John Hall remembers a time when the Australian Four Day Enduro was just an idea that was
being shot down by skeptics.
Now in its 30th year, the Hog's Breath Cafe Australian Four Day Enduro - which is being held at
Warragul, Victoria, from Thursday to Sunday - is Australia's biggest enduro motorcycle event.
It has attracted about 350 riders including some of the best in the world, is known around the
globe as one of the best enduro races and contributes well over $1.5 million annually to the
Australian economy.
"It's such a huge event to run that no one else in the world dares to try - only us, the crazy
Australians," Mr Hall said.
"We are the only country in the world that has an event like this, that's this long, happens every
year, and includes team categories as well as individual classes."
Without Hall, however, there's a good chance the A4DE wouldn't even exist.
"I organised the first A4DE back in 1978, and about six or seven after that," Mr Hall said.
"It was a real struggle to get it together back then... I remember mentioning my idea to people
and a lot of them saying, no, there's no way that could work, but I believed in it... and it's really
nice to see how big it has become."
Mr Hall said he came up with the concept for the A4DE after the first Australian Team was sent
to an International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) in 1977. (The annual ISDE is the world's largest
enduro competition and is attended by hundreds of riders from more than 30 different countries).
"The first team from Australia went to the six day in [Czechoslovakia) and no one finished - there
was a 100 percent DNF rate," Mr Hall said.
"The guys that went were the best off-road riders in Australia. They had the ability and the talent,
but they didn.t have any experience.
"Also, there was talk that Australia should run a six day, but there was no way we could without
experienced people. So for those two reasons, I decided we needed to have a four day."
Mr Hall said about 100 riders competed in the first A4DE - the man who took home the first win
was none other than the legendary Shane Watts's father, Norm Watts.
Norm Watts will be one of the eight riders who will take part in a demonstration on the original
machines ridden in the first A4DE at this year's final motocross to be held at Lardner Park on
Sunday.
Mr Hall said after 14 A4DE's, he was employed to organise Australia's first ISDE.
He recalls that the event, which was held at Cessnock, went off "without a hitch".
"I had [Italian officials] asking me how a country that had never run an ISDE ran one without any
problems, they were really amazed. I said it was because of our A4DE's," he said.
Mr Hall is still heavily involved in the motorcycle industry, running bike shop Cross Country
Action, sponsoring young up-and-comer Andrew Lloyd and as the Australian importer for TM
Motorcycles.
Mr Hall and his wife Joy are in attendance again this year to show support for their rider and
because, "we just love it".
The A4DE has this year drawn five-time MX World Champion and BMW pilot, Belgium's Joel
Smets, as well as flying Frenchman and Husqvarna rider Antoine Meo and Aussie ex-pat Jake
Stapleton, who now calls Eastern Canada home but grew up in the NSW Hunter Valley region.
Parc Ferme for the event will be located at Buln Buln Recreation Ground. If you would like to get
autographs, watch the riders working on their bikes, leaving for or returning from the day's
racing, come to the recreation ground between 7am and 9am or 2pm and 4pm on April 17, 18 or
19. April 20 is the final motocross at Lardner Park.
To check out rider profiles and interviews or for more information please visit www.a4de.com
