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R.I.P. – Bill Mathewson, a founding father of North American trials

Bill Mathewson, TTC 2008

We at TTC were all saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Bill Mathewson of the Rhode Island Trials Club. Bill was truly one of the founding fathers of North American Trials and a great friend to us at TTC, having served as our FIM Technical Steward doing tech inspection at the Wagner Cup FIM Trials World Championships we have hosted. He will be missed by all of the Trials community but his enthusiasm and hard work for our sport will not soon be forgotten. I expect there will be a nice tribute in his honor this summer as the RITC hosts this years’ Wagner Cup on the 40th anniversary of the first-ever such event that Bill organized in 1975. The notice from Carl Swanson is copied below.

– Dan

PS – Photos of Bill below are from the tech inpection for the 2008 Wagner Cup FIM Trials World Championship at the TTC. See the entire album here.

Bill Mathewson, TTC 2008 Bill Mathewson, Carl "Coach" Swanson, TTC 2008 Jim Watson, Bill Mathewson, TTC 2008

RITC Tech inspection team, TTC 2008, L to R: Dave Aldo, Jim Grabbert, Carl "Coach" Swanson, Jeff Salois, Bill Bonneau, Hub Brennan, Bill Mathewson, Jim Watson Bill Mathewson, Toni Bou - TTC 2008 Bill Mathewson, Pat Smage - TTC 2008

Rhode Island Trials Club
23 Sharon Drive
Coventry, Rhode Island 02816

April 28, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Carl Swanson
President, Rhode Island Trials Club
Coventry, Rhode Island 02816
401.743.7955

It is with deep sadness that we inform the trials motorcycling community of the passing of Bill Mathewson. After an extended illness, Bill passed away early Tuesday evening April 28, 2015 with his loving wife Ronnie by his side. Bill was a pioneer in trials in the U. S. and especially in New England. He was the founder and longstanding president of the Rhode Island Trials Club and organized hundreds of trials events over his life, including many U.S. National and World Championship events. Bill helped organize the first ever World Championship Trials in the USA in 1975. Bill was an active member of the North American Trials Council and a distinguished inductee into the NATC Hall of Fame. Because of Bill’s passion, effort and remarkable leadership, the trials community has benefited in many ways. Bill Mathewson will be sorely missed and never forgotten. Please join us in remembering Bill with thoughts, prayers and condolences for his family.

Bill was a member of the NATC and NETA Hall of Fame.

Event Updates

Hare Scrambles race, Trials Cross Training – Aug 16-17

hare-scramble-flyer-sshot

  • Saturday August 16, 2008, Trials Cross Training, featuring TTC Pro Trials Rider Andrew Blane & 2007 High School Champ Alex Bedley. Cost $250 includes trials bike rental.
  • Sunday August 17, 2008, Hare Scrambles Race

And

  • Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, Off-Road Riding Skills Training, featuring Nat’l Enduro Champ Russell Bobbitt. Cost $200 (bring your bike).
  • Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, Hare Scrambles Race

See the PDF flyer for more. And see our Events page for all upcoming events at the TTC.

Event Updates

July 12 NATS Bicycle Trials

The American Trials Training Camp for teenagers is winding down and this weekend brings the return of the Bicycle Trials, thanks to Mike Friddell and the NATS organization. This is a fun event and lots of entertaining bicycle trick riding on the rocks that the motorcycle trials folks used in the world championships a couple months earlier.
Signup is at 8AM Saturday, July 12, competition starts at 9, all times CDT. $20 entry and free for spectators.
Maybe some of the motorcycle teenagers will hang around and enter, some of them are pretty good on a bicycle!
dan
p.s., free TTC t-shirt to the first one who shows up Saturday and can guess who’s coaching this rider in the photo from 2003. Mike Friddell is the observer, and he doesn’t count.
Event Updates

