National Championship Hill Climb

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HILL CLIMB

JACK HALL

AS LONG as there are mountains, there will be men to climb them,” goes the old saying. Some do it on two feet, while others do it on two wheels. A case in point, the National Hill Climb at Muskegon, Michigan.

Some 17,000 fans were on hand at this resort area on a near perfect day to watch

15 class “A” and 15 class “B” riders attempt to run the 51 percent grade which runs 340 feet to the crest of Mt. Garfield.

In each of the two classes the “climbers” must be in the top 15 in the United States to qualify for the National. It may be interesting to note that this is an entirely different type of competitor than the regular

race-type rider. In many cases the hill climber is a man in his late 40s or early 50s, who does nothing but hill climbing. The machine used is also different; almost all are homemade. The frames are lengthened as much as two feet. Most of the class A men use the “Alchi” burning equipment. The back wheel is equipped with chains to give the machine more bite on the hill.

(Continued on page 102)

In talking to the riders, you soon learn that the only similarity to other types of racing is a love of the sport. Many consider any other type of event too dangerous.

The first climb was held at Mt. Garfield in the late 20s. Except for the war years, ’42 to ’46, there has been a climb there every year. The National has been held there 35 years, making this probably the oldest National in existence.

The hill is equipped with a ski lift hoist to lower the few bikes that do not reach the top string.

The first rider to line up ten feet from the base of the hill was last year’s Amateur champ, Besse Wendt. The York, Pa., rider made short work of the hill by flying over the crest in 9.09 seconds! This was the only ride he needed to capture his second championship. Larry Hetrick, who finished second behind Wendt last year, finished the same place this year, although his fastest time was nearly a second faster this time. Five of the amateurs who competed last year bettered their time and footage this year. Two of the riders, Jack Taylor, the home town boy, and John Williams, the Canadian, topped the peak after only getting half way up at the last event. Strangely enough, the only one not to better his time this year was the winner, Wendt.

When the experts assaulted the hill, Glen Kyle, who first won a National Crown in 1963, made it two years in a row by winning easily his first trip up the grassy slope with a very quick time of 8.10 seconds. This Goshen, Indiana, rider also needed only one ride to win his crown. However, after some persuasion he was talked into making another run. This time the three-time champ went all-out in a fantastic time of 7.90 seconds! This reporter was on the crest of the hill as he came over the top. He was completely air-borne going over the “stop” area on top and down 15 or 20 feet on the opposite side of the hill before touching ground. Joe Hemmis, Cumberland, Md., who has won the event three times in the last six years, and who could do no better than fifth last year, took the second place money. The number two man last year, Gordon Mitzel of Elkton, Md., dropped to the show position.

The riders are getting much better each year as proven by the times turned in. Last year, only Kyle was in the eightsecond bracket. This time the first four class A finishers had times in the 8s. Also, the first nine finishers were in the 10s or lower, as compared to only the first six last time out. O