It has just been brought to my attention that the recent issue of Cycle USA has an incorrect District 17 hillclimb schedule – the June 11th &12th Pleasure Riders M/C events are wrongly listed as being in Cayuga, IN (the regular PRMC clubgrounds).  Those events are NOT at the usual PRMC location in Cayuga – they are at the new Thunder Ridge facility in Neoga, IL – site of this year’s AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship.  Please make note of this and make sure you go to the correct location…if you show up at the PRMC clubgrounds that morning, you’ll be about an hour and a half away from where you’re supposed to be.

The events at Thunder Ridge in June will be something of a shakedown for the new facility, and your one-and-only chance to try out the new hill before nationals.  The hill design is more akin to what you see a lot at NAHA pro events than a traditional midwest layout, so getting there in June and having a chance to dial it in might just be the hot ticket to make sure you’re at your best for nationals!  Hope to see you there!

The events this weekend in Cayuga, IN, hosted by Pleasure Riders M/C, have been rained out.  June 25th & 26th are expected to be the make-up dates…stay tuned.

The X-12 is just one month away – classes for everybody…amateur, youth, semi-pro, ATV, and pros!  The event flyer and entry form are posted on the Utah Hillclimb Schedule page – get those entries in the mail by April 15th!

It is with great regret that I have to let everyone know that Dean Gerdes has passed away.  Dean had endured some health problems the last few years, and had actually just come home from his latest surgery…all was thought to be well, but he passed unexpectedly in his home yesterday.  He was 55 years old.

It’s hard to estimate how important Dean was to the local MN/WI hillclimb community.  With his brother Brad as young men they dominated on their Suzukis – especially on their home hill…literally, their home hill, as the Gerdes family farm was the site of the famous 500′ Bay City hill.  Not that Larry, their dad, ever let the boys practice on the actual hill…  Brad died tragically as a young man, but Dean went on to marry and is survived by his wife Sue, father Larry, sisters Tammy and Pam, and children Jaci and Alex.

Naturally the Gerdes family was a huge part of the original Valley Springs Motorcycle Club, which hosted hillclimbs at their location into the 80s.  The club disbanded and the hill sat unused for decades though…just a few years ago, VSMC was re-formed to host events once more on that legendary hill, and it’s fair to say that if Dean wasn’t part of it, it never would have happened. Dean and Sue both have been instrumental members of Valley Springs M/C, and we are indebted to them for helping to revive the club and that hill.

Things are happening fast, of course, so if plans change I will update this post – but as of now the plan is for there to be a visitation service at Hill Funeral Home in Ellsworth, WI from 3:00-7:00PM this coming Sunday, March 13th.  The memorial service is planned for Monday the 14th at Eidsvold Lutheran Church in Bay City, WI at 1:00PM, with a short visitation period beforehand.