out and were so happy to be riding on Canadian outdoor
dirt again!

We're now pretty much open 6 days a week for track riding, although there will be
a few days the end of next week, when we will be closed in preparation for the April
14 CMRC Season Opener ANQ Motocross Races. Now it's time to gear up for this BIG
event!! We're open this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for general public
track riding....that is the main, track, pee-wee track and beginner track. The
trails are closed till the end of April.

And on Sunday, April 7 it's MOTOCROSS Spring Tune-Up Time! This is an open race
practice on the main track and pee-wee track for members of CMRC, MMRS & CMX.
For those racers who have not yet purchased their 2013 licence from their selective
clubs, there will be representatives here on April 7 that will be selling new memberships,
distributing their schedules, answering any questions and promoting their Club.

Sign-in will begin at the Wiseco Pavilion starting at 9am till 3pm. Practice laps
will begin at 10am and wrap up by 5pm.

This organized practice will have racers divided by bike and class levels throughout
the day. Racers will also have the opportunity to test their transponders on the
main track. If you don't already have your AMB transponder, there will be Race
Day Services staff on-site this weekend, for a last chance to pick yours up. Cost
for a transponder is $125. Racers on the Gopher Dunes pee-wee track do not need
a transponder.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT show up on Race Day without your transponder! Before using,
it will require a full 24-hour charge and you must go online to activate it. More
details below....

April 7 Test & Tune Practice Fee: $30. per rider

All riders will be required to sign a Waiver Release Form (by parent or guardian,
if under 18)

Once the racer has purchased their 2013 Club Membership, he must carry this member
card with him to all races throughout the season and present it at every registration.

CMRC Members will need to show their 2013 licence at the Season Opener ANQ MX Race
at Gopher Dunes on April 14. If you have not received your 2013 Card, you will
have to show the 'Paid Receipt' that you are given at time of purchase. We strongly
encourage that you purchase your CMRC membership in advance online....it's fast,
it's convenient and you can immediately print your own card and will then have
access to your membership for reference or to reprint your card. Remember, this
card will need to be shown at all 2013 CMRC races! Go to: www.cmrcracing.com under
Corporate, go to Licence Holders, then select: Purchase Licence Online; log in,
fill in, pay & print off.....it's that simple!

It's been a L-O-N-G winter and everyone is itching to hop back on their bikes and
hit the dirt! See you at practice....

Update from Race Day Services (RDS)
ATTENTION: ALL RACERS that STILL require a transponder.
To activate your transponder, you must follow this link: http://cmxracing.ca/news/general/transponder-care-and-activation-information/

1. A reminder to everyone that your transponder must be charged for at least 24
hrs and activated before the Gopher Dunes practice. If not, then you will not be
able to use it that day. You must make sure the bracket is positioned behind your
front number plate and the arrow is pointed in the right direction. Please read
the use and care manual here....
http://cmxracing.ca/news/general/transponder-care-and-activation-information/

So racers, now when you're loading up your bike, gas and gear; make sure you also
pack your fully-charged transponder before heading to the races, and remember to
carry your membership card in your wallet at all times!

Calling all riders wanting to improve on their sand riding and racing skills.
Gopher Dunes still has a few spots available for their upcoming Group Training Sessions.
Saturday, April 13 is for the 85cc to 450cc bikes and on Saturday, April 20 the
session is for 50cc & 65cc riders. For more details and to download your Registration
Form, go to: www.gopherdunes.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001EZsV8dZTwjZmkvntcfrexJA_l3qEdJVCHxWtUrLhIVmbpYQKeK_fa7kaIzYDLz3qB07o4Jljn1KSGrKTP_ugb9OfdtpLl41dnH-_n9Wb_KAwBWiSG2Gj0Q==]

See you at the track....

April 20 Motocross School

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:13:25 -0400

On Saturday, April 20 Gopher Dunes is hosting its only 2013 Group Training Session for our young riders on 50cc & 65cc bikes. Classes will run from 10am to 4:30pm at a cost of $160 per student + hst. Registration forms are accessible under the Rider Training Link of our website. Our instructors will be Derek Schuster along with his qualified assistants.
Please print and complete the Registration Form, along with the required Parental Consent Forms & a $50 deposit cheque to be mailed to: Gopher Dunes Inc., 355 - 2nd Con. STR, R R 2 Courtland ON N0J 1E0

This full-day course is designed more for those who already have the ability to ride and wish to increase their motocross racing skills and also improve their ability to ride in sand. And what perfect timing, as it is the day before the Season Opener TVR Club Race at the Dunes on April 21.
Instruction will include: stretching, balance, bike set-up, race preparation, body positioning, braking, cornering, jumps, whoops and starts. Students will be divided according to bike size and level of experience. Space is limited, so don’t delay, sign-up today!

For those that do not have their own bike available that day, or are interested in moving up to a larger bike size, Gopher Dunes will have a limited number of 2013 Honda bikes available to rent for the full-day training, including complete riding gear at an additional cost of $120. Please let us know in advance…
The Parental Consent & Minor Waiver Release forms are legal documents and it is mandatory that Gopher Dunes Inc. has these on file for 2013. The completion of these 2 forms in their entirety are required to be done once a year, and they must be done prior to your first time riding at Gopher Dunes in 2013.  NOTE for MINORS under 18: No completed forms = No ride at Gopher Dunes Inc.
Access & details for completion of both forms:
Waiver for Parental.pdf This Waiver requires the Minors (anyone under age 18) full name printed in Line 1 and then BOTH parents names need to be signed & printed at the bottom, one below the other. This Waiver must be completed once per year as we are required to keep them on file. Please read and understand what the Waiver outlines, and to save time, do this in the comfort of your home, prior to arriving at Gopher Dunes Inc. If the parents are divorced, they can each sign this form separately and the Minor is to bring both along. If there is sole custody or if one parent is deceased, notate this at the bottom and then a single signature is sufficient.  Waiver for Minors.pdf This Waiver must be read and signed by the Minor (under 18). He/she must enter their age on Line 5. The Minor then must sign and print their name at the bottom and one parent can sign as a Witness.