Monteberg Rally

This weekend, the Southern Westhoek was dominated by the Monteberg Rally. Hearing the roaring motors of the rally-cars gave me a flashback to my childhood years. Growing up in a rural village myself, the yearly local motocross was my personal heighday. I was curiously attracted by the colourful advertisements, the narcotic smell of gasoline, the ear-wrecking noise and the thrill of imminent danger... my mom always warned me to stay away from the circuit as there is always the risk of a rider loosing control...Motorized vehicles are not just the main mode of transport in rural areas, they are also key in local sports.

Not all people I spoke with shared my excitement. Most said 'it is still a strong tradition in the region' but were not particularly aficionados themselves. But they do recognize that a lot of people are attracted by the rallies and 'go crazy'. Along the roads, people are posted with their camera's to capture shots of the decorated cars. Police is all around to temper the spectators' drunken enthusiasm and -with their own kind of cameras- make sure they do not try to follow the rallycars at a similar speed.  According to one story, people are running straight across the fields from one part of the circuit to the other, in order to not miss any passage; sometimes even carrying ladders to watch the cars from higher up. Rally might be a typical rural sport, I wonder what the local farmers think of this tradition...

Maarten L.

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