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FEBRUARY 5, 2007: Kawasaki swamped the stage at the 4th annual Motorcycling New Zealand annual awards function inside Manukau’s TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre on Saturday night.
Kawasaki representatives were called to the stage to receive four of the national awards on offer, including the of-road Bike of the Year award for its amazing Kawasaki KXF250 four-stroke.
The KXF250 was taken to the top step of the podium in the world MX2 motocross championships (by Frenchman Christophe Pourcel), to the top of the United States motocross and supercross championships (by American Ryan Villopoto), was the top MX2 bike at the Motocross of Nations in England in September (ridden by Villopoto) and the top of the women’s world championships (by New Zealand’s Katherine Prumm).
The 18-year-old Prumm was on hand to hear as her bike was chosen by the panel of judges and then was twice called to the stage herself to receive two very special awards, the Motorcycling New Zealand Off-road Rider of the Year and the Special Achievement Award.
It was an emotional Prumm who stood on the stage at the glittering audience of motorcycling officials, administrators, sponsors, industry representatives and leading riders and humbly thanked her parents, Kawasaki New Zealand and her supporters.
“I’ve worked hard for this,” said Prumm, as she choked back the tears. “From the day I started riding, eight years ago, it has always been a dream of mine to follow in the footsteps of (New Zealand motocross world champions) Shayne King and Ben Townley.”
Taupo’s Brad Groombridge, less than a year out of the junior motocross ranks, took the award for the Most Promising Newcomer (off-road).
Riding another of the amazing Kawasaki KXF250 bikes, the 16-year-old rider from Taupo was the best-performed New Zealander in the MX2 class at the Oceania and International Motocross at Taupo in November.
Representing the Motorcycle Distributors Association, Kawasaki New Zealand general manager Mike Wilkins, talked proudly of New Zealand’s position in the world scene.
“We are a small country but we do very well in all aspects of motorcycling,” he said.
Wilkins believes the spirit of co-operation in New Zealand is the reason for that success.
“And I have been all over the world but nowhere do I see the all the industry brands, racing competitors and the sport’s governing body working so well together as I do in this country.”
