World-Class Trials Academy

Providing Challenge - Encouraging Confidence - Building Character

Guest coach( from the MFJ ) Takumi Narita teaching at NonStop

New Zealand now has its own world-class Trials Academy thanks to the vision, effort and persistence of Nelson man Stephen Oliver and his supporters.

The NonStop Trials Academy has been established on a property southwest of Nelson.

Its aims are to provide the challenge, help build your confidence, and teach you the skills to improve your performance, and guarantee you a great, fun-filled experience.

The competitive sport of Observed Motorcycle Trials is a popular and respected international motor sport. Many people also enjoy Trials at an individual or Club level, riding without competition pressures.

With riders aged from 5 to 80 years+ included, once taken up, Trials provides many years of pleasure.

Our Objectives

• To train Youth in the safety aspects of motorcycling (Trials is the foundation to all branches of motorcycling)
• To make this facility available to Local and National Youth
• To cater for all age groups and encourage family participation
• To give Nelson a substantial profile
• To host International events & high profile displays by overseas competitors
• To promote Nelson as the centre hub of Trials M/Cycling and Bike events within NZ
• To help train a NZ National squad for overseas competition

Rider Profiles

NonStop welcomes all riders who wish to share their profile below:
Send us your information and photo via the email link at the bottom of the page.

Callum Anderson

Callum Anderson, member of another father-son combination has quickly out-classed his Dad Gordon and is well on his way to being one of NZ's top youth riders. Callum demonstrates great skill both on the trials push bike and on his Sherco 250 motorcycle. Callum is currently competing in the more challenging intermediate grade, and with some coaching and more time on his bike he has the potential to take on the best that NZ has to offer in the future.

Steve Armistead

Relative new-comer to the sport of trials, retired heart surgeon Steve Armistead is the thinking man's trials rider; analysing his performance and pushing his comfort zone to move from absolute beginner to intermediate contender, since arriving at NonStop for his first training session.
Steve gets immense enjoyment from all facets of trials from fixing, modifying and riding through to the camaraderie with other trials riders both within NZ and overseas.
He has been a visitor to the Scottish Six-Day and World Rounds as well as the NonStop Trials Academy and is on the bike whenever the opportunity presents itself - practice makes perfect!
Steve is in the process of becoming the Sherco agent for the North Island.

Jason Baker

Jason Baker is a long time competitor having been riding trials for over 20 years.
He has won a very creditable 10 South Island Championship titles and represented New Zealand 5 times as a member of the Trials De Nations team.
He has also been one of the top contenders at the NZ Champs for many years.
As father to two young children Jason has recently come back to competitive riding. Jason's young pre-school son Will is already very keen to follow in his fathers foot steps and is seen riding around on his electrically powered trials motorcycle with grandfather Dave Baker close behind.

Karl Clark

Karl has been involved with Trials since 1990 and his best result was in 2003 when he won NZ Expert Championship and a top ten position in the Australian Championship, before he retired from trials due to business commitments. Now as the father of twin boys he is keen to help with Youth development in the sport.
In 2008 Karl and his family spent a year with Jake Whitaker in Europe, as he attacked the world youth championship. Karl has now returned to New Zealand and is once again competing at Expert level against his young rival.

Issac Clark

Issac got a new electric trials bike for his 5th birthday, which he loves to ride like his dad Jonathan. He is learning valuable skills and the whole family can get involved in this sport, although he's not too keen to share his bike with his sister!
Father Jonathan is currently riding a Sherco 290 and mother Liz is keen to own her own trials bike in the not so distant future. Jonathan has ridden dirt bikes in his youth and believes that the sport of trials offers a good future for him and his family to enjoy together.

Liam Draper

Liam Draper is such a talented, fun-loving young rider who just loves to mix it with all his older competitors and role models. Here in the profile photo you see Liam with his new hero and good friend, Takumi Narita who instantly took a liking to Liam's great personality. He has the backing of his father, as do all the up and coming young riders and is often seen out and about with another of his riding buddies, Chris Birch. Liam aspires to be like his role models. Keep up the effort Liam!

