In this episode we had the opportunity to chat with the youngest of the Brightmore brothers - Ashton. A long overdue interview with a rider who has been making waves in the hard enduro scene fr a few years now, especially in the junior championship. A very insightful episode getting to the roots of how his riding career started from a young age in trials. Ashton was a competitive rider from the beginning and as he shares in the episode, always seemed to have a liking for speed. It was no surprise then when he pushed to move to the big bikes and found himself front of the pack from the beginning. 

It was very interesting to hear how Ashton believes he and his brother differ in their approaches to riding. While their techniques are quite similar their styles are certainly different from cool and level headed to more aggressive and competitive. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out which is which though!

Ashton has had a successful career already in both Super Enduro and Hard Enduro. Starting off with the TTR Squadra Corse team to tackle his first year as a sponsored rider and really stepping into the European riding scene. Ashton has gone on to have some standout rides especially the Red Bull TKO event in the US where he finished top 5 in the premier class on a pretty stock standard bike. It’s amazing what some riders can do even when going into a race for the experience and with no expectations. 

It was inevitable that we would see a team snatch up these two riders and what better fit than the X-Grip team? We were genuinely stoked for both the team and the riders and it seems to have been a perfect fit. Ashton’s career has not gone without a few setback with both a knee and ankle injury in 2025 resulting in him having to sit out most of the racing season but this also came with unique opportunities to learn from others on the sidelines. 

This year the 2026 hard enduro season looks like it is gong to be a tight battle against the top riders of the junior championship. We can only assume that Ashton would be aiming to follow in his brother’s footsteps for a championship title. Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is the next race and challenge coming up. Will we see him finally cross that finish line and add to the successful X-Grip riders to see the finishers flag?

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:42 Meet Ashton Brightmore 

01:19 Where it all began

03:04 Making the switch to an 85 

04:33 First taste of enduro racing 

07:31 Signing with TTR & stepping onto the European scene 

10:42 Competition between brothers 

11:57 Riding styles compared

13:34 Going full professional: Signing with X-Grip

16:35 Bike setup

20:21 Knee injury 

21:58 Ankle injury

24:27 Alestrem hard enduro

25:29 Red Bull TKO

28:43 2026 HEWC

29:07 Ashton Brightmore vs James Moore

31:38 Preparation for Erzberg

The junior championship battle between Ashton and James Moore is only just getting started. Who do you think takes the title this season? Drop your prediction in the comments below↓↓↓

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In this episode we sit down with Toby Martyn, a trials champion who has had an interesting career so far, moving to super enduro and now competing in the hard enduro world championship. Not only is he new to the scene but he is also completely new to hard enduro. Undoubtedly a tough sport to jump head first into, but despite the odds, Toby seems to be taking to it like a fish in water.

Toby started his off-road journey quite young, getting into MX but quickly transitioning to a trials bike and becoming an internationally recognized rider. With a junior world championship title amongst others, Toby excelled in the sport but surprisingly still found it challenging to make it a financially viable career, choosing to take a step back.

Toby then made the shift to Super Enduro. A very different challenge to trials and competing on the world stage once again, against the toughest and fastest in the sport. A season later, Toby would have a conversation that would completely change the trajectory of his career. A chat with Stark opened an incredible door to the team and a chance to race the super enduro season once again, but on the Stark Varg. A big adjustment for someone who spent the majority of their life on a trials bike that demanded finesse with the clutch. Moving to the new bike took some time to adjust and Toby shares what this transition was like. Ultimately, it was an incredible season, a level up from the previous year, finishing with the Manufacturers' Award.

Now we get to hard enduro. A challenge Toby did not see coming but welcomed with open arms. Stark is looking to show what their bike can do and hard enduro was the next step for the team. Many people probably won't know that Toby has very little experience in the discipline and essentially jumped into the deep end entering the 2026 Hard Enduro World Championship. We're currently two races into the season with Alestrem being essentially a warm-up for Toby to get into the swing of things, but then came Lagares. An unforgiving few days on the bike and a reality check of what hard enduro truly is. What's next for Toby and the team? Erzberg Rodeo, One of the most iconic races in the world, and a chance to show that this bike and brand truly belongs.

