NEW JERSEY COPS n AUGUST 2014
Ride On
57
Motorcycle cops show their skills
while riding for Special Olympics
n BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
n PHOTOS BY ED CARATTINI JR.
In the massive parking lot outside
Macy’s at the Willowbrook Mall in
Wayne, the sun gleamed through vents
in the 60-foot-tall American flag suspended from two of Wayne Fire Department’s extended tower ladders, a sight
that marked the start of July 20’s ninth
annual Law Enforcement Motorcycle
Skills Competition to benefit Special
Olympics.
Dozens of motorcycle officers riding
their standard issue Harley Davidsons
began warming up for the day’s competition following two days of preliminary
practice rounds and eliminations, as
spectators trickled into the bleachers
erected in the lot alongside tents for
sponsors and trailers from PBA Locals.
“It’s a good chance to pine around
and bust each other’s chops,” joked Rich
Croland of Bergen Harley, one of the
day’s sponsors who has been supporting
the event since the beginning.
The competition day was broken up
into five events, marked by cones
throughout the parking lot. They included: an accuracy course, where speed
doesn’t matter; a speed course where
points are deducted for hitting cones; a
slow-ride course where riders take as
long as they can to get through it. Following these core three events, the cones
were rearranged to a surprise “challenge” course, the layout of which,
unlike the previous courses, riders had
not been privy to. Lastly, pairs of riders
were linked together via a magnetic
cable and rode a course tandem-style.
“The skills these riders need to perfect
are patience, balance and focus,” noted
Retired Saddle Brook Captain Glenn
Toepert, a former motorcycle officer
who also serves on the State Law
Enforcement Torch Run Committee,
also a benefactor of this event. “This is a
two-fold thing; it’s a competition, but it’s
also a training event for the motorcycle
officers.”
As officers from Paterson, Paramus,
Fort Lee, Passaic County Sheriff’s
Department, Cedar Grove, East Rutherford, Teaneck, North Haledon, Englewood Cliffs, Totowa, Union City, Glen
Rock, Essex County and the NYPD navigated the various courses, dozens of
volunteers from American Legion Posts
in Lincoln Park and Wayne, as well as the
Paterson Blue Knights served as judges,
keeping rigorous score at each turn.
During the course of the day, nearly
600 spectators migrated around the
arena snapping photos, cheering on
their local heroes and collecting prizes
and food that included free wings from
Hooters.
“It’s the best crowd we’ve seen so far,”
exclaimed Croland. “It took a little while
but it’s catching on.”
Probably the most dedicated spectator was Toepert’s son Mike, a Special
Olympian fresh off his volleyball tournament win in this summer’s games.
“Watching these coppers ride makes
me happy,” he eagerly stated. Mike is a
staple at the annual event, and could be
seen handing out trophies to the best
riders at the end of the day. And while
there were winners, every participant
benefited from the challenge of the
competition.
“We all trained together so it didn’t
matter who won,” said North Haledon
Motorcycle Officer Sean Phillips, who
came in first in the Challenge Ride.
In the end, more than “$16,000 was
raised for Special Olympics New Jersey.
“Anybody who rides knows how difficult it is to do what they do,” added
Croland. “You almost hate them for
making it look so easy. It’s great to see
them do with these machines what they
were made to do – ride the heck out of
them.”d
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