The Enduro Bureau

In this conversation, Canadian ISDE Junior Trophy Team leader Owen McKill discusses his transition to Sherco racing, his experiences in the FMSQ series, and the growth of off-road racing in Canada. He reflects on his racing journey, the challenges of competing in different series, and the importance of preparation for the ISDE. Owen shares insights on the differences between FMSQ and GNCC racing, the impact of his early influences, and the significance of bike setup and training in his racing career. In this conversation, Owen McKill discusses the challenges and opportunities in off-road racing, particularly in Canada. He emphasizes the importance of mastering technical skills, the potential for expanding Canadian off-road racing opportunities, and the desire to attract U.S. talent. The conversation also touches on the future of off-road racing, the significance of support systems, and the adaptation to new equipment. Owen shares his aspirations for racing in Europe and the competitive landscape of Canadian motorsport.TakeawaysOwen McKill is excited for the challenges of the upcoming racing season.He transitioned to Sherco to align with his racing goals.FMSQ racing is significantly different from racing on the West Coast.The growth of off-road racing in Canada is at an all-time high.Owen's experiences racing on the East Coast have built his confidence.He emphasizes the importance of bike setup for different racing formats.Owen's early influences shaped his aggressive riding style.He believes in the value of racing smaller bikes for skill development.The SOR Sprint series is crucial for preparing for ISDE.Owen feels fortunate to have opportunities to race internationally. Learning to go fast in technical sections is crucial.FMSQ helps improve riding skills for off-road racing.Attracting U.S. talent can enhance Canadian racing.The off-road racing industry is undergoing significant changes.Building a continental championship is a goal for the future.Community growth is essential for Canadian off-road racing.Experiencing European racing is a career aspiration.Second place is not the goal; winning is the focus.Support from sponsors and teams is vital for success.Adapting to new bikes and settings is part of the racing journey.Chapters00:00 Introduction and New Beginnings05:55 Comparing FMSQ and GNCC Racing12:01 Racing Experiences and Learning Curves17:49 Early Influences and Getting Started in Racing24:03 Preparing for the Upcoming Racing Season29:00 Expanding Canadian Off-Road Opportunities35:14 The Allure of Racing in Europe40:30 Setting Goals and Expectations in Racing49:01 Looking Ahead: The Future of Canadian Off-Road Racing

In this episode, Noel, Courtney, and Jared reunite for Season Two of the Enduro Bureau podcast. They discuss their recent experiences at various racing events, including the ISDE and the AMA series in Idaho Falls. The conversation delves into exciting updates from the team, a controversial incident during a race, and reflections on the racing styles observed at the ISDE. The hosts share insights on the commitment of the Canadian team and the challenges faced during the races, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of Enduro racing.

We’re back and this time out of the gates Noel sits down with Australian GNCC legend Josh Strang from Sherco Factory1 Racing! Josh has been living and racing in the USA for half of his life now, and we were pretty stoked to hear from this ISDE World Trophy winner (and 6x Australian Trophy Team member), GNCC series champion, Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series champion and all-around bad-ass! We talked with Josh about his history in the sport, his GNCC progression, his ISDE palmares, longevity as a professional athlete, and lots more. Josh is a tremendously interesting bloke, and a real mainstay of North American enduro racing. As always, thanks SO much for listening in and supporting North American Enduro & Off-Road coverage! We really appreciate, and look forward to meeting more of you at the races we’re at through the season! As always, thanks SO much for listening in and supporting North American Enduro & Off-Road coverage! We really appreciate, and look forward to meeting more of you at the races we’re at through the season!

Howdy once again, Enduro Bureau friends! The gang-gang is all back together for this one! Noel, Courtney and Jared talked about a bunch of cool Enduro and Off-Road stuff this week, ranging from Noel’s trip to cover Silver Kings Hard Enduro where Trystan Hart took the win, Jared’s trip to Manitoba for the Prairie Sprint Enduro, Canadian ISDE team news, FMSQ Round 3, NEGP, Maze Runner Hard Enduro, and more. Also, Jared made a heart-felt plea for folks to clean the cow poo off your bikes and ATVs before you bring them to the shop… Think of the mechanics, people! As always, thanks SO much for listening in and supporting North American Enduro & Off-Road coverage! We really appreciate, and look forward to meeting more of you at the races we’re at through the season!

Howdy Enduro Bureau friends! It’s Noel and Jared in the gates for this episode and we covered a lot of ground, including Canadians back on the podium at GNCC Snowshoe, the conclusion of the SOR Sprint Enduro Championship, what Mani Lettenbichler’s knee injury could mean for Red Bull Romaniacs, Canadian ISDE World Trophy Team updates, ideas about Canadian ISDE Trophy Team selection criteria, and our deeply personal reasons shaving our mustaches off. Oh ya, and how Noel captured on video the exact moment that Jared lost himself the SOR Sprint championship… and lots more!

