"I flew over the race [on Saturday] on the way to another job," he said.
"It was the first I knew that it was on.
"It is a whole bunch of amateurs who turn up and just go for it.
"It sounds like a lot of fun but you end up with an element of non-skilled risk."
On Saturday morning, a man aged in his late 20s died after falling from his motorbike while taking part in the event in the Karioi Forest near Ohakune.
Constable Dylan Hovelle said no-one witnessed the man's crash but other riders were on the scene within seconds to find him lying unconscious.
Emergency workers pronounced the rider dead at the scene.
Yesterday, three riders were taken to Whanganui Hospital by the Palmerston North-based rescue helicopter. One had serious, non-life-threatening injuries, the other two suffered broken arms.
The annual event usually attracts about 1000 competitors.
Desert Storm features 130 kilometres of trails through forests and creeks, as well as hill climbs and firebreaks, according to the event's website.
Police are yet to release the name of the dead motorcyclist, but they have named the Hamilton teenager who died four days after a head-on collision between his quad bike and a four-wheel-drive vehicle west of Tokoroa last Monday.
Tyler John Murray, 16, died from his injuries in Waikato Hospital on Friday.
Taupo police Constable Tina Mitchell said it appeared Tyler was riding on the wrong side of a gravel section of Jack Henry Rd when he collided with the Toyota Surf on a blind corner.
The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.
