With the co-operation of our international friends of trial, we bring you the story of the acclaimed German magazine which celebrated it’s Golden Anniversary on 5th of March this year – ‘50 Years of TRIALSPORT‘

Words: Hans Greiner, Rainer Heise and Mona Pekarek

Photos: Rainer Heise

A look back at the history of TRIALSPORT since 1976 would be inconceivable without a brief review of the few sources of information available to readers interested in trials riding.

In the early 1950s, it was exclusively the German magazine ‘Das Motorrad,’ wherein ‘Klacks’ (Ernst Leverkus) tirelessly reported on trials and ‘Crius’ (Christian Christophe) published his legendary trials reports.

Once the first regular trials were established in the 1950s and the number of trials riders began to grow, there was an urgent need for a means of communication. After the Trial-sportgemeinschaft Nord (TSG-Nord) (Trials sports community North) was founded in Uelzen in Lower Saxony in 1959, the ‘Fahrerlager’ (Paddock) took on this role as the TSG-Nord’s newsletter from 1960. At the time, Erland Asmus and Ernst-August Heicke were responsible for the content. The monthly magazine ‘Fahrerlager‘ wasn’t yet a magazine as we know it today. At first, it consisted of just a few hectographed DIN A4 pages; due to the inexpensive printing process, it didn’t include any photos, but it already offered enough reading material that readers were always eagerly awaiting the next issue. In addition to reports, the paper featured sales advertisements, events announcements, and letters to the editor. Occasionally, the page count was higher than five pages.

At the end of 1961, TSG-Nord dissolved and became the DTSG (Deutsche Trialsportgemein-schaft), (German Trialsport Association); Paddock expanded to sixteen pages. For work-related reasons, Erland Asmus left the editorial staff in 1962. In 1965, Rudolf Munstermann took his place. Rudi served as editor until 1973, supported from around 1968 by the late Sven Kuuse, who later took over magazine production on his own. During this period, Fahrerlager ran up to thirty pages or more each month.

After Sven Kuuse moved to the motorcycle magazine ‘PS’ in Stuttgart, Fahrerlager ceased to be published regularly. As a result, it could no longer fulfill its important role as a source of information for a growing number of trials riders. That is why Felix Krahnstöver who was the fourfold German Trials Champion at the time, decided to provide trials fans with a new guide published monthly. Together with Helmut Stanik and Sven Kuuse, who had since left ‘PS’ and Rainer Heise as a photographer — the first issue of TRIALSPORT was launched on March 5, 1976.

In the 1980s, Sven Kuuse had to stop working at TRIALSPORT for health reasons. After twenty-eight years of publication, Felix Krahnstöver handed TRIALSPORT over to Hans Greiner in 2004, who later published it together with Josefine Cardenoso for a further twenty years.

THE BEGINNING:

Felix Krahnstöver, the late Sven Kuuse, Helmut Stanik and Rainer Heise, it was THE newsletter for trials friends, edition number 1 (Heft 1) – the price was 2,80 Deutschmarks, subscription for 12 monthly issues was 29 Deutschmarks, it had twenty pages in DIN A5 format.

The editorial read:

Always at the forefront, keeping one’s feet firmly on the ground whilst looking ahead, and keeping everything under control and that should be reflected in Rainer Heise’s original cover illustration.

There were reports from events and gossip from trials, and a series such as: ‘How to Become German Trials Champion’. It included club addresses, market and Trial-Gotha. These featured people from the trials scene, and a motorbike review rounded off the first issue. TRIALSPORT magazine – A Brief Overview with Felix Krahnstöver on the cover for the first time (photo by Rainer Heise).

TRIALSPORT celebrated its 50th edition in the May of 1980.

In February, 1989, the first Personal Computer was introduced to the editorial staff for TRIALSPORT the issue 155. In March, 1985, the 10th anniversary issue, issue 178, had forty-eight pages and annually subscription cost you 48 Deutschmarks. In January 1991, issue 178, the magazine received a new layout, which remained in place until issue 333. Starting in March each edition had sixty pages.

In March 1996, TRIALSPORT was twenty years old, each issue had still sixty pages and subscription was now 70 Deutschmarks a year. From January 2002, issue 310, TRIALSPORT had a coloured magazine cover. Issue 200 from November 1992 had 104 pages. What an achievement—and Felix did it all by himself! Issue 300 from March 2001 – and 25 years of TRIALSPORT – something to remember!

Issue 333, published in December 2003, was the last issue written by Felix Krahnstöver after twenty-eight years. Sadly, Sven Kuuse, the founding father of TRIALSPORT, passed away that same year. In 2004, after twenty-eight years, Hans Greiner and Josefine Cardenose succeeded Felix Krahnstöver.

Issue 334, in January 2004, there came a new editor, new layout, but it’s still the only German-language print magazine dedicated to trials that’s driven by a passion for the sport.

Josefine Cardenoso and Hans Greiner:

Issue 358-359, the January-February 2006 double issue, had one-hundred and thirty two pages; the format increased by 24% from DIN A5 to 148 x 210 mm, the number of color pages rose to 50%, and the year’s subscription price increased from € 45 to € 50. Issue 360, in March 2006, the 30th Anniversary Edition was published. Issue 394-395, January-February 2009 double issue. Ninety-six pages, all in color, with the subscription price remaining at € 50. That was pretty crazy. Issue 454, January 2014, 10th anniversary for Josefine and Hans. The format was increased to DIN A4, and the cover price rose by 1 € per issue. Still, it’s the cheapest trial magazine in the world! Issue 480, in March 2016, to mark the 40th anniversary, the TRIALSPORT app was also released, along with a new layout for the title page.

There was a period of two years following Covid-19 when the magazine became involved in a franchise agreement with an English language publication, this was ill-fated and was eventually abandoned.

In 2024, Mona Pekarek had now taken over the reigns with Issue 1 ofTRIALSPORT 2024. A new editor, a new concept, a new layout, a new logo, new paper, and a return to the original name of TRIALSPORT. No app—just a printed magazine. The TRIALSPORT graphic designer Corinna Ehmann played a key role in this. TRIALSPORT is once again known as ‘TRIALSPORT’ now with Mona Pekarek firmly at the helm.

Link to Trialsport website: HERE

TRIALSPORT 1976 – 2026 – 50 YEARS

’50 Glorious Years of Trialsport’ is the copyright of Rainer Heise, Hans Greiner and Mona Pekarek.

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