July 07

THE MALLE MILE 2017

WHEN YOU WAKE UP ON A TORN UP LAWN SURROUNDED BY BEER BOTTLES, TYRE TRACKS AND THE SMELL OF ENGINE OIL YOU KNOW IT’S PROBABLY BEEN A GOOD WEEKEND… AND THAT IT WAS!

 

PHOTOS: TOM KAHLER 
http://mallelondon.com/the-mile/

 

  

 

FRIDAY

 

IT WAS THE EVE OF THE MALLE MILE, AN “INAPPROPRIATE  MOTORCYCLE RACE & EXHIBITION IN MOTION” HELD IN THE GROUNDS OF SOUTH LONDON’S KEFINGTON HALL. HOARDS OF MOTORCYCLE FANATICS STARTED TO ARRIVE; READY FOR A WEEKEND OF RACES, CREATING NEW RIVALS (AND FRIENDS) AND PARTYING. AS SUNSET DREW UPON US IT WAS OVER TO THE EVENT’S VERY OWN ‘RIDE IN CINEMA’- WHICH SHOWCASED A SERIES OF SHORT MOTO-INSPIRED FILMS; PROJECTED ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING, TO GET EVERYONE INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS BEFORE THE GRAND OPENING THE NEXT MORNING.


 


 

 SATURDAY

 

SATURDAY CAME AND THE GATES OPENED. THE EXHIBITION ITSELF WAS SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE GROUND’S PADDOCK AND SECTIONED OFF INTO TWO CATEGORIES. THE FIRST, THE MILE MOTO EXHIBITION SHOWCASED ‘A CENTURY OF RACING’- A COLLECTION OF CELEBRATED RACING MOTORCYCLES, AND THE 4 C’S EXHIBITION DISPLAYING RARE CUSTOMS, CLASSICS, CAFES & CHOPPERS.

 

WITH THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY ALSO CAME THE FIRST OF THE RACES: THE FIRE HOOP-JUMPING ROUGHS RACE, THE INSANELY DUSTY, NOISY AND RECKLESS HILL CLIMB- SEEING RIDERS GO HEAD TO HEAD IN A KNOCKOUT RACE UP THE KEFINGTON HILL, AND THE QUALIFYING ‘MILE SPRINT RACE’- WHERE CLASSIC & CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES RODE IT OUT IN HOPE OF BEING NAMED MAN OF THE MILE AND MAKING IT TO THE FINAL STAGE.


 


 


SUNDAY

 

SUNDAY. A DAY OF REST AND TAKING IT EASY? WELL ITS STARTED WITH A QUIET GAME OF… MOTO-POLO!!! WHERE FOUR TEAMS OF 5 RIDERS COMPETED ON THEIR MACHINES IN A CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, BEFORE THE FINAL MILE SPRINT DERBY WHICH PROVED LUCK REALLY IS AN ART!

 

ONCE THE DUST FINALLY DID SETTLE THE EVENING CAME TO A CLOSE WITH THE PODIUM PARTY- A NIGHT OF MUSIC, GAMES AND A BOTTLE OF GODSPEED BEER- OR MORE FOR THOSE STILL LOOKING TO GET FUELLED UP!