Like the ebb and flow of the tide, the Wild Ride powered by NUVO® is an experience of extremes. The twenty-fifth edition attracted a small field but for the hundred riders who embarked on this soul-enriching self-powered journey by bicycle between The Great Kei River and Umngazi River, it will long be remembered as an adventure of a lifetime. And like any great adventure, there are times one questions ‘the why’ but at the end of the journey, one reflects on the privilege of having raced the tide on one of the most pristine coastlines anywhere in the world.
For most participants, the only threat comes from the turning of the tides and the fear of not getting caught on a soft sand, high tide beach. For a few teams, the race was on at the front of the field. The main contenders have been at this game for a while and know exactly what routes to take, having honed their ‘wild riding skills’ over many years. Race stalwart and true Wild Ride campaigner, Craig Woods, has completed almost every event since 2001, having only sat out one event in 2023 with an injury. He returned this year to race with his son, Gary, who at nineteen has grown up with the wild coast as his playground. They were up against seasoned veteran competitors Erni Welch and Rory Attridge, as well as Graham Monteith and Michael Cheesman. And the young guns, Mark Malherbe and Ryan Stroberg. Having set off with intent up ‘Sunrise Surprise’, the Woods made their intentions clear and set the pace for day one to arrive at Kob Inn with over twenty-three minutes to spare from second placed Welch and Attridge. However, things did not go quite so smoothly on day two as the father-son duo suffered a mechanical which cost them a chunk of time, leaving Malherbe and Stroberg to take the win into The Haven. Day three dawned cool and drizzly with a mood of trepidation in the camp. The showers soon abated making for ideal riding conditions. The route gets tougher between The Haven and Coffee Bay, with many a steep hill to traverse but the scenery is magnificent. Team Wildfire were on a mission to secure their lead and took advantage of their climbing prowess to claim a few more minutes on accumulated time, arriving at Ocean View Hotel in three hours, 8 minutes and 30sec for the 50km and comfortably clear of second placed Malherbe and Stroberg.
Day four is the longest with three big rivers to cross, namely the Umtata River, Mtakagie and Mngazana near the end. Ferries are provided but this adds to the logistics and racing dynamics, especially with the ‘reverse order’ start. The Mdumbi river after Umtata can be risky but fortunately the local ferrymen were on standby with canoes as this river was flowing out strongly, with the tide just coming off high. The race was on between the top three teams and the Woods were being hunted down by their rivals. Novice stage racers, Gary and Ryan, were both feeling the effects of four days in succession on their first outings but dug deep to hold their positions. It was a delight and a joy for Craig and Gary to bag the win, arriving at Umngazi to bang the gong in four hours and twenty-three minutes, just over seven minutes clear of Malherbe and Stroberg, with the experienced veteran team of Welch and Attridge claiming a well deserved third place overall. Lana Cronje and Jenna Snyman returned to race this year and pulled off a comfortable win in the women’s / mixed category. Being trail runners, they adapted well to the rigours of the Wild Ride and knew what they were in for having tasted it for the first time last year.
For young Gary, he was thrilled to take the win on his first Wild Ride; ‘This win means so much to me because I’ve known about this race my whole life and I’ve always known deep down that I would do it with my dad. Just being there was already so special so winning it really put the cherry on top. Overall it was a truly special experience and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends.’
On reflection post event, Craig commented on what winning the Wild Ride meant to him, after chasing the victory for so many years. His sentiments were that having competed in this event for over twenty years trying to get on the top step, he has realised that having won it now, winning isn’t the main thing – the true victory is experienced by every person that takes part in the Wild Ride. The main thing is the ethos of the event, the culture, friendships and camaraderie one experiences, the adventure and the journey with a bunch of really great people through probably the most beautiful part of our country. Even though having won it and to have done it with his son has been even more amazing but what’s important is that the victory is still in the experience of the event. And everyone who takes part gets to treasure that.
The Wild Ride experience is something that seeps into your bones. For first timers, it can be a mind-blowing adventure. The stats on paper allude to a fairly gentle cruise along the beaches, the distances are manageable and the climbing doesn’t look unreasonable. But the stats don’t show the physicality of the ride; trudging through the soft sand sections, constantly on and off your bicycle, swimming cold rivers, portaging and getting through scratchy coastal shrub. Most riders arrive at Umngazi with more than the odd bruised shin and scarred legs. One participant commented ‘this is the Dusi of mountain biking’ ! After the first day, some people can be so dejected that they cannot fathom how they are going to get through the next three days. And yet they do. And when they arrive at Umngazi to signal the gong and the completion of an under-rated challenge, they can pat themselves on the back and realise they have conquered their own fears and pushed themselves to new limits and forged friendships to last a lifetime. And then, in reflection, one realises what a treat and a privilege it is to experience the wild coast on a bicycle, with friends old and new and with the warm hospitality of the Pondo people. That’s why, for many seasoned Wild Riders, they return year after year for their annual ‘wild coast fix’. Some may say ‘never again’ but when the scars have healed, only the good memories of the beauty of the wild coast remain and the chances are, they will be back !
For riders taking part in the second start wave, the vibe is more relaxed as there is no stop watch, no results and no start batches. The only race is against the tide. There are definitely a few more shabeen and spaza shop stops and a few more mandatory stops along the way for sarmies and to admire the endless views. Being the oldest MTB stage race in the country, is has not been uncommon to see a few parent-offspring teams but for the first time this year, there were three generations of Swarts taking part ! Farmer Glen led his merry band up the coastline, dancing in tune with the dolphins. But the challenge is still the same and everyone takes and gets something different from the adventure.
At the end of it, one of the main objectives of the Wild Ride is to ‘give back’ and ‘make a difference’, to the peoples of the wild coast, being one of the poorest regions in the country. This has been achieved through the Wild Ride Education Company, which has built fifty-two classrooms to date. The most recent build took place last year at the Zithulele Independent School where two new classrooms were completed and opened in January this year.
A message from Sally le Roux, head of Curriculum Support & Fundraising at Zithulele;
‘We have now been in our new building since January and hardly a week goes by without many moments of gratitude for your generosity. The two new classrooms are a wonderful addition to our school.
It is amazing to see our campus plans slowly unfold and to see the pride with which the teachers and children show their classrooms to visitors. Each of our kids, whose lives are often full of uncertainty and challenges, get to come to a beautiful, safe place each day; an environment where they can grow and learn well . Thank you for your enormous contribution to making this a reality. We hope you will come and visit one day to see what you are a part of.’
It is with grateful thanks to former event sponsor, Imana Foods and new event sponsor since 2024, NUVO® Rubber Compounders, that this race continues and provides the platform to raise funds and make a contribution to education where it is so critically needed.
RESULTS – Overall: 1. Craig & Gary Woods (Wildfire) 12h48.34, 2. Ryan Stroberg & Mark Malherbe (The Bald & the Beautiful) 13h37.49, 3. Rory Attridge & Erni Welch (P-Squared) 13h50.36
Mixed / Women: 1. Lana Cronje & Jenna Snyman (EDMG) 17h02.23, 2. Charmaine & Harry Nay (EDMG 1) 21h34.13, 3. Donna Hutton & Murray Church (Waves & Wheels) 22h10.09