Kirk and Mikala Hand: Riders of the Month April 2017
Last Updated: February 5th, 2021
KIRK AND MIKALA HAND: RIDERS OF THE MONTH APRIL 2017
Yeah, your Dad might be cool, but is he “buy you a sport bike and ride on a track cool?” For sure this Father is THAT cool. He and his Daughter Mikala recently took part in a DRRO Track Day where TEAM Arizona performs track clinics. The two caught our eye and we just couldn’t resist sharing their story!
THE TEAM ARIZONA CONNECTION
Kirk has been a long-time supporter of TEAM Arizona and graduate of several of our courses. He’s a huge dirt bike fan (43 years of off-road riding to go along with 32 years of street riding) and put Mikala into the desert on her own set of wheels in 2016 (Yamaha TTR125). When he reached out to us to see about getting his daughter into a Basic RiderCourse (BRC), our ears perked up. Upon receiving the AMSAF scholarship, Mikala was in the BRC and well on her way to being street ready. We watched with joy as she playfully whipped a Ninja 300 around the course. Oh, yes, passion for riding DEFINITELY runs in the family.
TAKING IT TO THE TRACK
Mikala is not your average teenager. Obviously, Kirk is confident in her ability to handle the responsibility of having a two-wheeled motorized vehicle in her control. He hasn’t skipped any steps in her riding development. Mikala received training at every step and has benefited from riding in high challenge, low threat environments. Contrary to popular opinion, riding on a track is a relatively safe environment for us motorcyclists. We get to ride on a groomed surface in the same direction without oncoming traffic with other riders who are all focused on getting home safely. Besides, as a kid wouldn’t you want to be able to say you rode on a track with your Pops? Truth be told, we’re a bit jealous, but absolutely excited about the opportunities Mikala has received. In fact, Kirk’s experience growing up was very different:
I wish I had more support from my dad as he was strongly against motorcycles because he crashed on one in his first few months of owning one. Since that time he was not very fond or supportive of me riding.
We asked Kirk about his biggest challenge as a rider and were refreshed by his response:
Being very careful not to become too comfortable when riding and forgetting about the dangers. It is an easy mindset to fall into when you have been riding for so many years, so I constantly remind myself of the dangers. I try not to focus on worry, but I try to stay mentally ready to react when something crosses my path. I also value continuing education to reinforce good habits. I practice maneuvers so I can react when needed and not have to think first.
Sounds smart to us. When we asked him what’s next, he gleefully replied, “Mikala’s second track day!”
We love to hear that. And we love to see a Father and Daughter connecting on such a meaningful level all because of motorcycles. Keep the shiny sides up Hand family!
Riders, we want to honor YOU! Do you know someone who should be TEAM Arizona’s Rider of the Month? Entering their name is SIMPLE.
- Email Bill (bill@motorcycletraining.com )
- In the subject line, type “Rider of the Month”
- In one paragraph, tell us why this rider deserves the title TEAM Arizona Rider of the Month!
Let’s have some serious FUN with this gang! There are some great stories out there and we don’t want to miss them, so tell us about yourselves!
