Trials Articles

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Picking Up the Bill

By Ron Pocher

Action Photo By Jean Clement

The only drawback to having fun is that, like most things, it has its drawbacks. Drinking whiskey is fun; but drinking a bit too much will get you in some kinda trouble mighty quick. The best you can hope for is a bad hangover and that’s certainly no picnic.

Riding motorcycles is always fun but whether you’re a once a month novice or Ricky Carmichael, you’ve realized more than a couple times that it too just can’t escape that fine print. Whether you’re housing a garage full of trophies or still searching for your first piece of hardware; we’ve all got one thing in common. Anyone who’s ever swung a leg over a dirt bike has fallen off at one time or another and more times than not you get up and get back on, but unfortunately, things aren’t always quite that simple. There’s that darn drawback thing I was mentioning earlier.

Lots of fun stuff seems to happen first in California - surfing, skateboards, hot rods, café racers, hare ‘n hounds and Supercross are a few things that come to mind. Observed trials competition (in America) was no different.

Although it was already an age old sport in Europe when the first trials club was started out west, Bill Brokaw and his wife Annie did just that when they formed the Southern California Trials Club in the late 1950’s. The SCTC was one of, if not the first club of its type in America.

Brokaw is a true American motorcycling legend. He holds residence in both the AMA and NATC Halls of Fame but that’s merely a footnote in his sixty years of competition. Not unlike the top trials riders of today, Brokaw enjoyed success in a wide variety of off-road events throughout the years - winning state titles in California, Texas and Colorado. His most recent title was the 2009 AHRMA Modern Classic Intermediate Trials National Championship, which he happened to snatch at the age of 76.

Brokaw was raised in a motorcycling family. His father, who like himself owned a dealership, was once the editor for Motorcyclist Magazine. Brokaw was also quite instrumental in starting the Rocky Mountain Trials Association after opening his Yamaha dealership in Colorado Springs in the mid 1960’s. Bill also played a major part in helping to arrange a motorcycle division for the world famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb.

At this years 32nd running of the Mosteller Cup, held on Labor Day weekend near Casper, Mr. Brokaw was enjoying yet another fine performance, on a list of many, when he ran into a spot of bother and fell off. The attached photo shows him exhibiting his usual exquisite form, but literally moments later he was dealing with a broken hip.

When I first heard that Bill had said that the 32nd Mosteller Cup would be his last competition, my initial thought was that I’d hope he’d reconsider. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that if Brokaw thought it was time to put an end to his illustrious career, then, few on this planet could argue with him. Brokaw has forgotten more about racing than two-thirds of the people reading this will ever know and more than the writer could ever even dream of.

I know a whole bunch of folks are hoping Bill’s mending up real quick like and that when he’s up and about, he makes his way out to a trials event whether he competes again or not. It’s not often that you get to rub elbows with a person who helped pave the way for a sport you love and I can’t recall any trials nuts that I know, taking those times for granted. If you consider yourself a true motorcycling enthusiast and you ever have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bill Brokaw – shake his hand and cherish the moment. If you’re a trials rider and that same opportunity arises – thank him and mean it.