Photos by Brodalka Photography
North vs South is one of the most anticipated Motorcross events of the year in South Africa. Riders and fans from across South Africa make their way to the Bloemfontein Off Road Club (BORC) to be part of one of the most action-packed annual weekends on the calendar.
This year, the weather had other plans.
Friday’s practice took place under warm, sunny skies. The track was perfectly prepared, and riders enjoyed a fantastic day out. Everything was looking promising. But then came Saturday, grey, cold, and overcast. The rain began falling early in the morning and showed no signs of letting up.
A very tricky race for the youngsters.
Despite the worsening conditions, riders headed out onto the track. The younger competitors on their 50cc bikes were first to face the mud, which quickly turned the track into a challenge. #72 Nate Small won the 50cc Senior race, followed by #30 Brayden Tucker in 2nd and #14 Ethan Style in 3rd. In the 50cc Junior category, Nate Small once again took the win, with #181 Casper Kruger finishing 2nd and #107 Thanga Kilhungi in 3rd.
It was after this race that concerns arose, as medics struggled to reach one of the young riders thanks to the increasingly muddy conditions.
The High School Class was quite exciting.
During the 125cc High School class. The rain continued to fall relentlessly, but the teenage riders still put on a brilliant display for the spectators. In the end, #151 Renier van der Merwe claimed 1st place, with #444 Tristan Durow in 2nd and #907 Andrew Venter in 3rd.
By this point, the track was completely saturated with water and mud. The gates dropped for the Masters and Support classes, but just a few laps in, it became clear that conditions had deteriorated beyond safe limits. The race was stopped. As less than 75% of the race had been completed, no points were awarded.
A force majeure was declared, the primary reason being that medical teams no longer had proper access to the track in case of an emergency. Cutting the event short was the right call to ensure rider safety.
While it’s always disappointing when a race day is cut short, It’s always about safety first.
Despite the weather, hundreds of spectators still turned up to support the sport we all love, motocross. For that reason, we’ve decided to share this short report and some incredible photos by Zymund Brodalka from the weekend.
Spare a thought for these guys and give them support. They earn a living making riders look fantastic. The disruptions and cancellations affect them just as much as it does the teams and riders. Maybe even more.
We’ll see you all next year for North vs South 2026!
Enjoy!
