A world of difference

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – What a difference half a year makes. Before 2013, motorcycle sports were in limbo, with no real nationwide races, and riders unsure of where they were going with their sport. Team sponsors were looking for more than sporadic local races in far-flung locales. There was no sense of continuity, no real long-term development plan.

In the past six months, all that has changed. The Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross Series 2013 has become a rallying point, a unifier, a source of excitement for the motocross community. Every month, riders from all over the Philippines now have one big weekend to look forward to, with new tracks built expressly for the event everywhere they go. This has never been done on this scale before. Even in the days when cigarette advertising was still allowed, existing tracks were often used to cut down costs. Not this time.

“We have always believed in the ability of the Filipino rider,” declares Jonas Adlawan, father of international rider Jonjon Adlawan and president of the organizer Man & Machine Racing Promotions. “We want to give them the best, so they can bring out the best in them. If they have more challenges, then they will improve even more. Next to safety, that is our biggest priority.”

Each track has so far had its own share of challenges. The series has been through Cebu, Bacolod, Bais, Dumaguete and Dipolog, and will sweep through major cities in southern Philippines until December. In Tacloban, the main obstacle was rain, which pelted the venue at the IPI compound on Maharlika Highway for two weeks straight prior to the race. The softer, moistened earth and steeper jumps forced the riders to adjust anew, especially for the children in the 50 cc category, but they persevered and adapted.

What has really been heartwarming for everyone involved is how families have been brought together by the series. Parents and children travel together, spend time together, learn from each other and help one another out at every race. There is no greater reward than seeing parents embrace their kids after a race, no matter how they performed. And for the children, the encouragement they receive is priceless, and will help them later on in life.

“We really want to continue to bring the motocross community together, because we have seen what the sport has done to unite families and provide a bonding experience,” said Rene dela Calzada, president of TriDharma Marketing Corp., distributor of Kopiko, at the riders’ night here Saturday. “We’ve been touched by how fathers support their kids’ passion and how mothers go out of their way to be there for their children. We want to continue supporting that.”

It is rare for this kind of warmth and mutual respect to be seen in an entire sporting community. Yet, everyone looks out for each other, and there is no hostility displayed at the races. They are in this together for the long-term good of their sport. They also realize that, if one of them makes it internationally, they all stand to gain. And once they reach that level, there will be no stopping their progress.

That is the next step being studied now by the sponsors and organizers, how to make the leap to the international scene. Participants like veterans Glenn Aguilar, Jovie Saulog and youngster Adlawan have tasted what it’s like to compete against the best in Asia and Europe. Lately, those opportunities have been few and far between, not for lack of equipment, but a dearth of opportunity to travel. With the Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross Series bringing the sport to the front of mind of other advertisers, there will be more sponsors for teams and riders to compete overseas and represent their country and give exposure to their patrons.

The next logical step would be to have at least one training center where riders can hone their skills. With the participation of world number 6 Nikolaj Larsen in the opening leg of the series in Cebu in January, word is getting around that the Philippines would be a great spot for European riders to spend their winters. Eventually, they will make the economical decision to train in the country and use it as a base when temperatures hit freezing back home. Provinces like Quirino have already expressed interest in hosting such facilities.

Likewise, the unification of the Southeast Asian and even Asian motocross competitions is in the offing. It would make sense for international advertisers like Kopiko to increase their awareness and market share by combining the efforts of their people on the ground in each of the countries they are already in. A high-profile circuit would then propel Filipino and Asian riders onto the world stage in a relatively short time.

What a difference a year makes.

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Justin Rose saluted his late father, pointing skyward after tapping in to post a one-over par 281 that earned him the recent US Open Championship. The 32-year old pro registered the 20th worldwide victory for TaylorMade’s R1, acclaimed as the most adjustable driver TaylorMade has ever created. Rose also became the first player to win a major championship with TaylorMade’s Lethal ball, the same ball he used in last year’s Ryder Cup. For the golf afficionado, Rose’s bag included an R1 driver, RocketBladez Stage 2 Tour HL 3-wood, a combo set of RocketBladez Tour and Tour Preferred MB irons and three ATV wedges. 

Down the stretch Rose hit two critical iron shots: a tee shot on the 229-yard par-three 17th, and his 240-yard approach on the long par-four 18th, both with RocketBladez. Rose also attributed his wins to a 37counterbalanced Spider Blade putter featuring a “Ghost Tour-only” black steel shaft and short-slant hosel, which helped him master the fast and tricky greens at Merion, which felled many of the world’s best.