As 5Mary4 stated, the Carson City Sheriff's Department knows how to put on a police motorcycle training and competition event. They have a great venue, put together excellent courses that are challenging and fun, and they have some of the greatest people working the event.
Two members of my unit and I went to the competition. There were 53 riders in all, divided into three classes, BMWs, Harley Electra Glides, and Harley Roadkings. There were four events that each rider could compete in. The main event was the timed course. The timed course was made up of five cone patterns that the rider had to negotiate through down and back meaning you went through each pattern twice getting a chance to run it both directions. Then there was the obstacle course which took the rider through a series of obstacles including a teeter-totter, bouncing up and down curbs, and working through some large street barricades. In the obstacle course you were DQ'ed if you so much as touched a cone or barricade. This simulates hitting a car, tree, or other object in the real world. Then there was a team run where two officers paired up to run the timed course and the obstacle course for an overall time. Both riders started at the starting gate, and somehwere during the two courses they had to leap frog and change places. Lastly there was a Last Man Standing event, where a coned off area was filled with barricades, and cones. Two riders went in at the same time and the object was to get the other rider to hit a cone, put a foot down, exit the area, or drop their bike. Losers were done, winners rotated out to take on other winners. The last three riders faced each other for a three man finale to determine first through third place. Then the top finishers from each class competed against each other for overall Last Man Standing.
It was a lot of fun. We got to practice the courses on Friday and the competiton took place all day Saturday.
One of my partners took first place in the main event timed course, and I took third (missing second by .02 seconds).
I took first place in the obstacle course.
My partner and I took frist place in the team event.
My partner took frist place in the Last Man Standing and I took second when we double teamed the third place rider from Elk Grove.
All of us were humbled by the Flying Beaver fromPortland Oregon. This dude was on a BMW 1200 and absolutley smoked the course. I wish I had gotten video of him as he rode with speed, grace, and agility through the course.
On to the videos:
5Mary4 showing that he can ride without falling off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BctXmhgJVwA
My fastest run of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwZWJJ8v9vA
Mary63's first run. Check out the save he makes at about 2:05 of the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kja8bo-_Up4
The obstacle course was my favorite. Here is a practice run with a better camera angle to see what it looked like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4RYxCShM9g
5Mary4 running the obstacle course:
My timed run in the obstacle course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZhP3-yo3k4
M63 ripping off one of the fastest times of the day on his third run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk3QJaegQQc