First, let me be clear. Admiration and respect to all riders/challengers/warriors who participated to the Hoka Hey Challenge, reaching or not the finish line in Homer, Alaska. They have exceptional memories to share for the rest of their lifetime. Prayers for the family who lost one of theirs (at least 2 fatalities have been announced) and for all those injured on the road (6 are reported to be still in hospitals). As of today, some riders are still on the road. Most already in Homer seem mostly satisfied with the Challenge, or I should say, are jazzed up with their own accomplishment.
But it takes nothing away from the riders to ask who won and where is the prize money? And during the 4th July festivities with the riders in Homer it was said…that no winner will be announced until Sturgis Bike Week. Again a decision in contradiction of what was announced by the Hoka Hey organization and that will feed even more the controversy that started before all riders left Key West, FL on June 20th.
Some of you will form their own opinion on the facts already reported in my former posts with some not making judgment until Sturgis Bike Week to see if the $500,000 prize will be or not awarded. I just post 3 new facts that will not make the controversy disappear, quite the opposite.
First, a legal complaint has been formally filed with the State of Florida’s Attorney General against the Hoka Hey Challenge and its organizers Beth and Jim Durham of Hot Springs, South Dakota. Jim Durham also goes by the name of Jim Red Cloud. You can read about the object of the complaint by jumping HERE.
Second, because I consider that some comments may be too important for being left buried among the hundreds already written below my former posts about this Hoka Hey Challenge, I re-publish, as received on Saturday July 3rd, 2010, a comment posted questioning the claim made by the challenge organizer Jim “Red Cloud” Durham for being who he claims to be (I accepted to remove the statement following a request by its author on demand of her family).
Third. Today, another person named Gloria Begishe is also publicly challenging on Facebook the lineage that Jim “Red Cloud” Durham is claiming.
“People should look into his “family history. I’m a Lakota, I am from Pine Ridge, He claims two medicine men from my tribe as his grandfathers. I know one of the family he claims, and they have never heard him, met him, or seen him. He claims to be adopted by Oliver Red Cloud… not hard to get needy people to adopt you. This man is not doing anything for “his family” besides using their name sakes. I’m glad everyone is having fun, but this man is using other people’s family and history to create an image for himself. I, for one, would LOVE to see some proof of his lineage…. I can prove who my grandparents are, can he? his man seems to be a waste of resources. If he were lying about the family he was born too, why wouldn’t he be lying about other stuff… I brought this man to the attention of my grandfather. He laughed. “People say a lot of things to fool others into giving them their monies. They come to our culture because they have none of their own.” -Lakota Elder. If you are reading this James Durham (I don’t give a rat’s ass who adopted you, I will never refer to you seriously as Red Cloud, you didn’t earn that name), there are people who want to know whether or not you are their family. If a blood test is necessary, they will be willing to pay for one. Don’t care what this man is doing, just wish he would leave my culture out of it! Gloria Begishe God damn part time indians… with fake natives like this around the world. Understand why some people are racist”
Those riders present in Homer, AK participated to a parade and to 4th of July festivities. Eric Wickre of Homer, the first hometown rider to arrive at the finish line of the inaugural Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is one of the upset riders. He found nobody to greet him at 3:30 p.m last Monday. He admitted he had skipped the last four checkpoints in the 8,500-mile race from Florida because, he said, “I pretty much figured the whole thing was a scam.” Wickre complained to the Homer Tribune newspaper of a dangerous start, reckless bikers, bad maps and missing route markers. Others state, without any tangible proof until now, that the intention of Jim Durham is to disqualify under multiple pretexts all those who arrived on time before July 4th, a way to escape paying the $500,000 grand prize. Legally, I am told that no crime is committed if the prize is given away as promised by the organizers. But if deceiving practices are used not to award any prize, the South Dakota Attorney General will pursue. The Hoka Hey organization has until Sturgis Bike week to declare and reward a winner. To follow…
And after the facts, the craziest rumor coming from Homer, AK. “Anyone who would claim the $500,000 prize would have to submit himself to an interview with an agent of the FBI, and if lying one time, would be disqualified.” Any person, including Big Jim “Red Cloud Durham”, who would make such a statement is completely out of his mind because the FBI is never going to interview any participant about their ride. It’s not their business. They would only investigate the organizer if justified. I am telling you, The Hoka Hey Challenge is getting weirder every day…
Added July 5th, 2010 at 9.10 pm EST: And now a possible offer of “Reimbursment” to all participants! To escape litigation? (Hoka Hey Challenge. 13084 Greg Drive, Hot Springs, SD, 57747. Phone: 605/745-6527)
The Hoka Hey Challenge should be made in to a reality show. That whole mess is more entertaining than most of the crap on TV.
