Around the TT in Assen it is often about the now retired Valentino Rossi and about Marc Marquez, Bo Bendsneijder or about (relative) newcomers such as Collin Veijer and Zonta van den Goorbergh. But who also make their appearance at the circuit every year are ‘Bert and Ernie’.
The mysterious duo has made it a sport to hide beer somewhere near the TT Circuit every year. It started with simple hiding places like ‘a bag over the ditch’ or burying some beer. But as it goes with these kinds of hobbies, it got crazier every year. In 2019, for example, the two built a counterfeit electrical cabinet to store the beer. This year’s construction is still a surprise. “What we made this year has still not been found.”
“Especially the action with the electrical cabinet was exciting,” says ‘Ernie’. “We encountered quite a lot of police on the way. We were lucky that they were looking for people from Appelscha and we are not from there,” he says. But even without the presence of the police it is exciting. “You cycle that way around midnight. And you can’t be behind the track at night,” says Ernie. “There is security around so you have a chance of getting caught.” And what if that happens? “Yes, sorry.”
‘Bert’ hints that the duo sometimes doubts whether they will continue with their stunts. “But when it gets closer again, it takes on certain shapes again,” he says. And there is no shortage of possibilities because Bert and Ernie have also invited some friends. “We have now had Pino and we also have Ieniemienie and maybe there are more,” he says. “Maybe we’ll do something, I don’t know, we’ll see.”