Whibley’s nine years in the
US saw him becoming a
record six-time winner of
the parallel-but-separate
Off-road Motorcycle and ATV
(OMA) series
PAUL WHIBLEY
Pahiatua’s Whibley (who now lives near
Himatangi) made his debut in the enduro world
championships (WEC) in 2003, finishing the
season eighth overall, and he backed that up by
finishing sixth overall in the WEC the following
season.
He was based in the UK and riding for a Gas Gas
team in the WEC in 2005 and experienced mixed
results. “The team struck financial difficulties
and I was forced to skip the final few rounds that
year,” Whibley explained.
He shifted to the United States in 2006
to race the Grand National Cross-country
Championships (GNCC) and, riding a Honda,
finished an impressive fifth overall on debut.
He finished sixth the following year and then
runner-up on a Suzuki in 2008, before finally
breaking through to win the title outright (on a
Kawasaki) in 2009.
He switched to Yamaha in 2010, finishing third
that year, and ended the 2011 season in runner-
up position, before winning outright again in
2012 (with fellow Kiwi Rory Mead claiming third
overall that season).
Whibley finished fifth overall in 2013 and
seventh overall in his swansong 2014 season in
the US.
Whibley’s nine years in the US also saw him
becoming a record six-time winner of the
parallel-but-separate Off-road Motorcycle and
ATV (OMA) series.
Whibley was named New Zealand’s Off-road
Rider of the Year in 2008. He returned home
KIWI RIDER 29