We are extremely excited to see the hard enduro landscape changing and will certainly be keeping an eye on this team throughout the season.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:21 Toby Martyn 

01:44 Where it all began

03:31 Trials career highlights

04:28 The reality of making a living in trials 

05:12 Racing trials in the US

06:38 Moving to enduro 

07:05 The moment everything changed 

08:15 Jumping to Super Enduro

10:27 The biggest learning curve

13:09 The Stark call

14:55 Electric bikes in trials:

15:09 Riding the Stark Varg 

19:53 Converting sceptics

21:03 The 2025/26 Super Enduro season on the Stark: Manufacturers' Award 

23:35 Part of the team

26:29 Transitioning to hard enduro

29:02 How a trials gives an edge in hard enduro  

30:44 Talking about the Stark Varg

35:38 Toby’s hard enduro experience

36:54 Nutrition & hydration

39:06 Season goals

Erzberg Rodeo is just around the corner. Are you backing Toby and the Stark Varg to make history? Drop your prediction in the comments and subscribe so you don't miss our coverage when the results are in ↓↓↓

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Firstly, we’d like to make a special note about Felix Bähker who had a very unfortunate accident during race day 1 and sustain some serious spinal injuries. Hard enduro is a tough sport and at times the circumstances riders are in can be quite dangerous. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to support Felix. Every small amount counts to help this young rider on his road to recovery - https://www.gofundme.com/f/felix-muss-zuruck-auf-die-beine?attribution_id=sl:bb77b834-df88-46e5-bd53-efa074719dde&lang=de_DE&ts=1777798296&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=instagram_story. 

We had another great chat with Mike Skinner about round 2 of the HEWC that took place at the XL Lagares hard enduro race in Portugal. This round had some brilliant live coverage on the main race day and fans can find plenty of race content online however there is nothing quite like have a good post race chat to get a real idea of what it was like on the grown from a rider, media and spectator perspective. 

In this episode we cover a variety of topics from how the terrain and racing differed this round compared to the previous race, the tight competition between the top pro and junior riders as well as a deeper understanding of what happened on track from the riders perspective. 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Extreme XL Lagares 
01:49 Felix Bähker
05:04 Event format breakdown 
07:26 Points allocation  
08:29 Riders race strategy
10:12 Wade Young 
12:38 Media & coverage improvement 
13:06 Day 1 results
16:09 Day 2: 120KM
19:53 Teo’s mid-race advice approach
21:12 What makes Manny so dominant?
23:00 Day 2 results
24:33 Points system debate
27:44 A game changer for spectators 
30:29 Day 3
35:51 Manny vs. multi-lap racing
37:25 Junior class recap


If you'd like to support Felix Bähker on his road to recovery, the GoFundMe link is in the description — every little bit counts. And if this episode resonated with you, drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts on the racing at Lagares ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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In this episode we're chatting to a young rider who is an up and coming South African talent who has already made a name for himself, Matt Stevens. 

We get straight into the topic of why Matt has chosen not to focus on riding in Europe and the HEWC and why his sights are on USHE. We touch on the financial investment of both options and which would give a young rider the best chance for success. We clarify what Matt's plans are for his time in the US and which races he plans to participate in and other opportunities that the US presents. 

In South Africa trials bike riding is not common for riders to adopt at a young age, but it is certainly a benefit to improving technique. Matt touches on a great topic of learning from others, especially those who's skills may be more advanced. An example of this was the time Matt spent riding with the top athletes in the world at the Roof of Africa 2025. 

Of course as a hard enduro podcast we had to talk about bikes. Matt rides both a 2T and a 4T and shares his experiences and preferences. Justin from Shock Logic suspension has been on the podcast before and is a key part of Matt's team ensuring his bike is perfectly tuned without making it complicated. 

Training for hard enduro doesn't just happen on the bike and in the mountains but needs to be supported with off the bike training to support fitness and strength. Matt has been focusing on power recently in the gym and has noticed improvements during racing. 

We wish Matt all the best on his journey to the US. If you are based close to the races he plans to attend and would like to support his journey, please reach out to Matt directly via his social media - @mattstevens.43
We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:31 Meet Matt Stevens
02:36 SA talent at Alestrem
03:08 America over Europe
07:57 Passion vs. profession
09:35 The US plan: Hollow Point & Tennessee Knockout 
10:27 What the US hard enduro series offers vs. the HEWC
11:51 GNCC & cross-country racing
13:08 Trials Bikes
14:34 Learning from better riders
16:33 Sponsors or a team for the US
18:42 Bike talk - The KTM 300 2-stroke 
19:51 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke in hard enduro
21:39 250F for technical hard enduro terrain
24:31 Shock Logic Suspension - Keep it simple
27:04 Off-bike training
32:15 Roof of Africa
37:41 Well wishes and support for the US

Would you make the same call as Matt... USHE over HEWC? Drop your thoughts in the comments, we'd love to hear where you think the better opportunity lies for a young rider trying to build a career in hard enduro ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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Round one of the 2026 Hard Enduro World Championship recently took place at Alestrem in France. To get a better idea of how this race went and a more in-depth understanding of what happened behind the scenes, we sat down with Mike Skinner who was on the ground and deep in the action. 

