Motorcycle Advanced Skills Workshop

FTLComm - Tisdale - May 6, 2001

If you are going to ride one of these things you better find out how to do it right. Doing it the safe way was the focus of the weekend workshop for advanced riding skills held at the Tisdale airport this weekend. Late afternoon Friday the course began with about twelve riders going through the exacting schedule of demonstrations and practice sessions so that each rider could qualify for the final exam Sunday morning. A set of instructors came out from Saskatoon Friday to give the workshop and they were on hand with clipboards

and calculating observation to evaluate each rider in the final exam. This instructor was part of the course that involved not only precision maneuvers but also quick decision making and taking action based on the decision. The rider below is a mature individual and was in the final stages of the exam when this photographer came along to see him approach the instructor and execute the movement based on her signal. After one more run through a set of pylons he came back to this same approach to carry out a controlled but abrupt stop.

Each of the riders parked their own machines for the course and used one of these tough and durable motocross machines. The chief instructor explained that to do the practice and training needed these machines designed to absorb abuse were far better than street machines for the training process. All of the participants in the weekend programme were mature adults who have all done their share of travel in regular vehicles but were taking advantage of the very specific and specialist training offered to improve their own level of

competence and make riding their motorcycle a safer activity. Besides the very impressive Harley Davidson machines seen at the top of the page there were also a number of heavy metal rice burners including two Varga Yamaha and in the back ground of this picture you can see a Honda Gold Wing. Helmets, leather jackets and the spirit of two wheel riders was present as each participant waited their turn to do the exam and then an interview with the head instructor who went over the test results with each individual. Below we see Tisdale's Mayor, Rollie Zimmer, in the final stages of his test run.