November 11th 2025: Out of rhythm

This past week, I was filming in Southland for the 2026 Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championships preview film. This part of the film included two young Southland riders, both named Jack, who are really turning heads in the motocross world. The first session was with 22-year-old CML KTM Racing rider, Jack Treloar. He's off a dairy farm near Winton, but we met at The Sandpit – an iconic track in Invercargill that is about to add another chapter to its illustrious history, when the opening round of the nationals takes place there on Sunday. 

The Sandpit is a challenging track with some giant jumps and a sandy base that has the potential to chop right up with the country's best racers lapping around on it. The afternoon track will be quite different to the morning track conditions – always a test of physical endurance. It may seem like twisting throttles would be easy, but motocross is the second most physically demanding sport in the world after football. Sand tracks turn that up a notch.

The second Jack, Jack Symon, is partway through his carpentry apprenticeship. He's what's known as a privateer rider, as opposed to a factory rider with support from a bike brand and team. He's supported by Brent Scammell Honda in Winton and a whole raft of other sponsors. He's 20, but already ranked number 5 in New Zealand in MX1 – the premier class in motocross. He's planning to improve on that in this 2026 series. Jack has his own training track less than 20m from his family's home near Riverton and a classic lab called Louis.

Both of these Jacks are on the rise in this sport. 

In between filming, I tried to get a surf in down on the south west coast beyond Riverton. I found a left-hander reeling away very consistently, but I knew I had to log all my filming work while the Salty Slug – my camper – had full-beam solar. If it gets too dark, then I can't run my inverter. By the time I'd finished my work, it was time for a surf. I literally stepped outside, and the wind swung from steady offshore to steady onshore. Gutted. I was completely out of rhythm with the surf. 

That's how it goes some days. 

See you at the beach ... Derek

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