Gone Walkabout
with Steve Sommerfeld
Country blokes don’t
need passports!
GROWING UP ON OUR family farm in Australia, I never thought I would get
the opportunity to travel the world, and I certainly never thought I would get
paid to ride a dirt bike. When I was young, between work and school, I’d
always be riding my farm bikes and then head home to watch Fuel TV and
check out the latest round of the old IFMXF series.
Fast-forward to 2015 and I am writing this column on my 24-hour flight back
to Australia after having just finished what I can only describe as a dream
come true; I got to spend the past year in Europe and had the opportunity to
compete in Night of the Jumps (IFMXF for the old guys!) in Sofia, Bulgaria, as
well as in Linz and Graz in Austria!
First stop – Sofia, Bulgaria
Before this event I knew nothing about Bulgaria, so I was really interested to
head deep into Eastern Europe and check it out. I was also trying to not get
nervous about riding this comp, as it could be my last if I stuff up!
As we descended into Sofia, the landscape was cold and barren, the airport
had Soviet styled military aircraft on the runways and it was a cool -14
degrees when we landed. Inside the arena, the first competition for me went
perfectly, well for my first ever NOTJ event, it was near perfect. I only messed
up my Indy Flip in the run, but I got an extra trick in to save some points. I
picked up a 10th place for my first attempt and to be able to ride with some
of the best riders in the world, in the same competition, was a highlight I’ll
never forget!!
Before we flew out the next afternoon, Rachael and I headed into the city
to see what Sofia had to offer. For the first two days all I had seen was the
arena, the hotel and lots of wild dogs, so my expectations weren’t very
high. But damn, Sofia surprised me! It has a rich mix of Roman architectural
influences and Soviet-era prefabricated buildings and statues. It’s an
awesome blend of ancient, old and new!
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