This week we got the chance to talk with Australia’s GNCC and USSE weapon Gus Riordan from FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers. Gus is a wicked fast young rider who is currently sitting 2nd in XC2 at GNCC and 1st in the US Sprint Enduro Series Pro2 class. Definitely expect to see Gus representing Australia on their World Junior Trophy Team at ISDE later this year! We covered a pretty wide range of topics including his path to the pros here in North America, racing at the front-end of the Hattah Desert Race, GNCC, USSE, Endurocross, training, nutrition, and more. For sure check this episode out for a bit of that international flavour! Also, Gus is the second Aussie we’ve had on the podcast and is also the second Aussie on the podcast to not know who INXS are… Just sayin’…

Hey there! It’s been a minute, but we’re back! It’s been a busy start to the Canadian season for Noel, Courtney and Jared but the ship is sailing once again… For better or for worse. In episode 9 we catch up with what we’ve been up to, we talk about the last month in off-road racing, Jared and Courtney’s SOR Enduro Championship Series, and all sorts of other cool stuff. Glad to be back in the saddle here, and we’re so appreciative of all the support we’ve been getting!

Hey hey! It’s Episode 8 of The Enduro Bureau Podcast and this week Noel sat down with 2023 US Hard Enduro Women’s champ and 2023 Endurocross third overall Pro woman Hallie Marks from Sisters Moto and Sherco USA! We chatted with Hallie about, among other things, her Hard Enduro championship, her Endurocross series battles with Rachel Gutish & Melissa Harten, her change in focus towards Endurocross for 2024, and lots more.

Hey! We’re back with Episode 7 of The Enduro Bureau Podcast and this week our guest is Hard Enduro young gun Branden Petrie from the Sherco Enduro Team! We talked with Branden about, among other things, his entry into the sport, his progression to the Pro ranks (including a funny story about when he started living and training with Trystan Hart), and his broken back injury from Round 4 of the 2023 AMA Endurocross series.

Welcome to Episode 06 of The Enduro Bureau Podcast with Noel, Courtney & Jared. This week we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with none other than Shelby Turner just a few days after this Enduro superstar took home her first GNCC win! This 6x AMA Endurocross champ, 6x ISDE gold medal winner, 3x Canadian Off-Road champ, 3x Western Canadian MX champ, and 1x US Hard Enduro champ covered a lot of ground with us this week. From her winning GNCC ride after coming back from double knee surgery, to her history of riding pretty much every Enduro series there is and her hopes for a Canadian women’s trophy finish at ISDE Spain, and lots more, it was an incredible talk with one of the most successful multi-discipline women’s off-road riders there is!

Hey! It’s Episode 05 of The Enduro Bureau Podcast and this week Noel, Courtney & Jared spent time hanging out with Australian hard enduro rider Will Riordan from GasGas Factory Racing. Even though though he doesn’t know the quintessential Aussie 80’s band INXS we don’t hold it against him, and still think he’s a great young talent who’s on his way to the top. We chatted about his transition from MX to hard enduro, his move to the U.S.A, his GNCC XC2 racing brother Gus, bike setup, training regime, and more! Oh, and if you listen to the end there might be a bit of a deal on USWE gear courtesy of Will…

It’s Episode 04 of The Enduro Bureau and this week we sat down with the one, the only, Shane Cuthbertson. Shane is an icon in the Canadian and international enduro world. He’s the Director of Red Bull Outliers, a successful international racer in enduro, hard enduro, xc, and motocross. He runs RAD 2.0, a race and athlete development business, and he’s a pretty awesome all-around guy. We cover the development and evolution of Outliers, his history in the sport, and lots more!

We sat down with the Canadian Men’s ISDE World Trophy Team for Episode 03 of The Enduro Bureau (well 3/4’s of it, at least), and it just so happens that our co-host Jared Stock is a part of that team! Tyler Medaglia (Honda Canada/GDR/Fox Racing) and Owen McKill (GasGas Canada/Riders Edge/TLD) also joined us. Phil Chainé (KTM Canada) wasn’t able to make as he was “Killing chickens, welding my trailer, and packing the RV to head down to Florida.” This was a really fun one with tons of hilarious stories and lots of laughs as we looked at the lives of Canadian ISDE team racers.

In Episode 2 of the Enduro Bureau podcast the hosts sit down with Lexi Pechout, a Canadian Enduro and Motocross badass, to chat about her history in the sport, her international racing experiences, racing last season with a major knee injury, and how to improve the competitive side of the sport. Lexi also shares her perspective on becoming a complete rider in order to progress to a pro Enduro racing career.

In the first episode of the Enduro Bureau podcast, the hosts introduce themselves and their guest, Rachel Gutish, the defending AMA Endurocross Pro Women's Champion. Rachel shares her experience transitioning to a new team and the challenges of adjusting to a different bike. The conversation then shifts to a comparison of sprint enduro formats in Canada and the US. Rachel talks about her first races on the Sherco and her goals for the season. The episode concludes with Rachel recounting her crash and injury at the ISDE.