Talk about not getting any respect... Whenever we hear someone utter Rodney Dangerfield's signature catchphrase, we can't help but think about our old friend "Vertical" Joe Dryden. A pro stunter from back in the day (we first became aware of Dryden more than five years ago, when he was riding with Vertical Outlaws way up in Maine), since then Dryden has become one of the most skilled stunters in the country thanks to years of dedicated practice, personal sacrifice and hundreds of hours spent building his rep at stunt events around the country. Despite his dedication, though, Dryden seldom saw the spotlight-something he never let us forget, always calling us to harass us and ask us why it seemed like every other stunter but him was getting his picture in the magazine! Dryden was never in the right place at the right time, it seemed, and he never got any respect.
Until now-success, and plenty of big-time recognition, is finally coming Dryden's way. Thanks to sponsorship by big names in the stunt game like Icon, H.A.I. Bike Shop, Spy Optics, Full Throttle and MotoHeaven, stunting is finally paying Dryden's bills. He's also booking some big-time international shows, including last year's historic Black Sheep Squadron event held on the military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Multiplex event in Tokyo, Japan, this past May, and a two-month, multi-nation European tour this fall as part of the Monster Jam Europe extreme sports extravaganza. Heck, we've even started running his photo with some regularity in the magazine-what more could a guy ask for?
Speaking of Europe, Dryden was also on the short list to perform at this year's Burns Day stunt spectacular in France alongside a few other top American stunters, including Chris McNeil, Kyle Woods, Eric Hoenshell and Jason Britton. Unfortunately, that event wasn't meant to be (shades of Dryden's hard-luck past rearing their ugly head?). The riders got word that Burns Day 2006 was cancelled just minutes before they were to board the plane to France, sitting in the Atlanta airport. Suddenly, we had no story and a bunch of pages to fill, and Dryden had a few unanticipated days of free time on his hands. Maybe we could make up for all those times we overlooked his talents in the past, and give him his own profile-sounds like a plan!
So instead of flying into Nice, France, we retreated back to Dryden's adopted home of Orlando, Florida, where he recently relocated from Maine in order to ride and practice year-round. Our first stop with Dryden was his "other job," working the counter at the stunter-friendly H.A.I. Bike Shop. When he is not on the road competing and doing shows, Dryden can usually be found at the shop helping customers hook up aftermarket performance and stunt equipment for their own rides. "I've been working here for about a year," Dryden tells us, "and the owner, Mark Weeks, is really cool about letting me come and go when I have events to attend." After arriving at the shop, Dryden gave us the rundown of what to expect for the rest of our time with him. Along with the usual work all day/ride all night routine, Dryden was also going to get some fresh ink at a tattoo shop in Jacksonville, and give us the opportunity to see him perform at a Monster Jam show in Fort Lauderdale. Sounds like he had things covered.
After shooting the breeze for a while, it was time to close down the shop and follow Dryden out to the local stunt spot for practice. Upon arrival we caught up with some familiar faces from our last visit (see "O-Town Hustle," Super Streetbike, July 2006) while Dryden unloaded his freshly painted bike. "I haven't had any seat time on this bike in a while," Dryden said as he suited up and rode off. After watching a handful of passes, it was hard to believe he hadn't ridden the bike in what he claimed was "a few months," but the locals assured us the bike had been down for a while getting new paint and other mods in preparation for the trip overseas. He seemed to ride the bike effortlessly, throwing down some long stoppies into 180s, coaster variations, and combos all over the bike. Between riding sessions we were able to snap some pictures of the bike while Dryden hydrated-the temperature was an evil 80+ degrees, even at 11 o'clock at night. After a three-hour riding session, we headed over to Dryden's house to call it a night.