We touch on a variety of topics such as Stark in hard enduro, media coverage of the race, the unpredictable weather and how that created confusion for the final lap. We also discuss how competitive the top 20 are and how exciting that is for the future of the sport and the rest of the season. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:02 HEWC Round 1 at 24MX Alestrem
01:35 Race overview: Friday and Saturday
03:18 Season opener atmosphere
05:00 The rainstorm
07:04 Stark Varg & the Jarv-E
07:53 Toby Martyn
10:06 Graham Jarvis
13:52 Standout riders
15:28 Billy & Mani's big gap
16:35 Race result confusion
19:10 Media 
23:32 Live Broadcast
29:33 Final results recap
32:13 Looking ahead to HEWC Round 2: Extreme XL Lagares

Enjoyed this one? Subscribe so you don't miss our Round 2 breakdown from Extreme XL Lagares. If you watched the live overage, drop your thoughts on how you think it could be improved in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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In this episode we chat to an iconic duo of Matt's. Matt Green is a returning guest to the podcast and Matt Adams has been his main support while racing in the United States. We got to sit down and chat to both of them and reflect on their time together. This was truly an intercontinental interview across three time zones.

In 2026 Matt Green did something no other rider in the world championship has done... he took on part of the US Hard Enduro Series. Heading to the US with minimal plans in place, he took a chance and it certainly paid off! He had some great results and loads of stories to share. We dive into his experience, the differences between the US and Europe and even touch on how to take on some of the challenging races the US has to offer. 

Matt Adams was the go-to man for this time in the US and the team owner of the Champion Brick racing team. A man with a passion for dirt bikes and a story that would inspire anyone to get out there and enjoy life to the fullest. He shares what it was like to host a world championship rider, what it's like running his team and the big plans he has in place for 2026. 

This was a great episode and we hope you enjoy it! 

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:25 Meet Matt Adams 
06:00 How Matt Green & Matt Adams Connected
08:07 Inside Champion Brick Racing
10:25 What Inspired Matt Adams to Build the Team 
16:10 Matt Adams first impressions of Matt Green
18:37 Matt Green's Race Results Across the First 3 US Rounds
19:00 Was the US Good Enough to Stay? 
21:00 US Hard Enduro vs. European Hard Enduro
27:57 How Matt Green's US Trip Could Open Doors for Others
36:18 Funny Stories from Life on the Road Together
37:00 Hilton, South Africa: Matt Green's Secret Weapon for Hawaii
38:02 Bike & Tyre Setup for Hawaii's Terrain
43:00 Grinding Stone
50:35 US Hard Enduro's Growth
52:00 Matt Adams' 2026 Season Plans for Champion Brick Racing
54:05 Matt Green's HEWC Season Preview: Ready for Round 1 
57:20 Closing Thoughts

Matt has showed what's possible heading over to the US. Do you think we'll see more riders take a similar path in the future? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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The start of the 2026 championship is a week away and we had the opportunity to chat with Sherco rider, Teodor Kabakchiev. The last time he was on the podcast was just before the Roof of Africa 2024 and honestly, a lot has happened since then.

We dive into a variety of topics start with what training looks like for Teo in preparation for the new season. He shares how he is an all round rider and enjoys a variety of disciplines but is very structured with his training. It was particularly interesting discussing how he has incorporated trials into his program and how even a pro rider like Teo finds it challenging compared to a traditional off-road bike.

This will be Teo's third year with Sherco factory racing. Following his team mate Mario Roman leaving to go independent, we of course had the question on our minds... who will be joining him in the hard enduro championship. We briefly touch on who this is, and why he seems to be a good fit for the team.   

Teo shared some great stories on this episode, with one in particular standing out. He shares his thoughts about Romaniacs and how after a grueling 6 hour day in the saddle, he felt more exhausted compared to his competitors. This lead him on a journey to really take his technical training more seriously and it's clear that has paid off.

Suspension is a hot topic in hard enduro and can be very challenging to get right. The communication between the rider and technician needs to be spot on in order for the settings to really hit the mark. This year Teo is once again working with a specialist who understands what he likes and has the mindset of, if something works, why change it?

Lastly, Teo shares his suggestions for young riders looking to make a career in dirt bikes.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:05 Roof Of Africa
03:14 off-season training
04:55 Bike setup
06:51 Suspension 
08:17 Riding with family 
10:21 Considerations for making hard enduro a career 
11:35 Recovering from Injury
14:43 2026 season
16:34 Alestrem 
20:19 New Sherco team mate 
22:20 Riding a variety of disciplines
23:49 Trials bike riding
29:41 Advice for juniors

Teo dropped some real gems in this one... from trials training to suspension setups to advice for the next generation. What was your biggest takeaway? Drop it in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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In this episode we had the opportunity to chat to Mike Skinner who is a legend in the hard enduro paddock and has been involved in the sport for 12 years. He's seen the sport change and evolve over the years and has truly been on the inside of what can sometimes be seen as a sport with many decisions made behind closed doors. 

