The SSDT weigh-in Sunday is usually a hive of activity, but for the crowds of on-lookers and spectators there will be a trials cycle-bike demonstration at 13.30 in the town centre, with another demostration right after the parade of riders.
The rider is Aaron Duke, who was 2016 European champion, ranked seventh in the world in his age catagory. Aaron is an eight times Scottish champion and a previous British champion.
It is described as a one man demo showing extreme stunts performed on a bike that only a handful of people in Britain can perform.
Worth putting into your diary, Sunday 6th May at 13.30 before and after the riders’ parade.
The SSDT have just released details of their daily routes for the 2018 event.
This allows spectators to plan where to go and watch the event and a link is provided to them on the official website below.
The committee ask that anyone making use of these online maps respect landowners wishes that strictly no following of the riders on private land is permitted under any circumstances by vehicles of any kind.
Also the online maps are not a substitute to buying the official programme which went on sale in Lochaber and surrounding area on Monday 23rd in good time for the event which starts on May 7th.
Early reports indicate that sales are very brisk, so make sure you grab a copy (price £4.00) whenever you arrive before they are sold out!
The trials photographic ‘Maestro’ Eric Kitchen will be the special guest at this years’ Scottish Six Days Trial next month (7-12 May).
Eric who has taken photographs at the SSDT for forty-seven years and was the first photographer engaged to cover the annual event for the Trials & Motocross News in 1978 will present the prizes at the Nevis Centre, An Aird on Saturday 12 May at 21.00.
Kitchen who is probably the best known trials photographer of all time, has photographed all over the world and the octogenarian shows no signs of giving up. His images are highly sought after in the world of trials and he is held in high regard within the sport and by fellow sporting photographers.
He has set plans already to attend the Highland Classic 2 Day Trial (9-10 June) at Alvie Estate, an event that has grown in stature over the past few years. He will accompany Mike Rapley for the trip north.
Eric will of course be covering the SSDT with his brace of Nikon cameras and has even penned an article for the recently released SSDT Official programme which is now on sale at £4.00 from stockists in the Fort William and surrounding areas. Postal copies are available from secretary Mieke de Vos through the official website ssdt.org – contact SSDT.
Each year the SSDT has sole use of the Highland Council’s West End Car Park at Fort William. It is transformed into a ‘parc ferme’ and trade village as well as a service area for the riders, thanks to the importers and factories who provide essential back-up facilities throughout the week.
Weigh-In Sunday with Sandra Gomez – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK
Here is Trials Guru’s tribute to those of the SSDT village community, courtesy of John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK and Nigel Pearson of Trials UK Media who have provided the images along with our own Trials Guru shots taken at the 2017 event.
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Nevis Radio – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK
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The film crew charted Ross Noble’s first attempt at the 2017 SSDT – In the background are Nevis Radio’s John Weller and Trials Guru’s John Moffat (on microphone) before one of the daily runs. – Photo courtesy of Trials UK Media
Jack Austin has put together a very smart tribute bike for this year’s Scottish Six Days Trial (May 7-12) paying homage to a former SSDT observer (SSDT Observer No.1 in fact) Micky ‘Munch’ Gallacher, who ran MSport in Stevenage up until his untimely death in 2016 aged 56 years.
Jack takes up the story:
“I am pleased to have been accepted to ride in this year’s Scottish Six-Day Trials event.
The bike I will be riding will be a 260 Montesa 4RT which was purchased new from Micky Gallagher at MSport Trials Specialists – Micky being a long-time friend of my Father, Dave Austin and our family.
Sadly when Micky passed away in March 2016, Micky had never seen me ride in the Scottish, albeit he and my Father “Big Dave” were always encouraging me to enter, once eligible. Therefore, I’ve decided to dedicate my First 2018 Scottish SSDT ride as a tribute, in memory of Micky, as he was a long-time SSDT Observer & Enthusiast of the event, as is my Father still today.
Also, I have – in true MSport Trials tradition – modified the standard bike to what it is today:
I have changed the wheels, modified the brakes, changed the plastics, designed my own graphics and upgraded many of the smaller components on the bike.
I would like to thank all my Sponsors in this years event:
– Theresa, Ross & Gemma Gallagher
– Lings Motorcycles, Harleston
– WM Engineering Services Ltd
– Grandparents: Phyllis & Sid Austin (sadly no longer with us)
– My Parents & Family: David, Amanda & Brother George
– Austin Uncles: Stuart & Clive – who are my ‘2018 SSDT Pit-Crew’ – “Team Big-Dave”.
