THE GREAT SWANK RALLY DI SARDEGNA 2022

Bigger than ever, the fourth edition of the Swank Rally di Sardegna is wrapped. We got on board the ferry with 350 people from 10 nations including pilots, assistances, and staff; that’s an unbelievably huge crowd.

We really want to thank all the sponsors and partners for helping us make this edition so great: Grandi Navi Veloci for ensuring us a way back to Genova; Yamaha for keeping on believing in us since the very first Deus Swank Rally.
Motor Bike Expo for hosting us every year at their great event and bringing such a nice and friendly team; Metzeler for letting us experience a lap in the exclusive Campo Prova Pneumatici in Vizzola and providing us extra tires; Breitling for sharing the same enthusiasm and for the amazing prizes; Garmin for always showing us the right way and Olitema for keeping our engine lubricated. 
On top of everything, a special thanks goes to Adventure Riding for setting up everything from A to Z with so much passion and professionalism.
 

Among all this edition’s records, we’re really proud of the amounts of girls we had within the ranks of the participants. As for many other participants, for most of these girls, this was the very first rally of their life. So, we’ve decided to let Caterina tell us how her experience was, as the first time has always something special: 

“I have always said that if I had done a motor rally, it would have been the Swank Rally of Sardinia, and so it was.

I had the fortune and the honour to be part of the Deus Women Team which had become my family for 5 days. I must admit, I was a little bit scared. The Swank included 4 stages and more than 1000 km starting from Malpensa (Milano) to Genova and finally to Sardinia. It was the first time I'd come this far and there were many worries, of course: is my bike gonna be ok? Will I have physical endurance? Will I measure up? Well, the answer is yes, I’m.

All the 220 participants met at the Malpensa motocross track at 1.00 pm for registration and were ready to do the night prologue: one single lap as fast as you can. But the real experience would have started the day after. That’s where we met some of the pilots and fellows we were going to share the path with. 

Wednesday 28th September, 8:00 am. I dressed up, selected the first track on my GPS (kindly provided by Garmin, thanks again for the support!), I turn on my bike, and after a deep breath and a look at my teammates, I’m ready to go full throttle through this experience. I’m not staying here telling and describing every single detail of the stages. Every track was simply amazing, steep single tracks in the wood, beautiful descents, loose rocks, special stages, and breathtaking landscapes. I’m here to describe the Swank Rally as an experience.

Unfortunately, everything was perfect. I say unfortunately because it was one of those experiences that make you want to leave again before they are even finished. The tracks were long: always more than 220 km, but with the right alternation of asphalt and off-road. What I noticed with great pleasure, is that the Swank Rally is first and foremost "helping each other”. A single gesture with a hand to know if everything was ok when passed by a stationary rider was the rule. The Swank is also sharing passions, moments, and sometimes even motorcycle parts (inner tubes, clutch levers, and more). It is a challenge to yourself: along the way I also met people who had never done enduro in their life (crazy from my point of view), but who reached the finish line with a smile twice as big as when they left because let's face it, the satisfaction is priceless.

Swank Rally is inclusion. I personally experienced a great “openness” toward girls. This year we were about ten, always a few, but still more than the previous editions (as I have been told). More than "openness" it is perhaps more correct to say admiration. I think that, often, by attending purely male environments, we ladies feel obliged to always demonstrate the double, just for the fact that we are women. At Swank Rally, I have never had this feeling. I have never felt treated as a female rider but only as a rider. The Swank was also a moment to meet people I already knew and a moment to meet other bike enthusiasts who have taught me so much. Along the whole rally I kept on being surprised by how friendly and easy everyone was:  you could find yourself chatting about the routes with champions like Gio Sala (5 times world enduro champion) or sharing the table with a Olympic MTB champion such as Marco Aurelio Fontana.

It was an experience made of heart, joy, dust, and full throttle. A trip where I learned to always keep my head up, looking in the direction I wanted to go.

 Thanks, Deus Family.”

 

#swankrallydisardegna

 

Ph. @bearoll

Words @caterinalicini

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!

Here is the list of the days winners:

Tasix Adventure “ The Wild” Fun Race Champions:

4 Stroke Class : 
1st. Nova
2nd. Dudung
3rd. Feri
4th. Budi


2 Stroke Class : 
1st. Hamid
2nd. Made marta ( lonto )
3rd. Momok
4th. Diky

The Wild Champion : 
Nova (RSM)

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