All Hoka Hey bikers should escort Jim Durham to the next FBI office for a polygraph test. I bet the saga just started.
Great investigative work. Yep, much better than the OCC series.
So, if he is not a Lakota, he can’t hide on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Excellent! What Indians do to people who are pretending to be Indians from the same tribe?
Anyone surprised? Now chasing the money. It can take much more time to find the money than riding from Florida to Alaska.
Before the start there was a lot of smoke signals warning that this Challenge could be a scam. Don’t tell me now that nobody got killed, injured, participated because of smoke money. The winner is Jim Red Clown. And for now he is laughing like a clown. For how long?
Crap!
I wished I hadn’t read this and ruined my good Decker / Vincent Bike moto buzz…
Dishonest people suck!
Durham himself should volunteer to take a polygraph exam.
If all is true Big Jim had better head for the Bad Lands to hide for the remainder of his life.
Was the name misspelled?
Did the promoter mean the old “OKIE DOKEY” trick?
Motorcycle scam of the year. I learned that at the party July 4th, riders had to pay $5.00 for a beer, $10.00 for food, whatever it was. Residents of Homer had to pay $35.00, food and beer not included. Unbelievable. There are some many causes for legal action. Lawyers are going to burry Big Red Clown under hundreds of lawsuits. How come bikers are so naive or stupid and fall for all scams flattering their biker ego with “the ride of their life” mixed with elusive big money. FYI, John White of Crazy Horse Motorcycles made a deal with Big Jim for a second edition of the Hoka Hey! What an association for those who know who is John White! Check by yourself.
Mail fraud, deceptive practices, endangering life of others are just some of the expected legal actions.
Jim and Beth also claim to be both Veterans, but nobody till’ now could find any records of service.
Using the beautiful American Native culture to scam people make this man & wife even worse. Both fast talkers and very sadly, hundreds of bikers fell for this huge scam.
Too many lies in this contest. The saga just began. Will organizers end up going to the Pokey Hey?
Hoping for a class action including sponsors like Bruce Rossmeyer’s. Where is the money from the participants? Buried in cash somewhere in the Badlands?
Everybody was disqualified before the start. Many would not have left Key West without the hope of a pot of gold in Alaska. Sad motorcycling story..
You are doing an excellent reporting. May I point out that the saddest blogs I read on the HH facebook are from the families of the riders who died. Both families have posted that they have tried to contact the organizers but have not had their calls returned.
It seems to me that the red flags should have been waving violently when the people saw that the checks were to made out to “Medicine Show Land Trust” instead of the Hoka Hey Challenge. What on earth were these people thinking?
I hope for their sake Jim and Beth come up with the $500K for the winner. Bikers stick together, and so do Native Americans. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes if they if they end up with these two groups unhappy about the outcome of the race, and the promised contributions…
Its funny how the white men whine when they have been screwed by the indians,
at a time when the bike image is being slammed in the media ( jesse james, billy lane, occ et. al.) along comes another issue that tarnishes all bikers even if they didn’t participate.
it shows people that we are as foolish as those who followed the religious pontificators who take your cash for a promise of nothing.
this could have been the beginning of something that could have gotten bigger, become an annual event , and get proper coverage and prize money. instead it has become for some a sad joke and for others an embrassesment.
