NMA 50th Anniversary – Team Washington ISDE
The International Six Day Enduro is an off-road event hosted by different nations around the globe each year. For our sport, it is comparable to the Olympics. Each country sends their top riders to compete against each other in a team format. For many years, riders from our state were supported at the US qualifier racers and internationally by the volunteers of Team Washington ISDE.
In 1975 a 54 year-old Washington rider named Charlie Bethards qualified to go to the ISDT at the Isle of Man. Charlie was the first Washington rider to compete at the ISDT (later becoming the ISDE). He won a gold medal on a Bultaco.
1989 ISDE in West Germany – Scott Drafs
1990 Trask Mtn ISDE Qualifier in Oregon – JD Bentley
1990 ISDE in Sweden – John Nielsen in his 4th of 6 years representing Team USA
1991 ISDE in Czechoslovakia. The US Junior Trophy Team became WORLD CHAMPIONS! Team members: Jimmy Lewis, Chris Smith, David Rhodes (Washington rider) and Steve Hatch.
Silver and bronze medals won by Lyle Duronso in the early 1990s.
1992 ISDE in Australia – Dave Bowers got some flattering coverage in Dirt Rider Magazine
In 1994 the ISDE was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Team Washington accounted for 24 of the 200 US riders, including barely legal 16 year old Jason Raines and the first women from the US to compete at the ISDE: Lisa Gibson and Carol Williams. Washington had more riders and support personnel than most countries.
1995 ISDE in Poland. The United States was the first nation to send a full 3-rider team of women to compete. Washington riders Lori Taylor, Carol Williams and Lisa Gibson made up the team. The AMA requested that the women lead the US team in the opening ceremony parade.
In 1996 John Nielsen was a member of the winning Club Team at the ISDE in Finland, the first US Club Team to attain that feat.
Jason Dahners earned the #1 plate in the 1997 AMA National Reliability Series (ISDE Qualifiers).
1998 ISDE in Australia. Washington riders Jason Raines, Jim Conner, Eric Cleveland and Jason Dahners. Raines was on the Junior Trophy Team, the others competed on the Mt. Baker M/C club team.
2003 ISDE Brazil. Eric Bee.
2006 ISDE in New Zealand. World Trophy Team member Paul Neff enroute to a gold medal.
In 2006 Ricky Deitrich was a member of the Junior Trophy Team at the ISDE in New Zealand. The Junior Team placed #1 in the World that year.
2009 ISDE France. Women’s World Trophy Team member Maria Forsberg starting a special test. She finished 6th overall in WWT competition.
2011 Dr. Monti Sorem with Finnish rider Mika Ahola at the ISDE. Giving back to our sport at the international level, Monti has been a member of the Rich Caselli Memorial Medical Team assisting riders at the ISDE in 2010 (Mexico), 2011 (Finland), 2012 (Germany) and 2013 (Italy).
In 2022 Jaden Dahners represented the United States at the ISDE in France, the 58th Washington rider to do so. Jaden and his dad ,Jason Dahners, are the only father/son duo from the state to have competed at the ISDE.
Team Washington ISDE
Washington State riders who have competed at the International Six Days Enduro
1. Charlie Bethards 1975, 1976
2. John Nielsen 1986-1990, 1994-1996
3. Scott Drafs 1988–1990
4. Scott Lathrop 1988, 1992
5. David Rhodes 1988–1996 (member of winning 1991 Junior Trophy Team)
6. J.D. Bently 1990
7. Jason Dahners 1990, 1991, 1993–1996, 1998, 2000, 2005
8. Lyle Duronso 1990, 1991, 1994
9. Wayne Keezer 1990
10. Paul Ostbo 1990
11. Jeff Odom 1991, 1994
12. Blaine Ostafin 1991, 1994
13. Rob Riley 1991
14. Dan Harte 1992–1994, 1996
15. Scott McLaughlin 1992–1996
16. David Bowers 1992
17. John Moody 1992, 1993
18. Bob Bechtel 1992–1994
19. Randy DuBois 1993
20. Robert Johnson 1992–1994, 1996
21. Jeff Barlow 1994
22. Mike Ertman 1994
23. Stan Fye 1994
24. Lisa Gibson 1994, 1995
25. Frank Kergil 1994
26. Ken Koenig 1994
27. Mike Koenig 1994
28. David Lykke 1994
29. Tim Mount 1994
30. Kenny Norris 1994
31. Jason Raines 1994, 1998, 2003
32. Jim Walker 1994
33. Carol Williams 1994, 1995
34. Darren Williams 1994
35. Kevin Bailey 1995
36. Jim Conner 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008
37. Lori Taylor 1995
38. Brian Bennett 1996, 2000, 2001
39. Jerald Brownell 1996
40. Eric Cleveland 1997, 1998, 2007
41. John Beal 2000, 2001, 2021, 2022
42. Jonathan Seehorn 2001–2003, 2006, 2022
43. Eric Bailey 2002
44. Eric Bee 2003
45. Aaron Kopp 2003, 2005, 2006
46. Paul Neff 2003, 2004, 2006
47. Aaron Wilson 2003
48. Ted Hahn 2005, 2006
49. Brandon Johnson 2005, 2006
50. Ricky Deitrich 2006, 2008, 2009 (member of winning 2006 Junior Trophy Team)
51. Troy Swettenam 2007
52. Maria Forsberg 2008, 2009
53. Justin Lipana 2008
54. Zach Lipana 2009
55. Anthonee Gibbs 2017
56. Ricky Russell 2019
57. Joel Tonsgard 2021
58. Jaden Dahners 2022, 2023