Preparing a successful event.
The Int. GS Trophy is one of the biggest and most complicated logistical exercises imaginable. We speak to the team working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen — and the film producer on location tasked with bringing all the highlights to everyone watching around the world.
The beautiful vast emptiness of the Mongolian Steppe.
Less is more.
Just point your GS in the direction you want to go and ride, ride, ride.
Less is more.
As the Int. GS Trophy finals approach, the participants will be eagerly awaiting the exciting adventure ahead of them, but for the ‘orga team’, the official start of this event will mark the end of an 18-month long massive logistical challenge, as project manager Mathias Horn explains.
Mathias Horn
Full of eastern promise.
Full of eastern promise.
“For us, this journey started way back in October 2016, when we decided to investigate Mongolia as a potential destination. Once the decision was made, we flew out the very next day to get things started.”
With each Int. GS Trophy edition, the excitement and fascination grows, as does the GS community’s expectation to find more breathtaking places for the competition’s riders to discover. It wasn’t long after Mathias and his colleague Julia Kerner had arrived in the central Asian wilderness, that they realised this remote, landlocked nation would be a perfect destination for the international finals.
Exhilarating new horizons.
Meet the locals and see how they live.
Exhilarating new horizons.
“It is without doubt a country of extremes — extremes of temperatures, landscapes and riding — which makes it a perfect place to host the international finals,” says Julia. “Imagine a place that is four times the size of Germany, but with a population of just 3 million — with half of them living in the capital. Once you leave Ulan Bator, there is a wonderful sense of freedom, and endless opportunities for exploration.”
Nomadic extremes.
It’s fair to say that Mongolia isn’t full of tourists, so our participants won’t be staying in luxury hotels but instead making good use of their high-quality Marmot camping equipment and — quite possibly — experiencing the inside of a ‘yurt’ or two. The food will be local, interesting and definitely high on meat. Let’s just say that Mongolia is not the best place for vegetarians…
You’re never far away from the powerful presence of Genghis Khan
Coming back for more.
Imagine having the world to yourself and that’s how it feels to explore Mongolia by GS.
Coming back for more.
Having already spent over a month experiencing different areas of Mongolia over the course of several visits, Mathias believes that the logistical challenges, long riding distances involved and the chance of harsh weather will make this latest Int. GS Trophy unlike any other.
“For sure the logistics will be challenging and very different from the previous international finals in Thailand two years ago,” he says. “The route we will take is a carefully guarded secret, but imagine huge, breathtaking landscapes, wide, open spaces, big distances between places, special highlights that no one will expect, and a change of camp every night. Mongolians are known for their nomadic lifestyle, so we are entering right into the spirit of the nation too.”
Tom and his team.
Tom Moran during the 2016 international finals.
Tom and his team.
Tom Moran is the guy tasked with visually bringing the Int. GS Trophy to life for the thousands of fans following the competition around the world. His film team created some thrilling and memorable highlights from the 2016 edition in Thailand and his plan is to push the boundaries even further in Mongolia.
“We will be a total of 11 crew members this year,” he says. “There’s me, plus four more camera operators, drone pilots, assistants, one editor, a data wrangler and a production assistant to take a huge load off my back!”
Anything can happen.
The long days in the saddle combined with plenty of special stages will be physically challenging and the weather could play a part also. There’s still a chance of snow in June and even though it will be hot in the daytime, the nights can be cold. It’s a good job the GS Trophy riders are equipped for every eventuality because Mongolia is a place full of surprises — from its landscapes, to its climate to its people. Anything can happen, and probably will. The bikes are on their way, the marshals are prepared and the orga team is waiting to welcome all participants. Bring it on!
Unforgettable action.
Tom ready to bring the Int. GS Trophy action to the watching world.
Unforgettable action.
Tom describes the previous Int. GS Trophy in Thailand as one of the best experiences of his life, where he saw each competitor being taken right to the edge of his and her skill-set and endurance limits on incredibly challenging trails among unforgettable landscapes. The intense competition, support and camaraderie that he witnessed was captured on camera by a dedicated team that was carefully chosen to share the same values as the participants.
Privileged to perform.
Tom Moran with Kurt Yaeger during the previous international finals.
Privileged to perform.
Having the responsibility of producing the Trophy highlights for everybody following around the world is a welcome reward for Tom and his crew, who are all looking forward to the high-pressure challenges ahead.
“Successful film productions are completely dependent on teamwork. Alone, you do not achieve anything, so to see how each and every one of the crew got their heads down and pulled out all the stops to produce such incredible footage was one of the most emotional and touching experiences in my professional career.”
Hi-tech, high on safety.
When Tom started working as a producer and camera operator for television 25 years ago, camera systems were big, heavy and expensive, but nowadays, it is quite the opposite. Many new systems and devices have entered the market — even in the past two years — so participants will see the latest onboard systems, drones and gimbals being used to capture those unforgettable Trophy moments.
Keeping the crew safe, while getting his highly-trained operators right to the heart of the action, are high priorities for Tom, who has hand-picked a team that can perform to the highest levels, ride confidently among the competitors and remain 100% focussed, while coping with the long days and distances involved.
100% commitment.
Tom takes his medicine to stay fit and focussed during the 2016 Int. GS Trophy.
100% commitment.
“For us guys riding the bikes, it’s all about not losing concentration. In Mongolia the days will be really long and if you lose your concentration for one split second, it could have consequences for you, the bike and the equipment. We will be taking our time and making sure we have the chance to scout even more shooting positions and capturing scenes with locals and Mongolian nomads, so we can convey the real look and feel of this fantastic country.”
Being there is reward itself.
“I feel completely privileged and am honestly grateful to be allowed to experience such an adventure and bring it to life for all the enthusiasts watching worldwide. I am thankful that we were given the chance by BMW Motorrad to prove that we could do it.”