I’m still all for waiting to see what happens at Sturgis but the information is really piling up against the organizers. It will be a real shame if it all comes out to be another “Sacred Buffalo” caper.
I find it amusing that so many people seem to have this grand idea though that no one else has ever completed this ride before. The Iron Butt Assoc. offers the challenge of the Ultimate Coast to Coast. It goes from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Key West. In 2007, it was completed by a group that wasn’t worried about winning money but raising money for the Special Olympics, and we raised $250,000. Every year people complete the ride and some have set impressive, yet crazy times while doing it.
With us, safety was first on the list and even then we had two go to the hospital. Both on the Dalton Hwy. Three bikes were totaled and thirteen were trailered off the Dalton to be repaired and returned to the ride.
Riders, savor the ride. It will be with you forever. HH, I hope you guys are for real. If so, I would like to see an annual event but not as a race for a pot of gold. Keep it about charity and the riders will still give.
Cyril,
We sure hope this doesn’t end up the Hoka HEIST!
Cyril thank you so much for keeping us informed, we’ve been receiving alot of inquires from people asking if there will be some event planned at Sturgis going on related to this?
Of course we’re all hoping it Hoka HEY cough up the dough….
The truth is that many riders and sponsors will not want to admit that they have been taken advantage of. Bikers will only talk about their uplifting ride and move on. To act against the Hoka Hey organization would be to admit that their motivation was money. Explaint to me why all witnesses say that all participants were dangerously speeding like mad men at the start in Key West until they reached the main land and lose each other? Answer. Pot of gold. I don’t understand that sponsors didn’t detect anything wrong with this event. They are supposed to know better.
To date…this is the best article I have read about the Hoka Hey. I think it tells it like it is…100%. Thank you so much for your hard work bringing the truth out.
Hark
Folks…the stink on the shit gets stronger by the day.
Hoka Hey Motor Company http://hokaheymotorcompany.com/ See where that link takes you. Maybe the winner is in the reimbursement program and will forfeit his prize to fund lord knows what….but maybe below?
It has been announced in the media that John White and Jim Red Cloud aka Jim Durham and lord knows who have joined forces to create “Hoka Hey Motorcycles, LLC” or “Hoka Hey Motor Company”?
Seriously thing here too…. type in the names of whoever you like and see if either are licensed motorcycle manufacturers as per DOT/NHTSA!!!! http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/manufacture/
Three prototypes already built and not license….whoa thar boys….Could this be another industry fiasco or scheme in the making?
Hey Randy @ Full Throttle…you have lots of in the know…whaddayathink, Bro?
Boss Hawg
GREAT reporting, thanks.
I have filed a complaint on line with the “Consumer Protection office of the Attorney General in South Dakota” My husband realized early in the challenge it was a scam and droped out. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the men who lost their lives. If we make noise as a large group I believe something will be done to stop this couple.
I was excited about this event after reading and checking out back in February. I met these guys at Bikeweek in Daytona and asked a lot of questions. After several weeks on not really getting clear answers, on the tracking device to be used, routes, checkpoints ect…I decided not to enter this event. I ride cross county all the time and based on the ride and limited information on how the winner would be chosen, I believed the event to be scam…
Seems now I made the right choice based on most of the information I have been reading. I am a veteran and ride every year to DC for the Rolling Thunder as well as other good charity events. I am anxious to see what happens at Sturgis.
Exicted to see what happens in Sturgis???? Nothing will happen in Sturgis..take it to the bank. First….Red Cloud says…riders must go to thier local FBI agency and have a poly test…Ya right…like the FBI gives a darn about Hoka Hey. How stupid does Red Cloud think people are? The FBI does not do test on this kind of events. Who is paying for the poly test?
I am pissed bad about this event. I lost a friend that was on this ride in Wyoming. I attened is funeral last week and saw his lovely wife in so much pain. If you want to hear a fact that is TRUE….No one from Hoka Hey has even given a call to her. Now that is sad. If they could care less about the Death of Chuck…do you think Red Cloud Cares if he gives a dime back to anyone of these honest riders.
