The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Carlos Vieira Gets Ready For The Hoka Hey Challenge
May 14, 2010

My friend, Carlos Vieira, along with 999 other riders, is about to embark on a journey that will take him and his Harley on a 7,000 miles rally across the United States and Canada.

The Hoka Hey Challenge, starting on June 20th, is one of the toughest rider competitions in the world. The race begins in Key West, Florida, where the riders will get a map of the next 1,000 miles and the next check point (somewhere in Mississippi) , where they will be given a map to the next 1,000 miles and so on, until the final stop location on Kenai Peninsula, Alaska is eventually revealed.

Carlos, who is a Marine Veteran of the Gulf War and Commandant of the Marine Corps League Detachment #1302, and currently working as a Lawrence Detective, is a fearless Harley rider with a passion for adventure. He said he has been preparing for the challenge for over a year.

His preparations included getting his Harley in shape, buying the right gear for the trip, keeping an eye on his diet, as well as sleeping on the floor for over a month to prepare his back for the rough nights ahead. Hoka Hey challengers face a whole range of rules such as only sleeping outdoors, no use of GPS devices, getting maps only 1,000 miles at a time, having no support teams on hand, and so on.

Carlos will have to bring all the necessary equipment for the journey with him. Since they will go through 33 national parks and 62 mountain ranges, he has prepared different camping items for the different outdoor environments he’ll have to stay in, ranging from insect repellants to bear fences and sprays.

Carlos will have to rely on his Harley more than ever. In case the motorcycle breaks down, the responsibility of fixing it falls only on him.

The goal is to ride the 7,000 miles in 10 days without exceeding the speed limit.

We will follow Carlos through a special GPS locator that will be attached to his motorcycle. He also promised to take lots of photos of all the amazing places he is going to pass through.

“My reasons for taking this challenge are many,” Carlos wrote on his website, “I want to reflect on my life and the goals that I have achieved, not for bragging rights but for the pride and hard work that I have put forth for the experiences that I have.”

He is proud to represent the Officers and Veterans of the City of Lawrence.

The 1st place prize is $500K, which will be given in Sturgis on Aug 9 – 15. The 2nd place gets nothing. If he wins, Carlos says “the money will go for my daughter’s college education.”

After this challenge, Carlos will go on another “personal challenge” from Barrow, the northernmost point in Alaska to Tijuana, Mexico, then drop by in Sturgis, just in time for the rally, where the $500K prize will be presented to the Hoka Hey Challenge winner.

We will keep our fingers crossed for Carlos!!

The Kiley Law Group, LLC  is a proud sponsor of Carlos Vieira’s take on the Hoka Hey Challenge.