KTM's financial foolery, which is the nicest way I can say it, put the FIM World Hard Enduro Championship into a free fall, as the Austrian manufacturer was the main sponsor and had to pull out. Thankfully, after a lot of reorganizing and hard work by the promoters, the Championship is back on, although it'll look a little different than before.
A large part of the reason we'll have an FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in 2025 is down to a new promoter. ProTouchGlobal GmbH (a Swiss-based sports management company) recently inked a deal that names it as the new FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC). But with a new promotor comes some changes to the calendar.
The calendar contains a few of the events historically associated with the HEWC, but it won't include Erzbergrodeo. This is the biggest change to the calendar, but should come as no surprise, considering Erzbergrodeo and Romaniacs joined together to create a new Extreme “World Championship” in 2025. Since then, Romaniacs has backed out of that agreement, which is probably why it's back on the HEWC calendar with no date changes.
Judging by the new calendar, Silver Kings (USA), which takes place in Idaho, appears to have replaced Erzberg. For fans, teams, and riders, it's been a touch-and-go situation ever since KTM pulled out, but apparently, all the major promoters have been aware that ProTouchGlobal's investment was a sure thing. That's probably the reason the ink has just dried on the contract, but the first event on the provisional 2025 HEWC calendar takes place in less than two weeks.
Provisional 2025 HEWC calendar:
- 10-11 May – Valleys Hard Enduro (UK)
- 12-14 June – Silver Kings (USA)
- 22-26 July – Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) (* in negotiation)
- 6-7 September – Abestone (Italy) (* in negotiation)
- 20-21 September – Hixpania (Spain)
- 9-11 October – Sea to Sky (Turkey)
- 24-25 October – Getzen Rodeo (Germany)
- 20-22 November – Roof of Africa (Lesotho)
ProTouchGlobal might be a new name for some of you, but it's not its first foray into promoting off-road events, as it was involved with the 2024 Roof of Africa, and has big plans for the HEWC. The company's Managing Director, Robbie Hunter, said, “We’re honored to take the reins of such a prestigious and adrenaline-charged championship... The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Events are not just your average races—it’s a battle between rider, machine, and nature to the extreme. Our mission is to elevate the sport while preserving its raw, untamed essence.”
It's tough to see the Erzbergrodeo taken off the HEWC calendar, but it's a small thing to swallow if it means the HEWC gets the green light in 2025.