Hark
I think that truck drivers can’t legally drive more than a certain number of hours every day (11?). Now, you attract bikers by a pot of gold,of 1/2 a million, you confuse them on purpose on the roads to disqualify them,. You make the participants speed because of lost time, over ride and under sleep. I think that this Jim Durham endangered bikers, created several accidents and 2 deaths because of fatigue created by the way the event was organized. I hope that he will be sued by all participants and families who lost somebody or had someone injured. Prize money given in Sturgis? Its not going to happen.
Yeah, Like I didn’t see this all coming. Read my lips……………. Its a f@&king scam people. I said it when the whole deal was annouced several years ago.
Speaking of the FBI and Sturgis…
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-378-Motorcycle-Examiner~y2010m7d9-FBI-will-have-no-involvement-in-determining-Hoka-Hey-winner
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-378-Motorcycle-Examiner~y2010m7d9-No-Hoka-Hey-award-ceremony-to-be-held-at-Black-Hills-HarleyDavidson
Next stop on the HH ride. Central booking.
Can he wear those sunglasses for his mug shot?
As a challenger that completed the run, I am amazed by the sideline jerks that have nothing to do but bellyache! I was not in it for the money, didn’t care about it. I was in it for the challenge… and it was. I met friends for life!
I’ve attended parties that cost more and had more scams attached and air-heads mouthing off than this event. If you are looking for problems you will find them, even in your own back yark. If you are looking for a challenge, I encourage everyone here to ride the 9,000+ miles in under 14 days, that we rode, bond with some of the greatest people who are like-minded riders (not Sunday afternoon biker-bar boys and girls) and then tell me how you feel!
I feel great. I set out to ride, I rode, I finished. I was challenged and overcame… Hoka Hey!
Hey Hoka Hey Greg… I have a bridge you might be interested in… Or how about some oceanfront property in Arizona? Dude, there are SO many other options if you wanted to do the run. Hell, you could have made a FULL 1k donation to the charity of your choice.
What was it P.T. Barnum said????
Hoka Hey Greg,
In some ways your like out of touch. Greg People died, do you think they would have done this ride if they thought it was a scam. You talk like you have money to burn….must be nice. To be honest….your one of the few that has much good to say about the Hoke Hey. Next time you on a poker run…give a thousand bucks to a kid that needs help….. that would be money well spent.
I made the ride in 246hrs and 15 minutes along with a good friend. Supposedly 14th & 15th when they signed us in. Like Hoka Hey Greg says, it wasn’t about the $$ to me it was a personal challenge physically & emotionally.
No bitches, no gripes and a great ride plus I enjoyed a week off in Homer Alaska which wasn’t bad either.
If there’s a winner fine, if not that’s no on my conscience.
>I encourage everyone here to ride the 9,000+ miles in under 14 days,
How about ~8000 miles in 11 days? Will that work for you? If so, then I can assure you that for about the same money I saw much better organization, communcation, and concern for riders during my “challenge”. It didn’t leave a string of dead bodies in its wake either.
http://www.oglalalakotanation.org/Home_files/HokaHeyPressRelease.pdf
Jim I was on the ride. made it to Homer and had a great time. On the ride and in Homer, I was not a monday morning quarter back I was there I was at the mandotory riders meeting I Know what was said no tickets no speeding have your gas reciepts signed and be safe. For $1000 I got a $500,0000 life change and an experience that I could not have gotten any other way. Sorry about all the bull s— your going through.I say this to you, Beth,MS Hoka Hey, and the staff THANK YOU. and as always got your back..
I am part Sioux, of secret descent, and riding a Harley is like riding a Stallion. I say a prayer everytime I get on because I know it may be the last and I am thankful to have the opportunity. I will never ride for fame or fortune. I will only ride for freedom. I can only hope for those who died they were riding for freedom. As for Jim “Red Cloud” Durham, if you want to claim to be a real man, a real Sioux warrior descendent, you should have claimed to be a descendent of Crazy Horse. Long live the spirit of Crazy Horse and the spirit of freedom.