Kauai athlete pushes limits in extreme motorcycle racing

News admin May 20, 2026 0 Comments

Kauai athlete pushes limits in extreme motorcycle racing

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A rugged form of motorcycle racing is pushing riders and the machines they ride to the edge of endurance.

That’s why it’s called Hard Enduro.

”Hard Enduro is like looking at a mountain and being like, ‘Okay. I think we can figure a way up that.’ It can be crossing through the streams, going up very steep faces. It’s kind of like nature walking elevated, but you’re on a motorcycle,” Kauai’s Ryder Guest said.

The 25-year-old is a professional Hard Enduro racer.

Unlike motocross, which takes place on a closed course with manmade obstacles, Hard Enduro forces riders to navigate rugged terrain and natural obstacles.

”It’s hard. It’s in the name,” Guest said. “It’s definitely an extreme sport,”

Guest is no stranger to extreme sports. For several years, he traveled the world chasing big waves as a professional surfer. He also raced motorcycles.

“It was always one or the other when I was a kid, going back and forth,” he said.

During the COVID pandemic, his surf travel slowed, pushing him toward motorbike sports and eventually the US Hard Enduro tour.

From January through August, Guest competes for prize money and points against riders from around the world.

”You have to be able to jump off of stuff, hill climb, go down hills, corner. It mixes everything, every type of skill on a motorcycle and really puts you up to the challenge. Sometimes we’re in the mountain for five ours,” he said.

Kauai hosts one of US Hard Enduro’s races on a mountainous course that tests strength, speed and skill.

Guest said he stays in shape during the off-season with surf sessions.

”I think surfing is a great cross-training for Hard Enduro, so in the winter my cross-training is a lot of surfing, a lot of paddling,” he said.

Kauai Racing Development and Bullett Proof Designs sponsor Guest and his teammates Kawelo Huddy and Kamakana Waiwaiole Kahalepuna.

Last season, the trio finished in US Hard Enduro’s Top 10 rankings. It is no easy feat in a sport where a rocky road is often the only way to the top.