Nevis Radio’s John Weller will be joined by Guest Presenter, Trials Guru’s John Moffat for the Outside Broadcast of SSDT ’18 at Fort William – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK
Nevis Radio, the station local to Fort William and Lochaber will once again be broadcasting live from the event’s parc ferme from Monday 7th May until Saturday 12th May.
The outside broadcast team this year will consist of John ‘Big John’ Weller; Simon Abberley and guest presenter, Trials Guru’s John Moffat. As well as radio broadcasting, the station will be ‘on air’ with live video streaming and additional recorded coverage during the day when ‘The Moffster’ will be out at sections with the Nevis Radio ‘roving mic’.
The daily broadcasts will commence at 07:00 – 11:00 on 96.6 102.3 & 102.4 MHz.
The sponsors of the programme this year will be once again Michelin Tyres and Trial Magazine UK.
Simon Abberley, Nevis Radio’s Business Development & Sustainability Manager said: “Nevis Radio would like to thank Michelin and Trial Magazine UK for their continued support after over seven years of sponsorship. As a registered charity, every penny we get counts towards our continued service and helps us broadcast across Lochaber.
In recent years we have expanded into the world of live video streaming on the internet. Without the support from Michelin and Trial Magazine UK we wouldn’t have had the funds available to offer this service.
Being mostly volunteer based with one staff member involved, it takes a great deal of resource to achieve our Scottish Six Days Trial coverage, but every year we are driven by the feedback we get and always try and push a little harder the next time round it’s a way of evolving and improving what we do to the best we can.”
The Edinburgh & District MC Ltd Community Fund was set up in 2011 to help local Lochaber good causes
The 2018 Scottish Six Days Trial (7-12 May) official programme has a fresh new look!
The front cover of the 2018 Official Programme of the SSDT – cover photo by Eric Kitchen
The programme will be available on sale from Tuesday 24th April from the following outlets:
BP – Road to the Isles Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ
Esso Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ
Gleaner Filling Stations, Fort William PH33 6SU & Invergarry PH35 4HL
WH Smith, The Parade, Fort William PH33 6EU
The Granite House, High Street, Fort William, PH33 6AD
Marshall & Pearson, 35 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6HD
Co-op, Ballachulish, PH49 4JS
Co-op, Kinlochleven, PH50 4RW
Co-op, Corpach, PH33 7JG
Claymore Filling Station, A82, Glencoe, PH49 4HP
Pre’65 Trial – Merchandise stall
Spar, Spean Bridge PH34 4EP
Trials UK shop in the Parc Ferme during the week
There will also be an opportunity to purchase from ‘The Hub’ area in the parc ferme area on Weigh In Sunday, 6th May.
The official programme price is £4.00, the proceeds of which support the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd ‘Community Fund’, which contributes to local good causes in the Lochaber area.
This year the programme page numbers have been increased and it will continue to have the ‘pull-out’ additional competitor list, sponsored by Acklams Beta of Harrogate, which is handy for putting in a pocket when spectating out on the hill.
The 92 paged 2018 official programme gives all the daily routes with spectator suggestions and competitor’s early days, now located towards the back of the programme making this information easier to find. It also has more articles than before.
The Scottish Six Days Trial which takes place on 7-12 May, 2018 was massively oversubscribed with 510 entrants for 280 places.
Given the excellent weather at the 2017 event, the organisers braced themselves for a bumper entry and it certainly lived up to that expectation.
Entrants began to be informed on Wednesday 27th December if they were successful or not by e-mail.
The organisers have a hard job when it comes to administrating the initial entries, but SSDT Secretary, Mieke de Vos told Trials Guru: “Unsuccessful entrants shouldn’t take it personally and we always have an attrition rate of around 10% pre-trial with 25 to 30 entrants dropping out for various reasons. We run the ballot to be as fair as we can, but as everyone knows we cannot fit 510 into 280, it’s as simple as that”.
Entrants are urged to check their e-mail spam filters to make sure that contact has been made, but please be patient and follow the instructions issued by the SSDT carefully. Please do not contact the organisers until after 1st January 2018.
Comedian, Ross Noble completed the 2017 event with mentor Jamie Burroughs, the event was featured in the three part television programme ‘Ross Noble : Off Road’ on ‘Dave’ channel in the December – Photo: Trials Guru 2017
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