During the first Quarter of 2016, GWRRA Rider Education began rolling out “Shiny Side Up,”a series of modifications and additions to Rider Education programs. To give you a brief overview of the program, Wing World Editor Anita Stienstra interviewed Bob Berry, Director, Rider Education.
W.W. What is Shiny Side Up?
Bob: Shiny Side Up is a set of 5 complimentary on-bike challenges each based on 15 range exercises plus some additional options for skill practice. The difference is that each component utilizes the exercises in different ways. For example, the Vanguard Rider Course exercises, while having the same general layout as the League of Aces, are modified slightly to challenge the skills of those riders. And the Pursuit of Excellence program allows participants to choose from among the15, or from any number of skill development courses available free on the internet or from our own GWRRA website.
W.W. How did you come up with the 15 exercises?
Bob: If you read Ray and Sandi Garris’ messages in Wing World, you’ll see many are about teamwork. That sure is the case here. I had a lot of help. Director of Drill Teams and Rider Excellence Eric Carlson took the lead on this project. Then Jim Graybeal, Robert Bray and Ray Garris were our “test riders” for motorcycles and Chuck Donaldson and Tom Mitchell for Three-wheelers, to determine the actual layout and timing for each exercise. The entire Rider Education TEAM reviewed each phase and provided input all along the way. The exercises themselves came from a variety of sources including our own GWRRA Rider Courses, several police training exercises, motorcycle practice field days, drill team training sessions and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Riding Tips booklet available to the public on the MSF Web site.
W.W. Why the new program?
Bob: There are two certainties that led us to consider updating all of our Rider Education offerings.
- Too many of us have friends or know of members who have crashed their Wings and the statistics are not getting better.
- The gross and fine motor skills needed to keep us safe, deteriorate in a relatively short period of time.
To address that deterioration,The School of Rider Education is focused on being more aggressive in providing opportunities for our members to get on their Wings and Trikes and practice skills at levels associated with their style of riding. If members accept the challenge, those crash statistics can be reversed.
W.W. What are the five components?
Bob: The individual components of the program are The Pursuit of Excellence, The League of Aces, The Vanguard Riders Course, Top Gun Trials, and The Amazing Team Challenge. Let’s look at them one at a time.
1 - Pursuit of Excellence
The Pursuit of Excellence is a bit of the old and a bit of the new to encourage skill practice at the Chapter level. Many of our long time members will recall the old Cornering Practice Guide they used for chapter practice sessions. Well, now they can use it again along with a host of other informal and easily attainable guides and programs that they may elect to use for their skill practice sessions. In addition to the 15 basic exercises, here are just a few other choices:
The take away of Shiny Side Up is that Chapter Educators and Directors are free to choose which set of exercises they may use to challenge their members. The organization/administration of the Chapter sessions are the responsibility of the Chapter Educator. Even though these events are aimed at simplicity and convenience, the general requirements for all GWRRA Field Events apply – Proper Gear, waivers, etc. Chapter Directors and Educators have an expanded mandate to engage members in these practice sessions.
2- League of Aces
The League of Aces provides riders who wish to do so, an opportunity to form Teams to compete at the District, Region, and National level. Using the root 15 exercises, teams can practice for a competition designed to encourage more riding skill practice.
Here’s how it works.
The League of Aces is a progressively more difficult series of riding exercises ridden and scored by teams (2-6) attempting to qualify for National competition. The exercises and score sheets will be available to Educators at all levels. Exercises can be grouped in small lots so that practice can occur in small chunks and require less space. Participation begins in the Chapter. Competition begins at the District Level at which there are no “winners;” just a number of teams who qualify according to their scored results.
The qualifying teams compete at the Region Level. Some may be eliminated due to the ever increasing difficulty of the exercises. But the “mission” is one of inclusion, not elimination. The same holds true for the “finals” at Wing Ding during which all 15 exercises will be scored and timed. Note that the League of Aces event at Wing Ding will not take place until 2017 to give Chapters/Districts time to form teams and schedule the preliminary events.
A League of Aces playbook will be available from Region Educators.
3 – Vanguard Riders Course
Many of our better riders are first, bored with having to take the same classes over and over for Level maintenance/progression, and second, are skilled to the point of not being challenged by the range portions. The Vanguard Riders Course addresses these issues in two sections.
A.Riders must successfully complete a two-hour classroom session and pass a knowledge test given any time during the year in their local area, to become qualified to;
B.Successfully complete a Riding Skill Test at Wing Ding that is timed and scored. Successful completion of both the classroom and riding portions counts as having taken a riding course. The classroom and knowledge test will be administered by GWRRA Rider Course Instructors. There will be separate modules specific to Trikes. This portion of the Vanguard RidersCourse will be given at the District Level or above in a timely manner so as to qualify those completing it successfully for going forward with the skill testing at the next Wing Ding.
The skill testing course is the same 15 program exercises similar to the League of Aces final riding course, but with more precise timing and scoring. It is not meant to be easy. The Vanguard Riders Course may be used only one time for Level advancementin each recertification cycle.
4 – Top Gun Trials
Top Gun Trialswill use the same course as the Vanguard Riders Course, but with no requirement for the 2-hour classroom. The new course will be run for the first time at Wing Ding in 2017.
5 – Amazing Team Challenge
The Amazing Team Challenge will remain in place for now as an alternative practice exercise. A new Trike- specific ATC will be run at Wing Ding this year in Billings.
W.W. I don’t see the Facilitated PLP in the new program. Is it still active?
Bob: In a word, no. When the Parking Lot Practice Guide was instituted about 10 years ago, its stated purpose was “to build confidence and reinforce basic riding abilities” which it did very well. The sanctioned/ facilitated PLP was created as a one-time use for progression from Level One to Level Two or for one-time Level Two Program maintenance for those who had difficulty finding a riding course within a reasonable distance from their home. At the time, GWRRA, MSF, ESC, and CSC were among the few options eligible for training. Since then, GWRRA Rider Education has significantly expanded the approved Rider Course list making it much easier to participate in at least one Rider Course every three years. New opportunities have emerged to achieve the original PLP goals in a simpler, less formal, more collegial and more fun environment.
W.W. What will happen to the Certified PLP Facilitators?
Bob: These folks have a critical role in the new program. As chapters become more active in Pursuit of Excellence events, Chapter/District/Region Educators are encouraged to utilize the talents and training of the former facilitators as range safety monitors, and to help with the administration and set up of the new programs. There is no further requirement for recertification.
W.W. Where can members find the range drawings, and administrative details for each component?
Bob: All of the materials are available through Region Educators.While the Wing Ding League of Aces, and Vanguard Riders components will not be available until Wing Ding 2017, members can get started on the District and Regional qualifying rounds this year.
W.W. Will there be a League of Aces Component for Trikes?
Bob: The short answer is yes. The question at the moment is when. We recognize that an ever increasing number of our members are riding on three-wheels. So we continue to develop three-wheel programs like the Amazing Team Challenge. But, we want to ensure these are Trike/Spyder specific challenges and not just a modification of a two-wheel course. Three Wheel riders, we are listening. So the long answer is “stay tuned.”
W.W. How will you know if the program is successful?
Bob: Well, you know the old adage “You can lead a horse to water…” If there really is a commitment to safe riding in GWRRA, the School of Rider Education has provided the tools and methods to make it happen. It’s really up to the members to take advantage of what we have put in place.
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