Blake Fox

Blake Fox is the son to long time campaigner Gavin Fox. It is great to see another family sharing a common interest. Blake has chosen to develop his trials riding skills on the Sherco 125 as it is common knowledge world wide that the young rider will develop better bike skills by learning on the 125cc machine. Blake already has a NZ Junior title to his credit and if he continues to improve at his current rate is on target for many more trophies in the near future.

Gabrielle Gundry

Hi my name is Gabrielle Gundry (but mostly people call me Gabby) and I am from Tauranga. I started to ride motorbikes when I was 10 just for fun, I started to ride trials competitively when I was about 13 because my Dad ,Granddad and brother were all riding and my dad thought that I should give it a go so I could join in and I have loved it ever since. I really enjoy going to different places around NZ and meeting heaps of new people and making lots of new friends. I enjoy the challenge of trials and learning heaps of new skills. I currently ride a Gas Gas 125
I would like to ride in the trials des nations in a woman's team representing New Zealand. I would also love to do the Scottish six day trial with my dad. Hopefully the woman's world championships.

Jacob Gundry

My name is Jacob Gundry, I am from Tauranga, I started riding motorbikes when I was 6, then I started competing in trials when I was 8 because my Dad and my Granddad ride trials, and I thought it was fun.

Now I am 10 and I am riding Junior in the Nationals. I ride a Beta Rev 80

I want to become the youngest New Zealand champion and go overseas to ride for New Zealand in the Trials des Nations. I would also like to ride in the World Championship as that would be pretty awesome.

John Haynes

My name is John Haynes, I am 13 years old and ride a Gas Gas 200. I live in Ngakuru near Rotorua and am a member of the Tauranga club. I started riding motorbikes when I was 10 and started doing trials when I was 11. Last year I came 1st in the North Island Nationals and 3rd in the New Zealand Nationals and this year I have moved up to Intermediate. I enjoy traveling to different trials with my Dad and doing my best.

Warren Laugesen

I have been riding trials for about 20 years, which has included a three year stint in the UK where I gained many of my current skills and experience. Two of those years were spent riding as a supported rider for the Beta UK team in all British National and Championship events including 2x Scottish Six Day events. In 1997 I finished 12th in the open British Championships and completed a full European Championship series, plus two finishing awards at two World Round events coming 23 & 24. Upon returning from Europe I have honed my skills to take out 8 NZ National Championships and twice Australian Champion in 1999 & 2001.

Warwick Merriman

Warwick Merriman, father of NZ Trials Champion and World Enduro Champion Stefan Merriman and top contender in presidents/intermediate grade.
"I have 30 years International experience, including the Scottish 6 day. I also hold 7 New Zealand Trials titles; and I am a level one MNZ coach."
Warwick is a long time campaigner and has a lot to offer the sport; he is very competitive and always pulls off a great ride no matter what level he is competing at. Warwick is very popular with all riders and loves to mix it with the young guns.

Cameron Ladyman

Hey everybody

I'm Cameron Ladyman, 14 yrs old. I now live in Kati Kati with my father.
I've got a 249cc Gas Gas the 2004 model ,my fathers got a Gas Gas 300, we usually ride around together.
I have been competing for around a year now, thou I've always been into bikes as a little kid I was playing on pushbikes doing jumps and tricks up till 18 months ago, which is when I moved here. Now I much rather a motor instead of pedals. I find trials a very fun and enjoyable sport, hooting around on tracks is okay sometimes, but I much prefer bush bashing in the rangers taking on more difficult terrain by getting off the worn quad, 4x4 drive and enduro tracks, because it feels like you've done something.
At the end of the day, I want to do well and be right up in the rankings, the points system help make it all the more interesting thou if I dont make NZ Champ I wont feel like I have let myself down and that I should have been able to do better, thou it would be nice...

I just like playing around on the bike and joining in on competitions, when I stuff up it motivates me to keep trying and so do better next time.

