About Twist of the Wrist

Standing at the bar in some non-descript nightclub, far too many decades ago to remember, an aspiring young racer said to me, as he leant over his pint, “I would rather be a ‘has-been’ than a ‘wanna-be’”.

Or was it “I would rather be a ‘never-was’ than a ‘wanna-be’”? I don’t know, I can’t remember.

But what I do know is that the story about who is standing on the top three steps of the podium at the end of the race is not always the most interesting story to come out of the paddock at any given event on any given weekend.

What’s far more interesting is how those that ‘are’, those that ‘were’ and those that ‘wanna-be’ got there.

Welcome to Twist of the Wrist – the stories behind the stories and the stories beyond the podium.

About Me

Twist of the Wrist - The Blog

Born into the trenches: WHES Juniors.

Whet Ya WHEStle is probably the most relaxed event in the WHES calendar. At the start of the year it is a bit of a "this is what you are in for". But at the end of the year it is a bit more like "Whatever is left in the tank - let's light it up". And if you've been following socials you'll see that the W.A. Hard Enduro fraternity really does know how to 'let it all hang out' when the chequered flag is consigned to stay in the trailer for the day. To be quite honest, last Satu

15 hours ago4 min read

Hard Orienteering: W.H.O.S. in?

Orienteering, by definition, is trying to get from point to point in unfamiliar terrain as quickly as possible. Originating from military land-navigation training in the late 19th century, you can race orienteering on, or in, anything! On a horse. On foot. On a goat if that floats your boat. And if you Google it, apparently, it does for a select few. Whatever floats your goat. Where am I going with this and why? One of the toughest things about the sport we do, be it enduro o

Oct 84 min read

The Puppet Master calls 'Final Curtain' on the Toodyay Terror: WHES 2026 Final Round.

Western Australia is unique. Perhaps a bit strange and definitely a little bit 'special' (in the loosest sense of the term!) Culturally? We have Fringe World. Sure, other states do Fringe. But we do it bigger, better and a little bit more weirdly. Motorally? Well, we have WHES! Sure, other states do hard enduro, but we do it different. The roadshow we call WHES relies on a cast of thousands to bring it to life. Production and direction credit is all Emma Petrig. Few would arg

Sep 224 min read

IT is coming to create Terror at Toodyay: WHES Rd 5 Pre-race.

IT is an enigma. IT can take any form, but IT always chooses to take the form its victims fear the most. And in early 2026, IT took the form of #174. "Grant and Lards have been the best 2 but I am coming !!!" What Steven King is producing on the bike is setting the scene for real terror at Toodyay, the final round of W.A. Hard Enduro Series and, perhaps, the final round EVER at this iconic track!!!! King manifests as a bolt action Remington in a 10-gallon hat and a pair of si

Sep 133 min read

Better in than out: WHES Round 4

You really have to ask yourself: why would you? And if you do know why, would you? The B & B Offroad Quindanning Clash, Round 4 on the W.A. Hard Enduro Series calendar, took a lot of people by surprise! Disturbingly, a lot of people surprised themselves, and others, by demonstrating exactly what they are prepared to do to get what they really REALLY need out of a WHES round. But, at the end of a crap day for most, it really was a case of "better in than out". Kel West squeeze

Sep 34 min read

Princess and the pea: WHES Round 3.

The 2026 Scene Signs Brookton Boulder Bash was a fairytale. The sun was shining brighter than a unicorns tail and the bitter cold was held at bay by silver-lined clouds that brought just enough rain to keep the pixie dust down. The surface of the granite boulders was grippy enough to redefine Home Depot's Grit Guide. And had you held your breath and listened really carefully, you could have heard the track marking fairies casting their spell on an 8 km Hard Enduro wonderland.

Aug 44 min read

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