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MA's Mark Fattore recently wrote that their/our Stefan Merriman was a former New Zealand SuperCross champion.
I guess I have seen Stefan's progress developing over the years, but I missed that ???
I first saw Stefan when he turned up at trials on his little TY80 with his dad, Warwick who is still a very competive rider ( I rode trials from the 60s to mid 80s - then rode Enduros??) So I watched Stefan evolve to become a very talented Trials rider. Probably world class.
Saw him at a road race at Lakeside Queensland (talk about close racing!!) biff his Yamaha away big time - then he come out in his next race, riding just as hard........
Saw him on another occasion at the Coolum MX track riding a bloody great 600 Yamaha, not the ideal MX bike even at that time and he probably couldn't even touch the ground, but Stefan fired it around as though it was a 125 - and very, very competitive, as one would expect.......
I attended the A4DE at Oparau and the team I was supporting was based next to Team Merriman. I consider myself fortunate, as for four days I was watching the arguably best enduro rider in the world at this time, applying his trade. I could not help being impressed by his professional and meticulous attitude as he focussed on perfection - and winning.
But as I could not recall Stefan riding SX I asked his mum, Anita (for if mums don't know, no one does).
Anita replied:
Yes, in 1993. He rode a Honda for Blue Wing Honda. At that time he worked for Coastline Honda spare parts, in Tauranga. He had a very bad fall at the NZ ChampsSX meet in Masterton and it nearly killed him. The medical staff on site could not find a heart beat or pulse and (not being a strongly religious person) I just prayed and talked to him and he came round.!!!!
An amazing and horrific experience.
After that Stef decided he didn't need to ride Supercross and shortly after that he was offered a ride with Brisbane Yamaha riding trials and doing demontrations for them. After that he moved onto a Yamaha 600cc production road race bike with Brisbane Yamaha.The 600 you saw him 'biff' at Lakeside was too expensive to run and as you say, he managed to hit the dirt on several occasions and he was always fixing the bike at great expense. He wanted to run before he could walk with that bike.
When the Australian 4 day event was due they asked Stef if he would like to take one of the OLD 2nd hand bikes from the shop and ride the event. He did and won!!!. Thus the birth of Stefan Merriman World Enduro Champion.!!!
He says he will not ride Supercross again, or the Isle of Man as he considers them too dangerous, but mind you some of the chances he takes in enduros are still fairly hair raising at times.!!!!
He has always made me very proud and his dedication and determination to suceed in his pusuits has never faltered. Even as a schoolboy, he would be up until midnight doing homework - as he was always practicing trials after school......
He said after he won the World Championship in England in 1988 he was going to be a World Champion bike rider again and he never strayed from that goal to fulfil his dream and many times at the cost of his personal life.
Stef will be home here on 24th July and returns to Melbourne 31st July to do ISDE training with the Aussie Team.
Regards
Anita
