Motocross competitors from Salt Lake City, Roosevelt, Ballard, Vernal, Lapoint and Panguitch took part in a two-day Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy, Friday and Saturday, June 19-20 at the Peaks MX Raceway in Ballard.

Hansen is a former Factory Honda rider with a Supercross, National Motocross and Trophee des Nations titles. He is the only rider to retire as reigning Supercross and National champion. His years of racing experience are reflected in his schools.

The Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy (DHMA) is a motocross riding school that teaches skills and techniques to all levels and ages of riders - young, old, male, female, beginner, pro, or mini. The DHMA schools offer unique value and insight that comes with multiple championships.

“I had the students/riders running the course at Peaks Raceway in Ballard and practicing proper grip on the handle bars plus where they stop on foot pegs. Also we had them focusing on how to come into the turns,” said Hansen. “We had them using proper body position going into turns.”

A father of one of the motocross students, Shane McMullin checked out the action, Friday morning.

“The academy is good for the kids as they learn the right way to do things plus hitting the turns as well as the whole course where the feet and arms keep them at the right angle,” McMullin stated. “It is a lot more than just getting on a motorcycle and going down a course. They have to learn the correct techniques.”

Chance Mullins enjoyed the Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy.

“I like the jumps and learning how to improve my skills plus doing things better,” he said.

Brothers, Boedy and Brayden Searle of Vernal were two of the 12 students in the Hansen Academy.

“It was good and will help me a lot on corners. Donnie gave me good advice,” commented Boedy.

“The academy will help me improve my racing and especially on corners,” stated Brayden. “I had a blast out there.”

Donnie "Holeshot" Hansen teaches all classes personally. He covers everything necessary to sharpen technical riding skills, jumping, cornering, starts, line picking, proper body positioning, mental training, and more. Each student was carefully evaluated while taking the school.

Hansen was a member of TEAM USA, which won it seventeenth Motocross des Nations event (also known as the Olympics of Motocross) since 1981, breaking the all-time record previously held by England. The greatest names in modern American motocross—from the ’81 quartet of Danny LaPorte, Donnie Hansen (#49), Chuck Sun, and Johnny O’Mara to ’06 heroes James Stewart, Ivan Tedesco, and Ryan Villopoto—were part of this record-breaking effort.