U.S. Indoor Championship

L-R: Will Ibsen, Cody Webb, Patrick Smage
Webb Retains U.S. Indoor Title

Cody Webb (Sherco) retained his AMA/NATC U.S. Indoor Trials Championship title Saturday evening in an extremely close battle with Will Ibsen (GasGas) and Sherco team mate Patrick Smage. After his dominating championship in the outdoor last season, many picked Smage as the favorite to take the indoor championship as well, but a mistake while executing a risky maneuver on the barrels section cost him a 5 and all but eliminated him from the close competition. Ibsen finished the main with a one point lead over Webb, leading into the two race sections. Because the loser of each race receives an extra one point penalty, the entire championship came down to the final race sections and Webb would need to win both in order to prevail. The first race was almost a dead heat, with Webb edging to a victory by less than a bike length. In the all-or-nothing final race, Webb got his booming 4 stroke Sherco to hook up for a hole shot on the slippery concrete floor. Cody held on for a close win as both he and Ibsen rode at their limit on the more technical obstacle course used in the final race section. The Indoor Championship was held at the Camp Jordan Arena near Chattanooga, TN and capped off a week of motorcycle trials summer camp and Youth trials competition at the nearby Trials Training Center in Sequatchie.

Event Updates

2008 Youth Nationals & Women’s Open Results

2008 AMA Trials Youth Nationals and U.S. Women’s Open

Beta mounted Karl Davis of Florida captured last weekend’s 9th Annual AMA/NATC Trials Youth Nationals at the Trials Training Center in Tennessee for America’s best riders 15 years old & younger. Davis fended off strong challenges from Eric Storz (Sherco) of California and David Mizell (GasGas) from Texas. Each of the three prevailed once over the 3 days of competition, with Davis’s 2-1-2 finishes besting the 4-2-1 of Mizell and the 1-4-3 of Storz. Other winners include Sherco rider Chase Harker of Kentucky in the 13yrs & under, GasGas mounted Zeke Mizell of Texas in the 11 & under, Beta rider Ty Cullins of California in the 9 & under and last (and also least) Joey Jackson of Tennessee on his Xispa in the 7 & under class. 15 year old Caroline Allen of Massachusetts rode her GasGas took top honors in the U.S. Women’s Open, with Ariel Winters (AR), Sara Patton (TN), Tammy Cook (KS) and Olivia Leviton (GA) winning the Women’s Expert, Advance, Intermediate, and Novice, respectively. Over 60 riders, some as young as 5 years old, competed over the challenging hills, rocks, and streams at the site of this years U.S. Round of the FIM/Spea Trials World Championships. The three-day event capped off a week of motorcycle trials riding, training and fun for motorcycle trials riding families from all over North America, held annually around the July 4 holiday. Full results of the competition and photos of the activities will be available soon.

TTC’s Catherine Bedley with the Youth E (7 & Under) Podium, Cole & Emily Cullins, Joey Jackson, Jacob Mizell

Event Updates

June/July schedule of instructional classes at the TTC

Here’s what we have for the rest of June and into July:

June 23/24
Trials Instructional (2 DAY CLASS)
Instructor: Andrew Blane
1 Space Available

June 27/28
X-Training 101 (2 DAY CLASS)
Instructors: Andrew Blane
2 Spaces Available

July 19
Instructional at Highland Park Resort Motorcross Park, Cedartown, GA
Unlimited 1/2 day classes available

July 24/25
X-training 101 Trials Instructional
3 spaces available

Any TRIALS 4 A DAY class can be taken on the first day of any 2-day class.

Private instruction available upon request, $360.00 per day, plus bike rental costs (if needed).

Please Contact Us to schedule your reservation for any of the classes listed. If we don’t have your available date posted, we can schedule a class for you.

Event Updates

Mototrial Event at Trials Training Days

The very popular Trials Training Days event is set for March 29-30, and a special event is planned for the pros.

This year will include a “Mototrial” consisting of a side-by-side race over a course set especially for the best riders in the U.S. on trials bikes. This race will make Endurocross look like a trail ride for sissies! After a day of training and practice on Saturday, the race will take place for Pros only on the hillside behind the cabins.

Ryan Young says he’s rested & ready to teach the kids a lesson they won’t forget!