Michael's on the Hook
By TMX Archives on 6th Nov 08
MRS Sherco AKA the Rathmell family moved into Hook Woods, just outside Guildford, Surrey, last weekend, for the tenth Sherco Weekend Extravaganza' and the first extravaganza to be held in the deep south' as they called it.The idea is simple, you get all the dealers together in one place, chat about the 2009 bikes and get as many of the public in the woods test-riding the bikes while having a good time. The Hook Woods venue was ideal and one of the best locations in the south with all its man-made obstacles nestling in and around the fir trees, although the weather didn't help and the early morning drizzle turned into rain as the day went on.
Malcolm Rathmell, head of Sherco UK, informed us what the weekend was all about, It's giving a bit back to all our dealers for all the hard work they do throughout the year and, of course, to get potential customers trying the 2009 bikes!
The car park was a sea of Sherco blue with bikes, banners, marking tape and of course the riding gear of the team riders as Malcolm added, We got the '09 bikes in the country about three weeks ago and always give a good deal on a dealers' demonstrator machine and with the ones we have brought down with us there are 23 bikes here today available for test rides and that should help dealers with their sales, hopefully!
It also gives the public a chance to talk to various dealers and, of course, it's nice for our dealers to take this opportunity to talk to each other and get to know each other in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, and we think that's important.
On the harder, rockier part of the unique Hook Woods venue, Sherco team members were giving demos of how to tackle some of the bigger obstacles that riders would find in national or world events, while a short distance away was the area for the public to try one of the new machines on slightly easier terrain.
At the end of the session, Malcolm said, We have had about three hundred bike test rides completed today and I think that's brilliant considering what the weather's been like.
He was very pleased with how the first part of the weekend's event went and added, We have held the open days for ten years now but all the rest have been up north. Last year we had planned for it to be down here but the threat of Foot and Mouth put paid to that and we had to cancel at the last minute, so we came back this year.
As the afternoon light faded, the dealers, riders, sponsors and Sherco personel made their way to a local hotel to get the chill out of their bodies and change for the very emotional presentation evening.
The high-point of the evening affair was, with much drama, the revelation of new signing Michael Brown, which was carried-out after dinner was served (and very nice it was to!) and that was followed by a trials quiz hosted by the enigmatic Killer Kendrew.
After the presentations, a moving tribute was made to Graham Jarvis, accompanied by a slide show of Eric Kitchen's excellent pictures which he has taken over all the years of Graham's illustrious carrier.
To end the evening for those with earplugs it was then karaoke and disco time and then for those without a hangover, Sunday brought the chance to ride in an event staged by the Surrey Schoolboy Club.
Picture shows Graham Jarvis with a couple of potential Sherco customers at the Weekend Extravaganza.