Competing against the others around my age and older guys is good too, it gives me a kind of a gauge as to how I'm doing. But all in all its about fun and achievement which I think is what sports is supposed to be all about and like all solo sports the wins and losses are all your own, only you feel the frustration or satisfaction from your own doings

Andrew Oliver

Andy, always the comedian, has great natural ability which he constantly reminds his father of. Andy is hard working and although is not seen on the trials bikes as often as his younger brothers Nick and Peter he is always keen for a ride. He is a regular visitor at the local skate park doing all sorts of crazy tricks on his BMX stunt bike and is also pretty handy on the Trials push bike. Although now married, it has been said that his wife has now given him permission to purchase his own Trials motorcycle in the not too distant future, watch this space.

Peter Oliver

NZ A-Grade Champion 2008, NZ Intermediate Champion 2007, NZ Junior Trials Champion 2006
Peter's smile is infectious, as is his sense of humour. Peter spurred on by brotherly competition has been increasingly willing to take on the bigger Trials sections with direction from NonStop Academy coach Stephen Oliver along with the advice and examples of Andrew and Nicholas.
Peter was able to compete in Japan for the first time in 2008 in the 32nd Idemitsu Ihatove Trial and was rapt to come home with Takumi Narita's shirt at the end of the trial.

Nicholas Oliver

NZ Junior Trials Champion 2004 ; North Island & NZ A-Grade Champion 2007
Nick is the quiet achiever with great skill who came into Trials Competitions a relatively unknown rider who took out the Junior title in 2004 and third place in his first ride in Expert grade in 2008.
Nick has competed twice in the Japanese Idemitsu Ihatove Trial with his latest ride in 2008 against Takumi & Ryo Narita, Fumitaka Nozaki and Kenichi Kuroyama. All riding on Scorpa 125s Nick took out third place.

Peter Osborne

Peter Osborne has competed successfully in the sport of Mountain Biking in recent times and has ridden Trials in his younger years. Peter is currently making his comeback, being part of the Hamilton M/C team where there is plenty of friendly rivalry among members. Peter has developed to a good level of riding over the years and has a solid foundation to work from. He is often seen with Team Sherco's Steve Armistead and the pair are always in good spirit.

John Ravenscroft

If talent was food, then this guy would have starved to death years ago. His well being is under threat each time he rides. But his ineptitude is offset by his enthusiasm. As old age and decrepitude set-in, he finds that lesser obstacles are a challenge. Ambition - to beat John Lawton.
John has successfully managed past TDN Teams and has a wealth of knowledge that we could all share and learn from.

Francis Sydenham

Francis is relatively new to the sport of Trials although no stranger to motorcycling.
Francis enjoys the challenge that riding trials has to offer and the friendly atmosphere that goes with competing. He is a frequent visitor to NonStop with his riding buddy Steve. He is continually improving and is always keen for a ride as he is very aware that the more time on the bike the better your riding becomes.

Grant Thwaites

Former karting champion and part-time dirt bike rider has turned trials rider less than 18mths ago.Having a turn on a mates old ty250 at a BOP funday sparked the interest and he was keen to try a modern bike.Through Neil McCabe he secured a bike for the day after which he purchased his own. He is currently competeing in the N.I. champs,Hamilton champs and BOP champs and throughly enjoying it.

Gareth Wadsworth

Gareth Wadsworth, son to Brendan and Cathy of Marlborough Trials Centre, has been showing good form recently. Gareth is keen on the trials push bike and motorcycle and has developed good style and technique. It is always great to see such young riders sharing and enjoying the day out on the bikes with mum and Dad and don't forget younger sister Jenna. Gareth's first goal is to beat Dad and then Jake.

Jake Whitaker

NZ Expert Champion 2007 / 2008
Jake has only been riding since he was ten, and competitively since 2003.
As Jake was home-schooled he was able to get lots of practice time on the bike.
Jake took out top ten in the World Youth Champs as part of the Future Trials Team based in Italy in 2008 competing in Europe, USA & Japan.
Jake is currently New Zealand's most talented young rider and has a exciting riding style. Jake really enjoys his riding and is a pleasure to watch.