We got to speak to Mike about the 2026 season and if he believes that the sport is on the right track. He shares his hopes for the this new chapter and his belief that everyone needs to work together to grow the sport. 

In 2025 Mike took on more of a media role filling a really important hole is hard enduro coverage. He is often able to get to places many aren't and captures some of the best raw footage and rider interviews out there. 

Beyond media, Mike is also a world class track setter and is able to share some common mistakes and suggestions for anyone whether it be track setters or race organizers. 

We end our discussion with some bench racing, talking about when the juniors will eventually take the top spot, why there isn't a des nations for hard enduro and lastly, his suggestions to young riders looking to make a career out of dirt bikes. 

We hope you enjoy this episode.  

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:52 HEWC
08:21 Media Coverage
16:15 Hard enduro track setting
29:51 Hard enduro ranking system
33:53 Bench racing
48:19 Suggestions for young riders

Which country do you think would win if there was a Hard Enduro Des Nations?? Drop it in the comments... and also let us know which 3 riders you would pick from that country↓↓↓

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We run on passion, bad jokes, and your support. Subscribe or buy us a coffee and keep this thing alive → https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro  

Something has been on our mind recently, will we see Stark Varg enter the Hard Enduro World Championship and line up at the start of Alestrem round 1? The manufacturer has just completed a groundbreaking season in the FIM Super Enduro World Championship by taking the manufacturers championship after only their second year. We've also got wind that they will be entering the EnduroGP in 2026 which is a pretty big move. 

In an interview with Enduro21, Stark Racing Director, Sebastien Tortelli hinted at participating in 4 out of the 5 world championships and that hard enduro might be on that list. This year is the first year that Stark would actually be allowed to enter the Hard Enduro Championship due to changes in regulations. 

To come to a conclusion we had to touch on a couple topics that would determine if this is a realistic journey in 2026. There are things like regulations, bike limitations as well as riders that will all determine their decision. Stark is a brand that only enters something if they believe they have a competitive chance and will be able to perform well so also need to chat about what success would look like for them. 

It's possible we'll see more information from the brand in the coming weeks but one thing is for sure, we'd love to see them in the Hard Enduro World Championship even if its just a testing year.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Will we see Stark in the Championship?
01:42 Super Enduro
04:20 EnduroGP
07:07 Hard Enduro Regulations
10:16 Bike Limitations
13:20 Red Bull Romaniacs Case Study
14:43 Event Organizer Requirements
16:40 Stark Riders
20:57 What does success look like?
23:27 Putting it into perspective

Think Stark should make the move? Drop it in the comments... we want to know where you stand↓↓↓

Support the show

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These episodes don't run on premix alone, your support keeps us moving. Grab us a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

We welcome Mario Roman back onto the podcast to chat about the next chapter of his career. As many fans will know, Mario has parted ways with Sherco Factory Racing and created his own independent team MR74. This is a very interesting episode as we get to truly understand the differences between being on a factory team and the opportunities of being able to choose your own partners and sponsors. 

Taking about partners, Mario has teamed up with Plews Tyres for the foreseeable future. A big move from someone who rode on Michlin tyres for 8 years. Of course we had to dive deeper into understanding his opinion on the differences between the two and for his response to not only be about the tyres but the brands themselves was surprising! 

We're all hard enduro fans here so of course we're taking about the 2026 Hard Enduro World Championship as well as Mario's role in the riders association. We couldn't forget the hard Enduro World Ranking either. We touched his collaboration with CF Moto as the brand ambassador and his plans for Red Bull Romaniacs on an ADV. 

A key takeaway from our chat and suggestion for junior riders was Mario's emphasis on how riders should be seeing racing and riding as a business, and taking the time to invest in themselves and their online presence. This is something that Mario has done incredibly well and should definitely be something younger riders are focusing on. 

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:56 New bike, new team
06:03 Business 
08:59 Plews tyres
12:14 CF Moto cooperation
14:13 RBR 2026 on an ADV
16:05 Priorities
17:54 2026 HEWC
19:15 Fave part of the new bike
20:55 WERA
23:00 Sorry Bro junior team
25:34 James Moore winning ROA
26:48 Advice for junior riders
28:32 HEWR

We’d love to hear your thoughts, do you think going independent the future for top riders? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓

Support the show

Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro

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