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<\/a><\/p>\nOriginally established as a residence in the 1950s, and revered for its line of Hanoverian horses, Hakahana boasts 70km of trails, with plenty of gradient spread across its 3500 hectares, in and around the Witwatersberg. It\u2019s a testament to Johan\u2019s ethos as a sustainable architecture and energy consultant that the trail network he has pioneered, which loops way beyond the 20-hectare border of his farm, now encompasses no less than 50 other properties \u2013 without a single owner ever having objected when he\u2019s requested approval to extend the riding zone.<\/p>\n
Starting and Stopping<\/h2>\n
\u201cThere was a flirtation with mountain biking as a student, in the late 1980s, when it was a fringe sport and I was studying architecture in Cape Town. I rode Rhodes memorial and stuff like that. But a climbing accident ruined my ankle and I didn\u2019t ride again until 2008.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johan\u2019s reintroduction to mountain biking coincided with the sport\u2019s tide of popularity in South Africa, delivering him into the burgeoning single- and multi-day racing scene. \u201cI was between A and B batch, but after a while, the appeal waned. I never considered the farm as a riding venue, it had always been this happy place of my youth, anchored by my grandfather\u2019s amazing Bauhaus home.\u201d<\/p>\n
After an unsatisfactory racing experience, Johan proposed that he could do better and hosted a Trailseeker event in 2013. He prepared the farm thoroughly, perhaps a bit too thoroughly. \u201cI think it was too extreme at the time. People struggled. We had a huge field, 3000 riders, but nobody returned the next weekend to come ride the trails again. I was absolutely demoralised.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite being disheartened that his first major event had generated no return ride curiosity, the trail building addiction had germinated and with cooperative neighbours Johan merely required the appropriate riding concept for his venue. Then, a fortuitous post happened. \u201cI put something on Bike Hub about how I thought an Enduro at Hakahana could work. Soon, I had eight volunteers at my front door to help with digging and cutting.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2014 Hakahana hosted its first Enduro, with a field of 60 riders timed over three stages. Today there are ten \u2018enduro\u2019 lines amongst rocks and bushveld, with Johan\u2019s vision being a venue which offers excellent opportunities for progression. \u201cI thought I knew what I was doing, then broke my collarbone a week before the event \u2013 at my own venue. Can you imagine the embarrassment? After administrating that first enduro in a sling, I vowed to make a commitment towards unlearning what I assumed about riding mountain bikes, and upskilling.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Hakahana is only open on weekends \u2013 a concession to the multitude of land owners who allow access \u2013 Johan\u2019s reward is witnessing the rider journeys on a Saturday or Sunday. \u201cWhen I see people progress from one trail to another, attempting a new feature, it makes all the hours of hand-cutting and shaping worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n Hakahana\u2019s renowned for its natural rockiness. \u201cWe don\u2019t have much soil up here and my build window is determined by fire. When the burn cycle finishes, I can access areas to assess terrain and the potential for a new line.\u201d Johan\u2019s architectural intuition grounds each build, with multiple practice runs to test jumps, berms and drop-offs, before declaring a line \u2018open\u2019.<\/p>\n As Johan\u2019s riding skill and trail building expertise have progressed, he\u2019s incubated the upcountry enduro scene, hosting regular events, in addition to downhill races. This summer will see a culmination to his promotion of enduro at altitude, Hakahana hosting the SA Enduro champs on 21 October.<\/p>\n Strategically the desire is to make Hakahana a multi-disciplinary mountain bike venue. \u201cI want to get the cross-country crew back here. I believe we have the diversity of lines now, that whether you are a gradient-up or gradient-down kind of rider, you\u2019re going to find your reward. My next project is crafting some \u2018enduro-light\u2019 lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nEmbracing Endruo<\/h2>\n
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